Philip Taylor started FinCon because he was tired of talking to his spouse about business ideas that didn't quite land. He needed someone to really riff off of, someone who understood the mission.

His first WordPress conference back in 2004 validated him as an entrepreneur in a way he didn't expect. The relationships he formed there? He still relies on some of them today. Philip gets real about walking into rooms where you don't know anyone and why that awkwardness might actually be the point.

Conferences aren't inexpensive when you factor in flights, hotels, and all the extras. But Philip sees them as an investment and shares practical ways to cut costs, but he also talks about something we don't discuss enough: the lifetime value of those connections. He still laughs about memories from conferences years ago. What value can you place on that kind of connection?

In this week’s episode, Philip makes a case for why being busy actually makes conferences more valuable. It's a forcing function that pulls you out of the grind and puts you in CEO mode for a few days. That reset helps you see your business differently.

If you think you're not far enough along yet, Philip has news for you. There are always people at conferences who don't have a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel yet. They're just there to soak it all up. Your job is to find those people.

This conversation covers territory that anyone considering their first conference needs to hear, from someone who's created one of the biggest conferences in our space.

Links & Resources:

• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group
• FinCon Expo (Use code kelsa50 for $50 off!)

Key Takeaways:

• Find your inner circle by choosing conferences where attendees share your mission because they're just as tired of talking to their spouse about ideas that don't land as you are.
• Volunteer at the event to bake in networking before the conference even starts. You'll meet speakers, organizers, and other volunteers while having a purpose beyond just attending.
• The lifetime value of one conference connection can pay for the entire trip. Philip still relies on relationships from his first WordPress conference in 2004.
• Too busy? That's exactly why you need the forcing function of a conference to pull you out of worker bee mode and into CEO mode for a few days.
• Google can't break down exactly how someone implemented their strategy, but the person sitting next to you at lunch can (and they might even pull up their laptop to show you).
• If you think you're not ready, find the other people who aren't ready either and form a mastermind together.
• Conference speakers update their slides last minute with cutting-edge information, so you're getting current strategies, not outdated online content.