
Our amazing guest speaker, Larissa Reid, is an award‑winning entrepreneur, tax strategist, speaker, and founder of In The Black Business Services, where she helps small business owners build stronger, more financially sustainable companies.
Her work has earned her:
Earlier this year, Larissa traveled to Kenya through the In The Black Impact Division, an initiative she founded to help women and children rewrite their stories through education, essential resources, mentorship, and community support.
She visited schools, met with women and girls, and supported programs focused on long‑term opportunity. But the heart of her talk wasn’t about accomplishments — it was about the people she met, the stories she heard, and how deeply the experience changed her own life.
A mother of five, author, and entrepreneur who carved her own path, Larissa reminded us that “Your Story Is Not Over.” Every chapter holds new possibilities, and sometimes when we set out to serve others, we discover that our own story is being rewritten too.
Her message was powerful, personal, and deeply moving — the kind of presentation that stays with you long after the meeting ends.
“The Meeting of the Missing People”
With only about half our usual crowd and a slightly late start, this week’s meeting could have gone down as a quiet one — but instead, it became unforgettable thanks to an extraordinary guest speaker. Those who weren’t able to join us truly missed something special.
Meeting Highlights
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Jennifer Henry greeted members, filling in for Brooke, and Stephanie filled in for Jeff Bell.
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Cameron Cerda delivered the invocation.
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Denise Haynes stepped in for Dale Bender to lead the flag salute.
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Our song, the Rotary 4-Way Test, was led by Carol Smith.
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The tech team was Jeff Haynes and Temo Lopez, covering for Bryan.
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No visiting Rotarians this week.
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John Guerard brought his lovely wife, Susan, as they celebrate 48 years of marriage.
Club Business
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Our club outing to Hard Rock
Casino has been rescheduled to Friday, October 16 at 6 PM. Watch for an email from Char if you’d like to ride the bus.
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We skipped happy spots and other announcements to give our speaker more time — and it was absolutely worth it.
Winner Winner
Next Week