Latest / The Strategic Pause / What's Your Approach To Conferences?
Transcript
- Jill Parish: Hello, welcome to the Strategic Pause. I'm Jill Parrish and this is my partner, Katrina Kennedy. We are actually live with multiple episodes now, so we're super excited about that. So we've had some good feedback from all of you who have been listening and we appreciate that and it's really fun to see you all interact with our inner workings, which is sometimes. Kind of scary that you all can see what's happening inside our brains or listen to it. So today we are going to talk about networking and conferences and our approach to both of them. And Katrina, you are leaving in just a day or two for a conference. Do you want to kick us off today? Katrina Kennedy: Absolutely, absolutely. I am headed to the Iowa Professional Development Day Conference ⁓ outside of Des Moines. ⁓ And I just got back from Training Magazine's conference in Orlando. Yeah, so ⁓ it definitely conference season in my world. And ⁓ I'm excited them. Different size groups, different geographic areas. ⁓ Jill Parish: ⁓ that's right. Yes. Mm-hmm. Katrina Kennedy: and both, both new conferences for me. So kind of exciting. Yeah. Yeah. Jill Parish: ⁓ okay, that's fun. And how did you ⁓ engage with these conferences? Katrina Kennedy: So the first conference, the training magazine conference was a proposal that I submitted, which is probably about 50 % of the conferences I go to are through proposals. And ⁓ they were delightful though. So they selected my proposal and then they asked me to do more, which I always love. Like if you're gonna fly across country, ⁓ Jill Parish: Yes Katrina Kennedy: I'd love to be able to do more than an hour's worth of work. ⁓ yeah, so I got, they do a test kitchen idea where you, they show an innovative idea in the expo. ⁓ So it's, you know, kind of got that crowded noise of the expo. Yeah, but it was tucked in a corner so it wasn't so loud and was super fun, super fun. did a little instructional origami for their test kitchen. Jill Parish: Yeah. Okay. Katrina Kennedy: And then the up. Jill Parish: Wait, hold on, what's a test kitchen? What does that mean? Katrina Kennedy: It's just a play on words. have chefs aprons and hats and let's cook up some innovation. So, yeah. Jill Parish: Okay, so like at the state fairs where the guys are selling the knives, is it like that kind of playing on like that kind of thing? Okay, okay. Did you have like a, did you have a countertop that you were working from? Katrina Kennedy: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, kind of. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ there was like a little one that was kind of behind me, but everybody's sitting at like round tables and there were high top tables. So kind of fun. Yeah. It was really fun. Really creative. I had not, I had not. Yeah. ⁓ Jill Parish: Okay. Okay. That's fun. Yeah. Had you ever done a test kitchen before? ⁓ so it was a first. Okay. Katrina Kennedy: So it's very different. Yeah, very much a first. I'm used to the kind of conference presentation where you, you you go find your room and you hope people show up and it may be, you the room may be cavernous and dark, or it may be like tiny and theater style. Like, you know, you kind of get what you get. ⁓ So that was a, it was a fun, fun spin on, on conferences. Jill Parish: Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yeah, that is fun. Okay. And then what is your Iowa conference? Which conference? What's happening there? Katrina Kennedy: Yeah. So that is a, a, a, a, a T D association of talent development chapter conference. And, ⁓ they call it the professional development day. And so I'm, I'm doing two things there because again, like you're going to have me at your conference. Jill Parish: Yeah. Yeah. Katrina Kennedy: use me, they reached out to me, ⁓ which is always nice. unlike many conferences, it is actually, I'm just going to say this, it is a paid gig. So yeah, yeah, absolutely. Because so many conferences, like I think, I don't know that everyone understands. Jill Parish: Yeah. ⁓ I love it. Don't be afraid. Say it out loud. I love it. Katrina Kennedy: that for a lot of professional conferences, you are giving your time and money and you you're paying your travel expenses, you're paying your hotel expenses, like it's you're covering all the cost to do that. ⁓ And so the Iowa Professional Development Day, they are Jill Parish: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Katrina Kennedy: covering my expenses and paying me for their closing keynote, which is super exciting. ⁓ It's a keynote that I've been working on over the last year. And it's all about taking everything that you learn during the conference and putting it in, reflecting on it, of course, and then putting it into a manageable commitment that you. Jill Parish: I love it. ⁓ of course, obviously, yeah. Katrina Kennedy: then get nudged and coached by me for 28 days after the conference. Yeah. Yeah. So. Jill Parish: Ooooo What