Life After #QBConnect!

We came, we saw, and we conquered #QBConnect 2017. This conference is held over three days and has something for the entrepreneur, small business owner, app developer, bookkeeper, & accountant.
The day begins with amazing speakers held at the main stage. All to set the mood for inspiration, connection, & learning. It is not hard to find a new friend at this conference. Everyone is super helpful & friendly - except for when it comes time to grabbing your seat(s) for the big speakers, then its every man/woman/child for themselves. All kidding aside, any seat in the house is a great seat so be sure to get one!
The first day is really geared towards bookkeepers & accountants. It is designed to fulfill your education, training, and thought-provoking needs. It is still worth coming if you are not a bookkeeper or accountant because you get to learn so many great things and meet so many amazing people that will help your business and professional network.
The first two days are jam packed with tours of the conference, various events, speakers, activities, meet-ups, vendor exhibits, and break-out sessions beginning at 7AM throughout the day and ends around 6PM. Day 2 also includes a concert also known as Connectfest! The final day begins at 7AM and finishes around 1:30PM. It is jam packed with even more break-out sessions, events, and the final featured speakers & closings.
This all may sound overwhelming, quite frankly – it is. Don’t’ be discouraged, there are plenty of spots to sit down & catch your breath, and they provide ample amounts of food & refreshments. There are so many amazing things you can do, you must simply give into the fact that you cannot do them all. You therefore must pick and choose which ones will serve you best. Plan, plan, plan. Make sure you are filling up your day with the things you absolutely cannot miss out on. That said, make sure you take some time for yourself to slow down, reflect, and recharge. If you go, go, go, you may lose some of the great nuggets you are picking up along the way. Remember after #QBConnect your mission is to use what you learned & what inspired you to take action. Make changes, implement, and stay connected going forward.
My three favorite things from #QBConnect 2017 (in no particular order) are:

1. @ShondaRimes presentation. She spoke about making your campfire for your tribe to sit around, then tell your story. She reminds us of the following:
a. Deliver what you worked so hard to achieve.
b. Be courageous.
c. Understand that you belong in the room, don’t second guess yourself - you belong in the room because - you are in the room.
d. Speak Up!

2. @TyraBanks presentation. She spoke about adjusting to your circumstances & making them work for you. Your circumstances may change, and you may find yourself wondering what happened. Don’t allow yourself to give into what others tell you what you can or cannot do. Do what speaks to you, do it well, own it! Below are some of the parts of her speech that resonated with me.
a. As Tyra became more curvy during her modeling career she was was told to change her body. Tyra then began to wonder how to meet this demand. As she did, her mother grabbed her by the chin and told her to stop! Then she took Tyra for PIZZA! Her mother then proceeded to demand Tyra write down every business, agency, etc. who preferred some curves (or ass as she stated). WRITE IT DOWN!!!! Then they brought those names to her agent, so he could contact them on Tyra’s behalf.
b. In her modeling career Tyra did a lot of Pivoting on the runway. She reminds us that sometimes in business you must pivot. When something isn’t working maybe you need to shift your work, focus, etc. just a little to achieve a different outcome. If your audience, clientele, followers, etc. are not who you wish to serve then change them. Tyra did so in her career by being the first Black Woman to:
i. Be a Victoria Secret Model
ii. Be on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
iii. Be on the cover of GQ Magazine
c. Be original, authentic, and speak up. When she was publicly criticized for her size, she found herself brushing off the comment and doing nothing. She did so until a woman she ran into in the grocery store asked her – if your fat, what am I? That lead to the ASS Slap heard around the world. She understood that when she confronted her critics she was speaking back for all women who have experienced similar comments & treatment. And YES, she got to speak out for herself. Very powerful.
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3. QuickBooks wants you to know they have your back. As Brad Smith @IntuitBrad, CEO of Intuit stated, “Winter is Coming” and the “loan wolf dies, but the pack survives”. QuickBooks, the apps, partners, team of developers, accountants, bookkeepers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners are your pack. We are your community! We have your back! We are your tribe! Did you miss out on #QBConnect 2017? Fear not! Check out Intuit’s Facebook Live broadcasts and at the QuickBooks Community webpage.