Disclaimer: Everything below is a mix of what I observed and heard during the event. The goal isn’t to pinpoint "who exactly said what," but to share (usually) an outsider's view and overall perspective on these industries. I’m not here to act as a definitive firsthand source—readers should do their own research. I hope this inspires you to attend events, explore new industries, and hear what leaders are presenting. These notes combine my observations with thoughts on how things could run smoother and how ideas connect (IMO). I’m not an expert, you know? Just hanging out in the room with them. Enjoy.
Wowie wowie. I came up with the idea to just host a billion events and see which ones got popular. Many of the events are speeches I’ve given many times… some of them were brand new. Of the 9 events, I’d say… 1… 2… 3… 4… four of them went phenomenally, one went uniquely amazing, and three sorta didn’t happen or shifted gears. Overall, it was like way too exhausting, but I didn’t realize it till I was done with them all, and now I’m still recovering. Below I’ll write a summary of each and the best takeaways - plus a bonus writing on a project I did over the entire experience (and maybe what i’d do differently next tiem at the end)
Why Attend: I wanted to get more people aware of my events since AI Week is more actively promoted in the city. I figured i’d take full advantage of this opportunity and host a lot of events. First I planned 4 events, then I got invited to host a table with a stipend (that was cool to get paid for hosting a table) - then each event I also charged for tickets for guests (avg $10-55/person) - and finally I realized to host events that attract my exact audience, not just random things… so, it was like so many things at once. No regrets, but also a lesson learned in working myself that hard. It’s taking me, like… so far 3.5 days to recover, and I think I’m still not caught up.
Photo Collage and Commentary:
Maybe I just include my interviews here instead of my typical collage? I feel I didn’t get many images this time… but I got a lot of epic interviews.
Here’s me and John Kennedy from Actual.AI.
Here’s me and Joshua Hale discussing propaganda in media
Here’s me and John du Pre Gauntt discussing AI in filmmaking.
Here’s me and Ricardo Frazer discussing trauma in media.
Here’s me and Sir Mix-A-Lot discussing financial literacy for kids, sobriety, and more.
NOTES FROM THE EVENTS
SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING OVERHAUL WITH THE HELP OF TIM REHA
OVERVIEW OF EVENTS
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
WHAT I’D DO NEXT TIME:
next time, I think I’d limit it to four events. I’d like to have epic events that are so amazing, bring in money, and create an amazing time for everyone involved. I don’t want to stretch myself so thin and I don’t want to NOT attend any other events. This time, I didn’t even attend anyone else’s event (except one party, which I stay at for six hours and had a surprisingly amzing time - but also it was in a penthouse, so - not outrageously surprising it was fun. I love a good/cool environment)
Until next time, I wish you the motivation and success to search for opportunities around your area. Search and explore: Who is out there giving talks? There are new things happening all of the time.
Find relatable or interesting topics you like and check them out! Maybe even something hosted at a cool venue, if there’s no other reason to go. Let’s see what you can learn and discover not too far from home. 😊
