Megan Martin, 37, is the founder and principal of M Squared Dynamics. She's based in Kalispell, Mont. A quote from her nomination: "Megan has spent her career serving her community with roles on the Rocky Mountain PCMA board of directors, PCMA national committees, Events Industry Council, Meetings Industry Council of Colorado, and many customer advisory boards. ... She has dedicated her life and career to the events industry."
My career journey: "My career journey has been anything but traditional. I was taught early in my life that a critical part of success is to be a lifelong learner. Combine that with having a curious mind, and my career has certainly reflected that. I love to be challenged, and each step of my journey expanded my skills and knowledge, making me more adaptable and influential in each role I held.
I started working in events and hospitality in college, working with the sports division of the CVB as an intern. After graduating, I started as a CSM at a convention center. From there, I started working on large-scale association conferences, mainly in the medical and government sectors. I then moved into working as an in-house corporate planner. After spending a few years developing my digital events skills, I realized I loved the event tech side of my job and wanted to explore opportunities in that area. I then moved into working with a few different event tech startups in sales and marketing.
Now, I'm working with an event agency doing events and innovation strategy while also running my own company that works with a number of event tech companies on data analytics and business growth strategy. And if that wasn't enough, I also produce a podcast about the funny things that happen at events and their business impact." 
Each day, "I try to save as much time as I can to read reports, articles, and community posts (inside and outside of the event industry) and join as many webinars as my schedule allows; this helps me to stay up to date on trends, changes, and anything that may have an impact on the industry and the projects I'm working with," she says.Photo: Courtesy of Megan Martin
What inspires me: "I am deeply fascinated by people and driven by curiosity. I find inspiration in learning from individuals with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and professional sectors around the world. I take every opportunity to learn from different perspectives beyond my own daily experience, and explore how I can integrate those insights into my own work and life."
My greatest career accomplishment: "The first is right now, with launching my own company, embracing my personal brand, and launching my podcast. Through my work, I want to showcase the diverse individuals and facets that contribute to the world of events, while emphasizing the profound impact that events have on business and community development.
The second accomplishment was producing live events during the COVID pandemic. I was president of an event association in 2020 when the pandemic began, and I simply could not sit by and wait for things to happen or to be told when we could resume gathering again. I worked with an incredible team to develop safety-first, socially distanced events so we could start getting the events community back to work. It was a powerful teaching moment about how to do socially distanced meetings. This program was then adopted and adapted by others on a larger scale." 
When she's not working, Martin is drawn to outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking. "If that nature/outside activity also includes a nice glass of Champagne, that's a bonus!" she says.Photo: Courtesy of Megan Martin
The advice I'd give my younger self: "Stay creative and curious. Sometimes the road less traveled is the more rewarding one. The more people you meet, the more you learn, and the more you experience will keep you adaptable and humble. Every opportunity is a learning experience for future possibilities."
My leadership style: "I would describe myself as a humble and adaptable leader. Recognizing that each individual is unique and needs personalized support is essential in effective leadership. Using active listening, meeting people where they are, and offering individual guidance is key to being a meaningful, impactful leader."
What's next: "Growing the Event About It podcast to showcase to the masses about the powerful impact of business events. Continuing to innovate with the amazing clients at EMC Meeting and Events. Lastly, we work with other M Squared Dynamics clients to bring the best event technology to event professionals to work more efficiently and easily show their event ROI."
