Brookings Professional Network Luncheons bring Brookings professionals together for meaningful conversation, learning, and connection during the workday. These gatherings feature engaging speakers and topics focused on personal growth and professional development. Whether you’re looking to expand your network or gain new perspectives, BPN Luncheons offer a welcoming space to do it.
Luncheons are open to everyone in the Brookings area—no BPN membership required. As an all-inclusive network, BPN welcomes professionals from all industries and career stages to join the conversation. Speakers and topics will be announced as they are confirmed.
Join us at the Dacotah Bank Center beginning with networking and lunch at 11:30 a.m. and presentation from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
Tickets are $20 for BPN members, $30 for Brookings Regional Growth Alliance Members, $50 for non-members, and $15 for students.
September Topic
Professional women are no strangers to stress, but managing stress isn't just about removing stressors, it's about completing what your body starts. Based on the groundbreaking research behind Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, this session explores why traditional stress management falls short and what your nervous system actually needs to feel safe. You'll learn to identify where you get stuck in the stress cycle, recognize your own physical, emotional, and mental stress responses, and leave with practical, evidence-based strategies to break free from the chronic patterns that lead to burnout. You'll leave with real tools, not platitudes because you deserve better than to "just push through."
Melissa Pickle guides overwhelmed professionals from exhaustion to sustainable balance through lived experience, evidence-based strategies, and immediately actionable tools. Having navigated her own burnout journey, she understands the "helper's paradox" that makes accepting support so difficult. With a B.A. in Psychology, M.Ed., and Associate Certified Life Coach credential with a Health and Wellness Certification, Melissa translates stress science into practical techniques that fit real, busy lives. Audiences consistently describe her as "igniting" and "captivating," and after hearing Melissa speak, people leave with renewed energy, clarity about what truly matters, and a personalized wellness system they can implement immediately, discovering that sustainable balance isn't just possible, it's essential for those called to make a meaningful difference in the world.