August’s SOBCon chat guest is AJ Leon, and the chat will be moderated by Amber Cleveland, and it will feature a preview of what’s happening at SOBCon NorthWest, held September 16-18 in Portland, OR. You can register for SOBCon NorthWest at http://sobconnw2011.eventbrite.com/
About AJ:
AJ Leon is the CEO and Creative Director of The LaC Project and is a writer, blogger, and speaker.
AJ has worked with or trained over 100 organizations in the US and the UK concerning the landscape of digital asset development and deployment, the construction of user-centric web experiences, the use of new media and emerging technologies in developing authentic and human connections with fans, customers, donors and supporters.
The LaC Project is more than AJ’s company, it is his poetry. He believes that your business, especially now, needs to look less like a pie graph and more like a poem. There are poets in every field and every industry, and the new web gives us the opportunity to extend who we are into how we do business. And that is a special thing.
Stay tuned for the date and time of the August SOBCon chat.
Since I attended the very first gathering, SOBCon has always been about taking the time to think through the trajectory of both my business and my life. If I like the direction, how can I do even better, and if I don’t like the direction, what are my practical alternatives? Twice after coming back from Chicago, I’ve launched a business partnership. The first one eventually petered out, but I learned a lot from it and those lessons have continued to be helpful as I run the second business, Tourism Currents with Becky McCray.
This was my first SOBCon and I didn’t know what to expect. I went in with an open mind looking to meet great people and many of my virtual mentors in real life. The event exceeded my wildest expectations. It seemed like Liz and Terry screened for amazing people although the event was open to the public. Egos were checked at the door and the vibration was one of engagement and connection. I was surprised by the depth of the relationships that could be formed in a few days. I have never experienced this kind of energy at a live event. Fantastic.
“SOBCon was much more than I could ever have begun to imagine expecting, it was truly transformational! The joy of being able to collaborate and brainstorm with talented and passionate peers, the ability to take a step back, pull my self out of my day to day race (phone calls, meetings, clients to please, presentations to put together, investors to woo) and really think about myself, my business, my purpose, the mark I serve to make in the world, was immeasurably valuable.
Building a business is about building a brand and connecting with people. With today’s extensive social technologies, the barrier to entry is reduced to a proper understanding and knowledge of how to leverage these tools. 