Making the Most of Professional Seminars

By Jennifer Manlowe

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I've just returned from an outstanding seminar entitled Work at What You Love (WWYL) conducted by my two favorite creative entrepreneurs, Valerie Young at Changing Course and Barbara Winter at Winning Ways.

What helped me make the most of this seminar was to take each one of the WWYL handouts and use the back-pages for noting fresh insights that were not mentioned specifically in the handout.

My colleague, Diane, was determined to learn something new from this seminar, something she had been sure would be a repeat of other seminars she'd attended on similar topics. She challenged herself to write down "100 New Insights" that might emerge as a result of reading the handouts and listening to each speaker/panelist (10 in all). During the closing speech, she wrote down her 100th insight. Talk about the power of intention!

I, too, found myself approaching things anew simply by remaining alert through breathing deeply, drinking lots of water, and stretching more often to remain more attentive to what I was hearing. Getting the oxygen moving may have also helped me be present to the inter-active exercises with my new colleagues in the Creative Career Counseling field.

Here are my 11 tips for making the most of your future professional development seminars include:

1. Take interesting notes. Even if you think you know it all, there's always more to learn. As Harry S. Truman would say, "The only things worth learning are the things you learn after you know it all."

2. Translate your notes by writing them down in a journal or on your computer. You can do this in ways that "make them your own" or at least more relevant to your own business style/needs.

3. Write down the best quotes that you hear or read. You know, those quotes that undergird your own philosophy, mission and values. I found my favorite ones were the following:

"Being in business is not about making money, it's a way to become who you are." ~ Paul Hawken

"Entrepreneur is not a job title. It is the state of mind of people who want to alter the future." ~ Guy Kawasaki

"If you're to succeed, you must understand that your rewards in life will be in direct proportion to the contribution you'll make." ~ Dave McNally

"By the year 2020 the largest employer in the developed world will be the self." ~ Nicholas Negroponte

"Owning a business and working for one are as different as chalk and cheese." ~ Paul Hawken

4. "Get into the conversation!" was something I heard Barbara Winter say again and again. But, if you're like me, you'd prefer to slink out after the last workshop and run upstairs for an already-seen HBO movie and room service. But, if you want to experience support from like-minded entrepreneurs, troubleshoot with others, swap funny stories or share the struggle with fellow Business Indies, hanging out afterward is one of the quickest ways to build a durable network and it makes the next gathering much more fun. Swiftly swapping business cards is not enough, nor is it a form of authentic sharing.

5. Speak up when you are invited to do so by the presenters. Don't be shy to share what you know or to ask questions about what you don't know yet. The only way to grow is to admit you don't know it all. Even Socrates, the wisest man of Athens-according to the Delphic Oracle-knew that wisdom comes when you can admit to not knowing. But, if you only want to share what you know, it's okay to resist the urge to play it small. When you shine with sincerity, you are inviting others to do so as well. Just avoid dominating the discussion. I hear my mate squawking-"Talk about the cat calling the kettle black!"

6. Clarify your "elevator speech" by listening to others communicate their own. Ask about the ways your colleagues make themselves visible in a unique way in their area and nationally/internationally (if that applies). People who remain true to themselves often have ways of standing out simply by being themselves. So much of reaching out to others-marketing-is based on our capacity for authentic relationship and an authentic desire to be of service. If we don't know ourselves very well or know how to connect with (rather than impress) others we might as well commit to working in a Kodak" photo booth, remember those?

7. Be willing to learn from the pros. Too often I can lean back in my chair in the back of the room, like those students whom I now detest, and say, "I'm 45, I have a PhD; I've heard it all before, marketing-schmarketing!" But, the ones who are still hanging in there after 12 to 20 years have a lot to teach me about how to avoid my first, second and third-year pitfalls. No matter what their age, young upstarts, (startups!), or those wisened by experience, they can save me a ton of mistakes and spare me from false starts or premature defeat.

8. Don't give up before the miracle. As Thomas Edison said, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." Most Indies don't learn who they are and what they're really offering until year three or four.

9. Stay curious and resilient. Success is about remaining curious and willing to grow and learn from others-including clients. If we're not willing to change as needed, as in "follow the cheese," we'll be the ones who remain hungry and resentful. As Barbara Winter says, "What you start out with offering in your business most likely will not be what you end up offering in the long run."

10. Take an ongoing inventory of your assets and desires to clarify your purpose after the conference. What skills can you now see in yourself that were reflected in the presenters and other colleagues? What do you still feel enthusiasm for doing? Are there aspects of what you've done in the past that you now want to shift, delegate, or drop altogether because they're a big drag and are better executed by other people? Are you sure you want to remain offering what you say you're offering to your clients. Are you willing to ask your clients what else they may need and adjust accordingly? Are you willing to change course as need be in order to remain alive to what you do and context-relevant? As Cardinal Suenens says, "The important thing is this: to be willing at any moment to sacrifice what you are for what you could become."

11. Last but not least, keep building your network. Your network includes not only clients but as many supportive peers as you can. As Barbara Sher says, "Isolation is a dream killer." Without people who believe in you, it's hard to believe in yourself-especially during the "salad days." "Remember" says Winter, "You don't need a positive attitude or self-confidence to make your dreams come true. You just need a lot of friends who want to see you get your dreams. With that support, your world will turn around." Receiving encouragement is a major investment in your Self. Without you, there is no Indie business that has your unique offerings. As hippy-dippy as it sounds, you are one necessary and unique piece in the big mosaic-of-life and this cosmic "work of art" is not as powerful, beautiful or complete without your unrepeatable contribution.

Article written by Jennifer Manlowe, PhD, Creative Career Counselor and founder of Life Design Unlimited

P.S. If you like to write and would love to self-publish, it's not too late to join my telecourse, Getting Into Print for Beginners.

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