Alright, 22 years of practice I'm doing something I've never done before, I'm doing it because
I've been encouraged.
Laura Reinholdt, I'm a mammalian geneticist.
I really think that you need to go to this conference, I know that you don't want to
and I don't think that your reasons are good enough.
So, going to conferences is definitely not in my wheelhouse.
I'm an introvert, I live on an island, I live in a really beautiful place, but you know,
this place has felt really small lately.
I think as your skillset expands and your abilities expand your need to connect with
others and people who are doing things that are just on a different level than you just
it increases.
So I know I need to do this, and I'm a reluctant participant, but I'm gonna go out to New York
City for the AIA National Conference.
So rather than bore you with my personal experience of the conference, you know I did the tours,
I did the learning units, I did the speeches, I did the expo, I did a range of things, but
you know you really for you if you choose to go to one of these conferences, how you
curate the experience is totally up to you.
There are architect’s offices to visit, boat tours, there are walking tours, hardhat
tours, you know, classes of all sorts, lectures, keynote speeches, events, parties; so really
the choice is yours on how you choose to form that experience for yourself.
But I do think as a reluctant sort of participant in the beginning that the benefits far outweigh
the negatives: lots of opportunities to meet people and network.
And you know if you live in an isolated place like I do or you work in a small practice
you're a sole practitioner or small group of people this is your chance to go out and
meet people, cross pollinate, you know, really bump up against others who are doing things
that are different than you.
Yes we all practice in the same field but we're all doing different things.
You know, New York City is a big place, it's a complex place, you know the scale of structure
that and building that is happening there is just incredible.
It's something to behold as an architect, as a designer, you know whether you're gonna
do that type of work in the future or not it's just really fascinating to see and to
see the behind the scenes of it you know and hear from the people who've actually worked
on those projects and are currently working on them and designing them and the engineers
that are working on that, like, you're just not going to get that insight just from touring
a city.
Aside from that you know the energy the food the people it's a destination trip too it's
not just about the conference so you know you can really treat this as a, an experience.
Now one of the really important things that came out of it for me was making personal
connections and you know I happened to make a personal connection from someone who I had
been corresponding with online for about a year now and you know we planned to meet up
at the conference and we met in real life and we're actually collaborating and working
together.
So I think these opportunities just don't happen otherwise sure these connections can
happen online but there is no substitute for meeting face-to-face in real life.
I do think these networking opportunities have special value in this context especially
with it's such a large number of people.
You're bound to find your tribe somewhere in amongst 26,000 people.
You know, I think it's important before you prejudge it or before you decide that you're
gonna wait 22 years to go to one of these conferences, like I did, I think it's important
that you find one that interests you and experience it for yourself.
I go home from conferences feeling energized, I always have new ideas, I always have a notebook
full of information.
The other thing that happens is you get exposed to people who you hadn't thought of before,
people you hadn't met, ideas you haven't heard of yet.
I have to say the experience really did change my mind with respect to conferences and that
they’re something that I'm looking to incorporate into my professional life from here forward
because I think they provide opportunities that I can't get elsewhere.
Alright so before you go I have a favor to ask of you.
This conference has sort of taught me the value of connecting with others and you know
the value of network connections.
I'm planning lots of new content for the channel but I really haven't solicited your feedback
on that.
So, this is your chance to tell me your thoughts on where I should take the channel; what kind
of content you want to see me make.
So, up here in the cards, if you click this link, that's your chance to tell me exactly
all your thoughts.
It'll only take a minute or two to fill out and there's even a chance for sort of a one-on-one
consultation with me.
So look in the cards for more information on how you can do that.
Alright, that's it.
Smash that like button below if this has helped you in any way, it really does help me and
I so appreciate it.
We'll see you again next time, cheers my friends!
That’s all we're gonna say?
I thought we were going to talk more about this.