I have to admit, I really do enjoy attending a good conference. This past week I had the pleasure of spending three days at Brendon Burchard’s Experts Academy and I wanted to share some of what really stood out for me with you:
1. Be fanatical about learning. Less than 5% of people read more than one book a year last time I did some research for one of my clients. If you read more than one book – count yourself among the small group who do this.
Brendon is passionate about reading just like I am. Many of the books he suggested to the audience are books I have also read. Your knowledge is a competitive advantage in todays information age and there is no shortage of places to acquire it.
Take for example the knowledge I acquired while I was at Experts Academy. I could have done tons of research online, read multiple books and probably learned what I did but – learning in the setting from someone who has done what you want to do allows you to fast track the learning. When you fast track your learning – you get there first. In business that is a competitive advantage.
2. Share your failures too. One of the things I really appreciated from Brendon was hearing not only about his success but his failures too. The things he did early on that did not work allow me to sit and know that some of my first attempts were not as bad as I thought either.
Too often we think it is our success that endears others to us but in truth it is our vulnerability and our willingness to take the next step – and not get stuck just because something didn’t work the first time.
I am about to launch a new program called Video Creation Formula for people who have never done video but want to start and I plan on being completely transparent about all the mistakes I made along the way – the horrors of doing my first video and how I have progressed to having thousands of views on my channel and hundreds of comments and email exchanges telling me how much my videos have helped someone.
I never would have experienced the win if it were not for the early stumbling blocks.
3. Always think Strategy. Brendon asked a question about how many people have been trained on strategy and out of 800 people there were only 3 in addition to myself who could say yes to this.
Strategy is key in business. If you work for a corporation you know that death by meeting usually revolves around strategy, objectives, tactics and efficiencies. I am glad Brendon brought this up because I have a renewed passion to approach my business in a more strategic fashion.
I have modeled what other people do for long enough – it is time to trust my (and your) intuition and create a well thought out strategy for my business. Strategy and measurements (objectives) are critical if you want to take your business to the next level in the next 12 months.
4. Think in terms of models or frameworks. We all have systems, processes and ways that we do things in our business. Often they are habits that have never been documented or contemplated because we are so busy doing.
Take some time and think about how you do what you do. What are the top five ways you get results? What are the top five ways you engage with your clients? What are the top five ways you set up and get ready to blog or use social media?
There are processes inside of all of us, models we could be using to teach others that we are not even conscious of. Take time to think about these and write them down. There is gold in the way you do things. Remember – if you are a reader you are a five percenter. This means you are further along the path in what you do than 95% of the population. How you do things can fast track the learning for someone else.
5. Practice your skill. Brendon had us do several exercises in groups where we had to demonstrate the very thing he was teaching on the fly. We also had to do it with a different group each time adding more to the discomfort.
In adult learning principles you have to hear something, see something, write it down and practice yourself if you want to take the learning up to 90%. Brendon did an exceptional job of creating a learning environment for his students.
My only constructive comment would have been around the hugging. I get that he wanted us to connect but being asked to hug five strangers when you are a woman is not always comfortable. It left me feeling a bit uncomfortable to the point that during the last exercise on Saturday I left and chose not to participate because I did not want to be there when he did the predictable and asked everyone to hug five or ten different people. I feel that shaking hands would have been plenty of an introduction.
I would love to know how you feel about this type of exercise. Are you all for it or do you think it’s a bit too close for comfort to hug strangers at an event? Share in the comments!
All in all it was a great conference and experience. I was amazed by the number of Canadians I met and appreciate Brendon asking all the women in the room to stand up and be acknowledged for bringing their leadership to the expert community!
14 thoughts on “5 Things I Learned at Brendon Burchard’s 2012 Experts Academy”
I have to agree Lisa, while not opposed to hugging I am more comfortable with a warm and friendly handshake. It sounds like a great training, as a serial entrepreneur I am always looking for solid educational opportunities.
Thanks for sharing!
Clara
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for sharing these pearls. I thought I was the only one out there with these thoughts about “hugfests”. I’m all for a sincere handshake…just don’t enjoy strangers in my personal space all that much. Seems expected at many of the events I attend.
I agree with you Lisa, hugs are not the new handshake. Persoanlly, I think women need to do more hand shaking and take the lead in doing it.
Hey, Lisa. I too prefer a handshake when getting to know someone, but after we know each other I love hugs.
