How 48 Hours Changed My Life
Every once in a great while in life you have an experience that is so transformative you need to take a step back to let it soak in and take the time to marvel you had the good fortune to have a quantum shift into another way of looking at the world.
That was my experience at Mike Kim’s Influence and Impact gathering in Teaneck, New Jersey in early August.
I’d like to share my journey and key takeaways with the hope they will provide new inspiration for you too.
Breaking Bread
On Saturday, before the event started, Mike hosted an intimate barbecue at his beautiful home. His wife, Iris, prepared a sumptuous feast and we all sat at his big wooden dining table, broke bread, told stories and cultivated new friendships. This was just the beginning.
The conference officially began the next evening with a dinner where we met the rest of the group. The food was delicious and the company divine. Many more new friendships were forged.
Thomas Lee introduces Theresa Morrow with Mark Slemons
Day 1
Mike kicked off Day One by inviting us all to get ready to learn and to drink from the fountain of knowledge with gusto.
He wanted us to walk away with three things. Belief that we have what it takes to succeed, Clarity about the one next thing we need to focus on to move forward and Connections with the right resources to ensure our success.
Rando Martins was in charge of all of the production for the event and he and his crew were on top of every detail and the event went off seamlessly.
Belief
When Mike invited me to present at the conference I was excited and honored for the opportunity and a bit intimidated about speaking in front of such an influential group.
Excitement won out and I presented Emmy Award Winning Secrets to Enhance your Image, Impressions and Influence - things I’ve learned about being on camera in 30 plus years in the television industry.
Key takeaway: Say Yes!! An engaged crowd cemented my belief that I have a message people need to hear.
Dr. Michael Hudson spoke after lunch, the toughest spot to carry, and he kept us on the edge of our seats with a high energy practicum on his 3-Step Framework for Discovering, Defining, and Delivering High Impact, High Income Consulting Engagements.
Bravo Michael! If you ever have a chance to see him speak, please, don’t miss it!
Key takeaway: Ask, Listen, Learn, Serve.
Jennifer McClure was up after Michael, and as expected, she was amazing. For those of you who don’t know her, she is a leadership success coach who speaks about high impact leadership, talent strategies, and the future of work.
She is also the co-founder of Disrupt HR, an information exchange designed to energize, inform and empower people in the HR field.
Her presentation How To Build Your Influence & Authority By Becoming A Paid Professional Speaker was a primer on how to make the leap from seat to stage.
Jennifer provided an exhaustive list of what you need to do to prepare and then succeed as a speaker. A goldmine of information.
Key takeaway: Do your homework and have a system. There’s always room to get better as a public speaker.
On a personal note, Jennifer is in Mike Kim’s Luminary Mastermind. I have rarely met someone who is so sincerely engaged in helping others. She has a sizable social media following and has generously helped everyone in our group by publicizing events and providing resources as we move forward on our path.
Day 2
The next morning Mike inspired again and challenged us to focus on the one thing that will move us forward in our business.
His mantras, “success is sequential, not simultaneous” and “clarity is a marriage of movement and mediation” were like a lightbulb turning on for me and many others in the room.
Clarity
Before Influence and Impact I had never had the privilege of hearing Kary Oberbrunner speak and was blown away. He taught us how to monetize your book in How To Turn Your Book Into 18 Streams of Income. Brilliant insights!
Key takeaway: a group of us did not think we had a book in us, now, we know we do.
Thank you Kary!
Jody Mayberry, marketing and leadership consultant and podcasting legend (Creating Disney Magic and the Jody Maberry Show) took us on a journey from paper to podcast with warmth and humility along with a generous helping of his midwestern humor. He shared considerable practical guidance with Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast: How to Multiply Your Influence Through Podcasting. Jody mentored me on how to start a podcast and I plan to start my own soon!
Key takeaway: Face fear today so you won’t have to face regrets tomorrow.
Graphic designer Jason Clement is the founder of of Red Letter Design. He closed out the magical 48 hours with a behind the scenes, in the sock drawer bevy of secrets on how to create a great logo, captivating websites and most importantly, what not to do too in his presentation Influence by Design. Jason hit it out of the park!
Key takeaway: There’s an intangible value to good design.
Connection
The entire event was an amazing opportunity to create lasting connections in a room full of luminaries (literally and figuratively). Mike’s Luminary Mastermind group was there as as well as leaders and influencers in their fields. Here are just a few of the people I got to spend time with during that magic and transformative 48 hours.
Dr. Ann Vertel, Jody Maberry, Jason Clement, Amy Robles, Eric Jones, Mark Slemons
Karen Gilbride Anderson, Dr. Ann Vertel, Val Brown, Susie Albert Miller
Mark Slemmons, Val Brown, Rick Marion, Brian Paul Buckley
With Kary Oberbrunner
Jennifer Brenton, Theresa Morrow, Mike Kim, Eric Peoples, Petr Dusil
with Lester Harris, Jeff Brown, Brian Dixon
with Jeff Brown, Mike Kim and Michael Hudson
I had the privilege of meeting and sharing a deep, candid, value rich conversation about leadership with Jeff Brown, inspiring dialogue with Kary Oberbrunner and learned about Servant Leadership from Kevin Monroe.
Kevin launched The Higher Purpose Podcast during Influence and Impact. I suggest you run, don’t walk to listen for sage insights to finding your higher purpose.
Run Toward Your Best Days, Not Away
Writing about this wonderful experience is more than me savoring this transformative event. It’s about experiencing the transcendence of the fears and doubts of being an entrepreneur. It’s about wondering whether we’re worthy or have something of value to share. And the answer is YES we do!
After attending Influence and Impact, I am more sure than ever that I’m on the right path and many people will benefit from the services I provide.
When Mike asked us, "who would miss out if I did not fulfill my potential" I realized it’s people like you who are working to discover your voice and deliver your message so your audience can benefit from the wisdom you have to share.
I left New Jersey with a belief in my movement, clarity about next steps I need to take to move my business forward and amazing resources and new friends to help me on my path to success.
Influence and Impact* had a profound impact on me and others in the room. I will be forever grateful to Mike Kim for inspiring me to run toward my best days, not away from them.
I’m sharing my highlights in hopes of inspiring you on your journey. What a powerful reminder that “my best days are still ahead of me" and I am renewed in running towards them.
What about you?
Who will miss out if your you don’t fulfill your potential? Will you join me in running towards your best days? Let’s run together.
If you would like a copy of my free expanded guide, How To Prepare for Your Next Photo Shoot click here.
*To hear more takeaways from Influence and Impact, check out Mike’s Brand U podcast and blog. A recording of the Influence and Impact to be available for purchase soon!
Val Brown is an Emmy award winning television producer, story and visual and personal brand consultant, coach, and speaker. She has been featured with Mike Kim on the Brand You Podcast, a show dedicated to helping you build a profitable and iconic personal brand and the Jody Maberry Show focusing on helping you Market, Mobilize, and Master your message. She consults and coaches business professionals and rising entrepreneurs looking to up their game and increase their confidence on how to use their story to support their brand in video and photos.
You can connect with Val here:
Twitter: twitter.com/val.brown08
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valbrownvisualbridgeco...
Email: Val@visualbridgecomm.com
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