My First Experiences With Personal Growth Conferences

Last year I really wanted to attend the RISE event hosted by Rachel Hollis in Minneapolis. It’s a 3 day personal conference with lots of motivational speakers. I have never previously been to a personal growth conference, but in general, I enjoy listening to speakers with different perspectives. Also, people motivating others in a positive way is my jam. I thought - why not try one out?

So why that conference? Because I really liked her book Girl Wash Your Face, and I was even more impressed with her once I started following her on instagram. She’s a boss lady, and I’m here for it. I will support people I believe in over and over.

When the RISE Minneapolis tickets went on sale, I was online, debit card in hand, ready to strike. Apparently so was everyone else. It was bananas. Each time I went to put the ticket in the cart, it was unavailable by the time I went to check out. I wasn’t able to get tickets to the entire 3 days of the event, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I got a ticket for Friday- the first day that focuses on health.

I drove from Colorado to Minnesota with a few stops in between to visit family members and friends. When I got to the conference I didn’t really know what to expect. I showed up by myself, and stood in line to scan my ticket and get my swag bag. While in line I was people watching, as one does, and in awe of my surroundings. All of these people were here in the pursuit of being better. Sure, maybe some of them were dragged there by their overenthusiastic friend, but they were still there. You could feel the support and optimism beaming through the room.

Do you know what the energy of a room filled with hope feels like? It feels a lot like a RISE event.

The speakers that day included Rachel, Alex Ortner, and Nick Santonastasso. (If you haven't heard of Nick- look him up, he's got an amazing outlook on life) I didn’t really talk to anyone around me or socialize at all. I get a bit introverted in new settings. Also, I have a tendency to get choked up from nerves, which is NOT a great first impression. Instead, I watched and listened. When it came to lunch time, I grabbed my food and took a little nap in my car. I was exhausted from days of driving. Throughout the day I got a little spark of motivation from each speech, but the most powerful thing for me that day was the crowd, I just wasn’t ready to be a social part of it.

I wasn’t planning on attending another RISE event in 2020, mainly because I had other travel and finance goals that I wanted to focus on. Plus, back to back years of it felt like it would become a bit too much.

Public health, social distancing, and travel restrictions rearranged my goals for me... and the rest of the world. Various trips have been cancelled, and I haven’t been in a public place (other than outside in my neighborhood) since Mid-March.

Hollis Co. announced they were going to do a virtual conference- 8 hours of content in one day. #RISExLIVE Heck yes. For me, big hesitations of attending conferences and speakers are navigating travel, time off, and expenses to stay in a different city, etc. BUT I could definitely swing a full day at home of virtual inspiration.

So I signed up.

I was worried that spending money to watch virtual speakers wouldn’t be the same. I was concerned that it would be a let down. I was wrong.

There was a downloadable workbook that I printed out (with two pages per sheet of paper, because I was trying to save- I definitely could have filled up the whole sheets though)

I was able to watch speeches from Rachel, her husband- Dave Hollis, (pictured) Ed Mylett, Brit Barron, Donald Miller, Jen Hatmaker, Eric Thomas, and John C. Maxwell. Most of these people I had zero exposure to prior to this virtual event.

The speeches were founded in the concept of “courage” but the different approaches within were so motivating. Each are fantastic speakers, and I got value in different ways. By the end of the day, my hand hurt from taking so many notes, and I definitely feel it was worth the money spent. Plus, I didn't have to navigate a social setting solo.

During this time, I’m incredibly grateful that conferences and events are pivoting to provide virtual counterparts. It’s not just RISE, I’ve found other conferences that are providing virtual resources. Many design conferences that I’ve had my eye on for years are now free and available online. That’s hundreds of dollars and many hours saved while still getting a bit of the experience I’ve been looking for.

Where we find ourselves today in society, with the health concerns, and our plans being made for us, it’s easy to get upset. It’s easy to worry and fret and feel overwhelmed. I get it. I’m working hard to see the silver linings in all of this. I’m pushing myself to feel gratitude for the little things when I can, and I’m sure if you look hard enough, you can too.