a great idea because, you know, I've heard a rumor, unfounded, that some people go to conferences and then don't do anything with the information that they hear at the conferences. So it's a unfounded rumor, totally fake, I'm sure. But what a great way to help people not have that experience. Katrina Kennedy: Exactly, exactly. think that I've heard the rumor too. Jill Parish: Okay, okay, so it's out there. Katrina Kennedy: It's out there and it's a rumor and it's because we get so much great information during a conference. think people can sometimes be overwhelmed. And so where do you even begin? So this helps people to really consolidate what they've been exposed to and then really follow up so that the investment of time and money is worthwhile. Jill Parish: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I love it. had ⁓ one time I was talking to a client. This was just an offhand conversation. It was not actually about like real work and she, her role, she works for an office of education and she goes to a lot of conferences and she was telling me that sometimes when she goes to a session and she feels like there's really juicy, rich things that she can do with that information. then she will instead of going to the next session, she'll go back to her hotel room and she'll like spend the next hour or two planning on how she can use that. And that was almost like a, like a mind blown for me because as a rule follower, I would never do that. Like I would never do that, but I can see how she probably gets so much more out of that than me who has very much like. Okay, I'm supposed to be there at 8 15 and then 9 15 and then 10. Right. And so I thought that was an interesting approach and I'm, sure she gets more out of the conference because she takes that time. Katrina Kennedy: Right. Absolutely, absolutely. My friend ⁓ Lauren Waldman, ⁓ who bills herself as the learning pirate, ⁓ who does Jill Parish: Is there a whole theme? Like I'm in my head? Is that? Yes. Okay. Okay. I'm to have to go find her. Yeah. Katrina Kennedy: Absolutely. Whole theme. Absolutely. ⁓ So she is all about what our brains can take in and her whole pirate mission is. Jill Parish: Mmm. Katrina Kennedy: to make people aware of the neuroscience of learning. And conferences are actually really antithetical to how we learn. But we love to get together, right? Like people want to come together and there's energy and excitement in that. So taking that step away is, I think, really healthy and really you will remember more. Jill Parish: Right. Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Katrina Kennedy: The last couple of years have been my years of conferences, ⁓ coinciding with my book launch and just kind of moving how I'm doing business. And I have started skipping things. And we started this podcast talking about networking and conferences because the two go together so nicely. And so what I often do, Jill Parish: Mm-hmm. Interesting. Okay. Right. Katrina Kennedy: It kind of harkens back to college parties. Yeesh. Jill Parish: Please do connect the two for us all. We are all waiting. Okay, go. Katrina Kennedy: I sit in a hallway in a strategic spot usually by the restroom. Jill Parish: Okay. Katrina Kennedy: I'm like, okay, not like in a gross way. I know I said that out like when you like think about like I'm sitting by the restroom, like not right outside it, but like, you know, their general path. Jill Parish: You know, I'm not even gonna touch this. I'm just gonna let you go. So go ahead, carry on. Katrina Kennedy: You Yeah, don't touch anything in the bathroom. And then I just sit and now I'm not taking more information in so I like, you know, it's a little more relaxing, a little quieter, and then let people come to me. And because it's on the path somewhere... Jill Parish: Yeah. Katrina Kennedy: I end up talking to a lot of people, both people I know and I don't know, and that becomes one of my favorite conference experiences. Those side conversations that just occur, that just kind of naturally occur as I'm skipping out on sessions. Jill Parish: Yeah. It's so interesting because I, as I mentioned, I'm a rule follower. am a rule follower. And so it is almost painful for me to be like, I'm not going to go to this next session. Like there is something physically uncomfortable about that for me. And I will say my whole career, I've essentially planned events and similar conferences. And so I always have this lens of like, I want to honor the time that the conference planner has put into this, but I get it on the, in the sense of like, if you're going to six breakouts and they're all have different topics, you're really probably not walking away with much unless you're super, super intentional about that. Katrina Kennedy: Right. And, and, and there's also just like a physical and cognitive exhaustion limit that we hit that, that I, that I feel like I've gotten better at balancing because especially like this week, you know, I just got back from a conference. I'm going to