Recently I had the chance to catch up with clarity therapist Steve Woodruff to find out why he keeps coming back to SOBCon. Steve offers some great insights into why you should come to SOBCon Chicago, now just a few short weeks away, and he reminded me I need to mix it up a little more at this SOBCon. 

Phil Gerbyshak: Who are you – and what is your business focus?

Steve Woodruff: My mission is to help individuals and businesses discover their “fit” in the marketplace. I do this through a process I call Clarity Therapy, whereby we dig deep to uncover the client’s professional DNA and purpose, and then craft a go-to-market strategy and message around that. I also seek to make beneficial connections to help clients find optimal customers and resources. I believe in the Collaborative far more than the Corporation.

PG: When did you attend your first SOBCon – why did you sign up – and what did you expect to get out of it?

SW: I attended my first SOBCon in 2010, after Liz Strauss and Terry Starbucker double-teamed me and insisted that I come. They must have sensed that there would be a lot of common ground, and they were right. While I expected to make new friends, I was pleasantly surprised at the deep network relationships that arose out of SOBCon, which continue to this day.

PG: Did you get what you expected (or more or less or just different) from your first SOBCon?

SW: I’ve been to many conferences over the years, and what I appreciated immediately about my first hours at SOBCon was the obvious sense of trust and friendliness in the room. The in-depth conversations with people in small groups, and one-on-one, were unmatched by any prior conference experience. The small size of the group helped facilitate richer interactions.

PG: How many additional SOBCon events have you been to?

SW: I’ve been to every Chicago event since, so 2013 will be my fourth. It’s like a homecoming in some ways, but always with some great new people to meet.

PG: What keeps you coming back for more SOBCon?

SW: I love the people that come to SOBCon. As a solopreneur, the people I meet through SOBCon have become some of the most valuable people in my network. Many are now great friends. SOBCon is an annual energy boost and idea-generator.

PG: What has been the biggest impact on your business because of SOBCon?

SW: As I began to launch my Clarity Therapy business, a core of people I met through SOBCon have been a huge encouragement and a great sounding board. They’re a great source of perspective, creative energy, and referrals. My SOBCon colleagues are my built-in QA department for new ideas!

PG: What advice would you give someone thinking of attending SOBCon for the first time?

SW: Open your heart as well as your mind. Egos are checked the door, and you never know what new directions you may take after interacting with a smart bunch of pay-it-forward peers.

PG: What advice would you give someone thinking of attending SOBCon for a second (or more) time?

SW: Move to a different table each day. Be sure you “mastermind” with a variety of folks, especially new attendees who are there for the first time.

PG: Anything else you’d like to share about the event or anything else to share?

SW: SOBCon is a great mix of introverts and extroverts. Some conferences can feel very intimidating for those of a “quieter” nature. SOBCon is a wonderful environment for those who value substance over noise.

To learn more about Steve, visit his website at http://stevewoodruff.com or to learn more about his clarity therapy, he came up with this awesome 60 second Clarity Therapy piece that will clear it all up for you.

And what are you waiting for? Sign up for the 10th SOBCon today!

You’ve seen the expert guests on television, in publications and online. And you’re thinking to yourself, How did they get that nice exposure? Well, it wasn’t magic and these folks weren’t “discovered.” Rather, they took specific steps to get the attention of media outlets that could help spread their message to relevant markets.

We’re so lucky to have PR & media superstar Jill Salzman, speaker, author and founder of FoundingMoms.com as guest host for our March 2013 Sobcon chat on Thursday, March, 21. We’ll be discussing these questions about working with the media:

• What are first steps to developing a PR plan for your business?
• What’s the best way to approach the media?
• Tips for working with bloggers?
• Any “don’ts” when dealing with the media?
• Should you have a press kit? If yes, what should it include?

More About Jill

Jill Salzman is currently growing her third entrepreneurial venture, The Founding Moms, the world’s first and only kid-friendly collective of monthly meetups for mom entrepreneurs.  A graduate of Brown University and law school, she started a music management firm and then launched a baby jewelry company before creating her current venture. Jill has been featured in national media outlets including People Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, Daily Candy Kids, NBC5 and WGN TV.  

She is the author of Found It: A Field Guide for Mom Entrepreneurs, a columnist for NBC Chicago, has been published in The New York Times and gave her very own TED talk on 11/11/11. In her spare time, Jill enjoys kloofing, baking, and erasing her daughters’ crayon artwork from the kitchen walls.

Join us Thursday, March 21, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Central Time for our Sobcon Twitter chat and get started on claiming your fame!

