There are certain dates that stand out in your life. Your wedding day. The birth of each child. The day you retire.
And there are a handful of events that make all the difference. One such event was in October, 2001.
It was Jay Conrad Levinson’s Guerrilla Marketing Boot Camp hosted by Mark Joyner. A single-day event at Ceasar’s in Las Vegas and I wanted to go! Really badly. But the tickets were out of my budget.
I mentioned wanting to go to Alex Mandossian and he got me a VIP pass. I couldn’t believe my luck! I booked my hotel and flight. Then came September 11, 2001. And we weren’t sure we could even have an event!
David Garfinkel and Alex Mandossian
But they decided to go ahead with it less than a month after the tragedy in New York City.
Mark Joyner
The whole event was a magical day. It was my first time to meet Jay Conrad Levinson. My first time to meet Mark Joyner (now of Simpleology fame). In fact, I asked a man passing in the hall to take a picture of Mark and I. He said “I’ll be glad to. By the way, my name is Joe Vitale.”
Roger C. Parker
In the evening we had a networking event where practially everyone who was marketing online was meeting and greeting. I was particularly thrilled to run into Roger C. Parker, an author I had admired for quite some time. I spent a little time in there, then went to a special presentation from Robert Allen.
Robert Allen
My life changed that day. Not only did I meet people who had only been names on a web page (we didn’t have a lot of images online at that point), but I met Robert Allen for the first time.
I signed up for his Protege program that night and started taking classes via teleseminar three and four nights a week.
By January, I was one of only 15 people who was accepted and attended his Infopreneur Master Trainer camp in Salt Lake City. We spent three days with Robert and his team, recording a video program that he has sold for years.
Of the other attendees, I was the only one who volunteered to do a presentation for the camera. So I was the only one who leveraged that opportunity into a recurring appearance on thousands of video programs over nearly ten years.
As a result of those three days I later did an interview with Robert Allen for his weekly series – as a last-minute fill-in when his high profile guest didn’t show. That interview went so well that I gained several coaching clients from it.
And as a result of the face-time I spent with Robert and his team for the Infopreneur training, as well as my interview, I was asked to teach the Internet Marketing Basics for Robert Allen’s Protege program. That gave me a huge base of students and clients over several years – some of whom are still my subscribers and customers.
Lessons learned:
Attend live events. As I’ve been writing this series, I realize how pivotal live events have been in my business life. Literally everyone I work with, spend time with, count as my friends I have met at a live event. You have to BE THERE in order to be a player.
Jump at the chance! When you have an opportunity to step out from the crowd, it is no time to be shy. Say yes – then figure out how later.
Leverage Your Experience. I love product creation and I loved being part of the Infopreneur Master Trainer group. But I recognized that one of the common issues that many entrepreneurs and infopreneurs have is too many ideas!
That’s why I created my Organize Your Ideas product. It’s all of the systems I’ve developed and use to control and leverage my ideas – in a neat package for you.
It’s great to hear more of your story of how you got to where you are now, Jeanette! What an exciting progression of events! And I whole-heartedly agree that attending live events is essential to fast-track toward your goals because you just can’t imagine the HUGE opportunities that seem to just “fall into your lap” when you start making in-person connections (even when you don’t realize the rock stars you are meeting in the process!)
I’ve experienced this myself – and it’s was through YOU at a live event that has helped me to meet some of the most important connections that I would have never had the opportunity to meet if I had stayed home behind my computer!
So even introverts can make amazing connections that turn to true friendships and live-changing opportunities at live events! Thanks for this oh-so-vital reminder.
Gabrielle – I couldn’t have said it better myself. And it’s so true that you make true friendships. You and I don’t see each other but once or twice a year, yet it’s so easy to just pick up where we left off, not skipping a beat. I’m SO glad you attended that event!
So cool! This is like the who’s who of Internet Marketing!
LOVE the pictures too!
So glad you met Robert Allen and filled in for that high-profile guest…
It was because of the Internet Marketing course you were teaching for Robert Allen that I heard you teach for the first time and said “I HAVE to work with her.”
…Because I knew it would be key to my success. And I was right! 🙂
After our very first Brain Drain session, the course of my business went immediately to a new level.
Couldn’t have achieved the success I’ve achieved all these years without your wisdom, guidance, brilliance, tech savvy teachings and friendship!
-Lisa
… And for anyone who is ever at a conference that Jeanette is attending or speaking at, SHE is the one you want to find!
She knows everyone AND will connect you with the people you need to know…
You’ll recognize her by the crowd around her! 🙂
-Lisa
Aw shucks, Lisa…that’s so nice of you to say! I do love connecting people, so it’s always a joy to see what two people I introduced end up achieving together.
And I will be forever grateful for the opportunities I got as a result of working with Robert Allen. My relationship with you in particular! We started from scratch with an idea and your expertise in retail – and you grew it into the first and largest ecommerce training site! I was so proud to be associated.
And turns out that you’ve reciprocated the expertise repeatedly with your coaching on social media and design. Thank you. I’m so glad I “subbed” on that call!
Cynthia I appreciate that! You KNOW I’ll have more products to come – can’t help myself!
My first visit to Big Seminar I met jeanette. I also met her buddy Connie Ragen Green. Jeanette was one of the most welcoming people I met and she remains to this day one of the stars in the Internet marketing orbit. A great teacher and the Princess of Relationship Marketing. You are so right Lisa.
Rob – thank you. I remember your first time at Big Seminar – so glad you decided to hang out with us Internet marketers!
You are such a picture of success. Thanks for all you do to help us. You always have great products….and lots of them to come, I hope!