National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association

Retail

Jul 14

National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association (NRRDA) is an organization dedicated to helping reduce claims and mitigate risk through collaboration between restaurant/retail leaders and legal defense professionals.

AUDIENCE: Insurance and risk management professionals in the retail and restaurant industries (430 attendees)

LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

CHALLENGE: Humanize the high-pressure world of risk management and legal defense, helping attendees reconnect with the “why” behind their work and embrace a mindset of resilience and long-term leadership.

CARA BROOKINS’ SOLUTION:

45-minute keynote: “RISE: How a House Built a Family”

Delivered during NRRDA’s Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach

Coordinated via Keppler Speakers Bureau and event contact Stacy Nussbaum

Attended 90-minute Welcome Reception with leadership and attendees in the Amphitheater at the hotel

The National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association (NRRDA) brings together risk professionals, insurance carriers, attorneys, and industry leaders from across the U.S. to improve safety and reduce liability in two of the most fast-paced sectors, retail and food service. Their annual meeting is designed not only for strategic insight, but to reenergize the people at the forefront of risk mitigation and claims defense.

For their February 2020 gathering at the Hyatt Regency in Newport Beach, California, NRRDA invited keynote speaker Cara Brookins to open the conference with a deeply human message: how personal resilience fuels professional strength. With over 430 legal and insurance professionals in the room, Cara’s presentation needed to cut through industry jargon and tap into something more fundamental: purpose, perseverance, and growth through challenge.

In her keynote “RISE: How a House Built a Family,” Cara shared her powerful personal story of overcoming hardship by building a house from the ground up with her children. Her message was a compelling metaphor for the work these professionals do every day, constructing frameworks of protection, safety, and trust in uncertain environments.

Cara also joined NRRDA leaders and attendees at a welcome reception the night before the event, building rapport and offering a more personal connection ahead of her presentation. The result was a keynote that didn’t just motivate, it lingered.

For organizations in high-liability, fast-paced industries like retail, food service, and insurance, Cara’s presence delivers a rare combination of authenticity and actionable mindset, a keynote speaker who helps people reconnect with their work and each other.