The Weekend Wind-Down #31 - September 29, 2024

Fall was always my favorite time of year, and this being my tenth year in Singapore with no seasons, I'm thoroughly missing crisp mornings, crunchy leaves, and warming soups. I hope you had a great September wherever you are. Here's this week's list.

What I watched this weekend

While trying to introduce my 2-year-old daughter to some music beyond Baby Shark, Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton performing Tennessee Whiskey came back up on my feed. I've watched this performance before and always loved it, but seeing my daughter get into it was extra special. That reminded me of this "Guitar Teach Reacts" video by Michael Palmisano, which I love so much that I watched it a bunch of times again. I'm not usually a fan of reaction videos, most of them don't add anything to the original video and I only end up watching them when I actually just want to hear comedy highlights or a specific song. Michael is on a whole different level though, I know nothing about music, but with the way he explains things and the passion he displays, I don't need to. His enthusiasm is contagious and will make you appreciate any song even more, it is awesome how he is able to clearly explain why musicians are doing something, why it works, and what makes it special. Well worth watching some of his videos.

Thoughts on conferences this week

Having attended, participated in, and ran a bunch of conferences over the last 6 weeks, I've been thinking a lot about the future of conferences and how marketers and organizers can make them better. The value proposition for conference attendees is that they can hear valuable presentations and discussions, network with their peers, and learn about solutions that help them do their job better. The problem is that there are better formats to do all of those things. There are webinars, podcasts, and more with thought leaders in every industry that can be listened to at any time. How much can worthwhile networking really get done when most of the time is spent lining up for food, getting coffee and taking a toilet break? I'm biased, but the most useful part of conferences may be learning about vendors you hadn't heard of before and wouldn't have found otherwise. For example at the B2B marketing conference I attended last month I found a regional vendor that fits my needs much better than the US-based competitor I knew about. With plenty of conferences I'm likely to be involved in next year, I'll be continuing to brainstorm what more we can do to improve the experience for attendees.

Awesome podcast I guested on this week

I was honored to be invited to record an episode of The Thought Leader Club with Cheryl Lau . We've known each other for about a year and always have interesting conversations, so it was great to record one for her podcast. This having been the second podcast I guested on, with a few more lined up, I'm really enjoying the experience and getting more comfortable with it. I've listened to podcasts regularly for a least a decade, so it's fun to be on the other side of the mic. Cheryl's podcast is great and she's had some really interesting guests on, her solo episodes are full of fantastic information and advice as well, so if you're interested in thought leadership or being a solopreneur, check it out. Stay tuned for when my episode is released!

What I listened to this weekend

Comedian and podcaster, Theo Von, has been on a tear recently with guests like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, Post Malone and Kevin Smith. I've been a fan for a long time and event got to listen to his set and talk with him for a few minutes at The Comedy Store in LA in 2018. So I was super excited to see his latest episode with Mark Cuban as a guest. As usual, Theo was his hilarious and wacky self, but he's also becoming a great interviewer and it was cool to see a side of Cuban that usually doesn't come across in his other appearances. They covered all kinds of topics like business, politics, family, and much more, but the best moments were those off-the-cuff banter that Theo is so good at and makes his conversations so genuine. I'm looking forward to seeing what other guests he can get now that his show is one of the top podcasts.

Have a great rest of your weekend!

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