head out to another conference and in between that I'm doing client work. Like if I'm physically exhausted and mentally exhausted, I can't be present. Jill Parish: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Right, Yeah. Katrina Kennedy: for the work that I need to do. So I used to be early on in my conference going very much like you, like scheduled out. Now I don't even look at the schedule sometimes until like the day. I know, like who am I? Jill Parish: Mm-hmm. What? Oh my God, I'm breaking out in high. was just sitting here. So you will just go and see what happens. Katrina Kennedy: Yeah, well, and I think part of it is that my conference experience has really changed. ⁓ You know that I'm often going to the sessions of friends now at conferences to support them ⁓ or, you know, I'm preparing for my own thing. So a little time away is necessary to be ready. And the conference, the training magazine conference that I just went to that I will be going to again in twenty twenty seven. It was so good. ⁓ OK, OK, like. Jill Parish: Okay, I'm gonna come with you in 2027, okay? Okay. Katrina Kennedy: Let's count on it. It is, it's a Disney world. The location is perfect. Yeah. Yeah. so one of the things they did this year was, ⁓ called a brain date and they were wildly popular. It was essentially an app that anyone could schedule a Jill Parish: ⁓ it's always there. It's always at Disney World. OK, all right. OK. Katrina Kennedy: a brain date with, which was a session of four to five, I believe, people that got together in the brain date lounge to talk about anything they wanted to. So like you could get on the app and say, I want to talk about chocolate ice cream at two o'clock today. Jill Parish: ⁓ okay. And then people could opt into that. Katrina Kennedy: And people that people could opt into that and then they met at that location and it was it was so cool to see this other kind of unconferency conference thing happening during the conference and people then really getting smaller conversations, very focused conversations about topics that were of interest to them. Jill Parish: ⁓ I do like that. Yes. ⁓ Yeah. really like that, almost like a meetup, you know that meetup app that like, if you want to play volleyball, it's that idea, but for that conference, that's actually brilliant. Yeah. Katrina Kennedy: I thought so too. thought so too. And BrainDate is actually a company that provided it. So they did all the organization and they had like an initial BrainDate session before the conference really started, which was just a really cool way to meet people in like... Jill Parish: Okay. Okay. Katrina Kennedy: Just like meet people in a more genuine way. You know, as a presenter, I can meet people in my workshop and then be, and like after, but you know, there's 150 people in the room. It doesn't, you don't get that depth that you get with a small, with a small discussion. Jill Parish: Yes. Mm-hmm. ⁓ Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I really like that. ⁓ And I feel like that brings us back to what we were actually going to talk about, which was networking at these conferences, because I'm always super cognizant that I don't want people to think I'm selling them things when I'm going to the conference. that is not why I'm talking to people. When I talk to people, it's because I genuinely want to know what's in their brain, or I want to meet them, or I just think they're interesting. Katrina Kennedy: Yes. Right. Jill Parish: And I love that because it takes that away a little bit. Like, hey, we're all going to agree. We're going to talk on this. And why would you come if you weren't wanting to talk about that thing? Katrina Kennedy: Mm-hmm. Right, right, exactly, exactly. networking can be really weird at conferences. I've gone to dinners, arrange the meet up for dinner thing, and then realize it was a total sales pitch by someone who I was uncomfortable sitting at the table with. ⁓ But then I've also done those that were just like, you Jill Parish: Mm-hmm. Yes. Yes. Katrina Kennedy: participants that got together and we had a really nice time and everybody had someone to have dinner with. ⁓ So they can go lots of different directions. Jill Parish: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. When I ⁓ go to the Sacramento Metro Chamber events sometimes, and they have this one event called the study mission, which is essentially a group of Sacramento's go to some particular like city pre-identified. And as part of this, and so it's a little bit learning about the city. It's a little bit networking. It's a little bit conferencing. It's kind of all the things. I'm a big fan, but my favorite part. of that event is the first night they, you go to an assigned dinner and they divide the group into small groups and there's one table host and that person is responsible for making sure everybody knows kind of where to go and they give you, ⁓ you know, like chat topics sort of just in case the conversation's not flowing and they try to do it in