All in a Day's Work - 03.24.25-03.26.25

On Monday, I ate breakfast at the hotel and had scrambled eggs with cheese and salsa and an orange. For lunch, I ate at Hattie B’s and ordered the Quarter Bird Dark Plate mild with Pimento Mac & Cheese and Red Skin Potato Salad as my sides. Hattie B’s is another staple of Nashville, but I am not sure if the line is worth the hype. Fortunately, I mobile ordered which allowed for me to completely skip the line which made my food worth the hype.

On day one of the SHRM Talent 2025 Conference, I set myself up for success by picking up my badge at registration, browsing through the SHRMStore, attending the session Hitting the Right Notes: Building Talent Pipelines Inspired by Music City, and joining my fellow attendees for the Opening Reception. My first day of the conference was filled with excitement, networking, listening, learning, and of course local music talent! 

After the opening reception, Avery and I explored Downtown Nashville. We made sure to make the most of our brief time in Music City and went to various bars to admire the musical talent on the Broadway strip. We stopped by Tootsies Orchid Lounge, Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk, Morgan Wallen’s This Bar & Tennessee Kitchen, Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar, and Barstool Nashville. While our nightly exploring did include a couple of drinks, it was more of a musical and historical crawl compared to a typical bar crawl. We did not stay at any bar for particularly long as we wanted to get a small experience from each unique venue, but we did favor Morgan Wallen and Jason Aldean’s.  

On Tuesday, my conference was in full swing! I ate breakfast (eggs and fruit) and lunch (brisket and salad) at the conference. I attended multiple sessions, some of the highlights being: Generational Dynamics: Unlock the Potential of Your Workforce; SOUL/Life Balance: Try B.R.E.A.T.H. to Overcome Stress & Anxiety; 10 Tech Savvy Recruiting Tips!; HR as a Leader: Creating an Environment Where Top Talent Thrives; and Understanding Talent from Around the Globe. I really enjoyed all of the sessions I attended; the speakers were top notch!

After my conference day concluded, Avery and I went to dinner at The Twelve Thirty Club. We had a bit of a wait before we were seated so we went across the street to Rippy’s Honky Tonk to get a pre-dinner libation. Before we knew it, we were back at The Twelve Thirty Club being sat in the first level, Honky Tonk. At dinner I had the 12/30 Sangria (passion fruit, guava, lemon, brandy, red wine) and the Classic Steak Frites (7oz butcher cut, herb garlic butter). We enjoyed ourselves at dinner with the beautiful atmosphere and live music playing just feet away from our table.

After our delicious meal, we explored the Broadway strip further, stopping at Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa and Honky Tonk Central. 

On Wednesday, it was the last day of the conference, but it was one full day! I ate breakfast (eggs and fruit) and lunch (Mediterranean fare - salmon, salad, chickpea salad, quinoa, and rice) at the conference. I attended multiple sessions, some of the highlights being: The Future is Now: Unlocking AI’s Potential for Workforce Innovation; Happiness Habits for Enhanced Employee Engagement & Productivity; 6 Essential Skills for First-Time People Leaders; Panel Discussion: Talent Trends for 2025 - Staying Competitive in an Evolving Workforce Landscape; 7 Ways We’re Failing in Hiring and How to Fix Them Now!. This was another day filled with great sessions and speakers. SHRM hosts a truly fabulous conference that is engaging and informative. I am incredibly grateful that I was provided this opportunity via my employer to continue my education and grow as a professional in the Human Resources field. I look forward to integrating my new knowledge into my workplace. This conference provided me with meaningful networking opportunities as I met other HR professionals from around the globe. It was valuable sharing challenges, ideas, and successes with colleagues.

After the conference concluded, Avery and I went to dinner at Hand Cut Chophouse. I had a Blackberry Mojito (Bacardi rum, fresh blackberries, mint, lime juice) and a glass of pinot noir, A to Z (Oregon); Caesar salad (house garlic Caesar, romaine lettuce, parmesan snow, ground pepper, butter croutons) with steak; and a S’mores Lava Cake (molten cake, marshmallow whip, buttered graham, raspberry sauce) with vanilla ice cream. The food and live music at this restaurant were both great! After dinner, I attended the SHRM Talent 2025 Closing Party at Category 10, Luke Combs bar. 

The closing party was so much fun filled with live entertainment, craft cocktails, delicious bites, and meaningful connections with peers. I met some wonderful professionals during my conference, and I am grateful for the ample opportunities to network. After the closing party, some of my peers, Avery, and I continued our night out at Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar. It was a night to remember with newfound friends!