Episode 34: My MOMCon Experience

First, what is MOMCon? It’s the mother of all meet ups. It’s a place where thousands of moms get together, learn, grow as leaders, and make new friends.

This was my first MOMCon, and I absolutely loved it. I’m sharing some highlights from my perspective, encouragement from some of the speakers, and a VERY special guest…Bob Goff. WHAT?! Yeah. I still can’t believe it.

I did something of a “voice blog,” which is just another way of saying podcast, of my process as I experienced the event. Here’s just a glimpse of my full weekend, full of new friends and moms who RUN THE WORLD.

This episode is sponsored by

Day 1:

MOPs puts on this event, and it’s an organization that rallies around moms. They believe that better moms make a better world. If you want to learn more about MOPs, visit MOPS.org

This event almost didn’t happen. Hurricane Dorian threatened to destroy the whole thing. First I would say, never underestimate the power of praying moms, because that thing took a hard right, away from Florida.

We call it a small miracle when a group of moms gets together because all of the stuff we have to find, get together, and get done. This week was no exception. Moms were helping other moms get to Orlando because of canceled flights. People were pick up strangers in different cities and driving them down to MOMCon.

Moms were helping one another in such a powerful way, and one of the most moving things I saw leading up to the conference was moms who, in the midst of trying to reschedule flights (one mom had to reschedule her flight SIX TIMES!), getting everything done, feeling guilty for leaving, and everything moms do to leave the house for more than one night, they were asking how they could help hurricane victims. The positive energy and sense of community was unreal.

Of course, some mamas had to bring their nursing babies. They inspired me with their baby-wearing and the mountains they moved to be part of everything.

There were grandmas, mothers-in-law, and helpers who went with moms so they could bring their babies and still get a break while someone watched their baby.e

Okay, as an introvert, I really have to rev myself up for this, and I’m thankful that I was there by myself. I never would have been able to do all the things I did without my introvert “breaks.” You’ll probably find me napping for two days after the conference is over.

The event had a trade show, called the “Marketplace,” where you could take pictures, visit with sponsors, and SHOP (come on, ladies). I met a woman named Sara Hamill there, and because of the stupid hurricane, a workshop she was supposed to speak at was cancelled. But, she gave us a brief overview of her talk. Tune in to hear it!

DAY 2

This day was extremely full. I barely even had time to eat, but it was awesome.

Highlights:

PREACH TO YOUR SOUL. It’s important to give ourselves pep talks. Our brain, our heart, and our body are not always on the same page. We need to PUH-REACH to ourselves to give us the motivation we need.

MEGAN TAMTE gave a talk about how to take care of yourself AND be a good mom. She encourages us to pursue our dreams, big or small. It makes us better moms and teaches our kids to pursue their own dreams.

If you don’t know what your dreams are, or where to start, think about who you were when you were in the 5th grade. They say that’s when you were in your purest form. What did you like? How did you act? That might give you a clue about what your dreams and goals could be.

I VISITED THE GREEN ROOM. This is mission control/break area for the artists and organizers. I talked to Janet, who was helping to organize the event, and she told me that these events are planned YEARS ahead of time. They look at trends and ideas that will inspire and empower moms. Everything we see and experience is the result of hundreds of caring people dedicated to make sure they’re having an amazing experience.

You guys – if you ever see the organizers of an event that you’re attending, buy them a cup of coffee, thank them. They do a lot to make sure we’re having a good time and that everything runs smoothly.

DAY 3

The bread and butter for me. I know this phrase is overused, but I ACTUALLY CANNOT EVEN. I believe in coincidences, but there were things that happened on this day that were absolutely NOT a coincidence.

We had a general session with several TED-style talks:

SANDRA STANLEY talked about breathing room. Breathing room is defined by the space between the pace we’re going, and our own limits. Life is better with breathing room!

LUCRETIA BERRY is a past guest, and she had some encouragement for us. Tune in to hear her exclusive words, just for us!

MY NEW FRIEND NICKI KOZIARZ brought some FIRE about comparison. She says that comparison is the battle between whose truth you’re going to align with. Are you going to compare with someone else’s truth, or your own?

