Three Keynotes at CareCon, Three Different Lessons

If you’re looking for the CareCon 2026: Caring Never Goes Out of Style post, click here! 

One of my favourite parts of CareCon wasn’t that our speakers all had the same message. It’s that they didn’t.

Each came from a completely different world. One led emergency response efforts across Canada. One built a career creating unforgettable marketing moments. One built a jewelry empire rooted in purpose and community. Yet somehow they all arrived at the same destination.

Luc Mullinder: Leadership Isn’t About Caring

One quote from Luc has been rattling around in my head ever since.

“We don’t need more people who care. There are lots of people who care. We need leaders who care.”

That’s a subtle but important difference.

Caring is easy. Action is hard.

Luc has done both. After a career in the CFL, he now helps lead the Canadian Red Cross through some of the country’s biggest emergencies. When you’ve seen communities at their absolute worst, you earn the right to talk about leadership.

His challenge wasn’t to feel more.

It was to lead more.

Saul Colt: Safe Is Risky

Then Saul Colt walked on stage and turned everything upside down.

“Safe is risky.”

That one sentence probably summarizes his entire career.

Saul has spent decades helping brands create moments people can’t help but talk about. He introduced us to WOMBAT (What might be all the ______), one of the best brainstorming frameworks I’ve seen in a long time, and then backed it up with story after story.

Fashion models walking through a mall wearing nothing but belts. Yup, naked as a jaybird. But they sold a %$@# ton of belts after that stunt! Success!

A banana stand at a conference (because, after all, there’s always money in the banana stand). You remember Arressed Development? Could you imagine seeing a real banana stand at a conference! What a moment.

Campaigns that borrowed from pop culture instead of pretending to invent something completely new.

One of my favourite examples was Greenpeace creating parody Twitter accounts that argued with their own main account just to spark conversation. Ridiculous? Maybe.

Memorable? Absolutely.

Saul reminded us that there are very few original ideas left. Most great marketing is simply a clever remix of something people already understand.

He also challenged us to build brands that become part of someone’s identity.

He’s a Nike person.

He couldn’t imagine wearing Adidas.

As marketers, that’s the dream. When people choose your brand because it feels like choosing a side, you’ve built something much bigger than a logo.

Rachel Mielke: Success Gives You Responsibility

Rachel Mielke received a standing ovation. Not because she built Hillberg & Berk into one of Canada’s most recognizable brands. Not because she openly shared her journey through cancer. Not even because of the incredible conversation she had afterward with Kayla from SK Social Co., who proudly admitted to owning what must be every colour of Sparkle Ball earrings ever made.

She received that ovation because she was real.

She spoke about family. Community. Vulnerability. The pressure of building a company. The importance of taking care of yourself while you’re building something for everyone else.

But my favourite moment happened before she ever stepped on stage.

We were chatting in the green room about success and what life looks like now.

She leaned over and quietly said,

“At one point, you get so big it’s hard to stop you. That’s when you can do what matters.”

That sentence has stayed with me.

For Rachel, success wasn’t the finish line. It was permission. Permission to give back. Permission to champion community. Permission to make a bigger difference than she could before.

Three Different Talks. Three Different Themes.

Luc reminded us that leadership requires action.

Saul reminded us that safe ideas rarely change anything.

Rachel reminded us that success means very little if it benefits only you.

Three completely different people. Three completely different careers. Three lessons.

Care enough to lead.

Be brave enough to stand out.

And if you’re fortunate enough to succeed, use that success to make life better for someone else.

I’d call that a pretty good takeaway.