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What Makes SOBCon a Unique Experience

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For a few weeks we’ve been sharing all the reasons why you should be in Chicago in the room May 3-5.

  • Fantastic speakers that keep you out of the hallways and in the room
  • Opportunities to sit and talk one-on-one with industry leaders
  • The potential to shake up your life (and your business) for the better in only two days

If you haven’t been to SOBCon before, you might wonder what this experience is actually like. So co-founder Terry “Starbucker” St. Marie sat down to share why SOBCon needs to be on your calendar. (Click here if you can’t see the above video.)

If you’re still sitting on the fence, isn’t it getting a bit uncomfortable? It’s time to end the suspense and commit. Commit to doing something instead of just thinking about it. Sign up for SOBCon today and finalize your plans to join Liz, Terry, and all the other people who’re going to help change your life.

The English Language Doesn’t Have a Word for It

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Dear Friends,
Friends seems like such a small word as I sit here — tears of gratitude in my eyes.

It’s 8 days after I left my home to check in at the Hotel 71, where — caught in weird math glitch going on my head about the event account and hotel bills — I actually heard the words “It’s okay. I AM the event,” drop out of my mouth.

I am anything but the event. I simply am the person who sets up the dominoes.

You, who come with your open minds and open hearts, you are the destination and the event. You who have been there more than once know that … at the nuance of setting up dominoes and blending colors I’m fairly good, getting better every year.

But also that …

for every nuance that I pick up from the air, from your eyes, and from the timbre of your words, I always will be woefully inept at seeing the obvious while I’m living it. It’s just not my gift.

And those of you who can see the obvious, don’t for a second think it’s not a gift, because those of us who can’t, know it is.

For every nail we hammered into every board we set as we raised the barn that was SOBCon this year, I know many friendships were forged between the splinters and between the cracks in my voice. I know it was you who did that.

Terry and I did what we could to make an environment, but you were the experience.

People say lives were changed by what happened in that room, over that weekend. Ours were too. We can’t take credit for that.

I know what I bring.
Terry knows what he brings too.
Do you know which parts were you?

With all of my head, all of my heart, and all of the meaning lives in my fingers and my feet, I’d like to thank every one of you who showed up to give and receive — attendees, presenters, sponsors, volunteers, family, and friends — those who watched on the stream — and that Starbucker guy who can’t seem to remember his own name.

My gratitude for what I learn from you is so deep.
The English language doesn’t have a word for it.

You already have changed the world.

Thank you.
Liz

The Story Behind the Story….of SOBCon

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Today’s guest post is from Terry Starbucker

Terry Starbucker is a service company executive and a founder of SOBCon who writes about leadership, personal development, and social media in his blog, Ramblings From a Glass Half Full. He also shares his love of music and learning on Twitter as @starbucker

Let me tell you a story…

In May 2007, there was a gathering at a Chicago hotel.

75 people hung out together for a weekend, and talked about their craft, their passions, and their lives.

It turned out to be magical. Trust was high. Candor was abundant. Egos were checked at the door. There was a depth to the dialogue that prompted many to declare how “life changing” it was.

There were no barriers to learning. And it was good.

One year later, it happened again. The magic returned, this time for over 100 people in a downtown place that welcomed them with hospitality and great food. More lives were changed for the better.

Could it happen a third time? Yes. In May of 2009, 125 people felt it too.

The magic.

Where did this come from? Who was capable of conjuring up the ingredients of this potent mixture of trust, humility, and candor?

It had to be someone who lives and breathes these qualities. Who deeply believes in the basic generosity of the human spirit.

That’s where the magic comes from—that belief.

When that person entered the room at those three gatherings in Chicago, something wonderful happened. This person was the catalyst of a powerful enabling force that unlocked that same generous spirit from everyone there.

That’s really the “story behind the story” of this gathering we call SOBCon—the person who made it happen.

That person is Liz Strauss.

Without her these gatherings would not have taken place. No magic, no learning, and no life-altering experiences.

Liz Strauss IS SOBCon.

And she will once again be in a downtown Chicago room (yep, the one with the great food) with 150 people from April 30-May 2, 2010, nurturing and enabling this “think tank with a heart.”

The theme: “Virtual meets the concrete.” 2½ days of strategies and tactics focused on merging your online and offline worlds into a successful business.

Will you be there? Are you willing to learn from 150 “fearless sharers,” and will you share your experiences and wisdom as well?

Are you ready for the magic??

If you are, go to our registration site right now, and get in the room. (Don’t miss the video in the Event Details)

If you are not, and perhaps need a bit more information, or convincing, or both, check out the links I shared up above, and read as many of the recaps as you can. Or, just read Liz’s recap of SOBCon09, or my thoughts on why SOBCon matters to me.

Oh, and as a little added incentive, we’ll knock off $200 from the registration cost if you sign up before December 16.

C’mon, be a part of these ongoing stories, and join us in Chicago for SOBCon2010!

Thanks.

(And get well partner—much love to the magic maker!)

