There and Back Again – SXSW 2011

I could write a generic post about SXSW, explaining what I learned from panels, dropping names of famous people I met and saw, all the things that make Austin great or give a list of what I think SXSW can do better for future festivals.

Instead I’m going to write about my personal experiences and observations on an individual level.

The Energy

From the moment I entered Austin on Thursday night I felt the energy of SXSW. People are on the go, eager to learn and meet new people. The type of energy at SXSW is the energy that makes you want to go and make a difference and push yourself to succeed. You immediately want to apply something you learned to an existing venture, or you get an idea on the fly and immediately want to get started brainstorming and planning. The attendees are fired up and passionate about whatever they are working on. The hardest part is maintaining that energy and motivation once you leave Austin.

Walking Billboards

Everyone at SXSW is representing someone, something, or some place. People are eager to tell you how amazing their company is or how their new start-up will change the world. People are explaining how they created an algorithm that can beat Google’s or how their system is better than Groupon’s and how their mobile app will change mobile usage. People are dropping names left and right, giving statistics and numbers and telling you how much first round funding they received.

My take on all of it….who cares?

The way I look at it is if your venture, personal project, mobile app, system or algorithim is good enough to change the world and actually make a difference then I’d hear about it eventually.

The fact that people were so emphatically “representing” made it real difficult to actually connect on a personal level. This is a general statement and I did meet people that were not like this at all but were friendly and transparent enough to actually connect and care but this is my view from people watching, overhearing people’s conversations and conversations I’ve personally had.

When I attend a gathering of people my goal is not to give away as many business cards as I can or to become a walking billboard for my company. My goal is to actually connect with people and make long-lasting friendships that transcend professional and personal gain.

Perspective

One thing I realized while at SXSW is I have as much chance of succeeding and being an expert in my field as much as the next guy. The speakers and panelists were regular people that chose to consistently excel at what they love doing. There wasn’t a secret that only speakers knew but they did take standard principles of success (passion, motivations, discipline, consistency, knowledge, etc) and applied them in a way that placed them ahead of the curve. These principles are public knowledge and have been practiced for thousands of years but the difference is how people apply them.

This sparked a genuine interest to actually find a way to impact people on a greater level whether it may be public speaking, bigger than when I spoke at Ignite Dallas, writing a book or telling stories of my professional and personal experiences and how it can apply to people’s lives.

Final Takeaways

To solve the energy depletion problem, Jason Markow, Laura Kimball and myself decided to create our own personal Facebook Group and schedule monthly Skype calls where we discuss what we’ve accomplished for that month, brainstorm together and set goals for ourselves. It helps keep each of us accountable and we each view it as our personal think tank. We’re not sure how or if it will work but we’re all motivated enough and trust each other enough to try and make it work.

How do you maintain the energy you gain from a massive event or conference? How do you approach networking events?