Authored by half full, llc

At half full, llc, our people power our purpose — to help teams and individuals overcome obstacles in the way of moving forward. Whether we’re on-site delivering what we refer to as a “not-your-average facilitation” experience for our clients or powering up the computer for a virtual Lunch & Learn (dive in further here!), our team is the reason we can do our most important work.

Over the last few months, we’ve been spotlighting our team in our “5 Minutes With” series, giving you the chance to get to know each member a bit better. Be sure to scroll to the bottom to catch up on the profiles to date!

Today, we’re thrilled to sit down with Danielle Bender, Experience Curator, who designs and executes half full immersive, engaging, and memorable events. Connect with Danielle here and dive into our catch-up below!

With over 20 years in the court reporting industry, including starting your own agency in 2013, as well as a successful makeup artistry business and life coaching company… what made you take the leap from entrepreneurship to joining the half full team? What was the moment that made you say YES?

I sold my court reporting agency at the end of 2020 and thought (hoped) that running two businesses instead of three would be doable. And, technically it is, but I wasn’t happy with all the back and forth and felt exhausted from constantly switching gears.

So, in 2022 as I was still navigating pandemic life as a new mom with aging parents, I realized that I needed to choose one career focus. And as much as I loved doing makeup and was good at it, the benefits only lasted for a day. I wanted to help to create a greater impact for women. So, I decided to focus my career on coaching and personal and professional development.

I started doing market research on the industry in my area to see who my competition was. I found an event happening in Newport that looked pretty spot on to exactly the kind of events I wanted to run. So, I bought a ticket and went… so I could spy. No shame. I wanted to know who was going and what were they eating and what they were talking about. And that is how I connected with Rebecca Twitchell, half full founder, which led to my role at half full, llc.

When you think of your WHY and what motivates you as you navigate your career, what comes to mind?

In any and every role I have had, the most rewarding aspect is always being able to bring joy and make others feel special, heard and beautiful. Even in my early days as a restaurant server, I loved what I did because I had a chance to make someone’s experience even better simply by doing a good job.

Today, I most appreciate opportunities to flex my Developer strength (a.k.a. The Cheerleader) to help others tap into their real potential, stretch beyond what they thought was possible and see themselves as powerful and capable of achieving whatever it is they truly desire.

As half full's Experience Curator, what does your role entail? And, what's the most meaningful part of your half full work?

As the Experience Curator I focus on managing the logistics for our offsite client engagements and events. From venue choice to catering to décor, I work with all necessary stakeholders to ensure the perfect location for their experience. At times it also encompasses graphic design, swag creation, media management and content creation. Seeing the staff build connections, achieve objectives and have a blast doing it will always make me smile!

Vintage glam for the 2025 Women’s Forward

half full is coming off the heels of our Women's Forward (get a sneak peek of the magic here!). We'd love to hear about the experience! What were some of the highlights, group breakthroughs, and your favorite moment?

Wow, what a weekend it was! As I had the opportunity to talk with each of the women in the weeks leading up to the event, I was getting more and more excited. It was clear this was going to be a special group, but we could not have predicted just how amazingly they would bond in such a short time.

We were lucky to witness several “aha” moments which are always so exciting. WE know going in the value of simply creating the space for these women. But it is such a gift to see the answers they were looking for unfold right in front of us.

The timeline of our Forwards is very intentional. Staying overnight throughout the experience ensures the attendees are not immediately thrust back into the everyday cadence of life with all the demands it brings. Taking this focused time away ensures each person will have the time and space to unwind, freeing up creativity, clarity and solutions.

Our next Forward is right around the corner. Registration is open for the 2025 Community Leader Forward in Needham, MA

When you think of the workplace of today, what challenges do you think leaders face that are particularly important to tackle?

The ever-changing landscape and subsequent instability. Leaders need to have foresight to make big decisions. Something that can be especially challenging when the future is unclear and fuzzy. It means they have to be really good and at forging ahead and pivoting when the inevitable unexpected occurs. We may never wish for these kinds of challenges but with challenge comes growth and resilience. When we can’t control the circumstances or outcomes, it forces us to focus on the things we can control, like our mindset.

What is something not many people know about you but that shapes how you view the world/show up?

I grew up and lived most of my life in a high control religion. I truly thought I had all the answers. Not because of anything I had figured out, but because I believed everything I had been told, without question. It is nearly 10 years now since I left, and I am still committed to being mindful of what I don’t know. My years in the legal field have enforced that belief as well. There is so much more to know about situations we may think we understand. I am always striving to create and hold space for different points of view and ways of looking at things that I may not have considered. The downside is that I can get really rattled when something I feel certain about changes. Or isn’t what I thought it was. I can take it personally. Like a failure on my part for not knowing or seeing it coming. I’m a work in progress (spoiler alert: we all are 😊).

Final question...which half full value most resonates with you and why?

“We do not judge or assume”

When we work with clients, we share space with real people who bring their own experiences, challenges, gifts and insights. These all come from their unique lived experiences. Experiences that, whether we can relate to them or not, are as valid as our own. We don’t know what we don’t know, and we can’t judge another’s experience.