I don’t go to a lot of conferences or summits, but recently, I attended the first ever Impact Summit in downtown Salt Lake City.
I went to the Impact Summit for three reasons.
Those reasons can be used as a prototype for how to get ahead in this life, and specifically, how to get others to support your cause.
Why I Went To The Impact Summit
So here’s the first reason why I attended:
Reason 1
I saw a conversation taking place on Linkedin and it intrigued me.
That conversation was taking place between a guy named Josh Steimle and what seemed to be a pack of well-intentioned Linkedin wolves.
Josh posted a simple question on Linkedin asking for some feedback on whether anyone thought he should, or even could pull off hosting something he and his co-founders Julia Deaver and Rob Duffin were calling the “Impact Summit” in the short span of about 3 months.
The comments, at least the ones I saw, were almost all calculated to convince Josh that even the very thought of doing such a thing was too audacious and maybe even idiotic.
People told him he was going to lose his shirt, and that no one will come.
That it wasn’t enough time.
That it can’t be done.
That he would fail.
I watched him politely listen, and then quietly push forward.
He took the criticism and the advice, but nonetheless, was committed to making the impossible, possible.
Josh kept leaking little reminders to his Linkedin network, engaging his own network to get feedback on how to sell tickets, fill seats, and make it a success.
It appeared that he was moving forward with faith, and that he and his team were doing everything in their power to make it happen.
By the time I got done reading all of the comments on some of his posts about the Impact Summit, I just wanted to help.
So reason number one is this:
You can’t help but want to support someone who displays passion and confidence in their cause especially in the face of extreme opposition.
My second reason for attending the Impact Summit is directly linked with the first reason.
View this post on Instagram
That second reason is this:
Reason 2
You see, Josh helped me in the past. He didn’t ask for anything in return. I reached out to him a couple years ago to ask if he’d be willing to try our team and task management software, Yalla.
Josh took a great deal of time to give me feedback and even pulled in members of his team to beat it up, test it out, and give us feedback.
At the time, Yalla sucked. It actually still kind of sucks because we don’t have our mobile app finished.
But that’s not the point. The point is that Josh was willing to take time to invest in me without asking for anything in return.
Life is like a bank. People are like banks. The more deposits you make in the present, the more withdrawals you’ll be able to make in the future when you need it most. It holds true in every aspect of your life. Your spouse, your kids, your employees, your boss, your clients, and perfect strangers you might meet along the way.
If you haven’t made deposits, or invested in others… then you’ll never accumulate any goodwill or social capital.
As the great Phillip Brooks once said, “How carefully most men and women creep into nameless graves, while now and again one or two forget themselves into immortality.”
The key to success, impact, and influence is found within the principle of forgetting yourself.
Help others, and if you do that consistently, you’re going to have a lot of people wanting to help you.
Reasons one and two were enough to make me buy a VIP ticket.
I don’t think I’m a VIP. Didn’t hang out in the VIP lounge. And didn’t really care if I sat close to the stage or not. But I wanted to support the cause because I wanted to support Josh and his team as well as the speakers the best I could.
And that leads me into my third and final reason.
That third reason is this:
Reason 3
I would have bought a ticket if for only the first two reasons. But, it didn’t hurt that there were some amazing speakers lined up throughout the day.
I noticed that this lineup of speakers were not just handpicked for their success in business, but more so because of the positive impact they have had on humanity.
One of my primary business goals is to help others create movements and causes. I’ve tried to utilize the knowledge I’ve gained about getting a message out to massive amounts of people in a way that can help others do good things with their messages of inspiration.
The people lined up to speak at the summit all had experience at doing just that.
I’m always trying to learn from others who have good hearts.
Good people.
With good causes.
What It Was Like When We Got There
So ultimately, I ended up getting two tickets. One for both my wife and myself.
We headed into Salt Lake City on a Saturday morning, parked in the underground garage and made our way to the Marriot conference center for an 8am start time.
The place was almost full. When I walked in, I thought to myself, “they pulled it off.”
Good breakfast, good vendors, and good vibes. A full house with the exception of a few seats up front.
I can’t really go through all of the speakers in this post, but I will just say that every last one of them were aligned to empower others to go and do good in the world.
It wasn’t “all about the money.” It felt like a cause, a mission, a way of living more so than anything else.
Sure the things being taught could apply to helping you grow your business. Sure they could be used to help you grow your influence or personal brand.
But the whole point of the conference in my mind was more about: “what are you going to do with your business and your influence to reach out, lift, and bless others who are in need of your help.”
Your specific set of skills can both make you money, but also bless humanity. The two are complementary and not mutually exclusive.
From the very beginning of the conference, there was a distinction made between “getting paid” with money and “getting paid” with the feeling you get from fulfilling your purpose in life. The rest of the conference solidified that point during almost every session.
What good is a lifetime of working and making money if you aren’t able or aren’t willing to do good with it?
What can I do to use my influence, my personal brand, and my business to make a positive impact on individuals, communities, and ultimately the world?
So why should you go next year?
Short answer:
Because if this was just the first annual summit, then I can’t imagine how much better it will be when they have an entire year instead of only three months to plan and execute on the second year.
To have a perfect blend of actionable business value and personal inspiration packed into one conference made it well worth the entry fee and the early start time.
Hope to see you next year.