5 Reasons to Attend a Creative Conference

Attending conferences may sound really scary for you. Just thinking about going to an event being surrounded by a large group of strangers has you ready to crawl into bed. When you find yourself walking through the doors to a conference on the first day you may be filled with first-day-of-school jitters. Are all of these emotions worth it?

The biggest obstacle that is preventing you from taking the leap is fear of the unknown. You don’t know what to expect and you are not sure if it is really worth it, so you find yourself turning down the opportunity that you found in front of you.

Let’s break down that fear. Let’s clear up the unknowns and what ifs.

Let’s take a peek at what is on the other side and how you will feel after you leave a conference.

On an individual level, you may feel a sense of accomplishment. You were hesitant and unsure about doing something that was really scary for you, but you overcame your fears and you conquered the unknown.

On a much deeper level, you and your business can find yourself filled with clarity, a renewed sense of purpose, and so much more. Today we are going to breakdown conferences and uncover 5 reasons you should attend and, finally, what conferences can do for you.

First, attending conferences is a great way to get some social networking in, make some awesome business connections. That alone will leave you feeling pretty good. At the best conferences, however, you will leave with a family. Since there is a shortage of time in conferences, that time is much more valuable. This creates a space for people to really be present in the moment, to reach out more, to be open, and take the time they do have to really get to know you as a person. As entrepreneurs we tend to spend the majority of our time alone, running our businesses, and it can be lonely, but more importantly, it can be difficult to find others who understand and can relate to the day to day struggles you face. Conferences can place you in a room full of people who already understand you without even knowing you. Conferences create a space where everyone feels a sense of belonging.

Wholehearted connection.

Picture a moment where you are sitting down at a round table surrounded by other women. You feel completely lost in the moment. That home life filled with bills, to do lists, kids, and cleaning all forgotten. As you look around the table listening to other women share their stories and open up about their struggles, you find yourself nodding your head with a smile on your face because she could be describing your life, you completely just get her. The table is full of laughter and for a moment you are filled with relief, gratitude, and joy all at the same time. These moments where walls are broken down and compassion and connection arise are why conferences create a wholehearted connection. Whether you find yourself surrounded by a group of women or sitting one on one over some coffee and a cupcake, conferences offer that place where you can just sit down and be completely yourself talking to a friend deep in conversation all about the BIG stuff going on in your lives.

Fill your cup up.

After all, that wholehearted connection if your cup doesn’t feel full after a conference, then all the amazing talks and guidance offered throughout the conference will. In a conference, you will find yourself in a room full of people who go through a lot of the same struggles you do. From taking care of your family first, to taking on too many tasks at one time, to working an unreasonable amount of hours in a day, to finding balance in your life, to figuring out what is the next step in your business, all of it….THEY GET IT. They also understand how the majority of us are so busy doing ALL THE THINGS that we tend to run on empty even though we all know you can’t run on an empty tank. Conferences create a place to fill that tank up and provide you with the inspiration and tools to start filling it up more at home. Your tank needs inspiration, acceptance, recharging, appreciation, and that boost that will get your heart fired up and that is exactly what a conference will do for you.

Accountability. 

How many of us have big dreams? EVERYONE has big and small dreams, but how many of us find a way to take any action toward those dreams? At conferences, you can find your tribe, a group of women who are there to help support, encourage, and hold you accountable to making those dreams come true. These women want these dreams to come true, they want amazing things for you and they want to see you reach your dreams because they know you deserve it. They believe in you, just as you believe in them. Taking the first step towards your dreams is important, but sometimes the crowd on the sideline cheering you on is what gets you on that path. What is even more amazing is that crowd on the sideline cheering you will be there to walk along side you when find yourself veering off course. They have your back and are not here to push you like a drill sergeant, but remind you that they’ve been here too and go through the same thing with their own path. Your dreams are more likely to come true when you have people there to hold you accountable and be there when you feel stranded. Your tribe is waiting for you.

Perspective. 

When you feel stuck or in a rut, your mind can become clouded and lost in the chaos. Since you’ve also been running through the problems in your mind over and over again, trying to rack your brain for a solution, you feel further and further from uncovering the answer you seek. At a conference, you have access to experienced business owners who have plenty of knowledge from going through their own stories and starting and running their own business to offer you guidance, direction, and perspective. From the speakers to other attendees you are surrounded by over 50 other women who can offer you their own stories and experiences to learn from their mistakes and take inspiration from, bounce ideas off to brainstorm and create new goals, get advice and guidance on everything from little tweaks to big changes you can make, and finally gather tangible tactics and listen to heartfelt talks that will open your mind and give you a renewed sense of purpose and perspective.

Direction.

 With that new perspective, clarity, and a full tank to motivate you to tackle those dreams, conferences help steer you in the right direction. Some come into conferences lost in what direction to take next, others didn’t even know they didn’t have a direction at all, either way, conferences offer a place where you can uncover that next step and which way that step is headed. Running a business isn’t easy and sometimes we can be wrapped in the day-to-day tasks, we often lose sight of why we are even doing this in the first place. Our head is down and so focused on what’s at hand that we forget to look up and figure out where we are even going with this whole “business thing” we are doing. Some of us are the opposite, we have been struggling for a while with where we want to head with our business, we have been looking for a change or a new challenge. Wherever you are in your business or life, conferences can provide you with steps you can take to change and improve your business now and offer new insight into where your business could go. They offer a wide variety of options and the best kinds of conferences offer one-on-one guidance of where you can steer your direction to help you find that purpose and fill that hole you’ve been feeling.

Conferences offer a lot of opportunities. They can help you heal and boost your business and your heart. Conferences are educational, but they are also a place of family, at least the best kind of conferences are. Everything from filling your heart up with love to finding purpose in your business, conferences can take you on a whole new journey if you let them.

Finally, one of the best ways to succeed in life and as a business owner is to never stop learning and growing and one of the best ways to educate yourself is by attending conferences and workshops.

So take some time today and look around for a conference to attend this year.

It’s time to get you fired up!

Photo by: Bloguettes PHX Workshop (www.bloguettes.com)