This post is slightly different from the rest of the business series but I thought there were nuggets of wisdom that could be shared for the entrepreneur on the way up.


I was fortunate enough to be selected to attend the Level Up Conference (no charge) here in Memphis organized by Cynthia Daniels of Cynthia Daniels Co. It was the first of its kind, a conference to help elevate your passion by exposing entrepreneurs and business minded individual to experts in the industry, Taking Your Business, Career & Personal Life to the Next Level! 

The conference was full of dynamic speakers that discussed  topics that included: defining your life goals, Volunteering into a new career path, Navigating global travel, community development strategies, maximizing your day and balancing career family and faith, Automating your business, Nurturing your network, Playing the corporate game and Creating multiple streams of Income. The topics were broken into sessions and I managed to attend about 3 of them with panels that included friends of mine. I will give a few tips on what I learned from each panel even though it felt like I was drinking from a firehose LOL

Me  and Latoya waiting on the panel discussion

Lessons in Defining your goals

• Be intentional and take ownership of your goals
• Don't be ambiguous. Be very specific about what you want to achieve
• Define what success looks like for you and set up success milestones
• Have an accountability partner that can call you out and check on you to keep you on track
• Don't sacrifice your time. Be mindful of where your time goes and prioritize.
• Give energy to what gives back. Energy is neither created nor destroyed only transferred.
• Don't buy into the dream, that other people project on you. Live your life

Lessons for Nurturing your Network 

• At a networking event, see the room, see people and stop trying to be seen
• Be willing to listen to other people and their stories
• Be prepared to speak about yourself (1 to 2-minute elevator pitch)
• When you follow up don't pitch. Recap your meeting and what stood out
• Building a network is about building relationships and that is only done with time
• Don't be about the hookup. Businesses fail because of constantly being about the hookup
• Be respectful of people's time. If you do get the opportunity to meet, pay for their order