Over the past 25 years, I have had the honor of attending numerous conferences and training sessions. LOTS of them. In the early years, I stuck to industry-specific events, as I could only afford one per year, maybe two if I was lucky. I attended those conferences for education and training, as well as to meet people in my field. You can imagine that on an island in Alaska, not many people work in pee.
As TSS grew, I also took employees along for the same reasons. Meet people in your field, trade ideas on business growth and enjoy some team time away from the office. It’s a worthy investment. We still do that today, usually taking three to five staff members to a conference each year.
One of the most memorable learning experiences for me was having the opportunity to attend an event hosted by author, coach and motivational speaker Tony Robbins. The energy and the talent, not just on the stage, but in the room, were amazing. I came back with business blueprints, plans for marketing, and so much more. I love that kind of learning!! I’ve been to many other conferences, both online and in person, but none compared to the one put on by Tony and his team.
But the learning always continues. In 2006, I entered a contest called “Make Mine A Million”, run by the Count Me In organization. The idea was to push women to achieve a six-figure income in their business. Complete a detailed application packet, come to New York and present a pitch to some judges. Sounds simple, right? Except I was a country bumpkin in New York. And the judges were former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, personal finance guru Suze Orman, an editor from Good Housekeeping magazine, and a host from “CNN Money.” YIKES! And I won a seat! The prize included a coaching package, some FedEx discounts, and some other items. But the best thing for me… was the coaching.
From those exciting days of being coached by big-time guys like Tony Robbins or the very real Alicia Marie at People Biz, Inc., I gained wings and TSS began to grow. Those two experiences also got me started in how I approach helping people with their business ideas, systems and processes. And that began my coaching career. Over time, many people have sat across from me, working on their plan to build a business. What a joy it has been to help folks realize their dreams of owning a business. And that is how No Speed Limit, my coaching business, got started. The point here is this – never stop being a student. Never stop being willing to learn and grow. Oh, the places you’ll go!