228: Why Attending Industry Events is Profitable

Michele  00:01 

Hello, my name is Michele, and you're listening to Profit is a Choice.  

How many of you go to an industry conference at least once a year? On our podcast today, I am just returning from the International Window Coverings Expo. And I'm going to share with you 10 things that really stood out to me while I was there.  

Every day, empowered entrepreneurs are taking ownership of their company financial health and enjoying the rewards of reduced stress and more creativity. With my background as a financial software developer, owner of multiple businesses and the interior design, industry, educator, and speaker, I coach women in the interior design industry to increase their profits, regain ownership of their bottom line, and to have fun again in their business. Welcome to profit as a choice. 

Michele  01:02 

Hey, welcome to the podcast, I am a little bit tired, a lot exhausted and energized all at the same time. And so today, what I want to do is just come with you and just share with you from my heart the experiences that I had at the International Window Coverings Expo that was in Charlotte, North Carolina, hosted by Grace McNamara and her daughter, Ania.  

It was just such a lovely time; it was so much fun. And those conferences always are. But I'm going to say I bet that if you are anything like me that sometimes what you do is you think to yourself, "Perhaps I don't need to go, these are going to cost too much". Probably many of you are just returning from High Point Market. I wasn't able to attend this year, but I bet that some of you are coming back from that. And every time I know that we're looking at our finances, we're looking at our budgets, we're looking at our calendars and we are weighing the cost of whether we should go to these events or whether we should stay home and hang out with our clients and our teams. But I'm going to talk to you about a couple of things that I saw at this particular conference and I've seen at others, the Custom Workroom Conference, I've seen it at High Point. Pick a conference, it doesn't matter which conference you're talking about. I've seen it at all of them. And I've gone all the way back to conferences in my software days. And here are some of the things that I noticed and saw this time, I think it was that I was showing up this time, not only as an attendee, but also as a vendor. And I was able to look at it as an educator, as an attendee, and as a vendor. So, a lot of different hats that that I wore, and was able to see through a different lens.  

The first one is this, not everybody was looking for the same thing. Not everyone is looking for the same thing. So that's a good thing. What that means is every one of us, when we go to a conference like this, we're going because there's some need that we have. Sometimes our need might be to meet with other like-minded business owners. I know there were some of you that were looking for new blind, shades, and shutters companies to work with. There were some of you that were looking for coaching, there were some of you that were looking forward to one of the educational courses or classes, learning something, watching a demo, just being with other people. Everybody's there for a reason. But we're not all there necessarily for the same reason and looking for the same thing. And that makes it interesting, that makes it fun. Because we are looking around and just exploring and opening ourselves up to what we might find. And what's interesting is sometimes we come back from these conferences; I know I do. And there's something there that I found that I didn't even know that I was looking for. So going in just understanding that we're all there looking for something but not necessarily the same thing allows you the freedom when you're going through the vendor halls are when you're looking at the different vendor options or even classroom options. Being okay with not having the FOMO of everything has to be for you. So easily look at it and say what do I want? What do I not want, what serves my company, what doesn't serve my company and be okay that your choices are different from others.  

The second thing that I took note of was that authentic connection requires you to block out the noise in the room. In the classroom setting. I taught three courses, three seminars and we had over 100 people probably in each class. And that was fine because well I say it was fine. The courses were right beside us. So sometimes we could hear the speakers on either side of the room. So, we all had to learn to block out what was happening, the laughter and the chatter and the enjoyment in the class beside us so that we could stay focused. But also, when we were on the vendor floor, it is so many people, and it's so loud, so that when that person is standing in front of you, to build that authentic relationship, we have to stop and really listen. And I'll tell you, that takes a lot of work in a crowded busy room, where people are walking and zooming all around, and you're trying to stay focused on the person in front of you. But if you can do that, some really great authentic connections can be made.  

The next thing I recognized and I would say is real business decisions are made at these events. These events aren't just play, it's not just fun. It's not just the party or the cocktail hour, or who's got free hors d'oeuvres, like all those things are great, they're fun, there's a lot of laughter and enjoyment. But I was watching and participating in real business decisions being made. Decisions to stay with the same vendor, to go with another vendor. decisions on how to grow the business on who it is the right resources to support that growth, information that we're learning from other people, and looking to input into our business. So, when you go to these, I want you to be aware that there is information and opportunity that is coming your way where real business decisions can be made.  

