Top 5 Reasons To Attend A Live Event
I’m an introvert. That means that while I like people, I’d rather stay home than go out and mingle. However, I’ve come to realize that sometimes, getting out of our comfort zone is critical and one way to do that is to attend a live event.
I attended Amy Porterfield’s Entrepreneur Experience in San Diego last week. This is the 2nd year I’ve gone and it did not disappoint. Picking this as my favorite live event is easy for a bunch of reasons.
Amy invited me to come down a day early for a video recording session. I also had the privilege of being one of 6 women on an “inspiration” panel on day two of the event where we shared how we each got started building our online business.
However, I’ve attended live events before as an audience member and here are the top 5 reasons why attending a live event is a great idea. And might get you on stage the next time!
#1: It gets you out of the house
If you are a creative person building an online business like me, our work is focused around the computer and we can get stuck inside a lot. You may practice various techniques for taking breaks such as getting up from your computer and taking a short walk or working in 50-minute increments or even picking a few days a week to work out of a co-working space.
These are all great but going to a live event is even better. You’ll pack a bag, make airline and hotel reservations, perhaps call a friend to go with you. All of these activities give your mind a rest from your normal routine which is important and helps refill your well of creativity.
#2: You learn new things
Live events come in all shapes and sizes but most include a speaker line up that can be truly outstanding. Amy Porterfield’s Entrepreneur Experience included amazing speakers:
· Rachel Hollis
· Jasmine Star
· Stu McLaren
· Amy Gomez, and of course
· Amy herself
All of the presentations were interactive, engaging and full of inspirational advice. Rachel’s focus was on the things that might throw you off as you build your creative business. She talked about:
· Comparison – and how we never compare ourselves to others on things that we are good at
· It’s hard – and we need to apply the knowledge we acquire, not just learn more and more new things
· Fear of Failure – and how this is really about ego and not wanting others to see us fail
I have pages and pages of notes from her talk and in many ways it echoed what I talked about in my blog post about perseverance.
If you missed it, check it out on YouTube.
#3: You meet interesting people
If you are an introvert like me, do you have any tricks that you use when you are forcing yourself to get out of your shell and meet new people? Something that might help you is setting a specific goal for yourself. For example, at every break, make a plan to introduce yourself to 5 new people and learn what they do.
At a live event, this can be a lot easier than you think because frequently people are hanging out in groups. Go up to a group of 2-3 people who are already talking to each other. Listen without interrupting until there’s a moment when you can jump in and introduce yourself. Remember to talk less and listen more. If you use this strategy, you only have to find 2 groups during the break and you’ve met your goal!
#4: You take a break from your normal routine
We’ve talked about this before and how important it is to change things up periodically. When your creative practice needs a boost, try something different. Check out my 5 ways to get unstuck for more ideas.
Getting exposed to new environments, even just a different airport or hotel, is a nice break from your local Starbucks or Peet’s coffee shop. My son, Matt, said it best recently when he was talking about the various airports he’ll be connecting through on his trip to Rome next month. “Every airport will be cool with a different type of coffee to try.” I agree and if you plan ahead, visit interesting local sights either the day before of the day after the live event itself.
#5: It sparks new ideas!
Do you take lots of notes and then sift through them afterwards to capture the nuggets that really resonated with you? It’s important to carve out time either on the plane ride home or within a few days of getting back home to do so. I’ll often jot down new ideas in the margin of my notebook or in the notes app on my iPhone.
At Amy’s conference, which was all about building a profitable online business, we dove into topics as varied as playing a bigger game and what that looks like for you to list building because the energy of your business is directly related to the health of your email list.
I came away refreshed and re-energized to dive back into my business while making sure that I continue to carve out critically important time for my own creative practice. It was a blast and I highly recommend that you explore attending this particular conference next year.
Remember,
It’s Never Too Late to Create
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MEET ANNE
Hi…I’m Anne!
My creative inspiration comes from a lifetime of observation. I grew up in Paris on the Place St. Sulpice and walked to school through the Luxembourg gardens. And that was only the beginning… Learn more by watching the video on my About page.
