Dear Reader,

Creatives and industry leaders attended conferences like SXSW in Austin, game developers attended GDC in San Francisco, and travel professionals went to ITB in Berlin this month.

There are well over 200 conferences/trade shows, congresses, etc. worldwide in the month of March alone! They cater to professionals wanting to keep up with their skills and industry trends alike. Some attend partially because it’s almost tribal and they are afraid of missing out (FOMO). Others attend because they are invited to speak and therefore they show up as subject matter experts. I am sure there are more reasons to attend a learning experience.

As you are planning your trade show/conference/congress travel schedule, I want to encourage you to go a bit deeper. Don’t just go because you have always gone or because you want to see your peers in person. I get it, we are still living in COVID backlash times and maybe connection is what you need most. Just be thoughtful about it.

Today I want to encourage you to:

1) Take a moment and think carefully about what it is that YOU are really curious about that you might get from this event.

What do you want to learn? Or learn more about?

What would provide you with a new perspective?

What would expose you to people that you normally wouldn’t rub elbows with?

And

2) What is the best way for you to learn and immerse yourself in the new subject? We have so many options now: in-person, online, self-study, hybrid, large venue, intimate setting, customized, more general, etc.

Learning is not about being efficient. I am sure you have a different learning style than I do. What works for you might not work for me. So, really thinking about what you need and how to get it is imperative. What will light you up?

I went through a phase of attending conferences every year until I discovered that I wasn’t learning anything new in those settings. It got to the point where it felt like the same or different people just rehashing what was said before. The conferences had become stale to me.

As part of being professional certified coaches, though, it is imperative to keep up with our continuing education units to further ourselves and our profession. So I want to give you a little glimpse into what kind of trainings, based on what I really wanted to learn, I engaged with just this month. I hope you’ll enjoy the variety and maybe it will inspire you to think outside the box or around the corner just a little bit more. There is something powerful in having a beginner mindset! Here goes:

1) Avalanche Training | Learning: Risk Assessment

In person, 60 percent in back country

Since we love the back country, my daughter asked me to join her for a three-day avalanche training. I didn’t have that on my radar before, but I stayed open and loved it. What a great way to learn with folks who are passionate about the same thing in a very different way. A3 Approved Avalanche Level 1 course by SWS Mountain Guides

2) Art of Your Life Workshop | Learning: Art and Life

Online

I have had Nicholas Wilton on my radar for a while, but this time I actually cleared space for his five-day workshop. I had so much fun that I ended up signing up for the Creative Visionary Program, a 12-week intensive. Nicholas is a renowned artist whose work you might recognize from the cover of “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz, and Brene Brown’s “The Gift of Imperfection.” I personally love his abstract art.

3) Ideal Engagement | Learning: Coach-Specific Engagement

On-Demand

This one was interesting. I wanted to find out how on-demand learning is set up online. And this course was offered with very coach-specific training meeting ICF CCEU requirements. Even though it met my requirements, I can’t say that this version of on-demand met my expectations. It didn’t have a community component to it, but that is what the advertising had let me to believe. Lesson learned!

4) The Living Proof Longevity Challenge | Learning: Health and Well-Being Habits

Online community and email instruction, supported by podcasts

In preparation for my next through hike (more on that in another newsletter), I decided to get a health baseline that I couldn’t get from my general healthcare provider. This Living Proof Longevity Challenge motivated me to get a baseline of my physical well-being in January and then embark on a 12-week journey to chip away at modifying my own habits. By the time you are reading this, I am 2/3 of the way through the program and I have made some very positive changes that I know I can keep going in the long term. It raised my level of awareness as well as my actions.

5) A Deeper Form of Rest, a Weekend with David Whyte | Learning: Reflection

In-person at Asilomar

I have attended a weekend retreat with David Whyte at Asilomar before and loved it. There is something magical and regenerative about being in a Julia Morgan-designed Arts and Crafts building overlooking the Pacific Ocean and listening to words from David Whyte and Irish music. And I can ride my bike there!

As you can see, some of these trainings serve to continue my education as a Professional Certified Coach. But beyond that, it’s a commitment to continued growth and personal development. I typically choose a variety of professional topics, but also health, nutrition, physical fitness, leadership, risk assessment, creative expression, etc. It’s a commitment to lifelong learning.

It gets me out of ruts, opens my mind to different perspectives, teaches me new skills, is fun, and gives me a sense of accomplishment.

So, what about you? What are you currently learning that is new and exciting that teaches you about yourself as you are engaging with others?

Please share and let me know what lights you up.

Curiously,

Dany

P.S. What a way to find out who is fascinating, my word for the year!

_________________________

Daniela Bryan

Chief Vision Officer at DBCoach

Executive Coaching for Global Leaders Who Care
​www.lonelyatthetop.com​

+1 844-322-6224 (1)

Schedule a call here​

_________________________

​
​

​
​

​
​