Fourthly, energy and excitement is restored. Like I said, at the beginning of this podcast, I'm tired. And we're just a few days out from the conference. But I am excited, like I came home, ready to add some things in my business and change some things in my business, looking for ways that I could grow and evolve to meet the business needs that I am seeing in the industry, looking for other opportunities to collaborate. So sometimes we can get so ho hum in our businesses doing the same things over and over and over, even when we're perfecting them, that we forget to stop and just enjoy it. And so that was one of the most beautiful things about the conference was connecting with friends new and old, and just the excitement about the companies that we're building.  

Okay, the fifth thing that I want to share with you is that this is similar to the others, but a little bit different. Not everybody thinks the same way you do, you're going to find some people there at these conferences, no matter which one again, that are very much like you so you can just about start a sentence and they could complete it. And that's the beauty of them, right? Because we're all there. And we're in an industry together. So, our eyes don't glaze over. And we don't act disinterested in the conversation, we're really interested in the topic that we're discussing. But what is so cool is to see people handle it in different ways, or have a different experience with their clients or with that product or with the vendor. And that adds depth to the conversation. So being open and willing to talk to people and to understand and to hear their experiences, really is just so enriching, it adds back to the excitement of being in a place like that and taking time to think differently, and to strategize differently about your business.

Laughter is the sixth thing. And the course of business is good medicine. I know I have been accused, or rightly or, and unrightly so, of sometimes being so serious, and I think it's because we're handling financials, we're handling numbers we're handling, over here at Scarlet Thread, we're handling big life and big business decisions. I have people coming to me because they're going through divorces. And they want to make certain that their financials are set up to run their business in a certain way. I've got people that are pulling together and joining partnerships or breaking partnerships apart. I've got people that are just in a great place and running huge businesses. And there's a weight that they carry for that. And I've got some people that are struggling and they're going oh my gosh, things have dried up, projects aren't coming in, what do I do? How do I keep it going? Like all of those different, the good and the bad, and the middle? And those things get really heavy. And it can be so easy to be serious, right? Because it's heavy, weighty things that we're carrying. And so sometimes we forget to just build in laughter or have fun. And I think that one of the best parts of going to this conference was finding fun and laughing with people over things, not taking everything so seriously, surely, we were there for serious reasons, but we were just having a good time. My sister went with me this year. She helped me in the Metrique Solutions booth. And she also helped me in my classes and just made sure that I had what I needed but also was there as I called her my hype girl, she was there to support me and she was there to meet all of you that came up and introduced yourself at our booth. And I have to tell you, we laugh so much, we just had such a great time. Just enjoying ourselves, even just silly things, you know, like how bad our backs hurt carrying our displays back and forth places, we just found things to laugh at. And it reminded me that the laughter and the fun and the excitement and the lightheartedness that we were able to feel while we were at the conference was something that I really wanted to bring back into my business and then laugh about. 

Michele  10:30 

It's interesting, I stopped over at my mom and dad's house, because they live about 45 minutes from the Charlotte Convention Center where we were. I stopped over and spent the night with them. And my mom and I were talking about making mistakes, and finding ways even in our personal life, instead of getting frustrated about them or upset about him, that the older we get, the more we laugh at them. And of course, the more that sometimes happens when we get older, so we just keep laughing. And I think that there's you know, there's a Bible verse that says laughter doeth the heart good like a medicine. And I think that's just a good thing to remember laughing more. And the conference just really revived that in me.  

The seventh thing that I would share with you is that friendships that are made at these events, or that are built at these events, they're real, they're real friendships, there are some people that I may not see for a year or talk to for a year. But I can remember the conversations that we had the year before. When I teach and speak at these events, and I do it multiple years, I have some of the same people come up and show up in my classes. I may never know them any other way, except they take my courses when I go to these events. But some of those friendships become more than just an acquaintance. And there are really great people, there are people just like you that show up at these and you can actually meet people. One of the neatest things that I saw, there was a woman who came to the conference by herself. She was standing at the registration desk alone. And one of my clients had one of her teammates with her, she saw her when and introduced her, and said, Are you here by yourself? And she said I am she said, here come with me, let me show you things. Took her out to dinner, and showed her places. And you know, this is the classes and here's some vendors you want to look at and just really enveloped her in the industry, right? They never met each other one was from South Carolina and the other is from California, and they met at a registration desk. And I know that that's going to be some type of relationship that is going to continue because they spent days getting to know each other and supporting each other. You know, maybe you feel very lonely. I saw a lot of people who said that business was isolating. We're around a lot of people, but not necessarily people that we can talk to about some of the higher-level business strategies and difficulties and challenges that we're having. And the friendships that are built, they're real. And I encourage you to seek them out when you go, not just the friendships that you're coming in with, but new friendships there, there are new people ready to you know, rock your world with some bit of information that might seem tiny, but that really can make a difference to your business.  

