This Weekend, I Was At Ground Zero...

What’s a guy to do when the first totally warm weekend in Chicago happens to be right in the middle of an ongoing pandemic and statewide stay-at-home order? Participate in a virtual conference, of course! It was between doing that or watching Tiger King, and I think I definitely made the right decision.

This past weekend I participated in the Ground Zero Summit (GZS). It was a 3-day virtual conference for entrepreneurs who are looking to start, grow, or scale their businesses. (That’s me). GZS featured 28 entrepreneurs who have successfully launched businesses that have collectively generated north of $100 million in revenue. (I’d like that to be me) These are people who know what they’re talking about and have the receipts to prove it!

So could a virtual conference that I watched on my MacBook Air’s 13-inch screen really be good enough to write an entire blog post about? Fair question. And the answer is yes.

A big part of my reaction has to do with the awesome speakers GZS lined up for the event. I can honestly say that every speaker I saw was interesting in their own way. Ya’ know how you go to a conference and there might be a couple of really good speakers, some OK speakers, and even a few duds? Well GZS brought the dream team for this event. On the real, zero duds! In full disclosure, I didn’t see all 28 speakers this weekend; however, I purchased the conference replay and I plan to watch the sessions I originally missed.

I’ve participated in lots of conferences: Lots of in-person and virtual conferences, lots of conferences as an attendee, lots of conferences as a volunteer, and an increasing number of conferences as a speaker. And given my deep experience in the conference space, three things stood out to me about the Ground Zero Summit.  

Authenticity

The speakers kept it real. Everyone kept it so real! I heard so many relatable stories about everything from family issues to financial hardship to mental illness. And the speakers didn’t just use the typical overcoming adversity riff. You know the one I'm talking about: “I lost my job...my partner broke up with me...I was living in my car...my dog left me, etc.” The GZS speakers didn’t just talk about the hardships, they also shared how those hardships felt. The speakers showed vulnerability. They showed humanity. They acknowledged the emotional impact of fighting through personal doubt, frequent rejection, and public failure. It was reassuring, cathartic, and encouraging. I didn’t realize it the day before the conference, but I needed that. And I’m immensely thankful that I got it.

My takeaway: I need to bring more vulnerability to my workshops. The stories from my past that I’m least inclined to tell are exactly the ones people most need to hear. 

Diversity

It was a beautiful thing to see a speaker line-up with all Black and Brown people. It was a juxtaposition from my lifelong experience of usually being one of just a handful of people of color at a conference. And I've been to conferences where I'm literally the only person of color. And I will unapologetically say, representation matters. But the diversity of the GZS line-up went far beyond people who simply looked like me and spoke like me. I saw Pauleanna Reed who has a way with words and Dr. Nicole Garner Scott, who has a way with numbers. I saw Dawn Dickson, who raised lots of investor money and Alix Burton, who bootstrapped his business. And I saw Ladun Thompson, who was laid-back and methodic, and David Shands who moved at a million miles a minute. I'm dropping these names because (1) these people deserve a shoutout for giving so much of themselves, and (2) if you're looking to grow, you need to know who these people are.

My takeaway: I need to do more to amplify the voices and experiences of diverse professionals and entrepreneurs. There are stories—truly compelling stories—the world is not hearing. And I need to use my voice and platform to help tell them.

Value

The speakers shared so many actionable ideas I can immediately apply to my own business, and really, to my life. And no speaker ever resorted to a smarmy sales pitch. We’ve all been to a presentation that is little more than a thinly-veiled attempt to sell from the stage. You hear 45 minutes of the speaker telling you how much they can share with you (without actually doing so) followed by 15 minutes of them urging you to just buy their book…or course…or coaching program…or buy all three at this conference and save! I don't object to anyone mentioning their other offerings while they have a live audience. But it’s disappointing when self-promotion supersedes adding value for those in attendance. The speakers at GZS shared an abundance of valuable content without baiting the audience into buying anything else. They shared info about actual revenue generated as a result of a business initiative (yes, they talked about specific dollars and cents!); they shared the names of organizations they had raised capital from; they shared the apps they used to create their content (and demonstrated how to do it). It was clear these speakers’ top priority was to provide real value to people.

My takeaway: I need to be more intentional (much more intentional) about ensuring my workshops participants get tangible value from every workshop. In some cases, that might be a series of actionable items. In other cases, it might be a single “Aha” moment that changes their perspective. Whatever it is, participants need to leave with something they didn’t have before.

One last thing...I want to remind you GZS was a virtual conference. While I am and will always be a proponent of the in-person experience, I hold GZS up as proof that virtual events don't have to be disengaging. Get the right people who are excited and passionate about what they're talking about, and you can create something amazing. As for me, I’ve got work to do! #ApplyLearning

GTall signing off.