Hey Reader,
I know I usually email you on Thursdays, but I wanted to shoot you a special bonus email this week, to share some takeaways from an event I spoke at last weekend.
Last weekend, I was fortunate to get to speak at CEX in Cleveland, which is a 3-day conference for content creators who are entrepreneurs (content entrepreneurs).
As a speaker, I got to join a 4-hour mastermind workshop with the growth team at Mighty Networks, network with some incredibly talented entrepreneurs, and attend some super valuable talks.
Here are the 5 key things I took away from the event.
1. Even the biggest and the best don’t have it all figured out.
One of the first, last, and most common lessons I take away from most conferences (whether business or education) is that the people who seem to have it all figured out are the first to admit they don't.
This year at CEX, I feel this message was even clearer and more consistent throughout every keynote and breakout session I attended, and in all the amazing side conversations I had during network events.
Look at the person you think is killing it, just rocking out content, making money, building a brand, etc...they're still trying to figure it out, too.
They may be a little further along than you, but they're always searching for ways to learn and grow and prove the work they do is good work.
Stop comparing yourself to other people...we're all learning and growing.
Those who continue to learn and grow even after "figuring it all out" are the ones who keep winning.
2. Community is everything.
On Sunday, after the workshop with Mighty Networks, I had dinner with 10 brilliant entrepreneurs who are all part of Jay Clouse's community, The Lab. Jay and his wife, Mallory, treated us all to some incredible food and drinks at The Butcher and The Brewer.
Yes, we had some good conversations around what's working, what's not, and what we should be focused on. But more importantly, and so much more valuable, we talked about our lives, our families, and our struggles.
We were able to connect on a more personal level, and when you have a stronger connection with people, all those other conversations (about strategy, platforms, new trends, etc) are incredibly more valuable.
Having a group of people you can go to at any moment and get ideas, advice, and support from, is absolutely unmatched in terms of what will impact your mental health during this journey we're all on.
Lesson learned: Find your community (or communities) and lean in. Engage with them online, invest in the opportunities to connect in person, and lean into those relationships.
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3. Clarity Fixes A Lot of Things
I have been struggling for a while to gain clarity on the content I personally create. I've been torn between content for EDUpreneurs and content for a more broad entrepreneur audience.
This has lead to me creating content that is...well...actually...it's lead to me just not creating much content at all (read as: no content at all).
Every time I sit down to create something, I get in my head. Yes, some of that is self-doubt and imposter syndrome getting in the way. But the bigger block is that I have not been clear on who I am trying to serve and why.
I have that clarity now. It's YOU.
I'm here to serve EDUpreneurs - educators who are starting or growing a side hustle, or scaling a full-time business.
Yes, I believe other entrepreneurs and content creators will find my content and get some value from it, but I'm creating it for EDUpreneurs.
I was stuck between “This content is for Teach Better and EDUpreneurs” and “This content is for me and my work with entrepreneurs.”
As I type that out, it seems silly to me that I was so tied up between those two. Because the reality is, everything I create should be for Teach Better and EDUpreneurs…which is also for me, because that is the work I should be focused on, because it’s what I love most.
I love helping passionate educators turn their ideas into businesses. It’s what I’ve done for the past 10 years with Teach Better. Chad was just the first EDUpreneur. So many more have come since…and I can’t wait to help so many more as we go.
It’s what fuels me. It’s what drives me to keep learning and growing. Getting someone from “I’m just a teacher” to “this is a my business” is one of the best feelings in the world.
Clarity.
BTW: I've written more in the last 5 days than the last 5 months combined. Just saying.
Get clear on who you serve, why you are passionate about it, how you can help them, and where you need to be.
That clarity will fix so many things.
4. We All Have Something to Share
This was my first time speaking at a business conference like this. I've done some small, local events - chambers of commerce, etc - and plenty of education conference, but this was my first in front of a room of entrepreneurs at an event with some incredibly well-known and successful speakers in that world.
I was nervous, to say the least.
I actually addressed my nerves on stage. I had just shared some of the success we've had over the last decade with Teach Better. I joked that I don't say those things to brag...but kind of do.
In that moment, I decided to share that sometimes talking about everything we've accomplished helps me regain some confidence.
I was super anxious to speak, and still nervous after starting my talk. So I just told them that. "I get nervous. I get anxious."
It's funny, but that actually relaxed me.
Anyway, I'm pretty happy with how my talk went. It was my first time sharing this presentation and I felt good about my delivery, and I had an engaged crowd.
Then, after I was done, I had people stopping me and asking following questions, looking for advice, and requesting time to meet 1-on-1.
Where am I going with this?
Here's the thing - we all so often think what we have to share is not valuable. Or we know it's valuable, but don't realize how valuable it could be to certain people.
I was worried nothing I shared would actually help anyone in that room, compared to all those other speakers.
I was wrong.
I've already received an email from a creator who put several pieces into action and thanked me for it.
The reality is, we all have something valuable to share. Go share it with more people.
5. Everything is Changing...All The Time
One thing that was really different at this conference, compared to most of the past business and marketing conferences I have attended, is that fewer speakers spoke about tools and platforms. There were maybe two or three sessions that were specific to a certain social media platform, or a new AI tool.
Instead, the focus of almost every talk was a strategy you can implement on multiple platforms, a new idea for monetizing content regardless of what you create and sell, or a mindset shift for utilizing AI (and other resources) more efficiently.
Most did not speak about what AI tools they use or think we should be using. They didn’t give us the “ultimate ChatGPT prompt” or the 17 steps to creating the perfect AI agent.
Instead, the most common theme was to recognize that AI is here, it's changing every single day, and while it is disrupting almost every industry in the world, there is one thing it cannot do better than you - be you.
Focus on how you connect with people. Lean into relationships and community. Yes, use the systems, the tools, and the technology available to make your life easier...but remember the true value you bring is you. And AI can't do that.
Tactical Takeaways
I was going to share the more tactical takeaways here as well, but this post is already pretty long. So I'm going to share another post later, or maybe a few posts, with the tactical takeaways from CEX.
But here's a sneak peak at what a few of them were:
- Amy Landino's "P Sheets" for YouTube videos.
- The "Bowtie" Funnel to go beyond just making sales.
- Chenell Basilio's "IV Content "
- Focusing on Your Premise > Focusing on Your Niche
- The ROLE Model
Hit 'reply' and let me know:
- Did any of my takeaways bring you value? Want me to dive deeper into any of them
- Do any of those tactical takeaways spark interest?
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I hope this helps.
~ Jeff
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I appreciate you.
Jeff Gargas
COO / Co-Founder, Teach Better Team
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P.S. When you're ready, here's how I can help:
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Hit 'reply' and let me know what part you wish would have been here:
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