Learning and connecting is something that has been a part of my life for awhile. I think back on the many seminars and workshops I’ve been to in the past. It was always the connections I made with the learning secondary. Each gave me a certain perspective about meaning.

Even as a speaker at events, being able to meet my audience was amazing. Each person was unique with their own gifts and perspective. I think I learned from them as much as they learned from me.

Whenever I get that chance, I will grab an opportunity to speak or just attend an event. So, when the opportunity came this year, I decided to apply as a speaker to the #140Conf in Los Angeles. I remember years back when my good friend, Dr. Lori Shemek, was invited to speak at the #140Conf in NYC back in 2013. It was great because I was able to watch it live streaming through YouTube.

Each speaker is limited to 10 minutes and each panel to 15 minutes. As a speaker, I can tell you that speaking for only 10 minutes is hard to do. And for those that are able to do it, they certainly are able to distill their wisdom into the bare essence. The #140Conf started out with a focus on business and has expanded to include stories and discoveries in one’s personal lives as well.

What is the #140Conf?

Jeff Pulver (who co-founded Vonage, Free World Dialup and the app Zula) started the #140Conf Events back in 2009 and according to Debra Eckerling, “These conferences provide a platform for people to listen, connect, share, and engage with each other, while collectively exploring the effects of the real-time web on business and in their personal lives. While the name #140conf comes from the 140 characters in a tweet, social media has evolved so much since then, as have the conferences.”

It’s exciting to be a part of the #140Conf in Los Angeles on November 14, 2016. As of right now I will be there as a back-up speaker and hosting a table topic. If given the chance to be on stage, I will certainly give it my best. Gotta “WOW the Crowd” as my new friend and former #140Conf speaker, Lynn Rose, is a master at.

All I know is that only a few speakers are coming from the local area. Most are coming from other states and countries. From my understanding we’ll see speakers from Canada, England and Israel. This will be so freaking cool!

Get your learning on and create connections

Wherever you’re at, find a local event to attend. Heck, even a Meetup would be a great alternative. If you want to travel a bit, find a conference to go to or a seminar to attend. It’s all about expanding your horizons. Once you go, you’ll never come back the same. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. once stated, “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”

I’ve added a couple of links below regarding the #140Conf and in particular, the one in Los Angeles. If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area, give yourself an investment of amazing learning, connections and experiences.

https://www.facebook.com/140conf

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-2016-140conf-tickets-27277711369