Have you ever gotten the chance to attend a real-life entrepreneur event?

When I first started my business in 2012, it was easy to make excuses as to why I couldn’t go to any events. My business wasn’t making enough (or any) money yet, I didn’t live in an entrepreneur epicenter like Silicon Valley or New York City, and honestly I didn’t feel like a legit entrepreneur. (Hello imposter syndrome!)

It’s easy to find excuses for not getting out of your work cave. You’ve got work to do! If you’re anything like me, you wear a million hats and have a to-do list that gets longer every day, not shorter.

But that’s exactly the problem.

Personally, I get so caught up in my own head sitting at home alone in my office that I wind up stuck in a Groundhog Day-esque rut.

Right before I attend a conference, I always have the following thought:

“Ugh, I probably shouldn’t have paid for this. I have too much work to do and I probably won’t get that much out of this event anyway.”

But that’s NEVER how I feel after the conference….

After an event or conference, I leave feeling on top of the world, like I’ve got an army of support around me. I’m utterly inspired and ready for whatever comes next.

After an event or conference, I walk away with simple solutions to problems I didn’t even know I had (as well as solutions to problems I thought would take months to fix!).

 

People always boast that in-person events are “life changing”, but what are the actual tangible results?

The most frustrating thing about attending an in-person event is that the biggest result is the shift in your mindset. You go home from the event a different person. This causes you to think differently about what’s possible, act differently towards making shit happen, and ultimately get the results that you want in your business (more clients, more profit, more fun, more growth).

Here are some of the specific results that I’ve gotten from the events I’ve attended:

• Mind blown open: I specifically credit Natalie MacNeil and The Conquer Club for this one. The biggest takeaway I get from Natalie’s events is having my mind blown open at how much bigger I can dream.

• Strategic partnerships: Joining a high level program allowed me to forge relationships with people who were way “ahead” of me in business. When I meet these people in person it takes 1/10th of the time to make a deep connection than it does on the internet. This is how I connected best with my frequent JV partner, Amanda Genther, with whom I’ve launched a few offers.

• Clients + customers: Yes, I always get new clients + customers from events! I spoke at a local event in 2015, and without even giving a sales pitch, I got 4 new clients from the people in the room. I didn’t need to be on stage to make that happen. It literally pays to show up + show your face!

• Implementation plans: The big events I’ve been to (including The Conquer Club event and the Savvy Experience hosted by Heather Crabtree) always help me to create implementation plans. For example, I love walking away with a commitment of someone I need to hire in the next 90 days, a goal I need to follow up on with an accountability partner, a map of the promotions I will run over the next six months.

• Complete change of business model: In other words, attending live events has even done so much as to completely rearrange my entire business model (AKA how I make money). This comes from all of the incredible content, conversations with other entrepreneurs late into the night (there’s nothing better than that!) and personal coaching from experts at the events.
• “Duh” ideas: Haha this might be my favorite result that I get from attending conferences. There is always at least ONE moment during the conference, meetup, or one-on-one chat with another entrepreneur where I express a problem and someone says, “Why don’t you just do X?” DUH. It’s the simple things that have the biggest impact.
• Bust through bullshit: Feeling overwhelmed? Got limiting beliefs holding you back? Stuck in a cycle of comparing yourself to other people’s shiny Instagram profiles? At in-person events everyone is on equal footing. (Side Note: it’s often shocking to see how tall/short your online friends are in person!) We’re all struggling with this bullshit and it feels so damn good to vent and chat with people who are going through the same crap as you are.

Here are 6 ways that you can find an in-person event to attend:

Though I highly recommend investing in going to at least ONE super awesome far away event each year, you don’t need to go to some huge conference in the Bahamas to start seeing the benefits of meeting entrepreneurs in person.

Here’s how I find events to attend throughout the year:

• Google it! Try using terms like: startup, entrepreneur, small business + your local city. Most small cities have some kind of entrepreneur group at this point that may organize formal events.

• Search Meetup.com. I am a ginormous fan of Meetup. Since moving to Montreal, this has been my go-to tool for finding events near me. If you travel, you can attend a meetup in the city you’re visiting, too!

• Start your own group! Don’t see any groups or events that suit your needs? I spy an opportunity! If you’re looking for an event, chances are other people are too. Be a trailblazer and create something of your own.

• Visit an online friend. Just this year I’ve visited entrepreneur friends in San Francisco, New York City, and Toronto. Last year I drove to visit my pal Amanda Genther so that we could work on a project in person (it was awesome). You can reach out to your network on social media when you travel or you can even plan a weekend trip to hang out with an online buddy.

• Paid conferences. You may be able to find something within your city or region, which is great! However, you may also want to spend the extra cash to travel to a bigger event that’s on your dream list. I aim to do this at least once per year.
• High-end retreats + boutique events. This is the term that I’m giving to conferences and events held by entrepreneurs in your network. Personally, I prefer the smaller events to larger ones for the intimacy (but then again I haven’t been to many large ones). Keep an eye out for events and make sure to ask around in your social media networks for ideas from other people.

Photo via ten22 studio

The one event that I participate in year after year is The Conquer Club LIVE with Natalie MacNeil.

Once per year, Emmy Award Winner Natalie MacNeil opens the doors to her year-long business incubator for female entrepreneurs, The Conquer Club. As a member of The Conquer Club you have an option to join Natalie at her annual live event. I say RUN don’t walk to sign up.

I’ve been a part of The Conquer Club since 2014 in different capacities. Let me tell you: there is nothing quite like Natalie MacNeil live in person. She has an ability to hold space for people to go deep and get to the heart of the matter using her magic bag of tricks. Then, on the flip side, she is the savviest business woman I’ve ever met.

How to attend: Registration for The Conquer Club is open in the fall each year. As an affiliate, I offer a mega bonus every year for anyone who enrolls through me.

P.S. Natalie launched her Entrepreneur Archetype quiz that helps you to figure out your best way of working and how to overcome your areas of weakness. I’m a Messenger! Want to know your archetype? Take the quiz here.

 

Let me know in the comments: What type of event are you looking for? What’s your favorite event that you’ve attended?