Local Uni’s Commotional Event and Then? Gotta Bachata, Again
🤷♀️ ESTIMATED READING TIME: TWENTY MINUTES
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!Topics: Small Businesses, Resources, Connecting, Local Colleges, Networking, Businesses, AI
What are we getting into? First: an event that I have no clue about. It’s vaguely described (but close to my house at a venue I’ve always wanted to check out) - why not! This event even has a fancy name - so fancy that it sounds a little/lot cheesy… and that’s right up my alley. So, we’ll check it out… then, later, let’s head back to the Bachata/Salsa Dancie Social (for night 2).
Why Attend: I believe this event is about business (I saw they have one speech about Ai that I want to make… and then another after that which looked interesting) - and its very near my house. So, I’ll attend the second half & work on the transit to/from (on the bus/rail way) and then get home in time to teach my classes. This is to prove to myself that I can do it all - as planned… and not come up with excuses in the moment, which I’d later regret - and give myself excuses not to go to everything.. I set up this scheudle for a reason, now lemme test it out, enjoy life - and keep pacing/learning :)
Overall Event Reviews: Venue (4/5), Food (3/5), Speaker Content (2/5), Networking (2/5), Likeliness to Return (5/5). <—- event #1 (and then event #2 was pretty great, I won’t even rate it, whatever)
Photo Collage & Commentary:
NOTES FROM THE EVENT(S):
Disclaimer/Spoiler:
Yeah, the first dance night was legit so energy-draining for me (and the full day that day, from the computer and the hackathon before it - then the second dance event the next day).
So, I returned to this 2nd night of the dance event SOLO and with way more of an idea what to expect, TOTALLY dressed to impressed (even more than expected, and then salsa/bachatata'd again. But again, not for the WHOLE night, I left early/abruptly again. I stayed for a long time - not the whole time.
And then i almost went and bachata'd AGAIN the next night, but slept about 18 hours instead. Cause I wanted to take a nap at 3pm and then finally its 9am the next day and I’m here hahaha. Here we are now… getting to both this past blog and this blog at the same time. I’m writing them sorta back and forth. Cause they kinda go together. It’s sorta a duo to comprehend. And compare how both nights went of this dance event. So, we’ll get into that later. First, let’s talk about this community college event.
I dressed to impress a bit for this. In a short dress that is cute and then some tall boots that are like black/purple/brown and pumped up like a Spice Girl! hahah. I just love them a lot and wear them pretty often. Not lately, cause it’s been summer/warm, but… the dreary weather is back, and so is my “fall attire”. AND HOPEFULLY SOON CLEAR SKIES. LAtely it’s just undefined foggy/hazy “clouds”? idk. Idk about that. Its weird. Like a mix. :). weird weather.
So, I went to this event because it was nearby and I wanted to see waht was going on. Also the name of it legit was so unreal. It’s like, who came up with it? I won’t write it, don’t want to bash anything too much, but it kinda reminded me of the Step Brothers (movie) fake company called like… what were htey called “Real Estate Now”? I need to remember/look it up, one sec: Prestige Worldwide. Yes hahha. Okay, so this event had a similarly vibed name. And then I just arrived a bit late, during a break. But I thought I’d arrived at the end of a speech. Then I realized it was just… like, no… not very attended??? So then I talked to each of the booths and saw what they were pushing on people. I mean, telling these small business people about and recommending. I mean, saying about their companies and themselves.
Some of it extremely surprised me… liek the electricity guys not being hyped that I’m soon going to tour a NUCLEAR POWER PLANT (or something). I’m like, how are you guys not superfans of energy hwne you work for the energy company? Lol.
So here we go… my hand-written notes from this event (cause i asked the energy company if I could have one of their notebooks, then rushed off to hear a speech… (and grab a snack before the speech) but then i saw there was no speech at the moment!? everyone was in the hall? It was so few people… (but some people were in the room talking, waiting, I guess? but mostly it just wasn’t too crowded and i was SO surprised cause this event was free, right?)
Notes from the Event:
The power company is working to help small businesses transition their entire fleets to electric vehicles
they’re also offering incentives fr you to get smart thermastats and then use your different washer, dryers, and things at odd hours to help with energy costs
for me, this rings two bells. 1. i’ve heard crazy conspiracies online about how smart thermastats are sketcy and can be hacked.
2. i also think to myself, this is like suffering through noise pollution (maybe) - and your neighbors? or maybe its fine - just for a few extra bucks. IDK - just sticks people have to suffer and make these chocies. when bigger level choices could be made too. not just households getting reasons to switch to these EV and this and that!! WHAT ABOUT ALL THE LIGHTS LEFT ON AT CORPORATIONS NGIHT AND NIGHT AGAIN. etc :)
Just like worse sleep for hte entire family just for a few extra bucks in the short term, but maybe you feel no other choice. just not fair.
and the guy was nervous snacking so much - or i projected that onto my view of him. But still, i was a bigger fan of energy than him!!!
Upgrades in lighting, rebates and incentives. blah blah ( i think)
Next is brothers standing up for brothers to be treated properly at work.
they liked that i do financial literacy. fist pump.
Another group of two guys, mostly helping spanish speaking groups - but anyone too… they talked to me like i’d hardly left my house before and told anyone about a busienss. it was strange how they assumed i knew completley nothing. idk. just like maybe they got off on the wrong foot with me?
One lady is selling her classes but she has grants paying for the $1000 course (!? this is crazy to me business-wise)
One lady at the same booth (but then she seemed weirded out that iw as asking questions about they they had a QR code for one lady not there, but then two ladies at the table, each seeming to be selling their own thing? So I was like, wait, what are you guys? and then she was like. uh?
but she works as a consultant to help you get funding.
