My Takeaways from the Idea Orgy that is SXSW

So I sit here, the day after I left Austin with almost sort of an emotional hangover. The time I spent at South By Southwest Interactive was a crazy whirlwind, to say the least. Literally, it’s like you’re in the middle of a massive idea orgy. Insane amounts of creativity and intelligence. The energy you feel all around you is indescribable. You’re surrounded by people from all different walks of life from all over the planet connecting, engaging in stimulating conversations and challenging one another. Party after party, filled with some of the most brilliant people on Earth. While it was intense, it was unbelievable. My perspective on life has 100 percent changed for the better. I learned soooo much about myself, the industry I work in, human beings in general… the list goes on and on. But as I reflect on the entire experience, I realize that the most valuable things I learned while down there were really not what I originally expected at all. Here’s a recap of my overall thoughts:

I’m not the only crazy person

I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to actually connect with others who are as ridiculously motivated as I am (and many are even more so). A lot of them completely put me to shame. Sometimes, especially lately, I feel as if I’m on an island by myself. I feel like no one understands me and thinks I’m completely insane to operate the way I do. They don’t speak the same language as me. I’m not even talking about social media, etc. But even relating to the life I want to live, why I won’t settle for anything less than amazing – in love, friendships, career, anything. Some people I know think I have too high of expectations and what I want might be unachievable. At SXSW, you are surrounding by people who are clearly wanting to push the envelope – to better themselves by learning from the best of the best, to meet people who could potentially encourage them to think outside the box and help make their dreams become realities. They thrive off the fast-paced, nonstop energy that the technology and interactive industry is built on. They take risks and go for it. And they apply the same priciples to all areas of their lives. I can’t even describe how great it felt to meet others from all over the world who were relentlessly passionate about life as I am.

Great things are happening all over

This was definitely one of the greatest takeaways from the entire trip. It was sooooo exciting to hear of all the unbelievable things people are doing all over the country (and world). So many talented and innovative entrepreneurs, marketers, companies… and SXSW was the perfect place to bring some well-deserved attention to on all of their efforts. It’s a place where people can make real connections, learn from each other, brainstorm ways to collaborate, and take ideas from all over the place and integrate them back into their own communities or companies. It was so inspiring to hear all of the stories of hope, failure, hard work and determination. It doesn’t matter where you live. There are people doing kick-ass amazing things everywhere. And I was so proud of my brother, Dusty, and the huge success of the Silicon Prairie News/BIG Omaha party on Sunday night. Hopefully it helped shed light on the new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs passionately making their mark in on the Silicon Prairie, and also encourages other communities to start highlighting some of the same exciting activities.

People are not always how they present themselves online

Undoubtedly, I met some of the most inspiring, passionate, driven, smart people I’ve ever met in my entire life. It was mind-blowing. Within the first three hours of arriving in Austin, I was hanging out with more than 80 percent of the people I had originally planned on meeting. Plus, many, many others. It’s almost surreal to have face-to-face conversations with so many people you’ve interacted with online for over a year – and with most, we’d chatted on a day-to-day basis.

It was an interesting case study. I know this seems like a “duh” statement, but I guess I just believe what I read and how they interact online (what else can you go off of?). So many completely surpassed my expectations. They were humble, genuine, smarter than shit. Even some of the “celebrities” (or whatever you’d call them) in the interactive world were totally amazing. They were down-to-earth and had conversations with you like you were an actual person, not some peon who was a mindless drone idiot who should worship the ground they walk on. They didn’t talk about themselves and their accomplishments and had no hidden agenda. They were genuinely interested in getting to know you, even if you weren’t technically a “name” as of yet.

At the same time, there were a handful of people who were very disappointing. The popularity of their blogs/product(s)/company had clearly gone to their heads and they were rude and wouldn’t give you the time of day. It was disheartening, really. I guess I see myself as a nice person and I’m not above anyone – never have, never will be. There’s no reason to make people feel like they’re not worthy of your time, regardless of what status you think you’ve achieved. Period, end of story. Get over yourself! It hurts other’s feelings when their treated like that and it says something about who you truly are as a person. Even the people you don’t treat like that see right through it, and it changes their perception of you. I honestly think what goes around comes around, and in time that will come back to bite you in the ass. Surely it was an eye-opener, but moving on…

A little shift in the focus of my energy and efforts

I’ve spent a lot of my time over the last few months connecting with some really great people. And some of those connections and friendships are invaluable to me. I started a blog so I could meet a wide variety of people, not necessarily specific to the marketing industry (otherwise that would be the sole focus of my blog). But after some conversations that I had with a few folks I very much respect in the industry, I was reminded that I need to refocus a lot more of my time on building relationships with pros in the PR/ad/marketing world. You see, I want to be respected for being an amazing marketing professional. For building great brands and businesses. Since I can only consume a limited amount of information each day, I need to make sure that I’m doing what’s best in helping achieve my personal goals vs. winning a popularity contest. So I’m going to cut the fat from the people who aren’t enriching my life. It’s a waste of time and energy.

Overall, it was an unbelievable experience. I’ll admit, it’s kind of hard coming back to “reality” after having been emersed in the crazy creative and inspiring environment that SXSW provides. But even as I deal with this emotional hangover, I feel more than ok. I feel AWESOME. Because I am more inspired than ever to become my best self, to help more people and to do even greater things in my city. Because I met people who have changed my life forever, and I now have a clearer vision of what I want to achieve. And the best part is that even though I only spent a few days, hours or moments with these people, our relationships don’t stop there!

Cheers to big things to come in the next year, folks!! Can’t wait for SXSWi 2011!!!

What were your biggest takeaways from SXSWi?? I’d love to hear any and all of your thoughts!