Peers Provide Best Practices for Attending Conferences

The Woodard Report published an article from Leslie Liondas, CPA titled Getting the Most From Scaling New Heights: Attendees on June 13, 2022. It is a great article that every attendee should read! She suggests five steps for success. I’d like to add to her step #5 and suggest step #6.

I’ve been to every Scaling New Heights except Year 2. It is my favorite conference to attend because Joe Woodard focuses on helping accountants and bookkeepers be successful. He truly cares about our success.

Leslie’s step #5 is "Make a plan for when you get back to your office" and she suggests making a plan of the three most important things to do when you return to your office. Do not dismiss this or you will likely not accomplish anything.

I remember flying home from San Antonio (I think this was year four) and I made a list of 27 items I wanted to change. That was a big mistake, I didn’t accomplish anything because I wasn’t focused. Three is a good number that is achievable, and it will make a difference in your practice!

My step #6 - Attend every hour of the Conference

Don't miss a single breakout session.

As we get to day three, I notice more and more people sitting in the hallways, or headed to the pool, or simply being disconnected. This is a mistake. The only time I’ve missed a breakout session is when I’ve been networking with a colleague and the information I’m getting is so good that I’d be a fool to walk away.

One of the best breakout sessions I ever attended was the last session on Wednesday in the Bahamas. The room was supposed to be full but was half empty. I later discovered that my partner was out at the pool! Are you willing to miss the best session of the Conference?

Attend all the General Sessions.

I still vividly remember the talk by Jill Ward in Las Vegas as she shared the results of a multi-million-dollar study that Intuit had done on the future of our profession. It was eye-opening and startling! It transformed the way I looked at my Firm and how I’ve approached technology and growth since that time.

That presentation was the launching pad for me and the reason why I’ve not missed Scaling New Heights since that time. I believe the things I learned at SNH have given me a huge competitive advantage, and I'm committed to attending the conference every year to continue adding to that competitive advantage!

Leslie is correct when she says that our industry is very sharing, and we truly care and want to help others succeed. We may be competitors, but the attitude is “it is us against the world, and by combining forces we can all succeed!”

I’ve been helped and propelled forward many times in my career by unselfish colleagues willing to share their knowledge gems. I’ve had others that I’ve helped, and they’ve wanted to pay me, but I simply share with them how I’ve benefited from others that shared, and I ask them to pay it forward. As attendees at Scaling New Heights, we all have the opportunity to support each other.

I look forward to reconnecting with the colleagues I've met before, and I look forward to making new connections.