I Went to a Work Conference in Memphis & All I Got Were These 4 Things I Learned That Could Help Your Small Business Grow.

by Aaryck Enriquez

I like to pet dogs and help your small business grow.

Recently, I was in a little town called Memphis for a conference about sales and small business marketing. Our parent company brought us along to learn more about the industry and it was blast! I also learned a few things.

First, I found out that salespeople are a unique breed.

They walk with a swagger and confidence that can only be matched by NFL running backs. So imagine 800 NFL running backs walking around a large hotel constantly flashing smiles at each other, to include me. Why are they doing this to me? What does that smile want from me? I trusted it but I didn’t want to. It was sort of like that.

Okay, so obviously you probably already knew that but being at this conference was informative, educational, and above all, motivating. So, this is what actually learned from this conference and something I wanted to share with you, the small business owner:


1. “Habits & Rituals”

Outside of the “evening festivities” on Beale Street, the highlight of the week was keynote speaker Walter Bond. If you know who he is, you’re a bigger fan of 90’s NBA Basketball than I am. If you don’t know who he is, get good and look him up – and I am not talking about his NBA stats. I am talking about his motivational speeches.

Walter Bond, let’s call him Mr. Bond for funsies, is one helluva speaker. He had the whole audience wrapped around his finger because he had a great message, strong delivery, and a humorous approach. At the end of his motivating speech, I was able to articulate his main point, “Habits and Rituals.”

What I learned from him was something so simple and ordinary; our habits could be the difference between having a great year or a bad year. So, ask yourself, “Do my daily habits and rituals help grow my business? Does it help my marketing?” If they do, great! If they don’t, then something needs to change immediately, because that affects your bottom line. The littlest thing can make the biggest difference!


2. “Eat the Frog”

I ate a frog once. Well, I ate his leg. It was salty, chewy, and my cousins from the backwoods of Michigan just laughed at me as my face contorted in displeasure. The frog leg wasn’t pleasant but it was something I had to do. Being a third grader AND being called a “chicken” was a tough way to live, so down the hatch the frog went.

In Memphis, I learned something eerily similar...

There’s always something unpleasant you have to do to get your job done. Being the business owner, you’re going to be doing a lot of odd-end jobs and most of the “heavy lifting” when it comes to marketing and growing your own business; some of those jobs you’re not going to like. For example, you may have to allocate a marketing budget for the next quarter or come with a new strategy to market to a different audience. However, it doesn’t have to be that bad: Just eat the frog. Getting the unpleasant part of the job done first can free up so much more of your day. It can also help spur on creativity and productivity. Plus, you don’t have that nasty frog staring you down all day.


3. “Synergy is Not a Cliché Word Anymore”

Eh, it still is but I saw synergy in motion!

In Memphis, I had the pleasure of working with all different types of employees from across the country. We did a project which allowed us to break up into groups and brainstorm about certain dilemmas we faced. Then when the group discussions were done, each group presented the problems to the entire room and then accepted input and advice from other people.

I love that! Addressing a problem and working as a team to solve it is one of my favorite things in the world! Working collectively allows other perspectives to come together to something you might have missed before. So, when it comes to your marketing strategy and growing your business, synergy takes an individual problem and makes it a team dynamic thus creating more opportunities for improvement and business growth. An applicable cliché to further my point, “teamwork makes the dream work.”


4. “Go get lost in Memphis”

Actually, I don’t recommend this. Memphis is a fun town, but you also want to keep yourself safe. I was able to go get lost because a.) it was 1:30 pm and b.) I’m 6’1 with a very wide frame; people generally don’t mess with me. Regardless, getting lost did wonders for me. I was able to collect my thoughts, refresh my mind, and I was rejuvenated.

I grabbed my camera and got lost in Memphis and got a lot of cool shots! This was an old warehouse turned into a restaurant/store combo.

I endorse “getting lost” because when it comes to strategizing a marketing plan or figuring out next month’s goals, it can be overwhelming. Being a business owner is a tough and you’re going to need to give yourself a break once in awhile. So get lost in a book for an hour or binge watch a few episodes on Netflix. Give yourself that moment of relaxation to recharge yourself so you can reflect and regroup. Your business’ growth is depending on it!

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That week was a blast. I had so much fun with my coworkers and I learned even more about marketing and growing small business. I was also reminded to sit back and just enjoy the process. So, if you ever found yourself overwhelmed or unsure about what to do with growing your small business and can’t enjoy the process, we are here to help you!