10:00 – Terry Starbucker on Pitching Social Media to Clients — 5 Key Questions for Potential Clients

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The theme of SOBCon09 is the ROI of Relationships. Relationships with customers, employees, colleagues, coworkers, builders, contractors, developers, and CUSTOMERS — in the form of readers, buyers, clients, and others — are the success of any business.

How do we form the best relationships; bring our best to them; build environments that nurture them; and measure our success?

Join the Comment Box Conference. Ask questions. Discuss answers. Meet people in the comment box. Find out.

Terry Starbucker

Terry Starbucker is a service company executive who knows more than the average bear about leaderships and the social web. In his own words,

“I believe in the incredible potential of the human spirit, the vast underappreciated beauty of the earth, my wife’s smile and the love that radiates from it, long hugs and soft kisses, weddings and butterflies, honesty and courage, incurable optimism, the men and women in the arena, movies that make me laugh and cry at the human condition, the Green Bay Packers, downward dogs, a fine hot grande latte, the warmness of friendship, the spirit of SOBCon, vanilla ice cream, Elton & Bernie, the Grand Tetons, common courtesy, melodies I can’t get out of my head, amazing grace, Mom & Dad & my two sisters, servant leadership, government above hypocrisy, the daily grind, deep cleansing breaths, the power of dreams, the incredible wisdom of my grandmother, E=MC², and God and the Golden Rule.”

Terry’s focus today is …

Pitching Social Media to Clients — 5 Key Questions for Potential Clients

  • Are you ready to have public conversations?
  • How pervasive are your Social Media users in your customer base?
  • What is your sensitivity to negativity?
  • How are your current “conversational” avenues working?
  • Do you understand the medium and how to speak in it?

What other social media “pitching” questions do you have?

Terry Starbucker is an operations executive for a service company who lives in Connecticut, loves business trips to the Rocky Mountain west, is a founder of SOBCon, and posts his musings and observations about “the optimistic side of the daily grind” in Ramblings from a Glass Half Full.
Follow @starbucker at Twitter.

Make a Date for SOBCon08!

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Hi everyone, Terry Starbucker here. I’m one of the founders of SOBCon, and served as the MC at last year’s conference.

SOBCon07 was a wonderful event that will always have a warm place in my heart, because of the great spirit of friendship, generosity, and shared learning that was in that room for the entire day.

Check out the SOBCon07 page for pictures, and just a few of the comments and posts from attendees.

The common response we got in the aftermath of such a great experience was “when can we do it again?”

I’m quite happy to tell you that we WILL do it again, in Chicago, with the theme “Biz School for Bloggers”, on these dates;

May 2-4, 2008

Mark your calendars NOW and watch this space for an announcement of the meeting place and registration details.

We have an awesome program planned – check out the “program” page for more details.

Yours truly will be the MC, yes, Christine Kane will once again perform, and perhaps even a “bloggy dance” will take place. Maybe 🙂

Since space will be limited to 250, I’d also strongly suggest that you get on our priority registration notification list by going to the contact page and filling out the form – that way you’ll be sure not to miss the chance to be a part of this special event.

We’re also going to have a really cool Sunday session called “SpeedSpeaking” – do you think you can “pitch” 20 slides in 5 minutes? Drop us a note if you’d like to be considered for that session

One more thing – if you have any interest in being one of our valued sponsors, please go to the contact page and drop us a note; we’d be happy to send you our sponsorship package. I think you’ll find a package for just about any budget that would bring great value to your business.

See you in Chicago!

Starbucker’s Meme

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What Can I Do? He Danced!

When I’m a speaker at an event and the emcee asks me to do something for him, I naturally give him my attention. When he’s the Terry Starbucker co-founder of SOBCon, one of two guys who handled so many things through the event planning and details, I make sure that my attention is unwavering.

Ah but, when you know that Terry is the famous half-fuller, the guy who danced and sang at the conference, ah then, ah then, that’s an even bigger story. Then, dear readers, attention is too small a word. When the half-fuller guy comes calling to say “Liz, how full is your glass?” I have no other option, but to tell him and to answer to the best of my abilities.

handpainted champagne flute

These are the questions Terry Starbucker asked me.

What’s in Your Glass (The Starbucker Meme)?

  1. How full is your glass?

    2. My glass is completely full. There’s no question about that.

  2. What kind of glass is it?

    3. It’s a hand-painted French champagne flute, lovely and light to the hand.

  3. What’s in the glass?

    4. A nice, sparkly French champagne I enjoy on occasion.

  4. Reasons for #1, #2, and #3

    5. All of the above go together so I’ll do my reasons this way. Champagine is light and effervescent, celebratory. It’s a drink of positivity. It’s about hope, new beginnings and I’ve got a new beginning I’ll be announcing soon. When I reached a certain age, my father once said to me, “You can drink all that you like, but don’t get drunk.” He followed that with a smile and said, “Do you know what that means? That means you can’t drink all that you like.” Then he smiled again.

I smiled so sweetly right back at him, and gave this reply, “Aw, Daddy, I thought for sure you meant just drink something incredibily expensive so that I don’t have the money to get drunk.”

Some other who might like a chance to take a creative drink. David, Wendy, Nick, and Billy. Don’t forget to link back to that half-fuller man. 🙂

–ME “Liz” Strauss