I was back at work yesterday, but I’m still processing everything from the weekend.
So much to unpack, but here’s my initial 21 thoughts from Killer Tribes…
1. I was worried that having the meetup at a coffee joint instead of a beer joint would stifle interaction. Was dead wrong about that. You could barely hear yourself talk above the sound of folks talking and laughing. (But yeah, next time I should have name tags.)
2. I slept fine the night before the conference. It was the night after that I had trouble. Once my head hit the pillow on Saturday night I started processing everything that had happened that day. Took me at least 2 hours to fall asleep.
3. During my Q&A with Derek Webb I was worried that we were losing folks because of how in-depth we were getting with some of our topics. But then all I heard about for the next 24 hours was how amazing Derek was. Kind of wish we would have gone an extra 20 minutes. Maybe I can find a reason to have Derek back again.
(thanks to @melissahillier for the photo)
4. Crosspoint Church was an amazing group to work with from start to finish.
5. Sarah Mae threw out her talk the night before and then went out and killed it on stage. At just 20 minutes she might have provided the most punch per minute, but ALL of the presenters were amazing. Thank you to all of you for delivering like I knew you would.
6. Got to see a little bit more of Nashville this trip and loved it. Ate lunch at an amazing taco place near Vanderbilt, had rooftop sushi downtown, and drank 3 glasses of water at a speakeasy in East Nashville. (I told the bartender I was the “designated driver” so I didn’t feel bad about not ordering a drink and he looked at me like I was wearing a cat around my neck. Then I tipped him 7 bucks for all the waters).
7. Conversation I had with Bart, clerk at the Hampton Inn on Thursday Night:
Bart: Do you need a wake-up call?
Me: If you’re talking about tomorrow morning, no. If you’re talking about life in general, maybe.
Bart: [no response]
8. The weather could not have been better. Sunny and near 80 all weekend (when it was in the 50s at home).
9. Kyle from The Baker Experience Group and Katie from No More Dirty Work were invaluable to me in pulling off the conference. Both are local to Nashville, so look them up if you need help with your project. (and while we’re here Chris from Disciple Media was a huge help as well….oh and Rob and Sharideth and the other volunteers I am not naming because there are too many, thanks so much everyone!)
10. There were almost 1500 tweets shot off on Saturday with the #killertribes hashtag. I’ve got them all saved for posterity’s sake. (and so I can pick a winner to the contest we held during the 3rd session.)
11. Loved having Erica there with me all weekend. She was right there when I needed her and doing her own thing when I was running around pretending to be important. Those of you who met her got a glimpse at how lucky I am to be her man.
12. Almost wore an identical MendMark shirt to the meetup as Tyler Tarver. And considering how studly he looked in his, it would have been an epic fail for my fragile ego.
13. Had a blast with the Stanton’s (the great Tyler and Amy, that is) on Sunday. Nothing like hanging with friends and having no agenda at all to unwind the day after an event. (This is us just minutes after the event ended, which explains my goofy grin.)
14. Eurasia Coffee did an outstanding job keeping people caffeinated. Ryan, Janae, and the rest of the team were easy to work with and brewed some great coffee for us. Loved having them there.
15. Watched a bunch of drunk 45-year olds get kicked out of a Hooters on Sunday night and proceed to scream at and flip off the waitresses from outside the store. One woman was grabbing herself as she cussed out the waitress. I’ve never felt more mature in all my life.
16. The blooper reel from all of our promo videos went over really well. You’ll see that here on the blog soon.
17. Tripp and Tyler were the perfect emcees for the event, so thankful that they could be a part. Daddy-O pulled me aside during the first break and told me that incorporating humor into the event was a great move and that it’s what most conferences are missing. I wouldn’t have it any other way. (Oh, and that video of Tripp and Rev. Run that we played after Daddy-O? That was a total audible at the line of scrimmage. They got the idea during his talk and made it happen.)
18. Speaking of cool conversations with speakers, Mark Hughes told me at one point that what we were doing at Killer Tribes was the future of marketing in the digital world. He said that he sits in rooms with Fortune 500 marketers all the time and they just don’t get it like we get it. That was pretty great to hear.
19. Hard not to beat yourself up for the things you didn’t think of, but all you can do is chalk it up to a lesson learned and use it to make the next one even better. I’ve got a list of improvements already, and I’m sure it will grow the more I reflect on the event.
20. So will there be a Killer Tribes 2013? If I have anything to do with it there will be.
21. One last thought: The more projects I execute, the more I learn about what I enjoy/don’t enjoy and what I’m good at/am not so good at. It’s a fascinating discovery process, and one that will hopefully serve me well as I transition into the second half of my career (whenever and wherever that happens).
Keep challenging yourself and trying new things, you never know what it will lead to!
—
If you were there, I hope you had a great time…
If you weren’t, I hope you’ll be able to come out to the next one…
(and now back to the cubicle.)
Sounds like it was an incredible event, Bryan. Loved following along with the hashtags here in Atlanta.
I was not “there” but I was by following all the great tweets. But that is what we do, right?
Love the idea of a 1 day event. And it seemed to me you had a great variety of speakers.
So, how about coming to Orlando next time?
Ever since I left on Saturday I’ve been thinking about how I can take what I learned at Killer Tribes and apply it to the world of collegiate ministry. I can’t wait to see what transpires! Thanks for this super-relevant event!
