SOBCon is one of the smallest conferences I attend. And I love it for that reason. Instead of watching from the sidelines, EVERYONE is involved and participating. The speakers are humble and yet top-notch, and after their presentation they sit with you for lunch or mastermind problems at your table.
It is both inspirational and humbling. I got lots of doses of heavy wisdom which made me rethink my business strategy, my web site, my priorities, and everything in between. But I also became aware of how much I COULD be doing to make the world a better place.
There are many lessons from SOBCon.
Dream Big.
Start Small.
Be Kind.
Don’t Give Up.
Stay Humble.
Work Hard.
Create Your Own Luck.
Let’s be honest, these are not revolutionary. They are things we have said before and will say again. We will compare notes on the best way to say them, but overall these are lessons we all try to remember in our own daily grind.
But it boils down to this for me…Listen.
Ask that voice in your head, the one who criticizes and judges and whispers “you can’t,” to vacate the premises for once. Really listen to what others are teaching you. And then ACT.
That’s one lesson I believe we all need to hear more than once. The trick is to really hear it.
There have been several great posts from attendees of SOBCon ’11. Here are two of my favorites:
Barry Moltz summed up his experience as a very active listener (thanks to losing his voice) with Favorite Quotes at SOBCon 2011.
Steve Woodruff summarized the amazing types of people you’re guaranteed to meet in his post The Five People You Meet At SOBCon.
Photo Credits: The awesome and friendly Shashi! His Flickr stream is here. Enjoy.