Business Conferences – A Goldmine For Digital Nomads

I was in Miami last week for the ‘2016 and Beyond’ Amazon sellers conference. I’m relatively new to Amazon and meeting people with really successful businesses, learning from them, and making plans to stay in touch has gotten me revved-up and excited all over again.

 

If you’re a nomad (whether you’re building a business or not) you need to get around people who can help you move forward with your goals. Sorry, but most of the regular ‘hostel’ crowd can’t help you.

 

Here’s a few reasons I’m glad I flew to Miami. They’re reasons you should consider looking for similar events related to what you do.

 

1. You’ll Rarely Meet Business Connections While Traveling 

 

At this conference I met close to 20 people who could be ‘mentors’ for me in this business. They had been selling on Amazon anywhere from 1 to 5 years and were selling $5,000/mo – $500,000/mo.

 

John Gill is a very successful Amazon seller.

In contrast, I’ve always been an outgoing guy when living in hostels. I’ve spoken with a lot of people, none of whom were in this business at all. If you’re traveling, you’re getting to meet lots of new people but they’ll rarely be interested in what you’re doing. They certainly won’t help you implement new business strategies.

 

2. Conferences Re-Vamp Your Mindset

 

When you’re bumming around with a backpack you can get into the ‘budget-traveler’ mindset and never get out. For example, in Oaxaca I remember asking the front desk if some good restaurants were nearby. The response was ‘You’re looking for something cheap, right?’

 

Everyone around you is trying to save pennies, live as cheaply as possible, and certainly not invest in their next business opportunity.

 

When you attend a conference, you aren’t around these ‘budget-conscious’ people. You’re around millionaires, winners, and people who earn $50,000/month. When you have dinner, grab drinks, and network with these kinds of people, your mindset shifts. You begin to feel, on a very deep level, that your business goals are attainable. You get your mindset out of the gutter. Almost subconsciously, you start to take actions that will lead to your success down the road.

 

‘GillDaddy’ Talking about goal setting for Amazon sellers.

3. You’ve Got Everyone In One Location

 

As a nomad, you can go anywhere. This is great, but it’s not as good for networking as you might expect. Perhaps you find someone on LinkedIn who is killing it in your business… Great, you can message them and maybe they’ll be open to meeting up for a coffee. If they’re on the far side of the country, you could fly over if they were really, really, awesome, but that’s still a lot of effort.

 

At a conference, everyone is gathered together. You can meet 20+ people in 1 day, each of whom could be potential partner, mentor, investor, etc. You can see who you really get along with, and get that initial break-the-ice chat out of the way. THEN, if you and a new connection are really serious about working together, you have the freedom to close the distance gap.

 

Me and some Mexican sellers who I will probably visit south of the border.

Even if you’re not looking to officially ‘partner’ with anyone, you can keep tabs on where everyone lives. At this conference I met sellers from all across America, the UK, Norway, Mexico, and Sweden. If I’m in their area I can always ping them to catch up, grab a coffee, or discuss the latest PPC optimization strategies.

 

Wrapping Up

 

Conferences are an exceptional way to stay up-to-date, build new relationships, and keep yourself in the ‘take action’ mindset necessary for business success.

 

Especially as a nomad, when it can be challenging to meet like-minded people, conferences are a great way to help your business grow. (They’re also lots of fun!)

 

Should you be attending more conferences? Can you see the benefits?

 

Tell us about a recent conference you attended that led to big changes in your business. (Twitter @Nico Jannasch)

Or, send me a message if you’re interested in learning more about digital nomads, running a business while traveling, etc.