I’ve just completed Day 2 of the 3-day New Media Expo. I realized that I was having something of challenge, changing gears from speaker to attendee.
My expectations for the conference were pretty high, and I was pretty amped up. The attendance was probably fine, but it was the only major event in the Las Vegas Convention Center 
, so acres of empty space made it seem smaller.
The keynote speaker had great energy and an inspiring message. He is a character, and a successful podcaster, as well. Then he dropped the F-Bomb and it really annoyed me… as a speaker. His comment was authentic, but it was unnecessary and inappropriate.
I attended two morning seminars. The first was spot on. The second did not deliver what was advertised, and was way over the heads of attendees. “I could have done a better job, I thought.’
Then a little voice in my head, said, “Knock it off. Find the value, wherever it is. In the coffee shop, restaurant, hallways, trade show floor….. WHEREVER. If you want to be a speaker for this conference in the future, first launch your podcast, make it successful, and THEN submit to be a speaker.”
So, I listened to my own advice and reframed my plans for Days 2 & 3. The results were quite different. I met smart and generous people in every direction I turned. Some people experienced; some beginners. The experienced ones were happy to share their knowledge. Everyone was glad to chat.
I also realized that I should have launched my podcast, about a year ago. I had been sidetracked by details. Which microphone? What recording software? Blah, blah, blah.
This is commonly called ‘paralysis from analysis.’
It may be that despite the F-Bomb, I learned all I needed to know in the first hour of the conference… That I can move forward, now, and it will be just fine. All the other learning and relationship building is simply the icing on the cake.
THE MORALE: Show up, open your eyes and ears, hang around, be friendly. It only takes one or two new ideas to make the whole experience worth it.
I knew that!!
Having also just completed a 4 day real estate seminar, I must agree that there is just as much to be learned from meeting people and networking outside of the structured programs as there is while attending the scheduled activities.
I also believe that many people never get the full benefit of the event because they fail to show up both physically and mentally. I sat next to a guy who spent the better part of a 2.5 hour session with Tony Robbins (yeah…BIG time motivator / success coach) reading emails and testing! One gal said she missed the morning sessions because she was “at the pool”. Why do these folks even bother to show up.
Andy, thanks for being so open minded and for sharing your power cord with me. I appreciate it as I was running out of juice for my laptop. Glad you hung around for my presentation and I’m happy you learned something from it.