A Lone Wolf in a Pack of 3,000 #TalentConnect Newbie

This is my first dip in the pool of long-form content on LinkedIn. Here's hoping my connections find it inspiring, if not a little bit amusing.

A few weeks ago, almost going on a month now, I attended LinkedIn #Talentconnect. I was alone, but once I got there realized quickly this was going to be a very welcoming group. I was probably one of the 5% who were not in recruiting but in employer branding.

The Gaylord Texan hotel is gigantic. After asking twice, and getting lost once I found my way to registration and waited in the very long line, but it moved quickly. They had this process down to a T.

How about those keynotes?

• Tim Gunn always makes it work! I love how brutally honest he was in sharing his experience in the trenches and how he to got to Project Runway, one of my favorite shows, BTW.
• Brene Brown was absolutely amazing! She talked about how we can be brave, have courage and use our vulnerability as leaders. I have to admit, I bought her book after I got home from the conference.
• Matthew Luhn with Pixar really brought the purpose of storytelling home for everyone. "A story is 22 times more memorable than facts alone." Use that in your hiring and recruiting of candidates and you're sure to hit a home run. He also echoed being vulnerable and honest.
• And then there was Sarah Wagener. No one is ever going to dull that ladies sparkle! I so wanted to rip her jacket off and run away with it. Following your instincts is so important. I loved her raw stories and how she got to where she is today at Pandora. And, I'm honored she accepted my LinkedIn request.

Let's not forget the impactful sessions chock full of lessons learned in the trenches. I certainly came away with cool ideas and inspiration to try new things.

• Ed Nathanson with Red Pill Talent has inspired me to be on a quest to infuse HEART and HUMOR in all aspects of HR. You need to truly engage with candidates and at the same time make sure your content doesn't suck. Trust me, anyone who produces content has run up against this.
• Jeremy Schmidt with Care Otter took us on a trip to Sillicorn Valley with his highly theatrical presentation on how to attract talent with blockbuster emails. Attracting talent does not have to be so serious. Think outside the box, use videos and crack a joke or two, always keeping it professional. And, anyone who is a fan of The Walking Dead is a good guy in my book. If you missed his session and recruit tech talent, hit him up. He's got a great toolbox.

A special thanks to Nichole, Kendra and Christy with Mozilla who made me feel welcome by inviting me out to experience a night in Nashville. I was a bad influence and tried to convince everyone to buy cowboy boots.

And, last but not least, Shannon Burke who helped me "Rock my Profile" and Kim Levandoski for her strategic direction and dedication to Hilton.

Until next year...