Sometimes you find yourself daydreaming when you’re at work because you’d rather be doing something else. You feel guilty (or at least afraid you’re going to get caught) because you know you’re supposed to be working. Sometimes you have that “I Don’t Wanna Go to Work” song running through your head in a loop.
I’m not going to give you advice on how to focus better. I’m going to tell you how to Continue reading Why You Should Start Your Own Side Business in 2018 – No Matter How Small
It’s the last week of the year. When you’re not busy arguing with your manager about whether anyone you need to reach is going to answer the phone, it’s a good time to take stock in what you’ve built in 2017 and how you’re going to make 2018 even better.
I wrote Producing Success: A Career Guide for Conference Producer in the spirit of initiative and self-driven career development. You can make anything out of your conference career if you’re resourceful – and the 21st century is full of resources for anyone with a little ambition. Continue reading Conference Producers: What Are Your Career Resolutions for 2018?
One of the most valuable skills a producer can bring to the table is the ability to maintain editorial integrity while helping sponsorship managers bring in revenue. Sometimes, standing firm on editorial considerations may cause tension between you and your sponsorship team. You may have felt things get tense when your sponsorship manager advocates for a client who envisions a straight forward sales pitch rather than a more integrative approach to demonstrating their industry expertise, or wants to speak on a topic that is outside of the scope of the event. Your job is to work with these sponsors and help them Continue reading How Well Do You Work With Your Sponsorship Sales Team?
My heart was racing, because I had just made a fool of myself. On purpose.
I had just performed on an open mic comedy stage at a local bar. Some time during the last century, an alter ego of mine used to sing silly, provocative songs at places like this. I don’t even remember why I stopped, but here I was two children, a mortgage, and a daily commute later, when I became aware that the Mt. Kisco Tavern was hosting this mic less than a mile from my house. In my head, I hadn’t stepped in front of a microphone in 15 years, but based on the location, this may well have been a sign from God.
I led with my signature song, “I Don’t Wanna Go to Work” As usual, half the audience glared at me until Continue reading What Unique Skills do You Bring to the Table as a Conference Producer?
Most people will never get a chance to host a television talk show, much less lay claim to inventing the genre. But if you’re in a field that has a healthy conference circuit, you may one day be called upon to moderate a panel at an industry event.
If you want to make the most of your moderator role, I suggest that you take a lesson or two from talk show pioneer Joe Franklin, who died this week after a uniquely impactful broadcasting career.
Joe Franklin was brilliant. I interviewed him twice for Continue reading Moderating a Conference Panel? Take Advice from Joe Franklin
Upon finishing the 19th Global Indexing & ETF Conference in Scottsdale Arizona, I decided to hike up the majestic Camelback Mountain that loomed in the background outside of the conference room window.
This was a rather challenging hike, and during the trek, I had several valuable life lessons reinforced. I hope you’ve heard these before, but a quick reminder never hurts.
1. Only Rely on People Who Have Skin in the Game
About a quarter of the way up the Echo Canyon Trail, there is a Continue reading Five Lessons I Learned Climbing Camelback Mountain