You’re right about Derek–one could see that you were concerned about the tone and length, but his enthusiasm and straight-out cojones made it great stuff. The whole day was energizing and inspiring: I AM a writer. Thanks so much, Bryan. You’re welcome in Nashville anytime.
Bryan, you did amazing, and your conference game me ideas for Allume! You killed it. There better be a 2013 Killer Tribes!
I was there and LOVED the whole weekend. I’ve told you in person (multiple times) and I’ll say it again: amazing job! Loved your 21 thoughts and I loved reading that you were told by some of the presenters that you nailed it. Very empowering to hear!
The best part of this post: hearing there will be a Killer Tribes 2013!
[...] I was going to try to recap the weekend, but I thought it might be better to hear some takeaways from the creator of the event himself, Mr. Bryan Allain. Here are a few of his thoughts. [...]
Loved reading all the tweets! I’ll be there next year!
If there is not one in 2013, I will become ENRAGED. Enraged pygmies are dangerous.
I had a blast/learned a lot/followed Sarah Mae around like a creepster/high-fived Knox McCoy in real life/sat beside Tyler Tarver (he didn’t smell like stale cheese)/had my name NOT mispronounced by Tyler Stanton/hugged around the neck SO many people I’ve connected with online…so I’d say it was a success.
Thanks for putting it all together.
Same time next week?
Scott and I really enjoyed Killer Tribes, Bryan. We left inspired and energized, and really appreciate all the diversity and humor and great information the speakers brought. Great job!
It was epic Bryan, no doubt.
Thanks to you, all the peeps that made it happen, and all who were there for the experience.
I’ll be back (if you decide to go forward for sure) – count on it.
Cant’ wait for Killer Tribes Strike Back, which is the only way I will refer to next year’s event.
Chad I love it, but then I am afraid, because who will be designated to lose their arm? Also, will there be darker undertones, and brothers kissing sisters? It’s not that it won’t be an adventure, but people get killed in adventures, and I don’t know any self defense.
Thoroughly enjoyed the event and currently trying to apply all of the information that was presented. Can’t wait for next year.
Bryan, I looked around at the end of the conference and pictured how big this could become if you wanted it to, and how, in 10 years, we will all be able to look back and realize how special the first time was. I’m guessing there were some life-long friendships made there. Very special indeed.
Was unable to attend at the last minute – my wife was admitted to the hospital with false labor on Friday and kept overnight for observations. She and the baby are fine, but I had to stay with our other two daughters. Curse you Braxton Hicks!!!!
Now you’ve got to have a Killer Tribes Part Deux in 2013 – just so I can attend!
i was looking for you Tor! Bummer you couldnt be there, let’s do it again next year!
Bryan, your conference was straight up phenomenal. I’m still marveling at how dense it was–so much amazing information packed into one day!!
Here’s to Killer Tribes 2013!!
Cheez-its and disarming introverts. It might be my favorite conference yet.
I like that it only took me like 5 tries to actually take a photo of you and the Stantons correctly. My bad on that one, Bryan.
Can’t say enough great things about the conference. The stuff I learned there is already setting up big changes in the next few weeks. SO true about Tyler & Tripp and humor at the conference. I go to so many events that are super dull. Nothing like KT. At this rate I don’t think you’ll be in that cubicle for too much longer Bryan.
Sounds like it was an awesome event. Congrats! Would love to attend next year if the sequel does indeed happen.
Wish I could have made it out to the conference but there was too much going on at home. Glad to hear it was an awesome experience. I’ve heard feedback from a few friends and they all said it was amazing.
Great job Bryan!
Sorry I missed it! Next year. Next year!
I look forward to 2013watching being announced. I want to be there.
I was so bummed that I couldn’t make it! But my CFO & I are already in negotiations regarding next year.
(My plan is: I’ll be there even if I have to walk from Phoenix!)
Amazing job, Bryan!!! Our team loved being a part! Excited for all that the future of Killer Tribes holds, and thankful to have the sweet opportunity to caffeinate the first ever Killer Tribes conference!
You crushed it Bryan. It was genuinely awesome. Worth every penny and all 16 hours of driving. Glad to hear it will be on for next year!
Bryan pulls off an amazing conference and goes back to his cubicle? No more excuses people. Wait until our boy works for himself. Dangerous.
What an amazing weekend! Dave Ramsey on Friday, and the rest of my idols on Saturday. And Bryan.
Glad it went well, Bryan. I hated that I missed it. Glad to hear next year is a go.
Thanks for sharing this highlights reel. It sounds like it was an amazing time. Maybe next year…:)
[...] the Killer Tribes Conference this past weekend. So many, in fact, that I won’t even link to any of [...]
Typo: You meant “spudly”, I filled my pockets with mashed potatoes prior to the hangout.
Awesome job Bryan, we should talk about our feelings sometime via handwritten letters.
Bryan, it was such a great conference! I loved every minute of it and I’m so glad there will be another next year–I already know people I’m inviting! Thanks for your hard work! [I normally have a strict don't-end-every-sentence-in-an-exclamation-point rule, but Killer Tribes deserves to break it.]
I was curious if you ever considered changing the layout of your website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or 2 images. Maybe you could space it out better?
It was so good, I would never have known it was your first time.
TWSS.