In my last post, I talked about the 5 Reasons Why You Should go to Conferences and the ways attending can improve your life. Little did I know that the most unconference conference, Launch Out, would be much more about community than a conference. This past weekend we traveled to Atlanta GA to attend our second Launch Out conference. Having attended last year’s Launch Out in Nashville, I thought I knew what to expect. I went into the conference knowing there would be hugs, great stories from some incredible speakers and even possibly some tears. Knowing all that still did not prepare me for the community that awaited. Unlike most conferences, including last year’s, this time, I felt I knew many of the attendees. Rather than hiding wanting to curl up in the fetal position I decided to embrace the crazy. Instead of going as an attendee to absorb everyone else’s dreams. This time, I had applied to be a speaker. Why not join the Dreamers and share my thoughts right? After some discussion with the organizers, they felt a panel would best fit my topic of interest. Initially, I was a bit put off. I applied to speak! Not share the spotlight with others, I thought. Powers greater than me and a message bigger than anything I could prepare was in the works if I would just listen. I don’t care why you go, just meet me on the mountain. Click To Tweet After sharing and hearing from many other great speakers, it was […]

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We all have dreams burning deep within our souls. A Fire we smother with the plight of our daily lives. What great wonders there are for the dreamer that can dream their dream and make it come alive. Someone else will do it, we say. What if you were that someone today? A couple of years ago I started participating in my life more fully. I stumbled across a group of dreamers on Facebook of all places. These dreamers were full of all kinds of creative ideas and fantasies, or so I thought. As I have said many times, don’t believe everything you read on the Internet. This usually includes people you call friends but never met in real life, right?. Last summer, after graduating college and feeling lost in my cloud of dreams, I somehow convinced my wife to travel to Franklin, Tennessee to spend the weekend with a bunch of online strangers. A bit apprehensive, she agreed to attend this conference of dreamers called Launch Out. It was an opportunity to put faces to the names of the dreamers, or perhaps end up in a cult, or some sort of kidnapping or massacre, we were not sure. We spent a few days with dozens of people from all over the country that had one thing in common. They were dreamers. They were budding entrepreneurs; others were writers, coffee beans roasters, or popsicle makers. They were people of passion that shared their dreams. Some traveled the world helping orphans while others gathered neighbors around […]

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 Many of us prepare to watch the games, prepare our fantasy drafts, not realizing when it’s time to leave the sidelines and get in the game. Life however is not a spectator sport. The grandstands are temporary seats until you are ready to get into the game. Sheer passion drives us out of our seats and onto the field. Watching from the sidelines is not enough, we want to be picking grass and dirt out of our teeth. Many of us allow fear to keep us off the field. We would rather play Monday morning quarterback, complaining about the way our life ends up. I challenge each of you to dust off your cleats and get into the game. Whether it is your career that needs some new strategic plays designed. Perhaps you feel compelled to volunteer at your church or a local nonprofit. Whatever it may be it is time to put your pads on and get on the field. When you design your next play and watch enough film of your opponent you can win. Maybe you have been out of practice for a while after being laid off. Or you have suffered a season ending injury. There is always a new season for an envisioned comeback. Even some of the most veteran players can make incredible recoveries when they set their minds and passion towards their goal. Sometimes, I feel like one who is on the sidelines, who has missed life itself. ~Nelson Mandela Click To Tweet Numerous people remain in the […]

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