a way that's like not people from the same organization. and there are groups of 10. And so you end up at a dinner table with nine people you don't know or you don't know very well or you've seen their names somewhere. And there's no like underlying secret, you know, thing you're supposed to do. It's just to get to know these people. And I love it because it takes the pressure off, right? There's no pressure to find out like, who am I gonna go to dinner with tonight? Or am I like the decisions made for you? And you're all in this same sort of Katrina Kennedy: right? Jill Parish: positioned together. Nobody's a thousand percent comfortable in that position. So you're kind of all experiencing the same thing. And I've really gotten to know some people that way. So this is, I'm relating this back to this brain date thing, which now I'm kind of fascinated by. Katrina Kennedy: Yeah. And I think they both have two really common threads that it's a limited number of people and a specific time and specific talking points or, know, specific subject anyway. And I think that those, you know, those kind of parameters make for the perfect gathering. ⁓ And you all know why you're there. I had a really interesting thing happen while I was in Orlando and ⁓ Jill Parish: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Katrina Kennedy: I'm gonna, I'm gonna seek this out from now on. On the, on one of the nights, a friend of mine and I had decided we were gonna plan a dinner and she was gonna bring two people and I was gonna bring two people. She didn't, I didn't know her too and she didn't know my too. And so that, so what is that? That I can do the math like six people, right? So just six people, right? So, so just six people. Jill Parish: Okay. Okay. Okay. I think it's six. Yeah, okay, six people, yeah. Katrina Kennedy: And, ⁓ you know, we made a reservation and I didn't plan this, but I'm going to from now on. The table was round and it was six of us. had, you know, there were connections just built in, but it ended up just being this lively, comfortable conversation around this round table. And then. Jill Parish: ⁓ yes. Yeah. Right, right. Katrina Kennedy: The next night I got invited to a dinner with another group and again it was six people. That was not planned. It just kind of worked out that way. Yeah. And again a round table. Jill Parish: Right, just happened. ⁓ which is I feel like not that common. So that's pretty impressive. Yeah. Okay. Katrina Kennedy: Yeah, and I will now, I am now making reservations for dinner. I'm to do the same kind of, you know, invite invited smaller, you know, six people person dinner. But I'm going to, I'm going to find the round tables because it made such a difference. I feel like I've been at dinners at conference dinners where kind of everybody gets invited and you end up at this really long table and you Jill Parish: Yeah, makes such a difference. Yup. Katrina Kennedy: You end up talking to like the three people around you. And that can be really delightful. It can also be really weird because like we're having this conversation and they're having that conversation. It's all it feels disjointed to me. So six people round tables. There's my networking advice. Jill Parish: Yup. Yup, exactly. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. Yes. I love that. And I have, I'm just thinking of that scenario. have Includer, it's high in my CliftonStrengths. Includer is big for me. I'm always trying to like include people. Sometimes it's not appropriate, but anyways. And so that those long tables, I feel so uncomfortable because by default you are leaving somebody out. And so I spend most of the time trying to like... turn my head and make sure you feel even though, you know, they're probably not paying attention at all, but it feels very uncomfortable in the sense of like, I don't want this person to feel left out and I want to give my attention to this person. the round tables. Katrina Kennedy: Yep. And you and I have two things in common here. We have mom, yeah, we have mom ears, right? And facilitator ears. So you hear everything and it's really hard. ⁓ Jill Parish: Yes! Yes! That is so true! Yes, I hear every conversation happening and it's so hard to stay focused in on whoever it is you're talking about. Mom ears and facilitator ears. Katrina, this could be another episode. I love it. That's our word. I was actually going to request, I was going to do a word request again. Katrina Kennedy: Yep. Yeah, I think we could call them mirrors. There we go! Jill Parish: because I want to create another word for networking. I have people tell me all the time they hate networking. And so I don't know why I end up spending a decent amount of time, my time trying to reframe networking for people, but I just really think it needs to, it needs a new life. It just needs, so maybe you could think about that. Katrina Kennedy: Right? Yeah, I don't want to network. Networking feels gross. I want to connect. And you know, the long table, that's