Bueller. Bueller. Bueller.
Have you ever gone to a conference and skipped out on sessions to hang by the pool? May you are a sit at the back of the room kind of person to work, check your phone, or collect CPE credit. Conferences can leave you wanting a better room, more sleep, and wishing for food that doesn’t taste cold and rubbery.
“Life is too short to waste.”—Ferris Bueller
I totally agree Ferris and Scaling New Heights 2024 was not a waste.
Months before I arrived in Florida, I knew I wanted to maximize the experience. Traveling to any conference is an investment, and presenting ups the cost given the hours of planning, slide deck preparation, and practice.
Since I was making a big investment of time, money, and energy, I set a goal beyond delivering a presentation and being present.
My goal started with making the most of my investment by connecting with people beyond a “hello.” As the event got closer, my goals changed (SMART Goal), and my intention (SPARK Goal™) evolved.
Goal: Connect with at least three speakers, attendees, and vendors.
Intention: Connect meaningfully with the people I meet and leave everyone with a SMILE.
You may be wondering what the difference is between goals and intentions.
“You can always identify a tree by its fruit. In the same way you can always identify your intentions by your experiences.”
—The Heart of the Soul by Gary Zukav and Linda Francis
For me, goals are specific outcomes, and an intention is who I want to be accomplishing it.
A conference guarantees you will meet people, so the “goal” is easy to accomplish. The intention of connecting meaningfully guides the act and creates a different result.
It would be easy to visit a vendor booth, scan my badge, and collect the swag. However, making connections is how one learns something about someone, makes an impression, or finds that they enjoyed the conversation so much that they forget about swag.
On the other side of the experience, I found myself silenced (in the best way possible) by all the connections made. I met my goal (plus), talked to more people than planned, and left over 200 people with a smile.
How?
My session at Scaling New Heights, Creating in Your Zone of Alignment, invited people to redesign the goal setting/decision-making process to look at the choices that are aligned with the mission and values of the business and choose the things that SPARK JOY.
You likely have a strong framework and support system in place to support your business by making decisions for success. In the decision process do you also take into consideration four key elements?
With a strong foundation in knowing what those are, you are more likely to make decisions that get you closer to a desired outcome.
Are your goals and intentions aligned to support each other?
How can you bring the mindset, “Life is too short to waste,” to your next conference, training, or client meeting?
This one is conference-specific. If you are ever presented with the opportunity to present at a conference, take it. Heather Satterly and the Woodard team made the process easy. Often, the only hurdle is one’s own fear. Applications are currently being accepted.
Pick the sessions, clients, and employees/employers that align with your passions. If it is to just “check a box,” ask yourself if there is another option. If not, how can you show up to maximize the experience? There is always a seat in the front row.
Does the choice you are going to make get you closer to your end goal? Do you goals align with your intentions? If you haven’t set goals or intentions, this is a great place to start.
Do you have the time, money, and energy to commit to your choice? If not, what is the next best option? Perhaps you have the time and money but not the energy.
Everyone loves to be acknowledged. Celebrate your accomplishments and those around you. If you are offered a chance to share feedback, share one great takeaway for every point of improvement.
Conferences can be an all-day experience that leaves people exhausted. You don’t have to go to every single event. It’s okay to bypass an event or session if it means you will maximize the rest of your time. Embrace JOMO. Joy of Missing Out.
Being organized isn’t just for work papers, deliverables, and the process. Before your next meeting, take a moment to pause, take a deep breath (and then three more), and give yourself the gift of organizing your energy and intention.
Choose you. Choose the option that sparks joy. If you feel short on joyful options, how can you find joy, gratitude, or appreciation for the choice you are about to make? Choosing will impact the doing.
For those who are curious about whether I connected with three vendors, three speakers, and three attendees: yes, I did.
Omry Man, Anchor—Not only did I have the joy of participating in the dance-off competition, I learned about Omry’s family and home life. Big shout out to Anchor’s support of the Accounting Cornerstone Foundation.
David Soukenik, Client Hub—David and I discovered we both climbed Half Dome within a few months of each other
Aaron Wilson, Human Interest—Aaron and I share a common love of smiley faces
Oh goodness, how do I pick? I met so many amazing speakers.
Jennifer Dymond, who hosted Bold client Conversations—Improve Techniques—We shared time at the pool hanging with Carlito and connected after SNH over our home projects.
Candy Bellau, who hosted The Price is Right—An ever-ready smile, hug and heartfelt conversation that felt like old friends catching up.
Alicia Katz Pollock, who hosted Anything You Can Do (in QBDT) I Can Do Better (in QBO)—You can’t help but fall in love with Alicia’s energy, humor, and owls.
BONUS:
Caleb Jenkins, who hosted Empowering Accountants to Create Lasting Impact Beyond the Balance Sheet—Anything having to do with empowering prosperity, and I am a fan. Great job.
Valerie Heckman, who hosted The Origami of Enthusiasm—transformed my mindset around the To-Do list into a Ta-Da list.
Nicole Davis, the keynote speaker who hosted Something Great Is About To Happen, Something Great Is About To Take Place—I don’t know if that is the name of her presentation, but it will stay with me alongside her powerful message. Thank you for facilitating conversations around diversity and inclusion.
Mariette Martinez hosted Creating a Course That Sells. Full disclosure: I have known Mariette for years, but watching her present live is a rarity, and she blew my socks off with her course. It was packed full of amazing content.
There are too many people to list here. Maybe you were one of them. If so, thank you for making Scaling New Heights a great event. I look forward to connecting with you again. It was an honor to share time with you.
On the other side of my goals accomplished and showing up in a way that aligned with the things that SPARK JOY I can say this with 100% honesty...
In giving out over 300 smiles, the best part was receiving the same amount back in return.