First of all, let me say: WOW. I just returned from the Inside Edge 2013 Conference in Washington D.C., put on by the fabulously talented Angelique Rewers, The Corporate Agent.

Held at the beautiful Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, I found the event to be entirely practical while immensely inspirational. I’ve arrived back to work, refreshed and ready to get out there and grow Spot-On Branding bigger and better than ever before. I have new ideas from major influencers and experts, and I’m pumped from all the new connections I’ve formed and the relationships I’ve solidified while I was there.

 

Inside Edgers: Power People

As at any conference, the people make the event worthwhile…and what a lineup! I learned about LinkedIn from the quirky and clever J.D. Gershbein. (You can find him, of course, on LinkedIn.) I got my Woohoo! on with the fun and funky Lisa Steadman. We were all touched and empowered by media maven Marshawn Evans and amazed by the awesome storytelling power and energy of former NFL safety and playwright Bo Eason. There were words of wisdom from master moneymaker David Neagle and loads of practical advice from Scott Robley of Infusionsoft, Jennifer Eaves Mathews of Leverage-A-Lawyer, Jennifer Homer of ASTD, and SO many more.

Thank you all for sharing your time, your knowledge, your expertise, and your experiences!

And, of course, there were the Inside Edge attendees—all of you are Power People, too. I saw old and new faces and everyone was ready to chat, make connections, and explore ideas. Everyone was upbeat, spirited, open, and motivated. I’m so excited to continue our conversations and explore new partnerships.

You can find me, Nora Richardson, on Facebook at Spot-On Branding, on Twitter @Spot_OnBranding and on LinkedIn here. Let’s stay connected!

 

You’re Worth the Investment

Are you considering attending a conference designed to inspire you to take your business to the next level? I’ll tell you this: it’s worth it! (…provided you do your homework and find a GREAT conference like Inside Edge.) It’s worth it because you’re worth it. You have to invest in yourself if you want to see success.

 

What do you mean “invest in myself”?

 

Here’s the scoop: you have to spend money to make money. Now that doesn’t mean you should throw every single last penny at something you think might bring you some return. Not at all. Instead, you have to ask yourself this: “What is my return on investment?” Choose a wise investment. Something you know will bring in some money. Then don’t look at how much money you’re spending. Instead, analyze how much return you’ll receive from that investment.

That’s the definition of investment: “To commit (money or capital) in order to gain a financial return.” Would you pay $5 to make $50? Of course you would. So should you pay $1,500 to make $50,000? Absolutely. Of course, all investments come with some level of risk. That’s why it’s important to be smart. Again: do your homework. And hey, if you’re not ready to think that big, take the small steps you need to (TODAY!) to get yourself in gear and moving in the right direction. For example, if you’re still in college: invest in some nice business apparel to show the world you’re dressing for success right from the get-go.

Likewise, if you’re a small business owner and you want to grow your business: you owe it to yourself to get to a conference like Inside Edge. The knowledge, practical skill set, and inspiration you’ll come away with will be well worth the money invested. A well-put-together conference like Inside Edge could very well be the boost you need to take your business to the next level!

Go for it! You’re worth the investment.