After Alt: Organize Your Inspiration & Get to Work

By Sara Urquhart. Photography by Mandy Pellegrin.

Alt Salt Lake City is over. You’re home now and your head is spinning with awe, inspiration, and maybe a little intimidation. It’s time to put all those great ideas to use to build your business.

Start by making a list of your biggest a-ha moments. Hopefully you took some time each day at Alt to jot down those highlights, and you can use this list to prioritize your actions. Start with the things that moved you most, and break down the action items associated with each idea. Then put them on the calendar and start. Just start. Success in following up on all the inspiration and ideas is a matter of moving forward.

Make another list of people you need to follow up with: pitches, phone calls, collaboration ideas, emails, even something as simple as a note to someone who impressed you (they’ll be flattered, and you’ll feel great acknowledging them). Put these to-do’s on your calendar. Remember, moving forward with the conversations that you started at Alt is key to turning that inspiration into profitable action. If you’re waiting for someone to send a pitch to you, don’t worry about reaching out to her first just to share your enthusiasm.

As you sift through the business cards you received, decide who you’ll follow on Twitter and Instagram. It’s fun to think you’ll follow everyone you met, but it’s kind of impossible, too. It’s ok to pick and choose.

As you move through your priorities, you may find that some things will fall off the list. Maybe you found a perfect fit early on or a project that will take up more time than you’d expected. Shifting priorities is fine. If someone is waiting for you though, just let her know you’re not available right now. That’s the professional approach. (Avoiding or ignoring emails is the unprofessional approach.)

Schedule your list of inspired action items just like you would your editorial calendar, and soon you’ll be watching all those great ideas turn into realities.

Comments

[Dan Artley]

It was a pleasure serving everyone from this event in Salt Lake City at The Grand America Hotel. I am a banquet server there and worked your event for 2 days. I have never met so many friendly, energetic, and positive people in my life in one space. I've been inspired and learned alot from this event. Thank You!