networking. Round table, that's connecting. Jill Parish: Right. Yeah. Yes. Yes. That's networking. Yes. Small group that's connecting. Yeah. Yeah. And I think people that don't like networking, I'm guessing it's because when they picture networking, they picture the loud banquet room and you can barely hear the person in front of you. And there's three people over here. ⁓ Katrina Kennedy: Yeah. Jill Parish: and you see this person out of the corner of your eye and you think you should probably go say hi to that person, but you're still in front of here with this person. And that is exhausting. mean, and I consider myself an extrovert. I love people. I get energized by people and it exhausts me. So I can only imagine for people who would identify as introverts how triply exhausting that must be. Katrina Kennedy: Right? Absolutely. And I'm just going to say this. Jill Parish: Okay, I feel like I should get in close here. Okay, okay, okay. Katrina Kennedy: Yep, get in closer. I'm taking a deep breath. because I am really very, very tired of being at events called networking events where all I am doing is listening to someone go on and on and on about themselves. Ask a damn question. Jill Parish: Mmm. Yes. I love when you say cuss words. Yes. Yes. Katrina Kennedy: ⁓ if you only knew. I have the Katrina persona. Ask my son sometimes. Jill Parish: I totally agree. I don't like being the phones are not doing us any, any help in this. Cause there are a lot of people who go into those rooms and that's all they do is they spout out everything that they do and how amazing they are and how what they have you definitely want. And so maybe, maybe we just need to redefine networking. Cause in my opinion, that's not networking. That's like pontificating or something. ⁓ Katrina Kennedy: Right. Monologuing. Right. ⁓ Jill Parish: Yeah, totally agree. Model logging, soloing, right? Yes. Yes. All of those things. Yeah. But when you go to an event like that and you can actually connect with one or two people and you can laugh with them and find something in common with them, that energizes, right? That energizes. Katrina Kennedy: Absolutely. When you've really connected. When I can say like, oh Jill, you have three boys and you bought out your partners for Think Dev and this is what you're doing and, and, and, know, like, and now I know you. Or at least like what you want to reveal. and, and then maybe... Jill Parish: Yeah. Yeah. Katrina Kennedy: I understand from a business perspective what you might actually need. And then maybe we can have that conversation. I think too many people start with the like, here's what I've got to offer you. And you don't know me. Jill Parish: Right. Right. Yes. No, no, you don't know me, right? Let's just talk. Who are you? What's it? What is your name even? Right. Like, yeah, yeah. And there's a big difference between people. You can see them a mile away, right? Who are coming to talk to you for a reason versus like, I just want to get to know other people. Katrina Kennedy: Right! ⁓ Right, right, yeah. Jill Parish: ⁓ Do you have a lead off question? Like if you're meeting someone for the first time, like do you have a question that you feel like gets good responses? Katrina Kennedy: Right. Yeah, I think I have a couple of questions that could get good responses. You know, I like to ask like, what project are you working on right now that's exciting you? You know, I love, love, love, like when people come into my room for workshop, because, you know, you've got that awkward time. So this is, is related, but, not exactly. Like, I will just say like, what, what prompted you to come into this room right now? Jill Parish: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm, yeah, yeah, right. That's a good one. Mm-hmm. Katrina Kennedy: And now they've given me something. They've told me something. And they usually tell me a lot. ⁓ And then, you know, just like around the conference, I might say like, what have you enjoyed so far? You know, and that gives me a little little tidbit into who they are. ⁓ And then I think just listening and people will tell you what they want to talk about. Jill Parish: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. What prompted you to come in here? That's a good one. I'm speaking at a conference next week. I'm going to have to use that one because that is like, that's also new information. And it's a get to know you a little bit too, right? Katrina Kennedy: Absolutely. then when you're in- now I'm giving away secrets. Ugh! ⁓ Jill Parish: Yes, give all the secrets away, please. Thank you. I'm gonna need these. Hold on, let me write these down. Katrina Kennedy: So when you're in that session next week and you've said what prompted you to be here and people have told you and it usually like, it often sounds like, you know, I work for the VA and we're doing this, or I'm working in mental health and we're doing this. then in my, in, like the bulk of your workshop, you can say, you know, for those of you who work in