American Express: Business Class Live

What an exciting event: American Express Business Class Live!

There were people from all over and it was the first live business conference I’ve attended in quite some time. Everything was done first class, all the way. From registration to the elaborate breakfast, coffee, iced coffee, energy of the people assisting, it was stellar.

I got there really early, 8am almost on the dot. I was one of the first to check in. As I was drinking my cup of coffee, a lovely man from New Jersey approached me, and the networking began.

The first speaker they had was Issa Rae. She was full of life. Full of fire. And authentically honest, raw and real. She exuded beautiful bold confidence as she shared her story, made us all laugh and, my god, that woman has got 5 million things going on! They say millionaires have 7 streams of income, but Issa Rae surpasses them all!

Then came Adam Grant, who was strong, bold, and got us all clapping along! His main message was: liberate yourself by doubting yourself. He talked about testing your gut, not just trusting your gut. He had a lot to share about some of his mistakes, and what makes him a great author, speaker, and entrepreneur.

I quickly grabbed a bottle of water and headed to my first breakout session with Ram Charan. What a beautiful older Indian man. He was warm, worldly, and you could palpably feel his wisdom, his great teachings and interaction with us on what it takes to make money. He was all about the gross margin, cash flow, and finding a mentor to help you build and brand your business.

My 2nd breakout session was with Jonah Berger, the author of Contagious. And it’s exactly what he is: Contagious. In such a good way! He was funny, and held our attention in the palm of his hand- sharing stories of peanut butter, Corona and lime, and how to market yourself and your brand in the best possible way. Can’t wait to read his book!

American Express took care of all of the details, from providing a gorgeous notebook, meals, coffee, and a free book of your choice, I choose Bring Yourself by Mori Taheripour.

I took a little break, met a few interesting people, then gathered in the hall for the main speaker for the day: Jay Shetty.

His background of being a monk, his poise, and his soft but strong demeanor shined throughout the space. He hit home with me as he shared a beautiful story of letting go. It made me look internally and ask myself, “What do I need to let go of?”

He asked us, “What are you holding onto that’s not healthy?” Then he gave us the word time. TIME.

T- Thankfulness, gratitude- personally and professionally, what are you grateful for? Stay out of the negative.

I- Inspiration- it’s the insights that we take action on.

M- Meditation- spending time with yourself- getting deep within you and asking the deeper and deeper questions as they unfold.

E- Exercise- so important to sweat everyday, to move your body.

I loved what he had to day and how he shared it.

What’s so beautiful about live events is they inspire you to take action for yourself. In one of my conversations, I shared with someone the beginnings of my next venture. He encouraged me to think big, think outside of the box, and gave me some wonderful advice on how I should approach it.

I’m grateful for American Express, everyone that was a part of planning it, and everyone I met. I can’t wait for the next one.