“A man’s mind, stretched by new ideas, may never return to its original dimensions.”
— Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
Building a business is about growing yourself and your business acumen so you can continue helping others. While many of us work-from-home business owners enjoy the solitude and freedom of working when and how we want, there’s nothing quite like going to a company conference, making new friends, seeing old friends and getting re-energized and inspired.
Attending a company conference gives you the bigger picture you need to move forward in business. It gets you out of the isolation you might feel in an at-home business so you can have deeper conversations with others in the industry. Trainings, new products and services, leadership development, recognition for accomplishments… these are just some of the highlights you’ll experience when you attend a conference.
Often, you’ll hear from industry leaders and company executives who will share trends in the marketplace, forecasts and projections. That type of knowledge helps to raise your posture and belief in the company as well as your future.
While it’s always inspiring to attend a big company convention, sometimes the best experiences can come from a smaller event, perhaps a local meeting. Rubbing shoulders with others in your area is a great way to develop friendships with those you have a common interest with. Sharing ideas back and forth helps to forge a friendship.
Those friendships often bring “the heart” into a business. Conferences can be a catalyst for that.
My Big Convention Takeaways
I recently got back from my company’s annual convention and it made me reflect back on the first conference I went to, oh so many years ago. I was working with a different company then than I am now but it was that first conference that helped me “raise the bar” personally and I’ve been raising that bar ever since.
Special leadership trainings taught me some new skills I can put to work and teach to my team and helped me fine-tune my own skills. It’s all about growth, personally and professionally.
What I Learned From My First Convention
There’s a phrase, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” I have always had a good work ethic, always had enough discipline to work on my own. So initially, I didn’t think it was necessary for me to spend money and time away from my family to attend my first convention. But I was coachable and took advice well, so when I was strongly encouraged that attending convention was critical to my success, I made the commitment to go. I planned for babysitters, booked my reservations, and off I went.
Back at that first conference, I learned about the different levels of achievement the organization supported and the rewards for those achievements. The company encouraged its consultants to reach for the stars, and I learned at my first conference how to engage in a friendly, behind-the-scenes competition that lit a fire under me like nothing else.
Companies like mine regularly spotlight business partners who are among the top salespeople. Once I realized that, I was soon recognized on stage as a Top Seller. This piqued my interest and made me realize that I could stretch further. I realized I wanted to be THE top in my company. I realized I COULD be top in my company.
Most of us are visual learners. We have to see something to be able to wrap our heads around it. As I attended more conferences, I learned different ways to build my business with different areas of recognition. Turns out, I enjoyed the competition and the recognition. And before long, I was teaching workshops to other consultants and other leaders. I was leading the way.
If not for that very first conference that I attended, I would not have realized the success I have today. It’s what set me up to learn and grow, to lead and mentor and to succeed beyond my wildest dreams.
Have you attended an industry conference? Or your company’s convention for your work-from-home business? It’s truly one of the best investments you can make in yourself and your business.