Wow. What a week!
Many new friends made
(and old friendships rekindled)
Some great lessons learned…
(and parenting patience tested )
All in all…
I’d call this one a success.
Prefer to listen? Check out the podcast:
CONTEXT: Spent a week in San Diego for the Traffic and Conversion Summit. (A digital marketing conference for my non-marketing friends)
But like most things in marketing
the lessons extend far beyond business…
And transfer over into every facet of life.
(Because like it or not we’re all sellin’ sumptin’ folks)
While I learned a lot,
7 things stood out:
#1 Relationships rule
Every great thing I have in my life
is a DIRECT result of the people I know
and the relationships I’ve built along the way.
Everything.
You see, a funny thing happens when you value
people over profits…
Value people, and profits come
Value profits alone, and people go
It’s that simple.
#2 Give
This topic is so important my buddy Nicholas even wrote a book on the subject called “Give”
(You can get a copy here)
So give.
Give.
Give.
(Then give some more)
People know a true “Giver” when they see one.
And in the end it’s the “Givers” that tend to get more than the “Takers”.
#3 Always try to be the “dumbest” person in the room
As the saying goes:
“If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.”
So true.
The only way to get:
Smarter, better, faster, stronger, etc
Is to be around those who are:
Smarter, better, faster, stronger, etc
#4 Kindness is king (and queen)
I’ve preached this one before, but it’s important so I’ll say it again.
Kindness is everything.
And the most successful people I’ve ever met
have all had one thing in common.
They’re all REALLY nice people.
#5 Play the long game
We brought our 2 little boys down to San Diego with us
(after what feels like a lifetime of traveling I now try to bring my family with me whenever I can)
But anyone that’s ever traveled with children knows that
traveling with 2 little boys (even though we do it often)…
…ain’t easy
-First, there’s luggage (clothes, toys, car seats, strollers, cribs, etc)
-Then there’s food (“Dada, hungry”) and for being so small they eat a LOT.
-Then there’s sleeping issues (being scared in a new place and waking up throughout the night)
-And of course a couple stereotypical “terrible two’s” temper tantrums thrown in just for fun…
All in all it’s a lot of added stress.
But travel is important to us.
Spending time as a family is important to us.
And getting the kids out of their comfort zone and into new and unfamiliar places is important to us.
So we’re willing to sacrifice a little short-term vacation peace for long-term family growth.
#6 There is (way) more than enough to go around
There are 2 different ways of looking at the world:
With an ABUNDANCE mentality
(where there is more than enough to go around)
Or with a SCARCITY mentality
(where there is not enough to go around)
Without getting all woo-woo, spiritual, or hippyish on you…
The reality is that there really is WAY more than enough to go around (especially because everyone wants different things).
And those that adopt that mindset are the ones who inevitably realize it to be true.
#7 Stay hungry
Keep learning (and never claim to know it all)
Many of the people I met at the conference were doing 8, and even 9 figures per year in their businesses
And yet…
Here they were.
Listening.
Taking notes.
And learning.
They were staying hungry.
You see, there’s a (foolish) mistake some people make when they believe that school is the “end of learning”
But for those of us who get it…
The end of school was only just the beginning.
And there is always more to learn, see, hear, and do.
Always.
So stay hungry and never stop getting better.
Know that there is more than enough to go around.
Play the long game.
Up-level your social circle.
Be kind.
Give all you can (then give a bit more)
Place people and relationships over all else…
And I’m sure you’ll be just fine.