The eighth thing I want to say to you is vendors are there to help us. They're not just there to sell to us. Sure, they want to sell us something, it's no different than us wanting to sell something to our clients. So same thing, but they want to help you. And they want to also tell you if what they have to offer fits or doesn't fit, what you're looking for. And it's really important to meet the vendors, even if you just think there could be a chance, share with them where you're struggling and listen and let them tell you if they can be a good fit or if they're not a good fit. I know for me, that was always an important thing when people would come up to our booth, we wanted to meet. There were a couple of people that we actually told we were showing and demoing Metrique Solutions. And there were a couple of people that told us that what they were using and who they were working with, and we told them, you know, I don't know that Metrique is for you. I think you have a solution that fits your business better. I don't know that you need Metrique. There are other people that walked up that were like, oh, my goodness, we can absolutely solve that problem with Metrique and I think that we would be a great fit. So just keep in mind vendors really do want to help you. They're not just trying to sell you something. They're there for the same reason you are to find a solution to a problem.  

The ninth thing that I'll tell you is there is as much education and opportunity to learn at cocktail hours and over a meal as there is in any seminar, education demo, or vendor floor. In other words, back to that friendship back to meeting people. And just the conversation around the table sometimes is so enlightening and gives us so much more information than we've ever had just by attending a class. And it's not because people are, you know, necessarily holding back. It's just that over a relaxed dinner, we start to share more, we start to feel safe enough, in many instances to be more vulnerable, or to even just, "Oh, wow, I didn't know you struggling with that I struggled with that before". And I hear people say all the time that when they go to conferences, and they go to these industry events, that what they realize is yes, there are very intentional ways of learning like on the vendor floor, in demos, classes. But it's that informal one-to-one conversation, over dinner over cocktail hour, where somebody shares just a small something that can change the course and the direction of your business. And so don't underestimate that. I know, it is so easy as we are in our businesses, to count all the pennies, and I'm here to talk about profitability.  

But I have always shared with you, profitability is about so much more than just the dollars. Profitability is really about communication. It's about the profitability of relationships, and collaboration. So, it's so much more than just dollars and cents. And so, think deeper and broader as you anticipate whether some of these conferences will work for you or whether they won't. The last thing I would say is just these events are important. If we don't go, we don't support these events, they won't be there to support us. And I know we can't all go to every one, I had to make some hard choices this year, where I could show up, and where I couldn't show up. And for me, High Point Market in the spring was one of those places that I just could not fit into the calendar with all the other things that I've chosen to do. And we were all making decisions. And sure, FOMO comes into it, we all have a little bit of that fear of missing out, I get it. But I just want to encourage you to look at your calendar, look at your financial budgets, look at what it is you need the problems that you have to solve and ask yourself, which event, local or national, which conference, you know, where do I need to go? Where are the people that can help me move my business to the next place, or to the next level, or solve a certain problem? And if you have no problems, ask yourself, where can you go to be the problem solver for someone else? Where would you think the people are? That you may be one or two steps ahead, that you could reach back and be for them what somebody else was for you just a few short years ago, I know I have so much joy not only in receiving information and gathering information but in disseminating and giving that information back to others.  

It certainly allows for an entire industry to be lifted, and to be better, and to be collaborative, and to be in a place where we can grow and learn and do new things. And so, you know, I hope that that helps you just think about even what you took away from being at High Point Market or being at a conference or thinking about what am I looking for as I go into the next conference.  

Here at Scarlet Thread Consulting, our goal is just to close the literacy gap in financial understanding and profitability. And we do that in a multitude of ways. We do that through this podcast by sharing information like this. We do it through blogs, you can find those on the Metrique Solutions website, as well as on the Scarlet Thread Consulting website, we have all types of blogs that will help you budget strategic plans, all of that information is out there. We do it by teaching courses and seminars and events. We teach it by online courses. And through our coaching. We are constantly trying to help you close that gap so that you can feel good about the business you have and not have to create a business that is monolithic and huge and too much. But that's perfectly suited for the size that you need it to be to do what you need it to do, and then certainly through Metrique Solutions, and so I invite you to check us out at MetriqueSolutions.com and at ScarletThreadConsulting.com.  

If you would like to have a conversation about the overall profitability and strategic structure or steps in your business, we would love to talk to you I would love to have a conversation with you. You can go to ScarletThreadConsulting.com and click on "work with me" and sign up and let us help you every day we have to choose to be profitable because profit doesn't happen by accident. Profit is a Choice is proud to be part of designnetwork.org where you can discover more design media reaching creative listeners. Thanks for listening, and stay creative and business minded.