BEDFORD — Leadership, perseverance and personal growth took center stage Thursday evening as the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce celebrated its annual dinner and awards event at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds Expo Hall.
This year’s event, held Aug. 20, centered around the theme “110 Years, 110%,” encouraging local business leaders and community members to reflect on the Chamber’s history while looking ahead to the future.
The evening’s keynote speaker, Lawrence County native Dr. Joe Spires, delivered a message of personal growth and perseverance that closely aligned with the theme.
Spires is a board-certified endodontist, author, educator and speaker, but his accomplishments extend well beyond his medical career. He is also an IFBB Pro bodybuilder, earning his professional status as a Masters 50+ competitor before winning the 2026 Indy Pro Show in Classic Physique.
He is the author of The Average Joe’s Blueprint to Living Fit, in which he encourages readers to pursue personal excellence through intentional habits and continuous growth.
From “Flossing” to Finding Your Best Self
Spires began his presentation with a little humor, putting his own spin on the Justin Timberlake song “I’m Bringing Sexy Back.” His version, appropriately for an endodontist, was called “Bringing Flossing Back.”
The lighthearted opening set the tone for a presentation that mixed humor, personal stories, and a serious message about becoming the best version of yourself.
Spires shared stories from his childhood and talked about the experiences that helped shape who he became. Rather than presenting success as something that simply happens, he described it as something that requires consistent effort and a willingness to keep improving.
Much of his message centered on the idea that people should strive to become their best selves, not only for their careers, but also for the people they love and, ultimately, for themselves.
He spoke about working toward personal excellence for his family and for his own growth, demonstrating how small decisions and intentional habits can eventually lead to significant changes.
One of the strongest themes throughout his presentation was his description of life as a rollercoaster.
There will be highs, but there will also inevitably be valleys. Spires emphasized that experiencing a valley is not a failure. What matters is what a person does once they find themselves there.
His message was that people cannot simply sit in the valleys.
Instead, they have to work to get themselves out, learn from the experience and use those challenges as opportunities to become stronger and better.
Spires encouraged attendees not to become overwhelmed by the size of their goals or the obstacles standing in their way. He reminded the audience that progress often happens through small, consistent steps.
“How many times have we given up on a goal that we want to achieve, and we try it, and we just look up ahead, and we see this great big mountain that we have to climb, this hill we have to go up, these obstacles that we have to jump over, those hurdles we have to overcome,” said Dr. Joe Spires. “We all have them. But I encourage you all just to strap in and lock down, and don’t get out, and just start taking those little bitty baby steps day by day, minute by minute. Chug along until you finally start to get up to that top of the hill, you gain momentum, and it starts to become easier. It gets easier. You just have to keep trying. It just takes time.”
The message resonated with the Chamber’s “110 Years, 110%” theme, emphasizing that giving your best does not mean life will always be easy. It means continuing to put in the work when things become difficult.
Spires’ presentation encouraged attendees to look at their own lives, identify areas where they can improve and take intentional steps toward becoming the people they want to be.
Local Leaders and Organizations Recognized
The annual event also provided an opportunity to recognize several individuals, businesses and organizations for their contributions to Lawrence County.
The 4 Under 40 award, presented by Megan Martin, went to Rebecca Bailey, Sarah Flores, Ashley Ingram and Tyler Lewis.
The award recognizes younger community members who are making a difference through their professional and community involvement.
The Small Business of the Year award was presented by Ashley Gilstrap, with the honor going to Scott Gilstrap (Creative Environments) , Ashley’s dad.
The Non-Profit of the Year award, presented by Brandi Weyer, was awarded to the Men’s Warming Shelter for its work serving people in the community.
Englewood Monuments received the Business Beautification award, presented by Alyssa Prince.
The Business Hall of Fame award, presented by Sarah Turpen, went to Day & Carter Mortuary, recognizing the business’s longstanding presence and contributions to Lawrence County.
The evening’s Community Service award was presented by Chamber CEO Dan Bortner to Lawrence Circuit Court Judge Nathan Nikirk.
The awards highlighted the wide range of people and organizations contributing to the community, from young professionals and small businesses to nonprofit organizations and longtime local institutions.
Giving 110% to the Community
While the evening celebrated the Chamber’s history, the message throughout the event was also about looking forward.
The “110 Years, 110%” theme served as a reminder that a strong community is built through people who are willing to invest their time, talents and energy into making it better.
Spires’ message about life’s inevitable valleys reinforced that idea. Challenges are unavoidable, but sitting in those difficult moments does not have to be the end of the story.
Instead, he encouraged attendees to keep moving, keep improving and keep working toward something better.
For a community celebrating 110 years, the message was fitting: look at how far you’ve come, learn from the challenges along the way and continue giving 110% to what comes next.
