A Letter to the Community

Dear Friends & Community,
This is coming to you in the wake of the news that there will not be a SOBCon this year.

It contains a suggestion for you to consider. We invite you to support it.

We were shocked, disappointed, and confused. We were concerned and understanding. Above all, we were thinking about Liz Strauss and wishing her all our love.

This meant it mattered to us. We also felt sure we weren’t the only ones feeling the blow. We reached out to each other and started sharing our feelings, thoughts, wishes — and eventually our plans.
That’s why we are contacting you here.

We want to do something — turn this experience to good use.
With the memory, experience, and results of what SOBCon meant to so many people, we have the ability to construct a new way forward. But we must be realistic. We are not talking about a replica or repetition of SOBCon. That would be impossible and not desirable.

It’s time for a fresh start — inspired by the past, building on the amazingly positive history.
We want to grow something that doesn’t yet have a name. We don’t even feel we have the authority to name it. But we do have the blessing of Liz Strauss – and that’s enough for us to go for it.

Will you join us in Chicago on June 27–29?
Can we attract you to an event that’ll be a mixture of work, fun, and adventure into the unknown?
It’ll be a one-off. There will never be another experience like this. We are strong enough to build on from SOBCon.

The core purpose…
is to work together for each other’s business — in a spirit of group-supported self-development. The purpose is to give each and every person phenomenal support, unmatched by the sort of support you get at any conventional conference.

There might be a better way of putting this. But, be sure of one thing please: we have the ability and will to achieve a life-changing result for each other.

In the longer run…
we don’t know where this will go. That’ll be part of the work we’ll do together in the room — in the bars and walks too.

There are many details and questions to be addressed.
Right now, all that matters is that you know something is going to happen.
Don’t worry about logistics. They’ll be sorted and communicated in good time.
Don’t worry about cost — this will be affordable (promise).

We’ve booked a place for 20 people: it’ll be close-knit. (If more of you want to be in the room, we’ll sort that out. There will be a waitlist.)

Be part of this please.
This is completely different from what you expected to happen. That’s life.

This is our life.

Say you’ll join us in Chicago on June 27–29 by contacting Jane Boyd whatever way suits you (by April 22).

— Jane Boyd, Paul O’Mahony, and Eric T. Strauss