Toni Reece: Hi there. This is Toni Reece, and welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living Magazine. Today I have Carolyn Spano with me. Welcome.
Carolyn Spano: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me here today. I’m so excited.
Toni: I’m happy to have you here. Carolyn, take a moment and tell us a little bit about yourself.
Carolyn: Okay. I currently work at the Crowne Plaza Reading. I’m their Director of Corporate Catering. I’ve been there about three years. Previously, I was with the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce for eight. I’m a mom of two: Paige, who is 6, and Max, who is 9. I’m a very busy person.
Toni: I would imagine you are. Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to come in here. Let’s go into the Project.
Carolyn: Okay.
Toni: Alright. So, what does inspiration mean to you?
Carolyn: Inspiration means to me passion.
Toni: Ooh.
Carolyn: Yeah. I know, right? I am a very passionate person. When I get excited about it, I make sure everybody knows it. Inspiration means hope and passion and loving what you do every day, and giving it 110 percent.
Toni: Are there specific moments you just know you’re inspired about something?
Carolyn: I have to say every day I’m inspired by something.
Toni: What a great answer.
Carolyn: I really, truly am. Whether it’s a Facebook story or those videos that you get sucked into watching, and you’re sobbing because it’s just so inspiring, or it’s something my 6-year-old says, or one of my guests, or people I’m working with says, or just old friends. I really believe I am inspired every day.
Toni: Can you remember the last time you were inspired?
Carolyn: The last time I was inspired. That’s a really good question. I think probably yesterday, actually. I got really excited, because we were really trying to take care of this large group, because of the snowstorm, go somewhere. I just rallied the troops. I’m usually the spokesperson for our sales team, because I’m always the loudest and most chatty. I pulled them all in, and I’m like, “Alright, everybody. I know we’re snowed in. We’re going to make this great. We’re going to play games.”
This woman came over to me and she’s like, “I am so excited to be here. You are making this one of the best trips.” I was inspired by that. Just something like a snowstorm; you’re stuck in, and I was inspired that I made her feel so warm and welcome. It inspired me to continue to be upbeat and continue just being positive in a crappy situation.
Toni: When somebody gives you feedback.
Carolyn: Sure.
Toni: You can see that it’s multiplying.
Carolyn: Absolutely.
Toni: Okay. Fantastic. This passion and this excitement that you feel every day, how do you put that — you gave a really good example — but how do you normally put that into practice here in Berks County?
Carolyn: When I was with the Chamber of Commerce, I obviously did very different things. I was very involved with the business community. I’m one of the founders of Women2Women. I had the honor of helping to start that up. Just working with those amazing women. That changed. Working at the Crowne Plaza, my priorities changed. I’m a little bit more down to grass roots organization.
I’m currently working with Vision Resource Center, which is an organization very near and dear to my heart. It’s the former Blind Association. I have a stepdaughter who’s 16, and she is classified as legally blind. She can see, but she has severe vision problems. When I go to that organization and I see people that have vision impairments and the jobs they do for other companies, I’m inspired, and I want to do more. They need the help. I like to feel it’s an organization that I can be useful and use my talents as an event planner, and also put my passion in.
Toni: Is it good begets good that is how you put it into practice? What I mean by that, is it usually when you see some organization or someone that’s going good, does that inspire you to do good? Is that an example of how you put that into practice?
Carolyn: Absolutely. I also do things with Bethany’s Children’s Home. Those are the two big organizations that I do a lot of work with. I just recently became the treasurer of the Conrad Weiser Little Scouts. Now, I know nothing about football, and I know nothing about being a treasurer. I’m an event planner. But they needed help, and this organization is very important to my son. He plays football. I love the people. I was like, “You know what? I’m going to step out of my comfort zone. I’m going to surround myself with people that can help me.” I’m best friends with my friends at Fulton Bank, and they guide me to help me to do that job successfully. I just think it’s really where I am in my life, that I’m trying to pick organizations that I feel are connected to me and my family, as well as I can help.
Toni: Okay. That’s how you put your inspiration into practice.
Carolyn: Correct.
Toni: That great motivation and passion.
Carolyn: Yes.
Toni: I can imagine any organization that gets connected to you probably is going to be moving with a lot of momentum. That’s awesome.
Carolyn: Thank you.
Toni: Who in Berks County inspires you?
Carolyn: Well, I have a lot of people, but my person that most inspires me is my dad. My dad passed away it’ll be three years in November, and he was my biggest inspiration in life. He was my superhero, my cheerleader. He was just my inspiration.
Toni: Tell me the characteristics that he exhibited that inspired you.
Carolyn: What most people say and agree with me is my dad was very honest. Sometimes, brutally honest, but it was always to make you a better person. He was always very positive in my life. Both my parents were amazing, and they always taught me to try my hardest to give it 110 percent, to always be kind, and to just be respectful.
I was born with two fingers on my right hand. That was a challenge. I was born in the 1970s, and it wasn’t like it was today. There wasn’t lots of therapies and this and that. As a kid, I had to figure out on my own what I could and could not do. There’s not many things that I can't do. My dad always tells this story where he was taking me to the playground, and I couldn’t do the monkey bars. We went for a couple days. He didn’t tell me I couldn’t do it. He at no point said, “You know what, Carolyn? Let’s do something different.” He just kept pushing me and saying, “You got this. You’ve got this.”
One day, I figured out that I could hook my wrist and make it across the monkey bars. I did it once, and I tapped my shoulder. I did it. Then, I just went on to something else. Never one time did he ever tell me, “No, don’t do that.” Every day we just kept going back until I got it. That’s really just the support that he gave.
Toni: Mm-hmm. Anybody else in Berks County inspire you?
Carolyn: I would have to say Karen Marsdale is a huge inspiration to me. I worked at the American Heart Association, and she talked to me about going to the Chamber, and she’s the main reason. She just can lift all people, but especially women, up and make them see being a working mom, being a job that’s not definitely eight hours a day. She just always is supportive and just really encouraging. She is just an amazing asset to Berks County, but she definitely is such a huge inspiration to myself.
Toni: What a great shout out.
Carolyn: Yes. Love her.
Toni: So, what would you like your legacy to be?
Carolyn: I want my legacy to be that I was hardworking, dedicated, but that I just am a passionate person. I’m an emotional person. I can cry at the drop of a hat. I cry when I’m happy. I cry when I’m sad. My mom and dad actually call it passionate. It’s my passion. I love Berks County. I lived in Philly for a short time, and I couldn’t wait to get back home and to serve our community. This is my home, and I just want it to be the most amazing place to live. I hope that my contribution, whether it be through the Crowne Plaza or anywhere else where my path may lead, or with my kids, that I’m showing passion, positivity, and kindness.
Toni: Fantastic. As I say in most of these interviews that people become a bit daunted by the legacy question because they think it’s after they’ve already been on this earth. Usually, people are living their legacy, and you can hear your passion as it drips over this microphone.
Carolyn: Thank you.
Toni: I commend you for that, and I thank you for that. Thank you for showing up for the Get Inspired! Project.
Carolyn: Oh my God. This was such a pleasure. Thank you so much.
Toni: You’re welcome.