Then I go over and hear the Ai talk….
I realize I’ll probaly only stay one speech. I’m not sure why, I just get the feelign I want to stay here long.
He says Good afternoon and snaps.
He says his name, “but you can call me ‘D’” he says.
He’s wearing white cat eye glasses, a tight thick gold choker, all black clothes, and a thin gold bracelet.
He introduces himself and says he works in Ai and data.
He used to work at a lot of big famous companies, multi-billion SAAS companies.
Modern day strategy - get your data in order before you nened it.
He says, “who knows Ai? What is it? Anyone know?”
(I raise my hand but I’m looking down cause I assume everoyne raised their hand but my head was down. Then he said yes. yes, you?) and i realize he’s pointing to me. I say, “I liek to say that Ai amplifies the human experience”. So he goes, “okay” and writes that down. “anyone else?”
After I say that, he takes a few other answers (none of them related to what he says next
He says, “okay, time? I heard some of you say time, yes? It saves you time?”
Anyone else?
Then he says he’s working on the task force (??????) with our local government (i’m like, omg not another one of these guys!!?? the last guy i heard say this was bragging about making things freaky and tricking humans. like getting people to make pictures of deformed babies go viral!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
so now i’m like, alright who else do theyhave on this team? This guy? (you know. i’m like oh great, who else, this guy!?)
Then he gives a short history of Ai and says now we’re at the forefornt of getting the machine to think like a human. To take in info on what you’re saying.
There are levels of ai.
Ai has to be traiend.
Wake up and call input with data. So if someone says “hey alexa” etc.
No only and also what is the weather today
data the machine neeeds to run on to reason
RIGHT we all know this, right? probably
Ai has been around since hte 1950’s since it was coined (stuff like this kinda annoys me, when speeches are like - this isns’t new, it’s been here teh whole time, stop acting like its new…. its such an overused strategy for presentations, acting smarter than evertyone else and liek “duh, its been aroudn for decades, we jsut called it something different” - just usually this method is presented pretentiously and it was done so here, too)
Can machines think and experiment? Can we not tell the difference between a human or robot in a chat?
October 4, 2011 was the iphone 4 with siri
Then tesla now has computer vision. He says siri again.
Now generative ai with agents, query, get mroe responses. They act on behalf of you as well.
We are on the cusp of a 3rd industrial revolution (or 4th)
If you don’t catch up, you’ll risk getting left behind
I don’t like when people say this - especially people in power, right? like what the heck?? peopel are triyng their best already? and what is this speech so far? no real info.
Ai can help with marketing, customer service, legal, admin, sales, finance, hr, data.. calendar synicng and notes and emails
He’s like “what is a chat bot versus an agent”
many small businesses have hteir own LLM specific to the business.
Agents work on behalf of you, take action.
How do you get started?
I’ll go soon. I’m not enjoying this at all and have a lot to do today.
This event just has a lot of resources? idk.
This event is not niche enoug for me. I’ll leave ASAP.
How does Ai help you the most?
I said it helps me to back to my mission statement time and time again.
OMG now he wants everyone to download his app and get a free trial then after its 40% off and it gets all your schedule and emails and downloads nad notes? and has bots in it that help you?
His platform, sign up now? $39/month??
Everyone download it?? omg i’m leaving.
This is crazy, his agent (customer service, blog, social media) - they write for you? Lame! This won’t work longterm.
This is so crazy. You give him all your info. I’m going ot raise my hand.
I raise my hand and ask if you give him all your info since you give it to all the bots? he said no, privaacy is really important to him. He said they’re all private chats. All in your workplace. No one has access to hat. Security is very importnat
The bots get better as they get to know you. Aroudn your data.
It can even join calls for you (?!)
Join calls with summaries.
Organize tens of thousands of emails.
Okay, anyone have any questions about this agent? or shoudl we move to the next one?
I realize he has like 8 more agens to get through, so I stand up and go… I gotta teach and then I gotta bachata. and I’m not about to sit in this infomercial from the local leader’s buddy/”official ai patrol team”!! no! I have REAL work to do.
BACHATA EVENT NIGHT 2:
returning, I had a much better idea of waht to expect, and my dress was a HIT!
So, I stayed much longer this time, though not the full time. I won’t write about it much, but i had SO MUCH more fun attending alone. Which revealed a lot to me, too. That if you’re having NO FUN somewhere you’d usually have fun - and you’re with someone… maybe you need to just be alone in the future. And then let life entertain you with lots of ranodm people, and then just follow your heart and leave when you want, etc.
So, these dances were cool - a bit too much for me, like. I just had low energy. Almost went again the next night for a 3rd night of dancing, but instead… really did just sleep about 18 hours… followed by 18 hours of working hahaha. Which is me, now. :) cauase I love what i do: writing music, planning events, workign so hard - and then having so mcuh time for my daughter, too! :)
Overall Event Review Further Elaborations
Venue (4/5), I like that this place is so close to my house and it was a good size for the number of people, though it could have fit even more people
Food (3/5), decent spread… not amazing. like random salami and crackers hahaha.
Speaker Content (2/5), i mean. an infomercial, and beofre that an Ai 101 class, but even more basic. like literally from a textbook almost. plus mentioing of teh ai duty team or whatever which i’m like…. please. world. can we also look into this?
Networking (2/5), eh it was super un-networky at all. i met no one except the guy who worked at the library - turns out he’s the EMCEE too… and then the bored energy guys, etc.
Likeliness to Return (5/5) - yeah!! the location is so close and now i have better expecftations, can attend more, and let’s see how it goes. but… i mean….
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. 😊
