Fine jewelry trade association Jewelers of America (JA) has announced that speaker and author Judi Holler will open its first annual Jewelers of America National Convention with a session dynamically entitled “Fear Is My Homeboy: Four Ways You Can Transform Fear Into a Powerful Secret Weapon.”

The convention, which is scheduled to run July 28–29 at the InterContinental New York Barclay in New York City, is an education-focused executive forum for jewelry professionals that goes beyond jewelry. On the schedule are four keynote speeches and a choice of 12 breakout sessions that cover various angles of the retail business.

Holler’s session “takes the experimental ideas she learned from improv theater and helps participants apply them to the unscripted stage of everyday life,” according to a prepared statement from JA. “Judi’s mission [is] to stop fear from stealing your joy and robbing you of opportunities to succeed the way you really want. Judi helps audiences transform fear into a powerful secret weapon so you can connect in even more powerful and profitable ways.”

Holler will also share a “five-step fear setting framework” to help you “take action and offer a sneak peek into the world of improv theater,” according to the same statement.

Holler is an alumni of the iconic Second City’s conservatory program in Chicago and studied and performed improv theater at night while working in sales and marketing full-time during the day. Her forthcoming book, Fear Is My Homeboy: How to Slay Doubt, Boss Up, and Succeed on Your Own Terms, comes out May 28.

The Jewelers of America National Convention is open to all jewelry professionals, but JA members receive special pricing (register by April 30 for an additional $200 off the regular registration rate).

Top: Improv whiz, author, and keynote speaker Judi Holler (image via: @judiholler)

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