I recently returned from speaking at Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) NERVE Conference in Nashville, TN. I had the privilege of hanging out with 800 other entrepreneurs for three days straight.

I also just returned from the Inc. Magazine Women’s Summit in New York with 600 women entrepreneurs. It was incredible powerful!

Every session I attended at both events (speakers are always in learning mode too!) was packed with awesome, actionable content.

It always feel so great to be immersed in learning with peers that feel the same way you do about your business. We all leave recharged and re-committed to doing whatever we need to do to move our companies to the next level.

Then we come home.

Almost immediately, we are sucked back into the daily reality of life, except it hits us harder than usual because we’ve been away. Little by little, those warm feelings of inspiration and excitement – the conference afterglow – starts to fade. We move from inspired to discouraged.

How can we avoid this downward spiral? How can we retain that amazing feeling we had at the conference?

Well, the answer lies in our mindset before the conference.

Follow these steps to move from learning inspiration to learning implementation:

Prior to the conference, do these two things:

• Review the available sessions, and pick your top three subjects that are most relevant to your business right now. Of course almost everything will appeal to you, but not everything is relevant right now. From your top three sessions, prioritize them.
• On your calendar, clear the day after your return for re-entry. Do this as soon as you book your trip. Your mind is going to need breathing space. You will need time to follow up with your connections, connect with them on Linked In, etc. and prioritize your action items from your conference meetings. if you come home to a packed schedule, you will feel overwhelmed and out of control.

At the conference:

• Stay on topic. Commit to gathering as much information as you can about your highest-priority initiative.
• Do NOT get sucked into your colleagues’ agendas.

Upon returning from the conference (on the day you’ve cleared for re-entry):

• Prioritize your takeaways.
• Throw out anything you aren’t going to use.
• Connect with your new contacts on Linked In
• Prioritize the reading you will do with all of your new books, and select one book that is relevant to where you are right now.
• Turn over all of the business cards you collected to an assistant to input them into your contact management database.

Focus on one thing. File the rest for a later date.

I follow a similar philosophy for networking events. The goal is not quantity. It’s quality. If we can connect with one or two people in a meaningful way that can move us forward personally or professionally, than the event is successful.

We can all find one golden nugget at an event that can make a difference in our companies, our clients, our stakeholder communities such as those that read our blogs. Attend with intention and focus, and your opportunities will present themselves with clarity. As a writer, and as a growth strategist/coach that is always looking for trends and information that is relevant to the growth of my clients, I view conferences & learning events as opportunities to be better for them. I am the eyes and ears of my clients and subscribers, every time I am learning.

Wishing you all awesome learning experiences that take you, your clients, and your communities to higher levels of awareness and growth!

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About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.

Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected].

Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).

Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.

~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”