Welcoming My Community to the B-Suite
SXSW is one of my all-time favorite events, and this year was no different from the 15+ years past I’ve been attending.
What I got into this year, as always, was a whole lot of networking. I tend to use events like SXSW as platforms to gain insights, advice, and tips from my network, which I can then share with my community to help them grow their businesses, and this year we’re taking that to the Nth degree.
As I announced on-stage at this year’s event, I’ve committed to shooting a new show called The B-Suite, where I hope to connect people for that very purpose: growing their small businesses.
Through my show, I’ll be asking people to share their tips and tricks for small business owners, but more importantly, I’ll be connecting people with them to help further spark that advancement and growth.
Here are some of the first individuals I’d like to introduce you to:
Mark Sternberg: Founder, Brand Innovators
Mark is a friend of mine and somebody I actually brought to SXSW this year, and when I asked him what his company, Brand Innovators, does, this is what he told me:
“We’re a community of about 15,000 brand marketers from coast to coast. We help accelerate digital transformation in the marketing and media industry — and the way we do it is we produce a lot of really cool events at places like SXSW, CES, Cannes, and during Advertising Week.”
I got a business tip from Mark as well: pay attention to Millennial media consumption. If you’re a brand looking to make an impact, it’s one thing to keep up with consumer behavior, but it’s a whole other thing to leap-frog or get out ahead of it. And how do you do that? By working with startups, paying attention to Millennials, and overall just thinking ahead.
Loic Le Meur: Founder, Leade.rs
Next, I’d like to introduce you to Loic Le Meur, a French entrepreneur who has invested in 60 startups, including LinkedIn, as an angel investor. Loic runs Leade.rs, the largest database of conference speakers in the world.
When I asked Loic what makes a good public speaker, he told me two things:
- Always be passionate and entertaining
- Connect with your audience
It’s important to be passionate in your delivery and to always consider your audience. Speaking isn’t about you, it’s about what the audience will learn from you and how they will be entertained or interested in what you say.
Ryan Harwood: CEO, PureWow & The Gallery
Last but not least, meet Ryan Harwood. Ryan is the founder and CEO of PureWow and CEO to The Gallery, a sister company to VaynerMedia. I asked him what advice he would give to people who aren’t quite where they want to be yet with their business and this is what he told me:
“There’s are no shortcuts, bottom line. You have to make sure that you’re working your tail off. If you try to find ways to cut corners it’s just not going to work. Karma’s a real thing. Be nice to everyone. Whether you think that person matters or not, it doesn’t matter. Be nice to everyone.”
Expanding on his second point, business is a long game. You don’t know who you’re going to see again or where. It’s just as important to respect those in your industry circle as it is to work hard every single day.
I hope you found the business tips here useful, but as I mentioned above, the point of the B-Suite is to connect you with amazing people who can help you grow your business. Every person mentioned above provided me their contact information, which you can find in the video below. And if you can’t find them, reach out to me directly by texting (646) 759–1837.
Watch the full episode of the B-Suite from SXSW here:
