How 48 Hours Changed My Life
Every once in a great while in life you have an experience that is so transformative you need to take a step back to let it soak in and take the time to marvel you had the good fortune to have a quantum shift into another way of looking at the world.
That was my experience at Mike Kim’s Influence and Impact gathering in Teaneck, New Jersey in early August.
I’d like to share my journey and key takeaways with the hope they will provide new inspiration for you too.
Breaking Bread
On Saturday, before the event started, Mike hosted an intimate barbecue at his beautiful home. His wife, Iris, prepared a sumptuous feast and we all sat at his big wooden dining table, broke bread, told stories and cultivated new friendships. This was just the beginning.
The conference officially began the next evening with a dinner where we met the rest of the group. The food was delicious and the company divine. Many more new friendships were forged.
Thomas Lee introduces Theresa Morrow with Mark Slemons
Day 1
Mike kicked off Day One by inviting us all to get ready to learn and to drink from the fountain of knowledge with gusto.
He wanted us to walk away with three things. Belief that we have what it takes to succeed, Clarity about the one next thing we need to focus on to move forward and Connections with the right resources to ensure our success.
Rando Martins was in charge of all of the production for the event and he and his crew were on top of every detail and the event went off seamlessly.
Belief
When Mike invited me to present at the conference I was excited and honored for the opportunity and a bit intimidated about speaking in front of such an influential group.
Excitement won out and I presented Emmy Award Winning Secrets to Enhance your Image, Impressions and Influence - things I’ve learned about being on camera in 30 plus years in the television industry.
Key takeaway: Say Yes!! An engaged crowd cemented my belief that I have a message people need to hear.
Dr. Michael Hudson spoke after lunch, the toughest spot to carry, and he kept us on the edge of our seats with a high energy practicum on his 3-Step Framework for Discovering, Defining, and Delivering High Impact, High Income Consulting Engagements.
Bravo Michael! If you ever have a chance to see him speak, please, don’t miss it!
Key takeaway: Ask, Listen, Learn, Serve.
Jennifer McClure was up after Michael, and as expected, she was amazing. For those of you who don’t know her, she is a leadership success coach who speaks about high impact leadership, talent strategies, and the future of work.
She is also the co-founder of Disrupt HR, an information exchange designed to energize, inform and empower people in the HR field.
Her presentation How To Build Your Influence & Authority By Becoming A Paid Professional Speaker was a primer on how to make the leap from seat to stage.
Jennifer provided an exhaustive list of what you need to do to prepare and then succeed as a speaker. A goldmine of information.
Key takeaway: Do your homework and have a system. There’s always room to get better as a public speaker.
On a personal note, Jennifer is in Mike Kim’s Luminary Mastermind. I have rarely met someone who is so sincerely engaged in helping others. She has a sizable social media following and has generously helped everyone in our group by publicizing events and providing resources as we move forward on our path.
Day 2
The next morning Mike inspired again and challenged us to focus on the one thing that will move us forward in our business.
His mantras, “success is sequential, not simultaneous” and “clarity is a marriage of movement and mediation” were like a lightbulb turning on for me and many others in the room.
Clarity
Before Influence and Impact I had never had the privilege of hearing Kary Oberbrunner speak and was blown away. He taught us how to monetize your book in How