It’s been almost a year since I attended my first SOBCon event in Portland.  Wow…where has the time gone?  As I get ready to head off to Portland a week from now I thought it would be good to reflect on things a bit.

Last year, I went to SOBCon with a huge amount of nervous trepidation.  I was pretty uncertain what it would mean to my world; yet I was drawn there.  Yes, drawn there. Instinctively, I just knew it was the place for me.  Somehow, I understood that there was something special about it and that if I really wanted to make the kinds of changes in my business vision that I suspected were necessary, then it was the community that would give me the  guidance and strength to do just that.  Since that first trip to Portland,  I have also been to SOBCon in Chicago as well.  So next week; when I  sit down with the other 99 brilliant minds that will also be in the room it will be my third SOBCon experience within the last 12 months or so.  (Of course, I will also be bringing LegoMan along with me.)

To call SOBCon a business strategy event doesn’t begin to do it the justice it deserves.  For me, SOBCon has been a game changer.  It has transformed the way I think about everything in my business and in my life.  SOBCon is a community of amazing people; who are there for one another.  They are the people you can turn to and ask the hard questions.  They are friends.  They are the misfits (and I say that in the very best possible way) in this world who truly understand the collective good that misfits can accomplish.  Most importantly though, they are the very people who will push you to take the risks that you need to take, to step outside your comfort zone and to get to the true person that you are meant to be.  They will do all this and more; while simultaneously standing firmly behind you. Yes, I know there are people who are part of SOBCon that have truly “got my back”.  I have more than a few SOBCon friends that I know I can call on when I really need support – these people get the way my heart and mind work.  To me, there really is nothing better in business or life.  When you surround yourself with people who understand you; who value your values and who truly believe in your vision – spectacular things can unfold.  Truly amazing things.

So here is a little summary of the kinds of things that have happened in my world since first walking into the #SOBCon room a year ago:

• I am part of an Inner Circle of people that help me with my business at every level.  We support one another and strategize together.  We meet virtually on a regular basis.
• I have started Event Speaking once again; something I had really slowed down on.
• I have truly found my blogging voice; I now write from a place of solid conviction.
• I have found my confidence, sure I still have my moments – mostly in big rooms (it’s the introvert in me) – but I know who I am, where I’m going and what matters.  No question. I believe in me.
• My network has exploded – just as Liz Strauss promised it would.  I have also made a lifelong friend (actually more than one) – also something Liz said would happen.
• I’m friends with people that I never thought I would even meet.  And I do mean friends – not just allies as Chris Brogan recently described in one of his recent Sunday emails.  That said, I also now have a lot more allies in my world too.
• I am collaborating – globally on a bunch of projects and the door just keeps opening up to more.  Some days, it simply amazes and inspires me beyond words.
• I recently began a startup company called 45 Conversations – it’s off and running to a pretty amazing start; with lots planned for the coming months.  It actually began as an experiment and has grown into so much more.
• I have discovered that generosity simply feels good, it is part of who I am and factors into everything I do.  I give, for the sake of giving.
• Of course, there is more, much more – but I just wanted to share a sample of the kinds of things that have happened over the last year.

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