Hey Reader,

Attending a conference is one of the highest-leverage things you can do as a creator.

Three days in person will accelerate a relationship more than six months of talking online. The people you meet at events can often become your business partners, collaborators, and even some of your closest friends.

But only if you know how to use the time.

Here are my top 10 tips for getting the most out of conferences:
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1. Choose the right conference

Not every conference is worth your time. The one that will help your career most is the one where your people are gathering. A conference full of people doing what you do makes all of the difference. If you’re a creator, go to conferences where every attendee is a creator, not just a few of them. That’s ultimately why I created my own conference.
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2. Research key locations before you arrive

Find out where people will actually be spending time outside the sessions. Good conferences share their unofficial meetups and social events in advance so you can plan around them. Check if the conference you're attending does this. At Craft + Commerce, we're sharing attendee-organized meetups ahead of time so you can plan which events you want to go to.
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3. Find people at your level with similar goals

The instinct is to spend your energy trying to connect with the biggest names in the room. But the relationships that will serve you most are with people at your level who are working toward the same things. Those are the relationships that will compound for years.
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4. Make the first move

As a natural introvert, I went to my first conference and talked to no one. I waited for people to come to me, and they didn't. The second time, I walked up to two strangers and introduced myself. Those two people changed my career. The five seconds of courage it takes to walk over to someone is almost always worth it.
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5. Ask someone you know to make the introduction

If there's someone you're hoping to connect with, think about who you already know at the conference and whether any of them have a connection to the person you want to meet. Being introduced by a mutual friend changes the entire dynamic of that first conversation.

6. Keep interactions with well-known people short

Whenever you do get a moment with someone well-known, don't try to cram too much into the interaction. Be genuine, keep it brief, and don't ask for anything. I talk more about this in my post on how to meet important people.
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7. Say yes when people invite you

Showing up to everything can feel like a lot, especially if social situations feel draining. But the conversations that end up changing your life almost never happen during scheduled sessions. They happen when you say yes to the random dinner or coffee and when you hang around a little longer after the last talk of the day.
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8. Record with people while you're there

When you're in the same location as other creators, it's a good idea to take the opportunity to record together. This could be as simple as a quick reel, or you could film a video or podcast together. Recording in person completely changes the energy. It's very different from a remote recording. In fact, that's why I only record my podcast in person. And it's why we open up Kit Studios in Boise for Craft + Commerce attendees to use.
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9. Take a photo with people you want to remember

A photo gives you a natural reason to follow up. Saying, "I'll send you that photo!" is more fun than promising you'll connect on LinkedIn. It makes the follow-up feel personal. John Meese, who's attended every Craft + Commerce, built a whole practice around this and can directly trace how those relationships helped his business over the years.
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10. Go deep with a few people

You've probably been to an event where you saw someone working the room, handing out their business card to anyone who would take one. Don't be that person. It's better to have a few meaningful conversations. You're not going to remember thirty shallow interactions, but you will remember three where there was real depth.
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If you're looking for a great conference to attend, I'd love to see you at Craft + Commerce this June in Boise.

We just announced that James Clear will be a keynote speaker at this year’s conference.

​Craft + Commerce is for serious creators who mean business. Spend several days with people who understand what you're building. You’ll find focused workshops, great conversations, and you’ll be surrounded by people who get it.

Every meaningful level I've reached in my career has ultimately come through the people I know. That's why we host this conference.

I’d love to see you there.

Last year’s event sold out, and this year's tickets are going fast. We will sell out again soon, so grab yours before it's too late.

​Get your ticket »​
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PODCAST

You Only Need This To Become Rich (Millionaire Explains)

As a kid, Mike Brown dreamed of owning a red Lamborghini. He had the posters on his bedroom wall. He became a Navy fighter pilot, built businesses, and eventually made enough to buy that Lamborghini. In fact, he bought many supercars.

But then sold them all.

In this episode, Mike breaks down what it actually looks like to live a rich life. We cover:

• Why Mike sold his supercar collection
• The three levels of financial freedom and how to reach each one
• How to know whether your motivation comes from "clean" or "dirty" fuel

​Watch or listen to episode »​

ARTICLE

Turning Instagram followers into $50K+ launches

Gannon Meyer teaches email automation for creators. He also runs his entire business on email automation.

With 9,000 subscribers and 60+ Kit automations, his latest bootcamp launch brought in over $50,000 through email. Every weekly newsletter generates two to three sales on its own. He does it all while spending 30% of his time playing pickleball and hanging out with friends.

His setup is basically: someone sees his content on Instagram, requests a free resource, and gets asked one open-ended question. Their answer tags them in Kit and routes them into the right sequence. From there, the selling takes care of itself.

This post walks through his full system.

​Read the post »​

X THREAD

Renting in Austin Has Never Been Cheaper

I was surprised to learn rent and home prices in Austin are the lowest they've been in at least 20 years. The rent-to-income ratio just hit 18.3%, which is lower than Midwest cities like St. Louis.

Nick Gerli put together an interesting thread on why.

​Read full thread »​

Have a great week!

—Nathan