MiniTrends Conference: “Go for the booty and discover new, uncharted lands”*

I was honored to participate in this year’s MiniTrends Conference, an exciting gathering based on exposing that sweet spot where new and established businesses can find the tools and directional choices to profit and inspire themselves and their employees.

Here’s a short video of my presentation on “Monitoring Your MiniTrends for Success” (hosted on a different site):

The message that making money does not require tossing out your social responsibility was uplifting and contagious. The conference attendees I met were especially eager to learn more about being successful while making a positive difference.

We heard excellent keynotes by Jani Byrne, Gary Hoover and Dr. John Vanston that provided the structure of the conference.

A total of 17 speakers presented and all of their slides can be found at http://minitrends.com/minitrends-2013-slides/
Carrie Vanston, MiniTrends Conference Director, was her usual self: a powerhouse of preparedness and always carrying a smile.

As for me, I was pleased to be invited to be the moderator for Expert Panel Two: “Taking the Plunge: What you can learn from those who have initiated successful, value-driven businesses.”

The enthusiastic panelists were all knowledgeable and spoke from strong entrepreneurial backgrounds.

• Andre Angel, Co-founder/CEO at TangoTab; Co-Founder/Chairman, WorkMeter; Co-founder, Servoyant, LLC; Co-Founder/Chairman, CODEKKO Software
• Jeffrey Fry, Principal, Help Find Care; Chief Executive, Profit Prophet; Director/CMO, MainGain; Board Member, baqpak; Executive Dir, Firefly Funds; Executive Dir, SHINE Night; President, SEDA RICO, LLC
• Christopher Justice, Chief Executive Officer at Sparksight, Inc.
• Stacy Zoern, CEO, Community Cars

They had great advice, but here are their key points:

• Trust your gut.
• Listen and change your course when needed.
• It’s not about YOU. Remove your ego.
• Fail often. Test and try.
• Be flexible.
• Choose your team wisely.
• Manage your stress, your health is important.

I can’t wait to continue the conversation at next year’s conference.

Steve Pearson, Lead Strategist and Founder of The Pearson Strategy Group, LLC.

*My favorite take-away was Jeffrey Fry’s adjustment to a Steve Jobs quote: “[Being an entrepreneur] is like being a pirate…go for the booty and discover new, uncharted lands.”

 

Picture, video, and logo credits: Technology Futures