Comparison lets the world hold our standard. If success is defined in the eyes of the beholder, then who are you allowing to behold your success?

THERE IS A SPECIAL BRANCH OF MOPS called Teen MOPS. It’s for teenage moms, and it gives them resources and support. I met Rebekah, a leader of a teen MOPs group in New York. She’s a teacher and one of her 14-year-old students was pregnant and didn’t know anything about being pregnant. Rebekah has created a space for girls like this student to feel supported, educated and loved. They get donations of diapers, education, and other resources to send these girls home with, including a home cooked meal.

I LOVE that Teen MOPs is loving on teen moms, and I am excited to connect with my local Teen MOPs group.

BOB GOFF is the “Chief of fun and whimsy.” If you’ve never heard of him, grab one of his books. If you’ve ever heard the quote, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” that’s Bob Goff.

I reached out to Bob’s office to see if I could get a quote from him. They (understandably) told me that his schedule is very tight and they weren’t sure if they could make it work.

I don’t think that I’ve ever waited in line to meet someone. That stuff doesn’t really impress me, because I’d much rather have a meaningful conversation connection (I guess, wouldn’t we all want to sit down with a celebrity, right?)

After a series of events (which you can hear in detail in the episode), Bob Goff practically fell into my arms. He came to me on a silver platter. I am still in shock.

He and I talked about his podcast and I told him about my own show. When I asked if he would be willing to give my listeners some encouragement, he didn’t even hesitate. We went to a quiet corner of the room, he clipped the mic on, and here’s what he had to say to you, Wannabe Nation! (tune in to minute 40:53 to hear it!)

WHAT. DEAD. I AM DEAD.

Later on in the day, Bob talked about trying to have 12 meaningful conversations every single day, and be authentic for at least 3 full minutes. Don’t talk about authenticity and what you wish you had, but actually be authentic. I encourage you to do the same.

You don’t have to be a famous author, a celebrity or have a platform to change someone’s world. All it takes is seconds of authenticity and telling someone they matter. That’s what Bob did for me that day.

MOMCON PROM is the after party. All the moms get dressed up and dance it out, and it was the MOST fun. I even overcame my fear of dance circles.

Check it out:

MY BEST TIPS FOR ATTENDING A CONFERENCE:

WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES

I usually don’t walk less than 15,000 steps every day that I’m at a conference. There’s a lot of walking back and forth, so wear shoes that will last you the day.

BRING SNACKS

Most events don’t provide food, and if they do, it’s light or unhealthy (although I’m always up for a good danish or cookie between meetings). At this event in particular, there wasn’t a whole lot of time to eat. Bring (quiet) snacks that you can bust out in the middle of a session. You can even utilize apps like Instacart or UberEats and have them delivered right to your room!

BRING A LIGHT JACKET OR SWEATER

I was in Orlando, Florida: arguably one of the hottest places in the country at almost any time of the year. It was still DANG cold in those workshop rooms. You’ll thank me later.

SIT IN FRONT OF THE SOUND BOOTH FOR THE BEST EXPERIENCE

Trust me on this one. Front row seats are fine if you can get them, but I never had to fight the crowd once, and I had the best overall experience because I sat right in front of the booth.

The sound booth is usually set up in a spot of the room where there are minimal view obstructions, and where they can get the best idea of volume and mix of sound.

And while you’re there, THANK the techs in the booth. They are the unsung heroes of every event!

TAKE LOTS OF NOTES

I pride myself in my good memory. I can tell you phone numbers of friends from the 5th grade. But there is SO MUCH information given out at conferences that taking notes is one of the best ways to make the most out of your time, money, and experience. Even if you jot down a few words or phrases that help you remember the highlights of a certain speaker or workshop, you’ll appreciate it later when you get home to process and apply it all.

BE OPEN TO ANYTHING

Try not to come with specific expectations of how you think things are going to go. Stay open to the material you’re about to hear. You might learn something new!

GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO PROCESS

Skip a dinner out if you can. Bring a sack lunch to your room. Skip an early morning session. Take time to collect your thoughts, process and reflect on what you’ve learned.