I’m excited to learn more from you of what you learned through The Social Business Academy 🙂
xoxo
Elizabeth
Hi Lisa,
Great content as always. Thank you for sharing. Even though I am naturally BIG on hugs, however, I believe our boundaries are OUR personal choice which varies with each individual. So requesting someone with innate pressure to participate and not stand out, to on the spot potentially not honor their boundaries is simply not empowering. As a facilitator, it is our job to create an emotionally safe learning environment in order for the participants to get the most out of the experience. I understand Brendan’s intention to connect the group and have them venture outside of their comfort zone but there are other more effective ways of doing this so it empowers those within the group not dishonor them. – LG
Lisa I have a question for you. If there were men participating, do you think they were uncomfortable hugging strangers? I am sure there are a lot of folks that would not be comfortable with strangers invading their personal space. Perhaps this is yet another technique to get out of your personal comfort zone.
Thanks for sharing~
I attended Brendon’s Expert Academy last September. Wow, drinking from the firehose for sure! Loved it. The hugging didn’t bother me at all. It takes 6 to maintain your perspective and positive approach to life.
Great comments! Thank you all! I have to say… or add… that for the most part, I did not mind the hugs. Unfortunately it was the couple of inappropriate gropes that turned me off the hugging expedition! Only takes 1 or 2 to upset the energy for the rest. 🙂
Lisa – I found your blog via a Google entry for Brendon Burchard – I was looking for non-sales comments and you have provided that.
Interesting, I’m half-Canadian… my mother was born and raised in Winnipeg (up until the age of 8) – her parents moved to Los Angeles in the 20s. I was born and raised in Los Angeles.
I’ve been in business since the 70s — never “made it big” but, I enjoyed my work. I married a fine young woman from Dublin and we “reared” five children — coming up to our 48th anniversary.
I agree regarding hugs — in my book, hugs are for family and friends… not strangers. I saw an ad for one of Brendon’s events and people were jumping up and down and giving each other hugs… a big turn-off for me… kind of like mass hypnosis … not my cuppa tea.
Thank you for the info above…
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🙂 I don’t mind hugs, but agree, there needs to be a level of comfort. Glad the blog was useful, the event was really awesome aside from that!
Thanks for sharing! Be obsessed with learning. Take what you’ve learned and put it in an easy to follow system to streamline the learning for others. Develop a strategy for selling the system. Love it! Does anyone know the main differences between Experts Academy and Total Product Blueprint?
THANK YOU! This is what I was looking for. I have not been to one of his events – but have read many of his writings and watched alot of videos.
You have given me some great pieces to my puzzle of the big picture.
As for the hugging – my wife is just like you. Don’t touch. I on the other hand am a hugger.
I have recently learned about how we keep energy bottled up inside us. Usually this stems from past experiences and the
meaning we associate to it.
Did you know if a baby does not get hugs it will die? I say this because we actually need hugs. In some culture this is a way of greeting.
I write this not to suggest you change – but merely to reflect on this belief. When was the most recent experience that this happened?
Then the one before that, and then before that… and go back as far as you can. It may take some time – but you will eventually come to a
point where you realize the defining moment. Without any JUDGEMENT – just feel what it was like at that time.
How did you feel? Was it fear, shame, guilt, unworthiness, abandonment?
Just feel it… this will let it go – I would venture to guess that you are stuck in some part of your life – not living at a level you want.
This may help… actually it will help.
I send this with the warmest regards to – thank you for sharing and bless you in all you do!
I am a hugger, I just don’t like being hugged by strange men with wandering hands if you know what I mean.
Whaaoe Lisa – what insights – THANK YOU for sharing. Its my 1st time on your site and an impressive intro at that. Being a woman in a “mans” world most of my conservation career with similar experiences on “hugging” and the “misconceptions” it could create – I got a piece of powerfull advice from a mentor at the time (John Wright) – and it works like a charm – allowing access though those powerful boundaries of “personal space”, connecting at a very different level than a handshake allows and leaving me feeling woman, powerful and connecting with the right “signals” — his ADVICE – a one-armed side-hug. Yes ….. needs creative thinking to execute at times – but people VERY quickly become accustom to this and it becomes the norm with you. May 2018 be THE MOST AMAZING year for you, one filled with adventure, progress and all the results you are after.