Last Monday we hosted our second The B.A.B.E. Collective conference this year. For those of you that couldn’t attend I will share with you what I shared with our guests about how this all happened.
Hosting a conference was something on my long list. I was thinking maybe five years into running this business we could look at having a conference. But then one of the larger beauty shows decided they would no longer come to our area. It was disappointing for sure. A couple months after I knew this information, it was November and I started getting a nudge to host a conference. I thought this is crazy- I am not ready for that.
I pushed the nudge and got through the holidays. In the new year the nudge presented itself again. In January I decided to connect with some people I know to see if they would be interested in attending or sponsoring the event. Fast forward a couple months later we had our first conference in May. The response was great! People were so grateful, and it was uplifting for everyone to be connected with each other.
Having so many requests for another conference since they couldn’t attend, I opted to do a second one in late August. It was even better. We took the feedback provided in May and applied the minor adjustments. The feedback has been even better, and we feel the impact we have made.
While that was a slightly long story short, my point is you can do what you want to do if you try. Had I ever hosted an event like this? NO- besides my wedding which is not exactly the same. Had I been to conferences before? Yes. Was I scared it would flop? Of course! Was it perfect the first time? No, but it was still a great event, appreciated by many and well received.
As we are starting the month of September, with the year zooming on by, it can feel like you don’t have time for your goals. But you do have time. Can I remind you that I organized and hosted that conference in 3.5 months? All while I was seeing clients and running this company. That is less time than from this moment until 2024. I share that story not for you to feel down about your progress, but to see what is possible.
Whatever your goal is – personal, professional or both – get out of your own way, quit listening to the negative thoughts in your head, make it a priority and keep taking the small steps forward. Present over perfect. You got this!