mental health, this is how it's going to work for you. Or those of you who, you know, are, are in, are serving us. Jill Parish: Uh-huh. Right. Great, yeah. Katrina Kennedy: This is how I've seen it work. And so now we're grabbing attention, we're showing that we've actually heard what they've said, and we're creating a deeper connection because it's about connection. It's not about networking, it's about connection. Jill Parish: You're a genius. This is why people ask you to come to the conference. You've got it all figured out. That's really brilliant. You managed to make it personable for them in this room of other people and you've never met them. And that goes a long way. Katrina Kennedy: It just seems like the right thing to do, you know? We just... Yeah, like, people want to know they matter. And there's a whole lot of feeling like we don't. Jill Parish: That too. Yeah. I mean, there's, there's that too. Yeah. Yeah, in a lot of the rooms and a lot of the rooms we go in, we don't matter necessarily. So you're absolutely right. If you can make them feel like they matter in that room and they do matter to you, right? You really do care. It's I think they can see that as well. It's genuine. It's not it's not lip service from you. Katrina Kennedy: Right? Right. Right, it's not schmoozy. I don't want it to be. Jill Parish: It's not, it's not schmoozy. It's not schmoozy. I love when, you you said people will tell you what they want to talk about. I love when there's somebody who's a little bit more introverted or just a little quieter and they don't open up as, as easily. And so, but you're talking and then all of a sudden you, you hit that thing that they love and you can just watch them. Katrina Kennedy: Mm-hmm. Jill Parish: kind of bloom, that to me is just the best. And you can see in real life, like what excites them and what makes them tick. I think that's a lot of fun. I remember I was back when I used to work with doctors. I had this one doctor that I couldn't quite connect with. And finally, one day he mentioned he had his pilot's license. And I was like, oh, that's really cool. Like, tell me about that. How'd you get started with that? And if I had a camera and could Katrina Kennedy: Yeah. Yeah. Jill Parish: record his face before and his face after, it was like a different person. I mean, he just lit up. And from then on, that was the connection. And we were able to know each other on a little bit of a deeper level because of that. I think that's really fun. Katrina Kennedy: Yeah, that is cool. That's amazing. And you did the thing that we all need to do, that you listened and you grabbed the opportunity and you made an absolutely real connection. Jill Parish: Yeah, and he's probably still out there excited to talk about his plane though I haven't seen him in probably 10 years but I hope he still lights him up. Katrina Kennedy: Yeah, yeah, well, and and and he's going to think about you and that's going to be a good feeling. Yeah, yeah, that's so special. Jill Parish: in a different way. Yeah. I love that. Did we actually talk about networking or did we talk about conferences or a little of both maybe? Okay. Katrina Kennedy: think it was a little of both. I think it was a little both. I think we often like go down one path and like it leads somewhere else, which is what happens in it when you're trying to connect with people at conferences, right? Jill Parish: It's true. That is so true. That is so true. By the way, I had somebody tell me that she was, she's a friend of mine who lives in our podcast and she said they were leaving for a trip and she told her husband they needed to take a strategic pause before they walked out the door and make sure that they had gotten everything that they needed. And I was like, oh my gosh, I love that so much. So there you go. The strategic pause. works in many different scenarios right before you leave for a trip. I love it too. Katrina Kennedy: I love it. That is beautiful. That is beautiful. All right, well, where are you? What conference are you headed to next? Jill Parish: I am headed to Long Beach to do a talk on leading with influence for a Parks and Recreation Association. I'm partnering up with a friend at City of West Sacramento and we're going together. So I have a buddy, which seems like it's just 10 times more fun. So we're doing that one next week and then I've got a couple in May and you have a couple, you have one after Iowa? Katrina Kennedy: Absolutely. I do. My next one is actually the biggest one of the year, ATD 2026 in Los Angeles, where I will be doing a session on reflection and signing books. Yeah. Jill Parish: I'm shocked. Okay, we'll have to connect on that because I want to go to that one too. All right, friend. Well, I feel like we networked, we conferenced, and we did all the things and have the best of luck in Iowa at the end of this week. Katrina Kennedy: Thank you! Awesome, I look forward to it. And you have fun in Long Beach! Jill Parish: All right, see you later. Katrina Kennedy: Bye.