When many people think of attending a conference, they wonder what their return on investment will be for the time, energy and money they need to invest it takes to attend a conference and be fully present. While certainly we could list many reasons why you’ll get your money back and more, multiple time past attendee Steve Woodruff shares his thoughts about the Return on SOBCon in a much more interesting way than we could.

If you’re a high quality, collaborative, smart, pay-it-forward type of person, I’d encourage you to take a look at Steve’s post Return on SOBCon – and so would he. If you’re not one of those people, but you’d like to be, we’ll still welcome you to SOBCon. 🙂

Want to know who these people are? Check out this year’s SOBCon lineup.

Recently I had the opportunity to spend some time with Joe Hackman, to find out why he keeps coming back to SOBCon. Is it for his business – or for his personal life – or both?

Phil Gerbyshak: Let’s start with an easy one, so folks who don’t know can get to know you more. Who are you – and what is your business focus?

Joe Hackman: I’m Joe Hackman the youngest of six siblings, 3 boys and 3 girls. My most important work has been as the father of my now 7 year old son. In 1991 I dropped out of College to start a job that was not fulfilling and 5 years later quit that job to start one I love. In 1997 my company Managed Solutions began providing IT services to small businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’m now located in the East Bay Area in a Town called Danville. In the Bay Area it is easy to enjoy outdoor activities year around including hiking and mountain biking. As an Air Force brat born in Hawaii it would be very easy to go back to live there, tomorrow. You might catch me advocating personally online for Trust in Education, Asante Africa Foundation, Rotary, Pancreatic Cancer and other causes. For me the Pancreatic Cancer advocacy is very personal, having lost a parent to the disease in 2000. I am immensely grateful to people who work to inspire and help others.

PG: When did you attend your first SOBCon – why did you sign up – and what did you expect to get out of it? 

JH: My first SOBCON was Chicago 2011 and I have been to Portland and Chicago every year since. The background story was yet another “Liz Strauss story” nearly everyone at SOBCon has one.

PG: Did you get what you expected (or more or less or just different) from your first SOBCon?

JH: With no expectations and walked away inspired with many great new friends. Many of the things you experience at SOBCon will shape the way you look at your business as well as your personal life.

PG: How many additional SOBCon events have you been to?

JH: In addition to the first Chicago event in 2011 I went to one more in Chicago and 2 in Portland, 4 total.

PG: What keeps you coming back for more SOBCon?

JH: The opportunity to interact with brilliant, cool people that I know and make new friends that I haven’t met yet. I always feel like the time and money I invest in attending comes back to me many times in the form of ideas, opportunities and connections to a special group of people.

PG: What has been the biggest impact on your business because of SOBCon?

JH: There are actually two areas. One is the incredible network of people to connect with and the other is the valuable mental tools you gained to see business in a different light. Having always taken my business very personally, I now appreciate my customers more than ever. The quality of people I am working with today is simply incredible. SOBCon tends to instill a sense of being open to opportunity, you realize it is everywhere and it’s just a matter of being ready and willing to embrace it.

PG: What advice would you give someone thinking of attending SOBCon for the first time?

JH: Go! Be present, be open minded, participate and be amazed.

PG: What advice would you give someone thinking of attending SOBCon for a second (or more) time?

JH: Be prepared for new experiences; be sure to mix with old and new friends alike. Just realize that however great the people are that you know are, there are many more just like them you have yet to meet. Increase your chances of making those great connections by rotating tables and attending random events, Karaoke anyone?

PG: Anything else you’d like to share about the event or anything else?
JH: Just a few things:

1. Phil Gerbyshak is the king of hugs.
2. Elizabeth Marshall and Judy Martin are awesome at Karaoke.
3. Becky McCray is the first person I met at SOBcon.
4. Les McKeown thinks I am handsome.
5. I love Marc A. Pittman’s Bow-Tie thing.
6. AJ and Melissa Leon are role models for living.
7. Amber Cleveland will always have your back.
8. Dennis Charles and Susan Giurleo are great Masterminds.
9. Sean McGinnis is a jack of all trades and master of some.
10. Tim Sanders can transform your way of thinking in 15 minutes.
11. Connie Cermak and Connie Burke are great to hang out with.
12. Jeannie Walters has some amazing friends.

One could go on all day with random gems of a SOBCon experience… this is what I referred to regarding the quality of connections. Like many things, you have to experience it to fully understand.

Thank you Joe! Passionate awesome stuff!

So – Are you on the fence about attending SOBCon 2013? Hopefully Joe’s story offers you some insights into how you could benefit by attending this event. I hope to see you there – and I’ll definitely give you a hug – if you’re into that sort of thing. 🙂

So what are you waiting for? Go get your ticket to SOBCon, so you can have SOBCon memories too!!