THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS "DIVA"

http://www.vladville.com/2007/07/are-you-going-to-smb-nation.html 

Top five reasons to go to SMBNation

1.  It's in Redmond so Microsoft team members that you know in that location have no excuse to not accept your phone call when you can walk over to their building.

2.  Because I do want to give my backing to Dana and Arlin.  Quite frankly even if I wasn't speaking I would go. 

3.  It's not a week away from your business the way WWPC is.  It's not just the $1,800 (and not everyone in attendance paid that mind you), it's the hotel, and the flight, and ...and this is more importantly... it's a week away from business.  In a firm with employees that generate revenue while I'm gone, it's somewhat easy for me to take off a week...but that depends on the time of the year. 

4.  You never know whom you might meet.  Chris Rue, the unknown MVP and I met in person for the very first time at SMBnation. 

5.  Every single time I've gone, there's been some NDA information given out in a session.  Seriously. 

It's always been a blend of technical and marketing.  But quite frankly in any conference there's always a balance between the content and the interaction of the folks that show up.  But that's the key.... you have to 'show up'.

But to my friend (yes even in Facebook), Vlad, I'm going to publically say that quite frankly that list of impressive people going you cite.... we aren't truly SBS/SMB consultants anymore.  Quite frankly, some of us never were.  SMB consultants don't write books or do support or blog blogs.  They support and install networks.  So to say that you want to talk about the issues our businesses face when other people are struggling still with the "business"..quite frankly Vlad, the conference isn't there for the likes of you and me.  It is there for those still seeking the answers.  And quite frankly that's okay. But if we hold ourselves out to be leaders, we shouldn't be turning our back on the very community that got us here that we are still a part of.

Community is what you make of it.  And sometimes those of us who hold ourselves out to be leaders need to understand that leading sometimes means supporting and stepping back and growing a stronger community by encouraging those coming up.

And for me... there's still a lot of community left at www.smbnation.com

See you there in September.