“I’ve recorded these lessons on three-by-five cards that I carry with me every day at home and on the road. (This wonderful system is something that I learned more than 20 years ago from Harvard Business School professor Ted Levitt, one of the mentors you’ll meet in this book.)

Not long ago, I reviewed all the three-by-five cards I’d written on and saved. This time my goal was to capture the rules I’d learned.”

Well, I (Stephen) certainly didn’t go to Harvard Business School, but I have been carrying notecards and notebooks around for a pretty long time. After I finish reading this book I am going to have to dig into those archives and see what pearls of wisdom I can recover.

In the meantime, let’s take a look at rule #1: When the going gets tough, the tough relax.

I can get behind this idea! In fact, it reminded me of something I had read somewhere before, especially as Webber expands on the idea, “Anytime you approach a task with fear you are a double loser.” and “Don’t let fear undermine your chance to do that one thing you’ve wanted to do.”

What are you really afraid of

Indeed, fear can make a mess of things. Fear can also cause you to not make a mess, because you just might. Quoting from Frank Herbert’s Dune: (wikipedia link)

The litany against fear is an incantation used by the Bene Gesserit throughout the series to focus their minds and calm themselves in times of peril. The litany is as follows:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

(I trust that this isn’t getting too deep.) Fear is the mind-killer. The dream-killer. The slayer of ambition and innovation. Fear of the unkown has killed more good ideas than we can probably count.

Don’t get me wrong, there are times when prudence is called for. But there are also times that you need to “feel the fear and do it anyway“.

Even George Costanza was able to overcome his fear and start making decisions. Completely opposite decisions to what he thought – knew -  were right:

What fears have you overcome? Or, put another way, what would you attempt to do if you believed that you could not fail? Share in the comments.

SOBCon09 is already being planned. Send us your feedback and your ideas or leave a comment right here.

7 Precious Responses by SOBCon08 Participants:

“The subtitle of the conference should have been ‘Hugfest 2008′. [...] This will be one of my enduring take aways and I am deadly serious. [...] One thing is for sure. You have to make SOBCon09.” – Chris Garrett

“It’s been quite a weekend, by any measure of meaningfulness. [...] So, what am I going to do with this information? I’m going to concentrate on my readers more and stop trying to drive traffic as a primary goal. If I take care of them, they will take care of the rest.” – Jesse Petersen

“People, if you’re not here, you are missing out big. I’m so, so serious about this. SOBCon is one of the least expensive and most valuable conferences I have attended to date.” – Kristen King

“One of the big themes I picked up from the event is the importance of community. I used to think it was conversation that was important, but there’s a difference between the two. Trust develops among a community.” – Matthew Murphy

“The session Saturday was so packed full of ideas that inspired me and lightbulb moments that my brain was numb by the close of the session.” – Chris Brown

“My head is so overstuffed with ideas that I couldn’t possibly write them all down.” – Sonia Simone

“After all, in the blogosphere, it really does boil down to people.” – Timothy L. Johnson

And on that note …

SOBCon08 Photos – Business is About People

More SOCon08 images here.

Once again, thanks to all who helped make SOBCon08 an unforgettable professional and personal experience!

What did you think of SOBCon08? What lessons did you take home?

I took 5,613 words of notes. Here are 50 of the most precious.

Let your content be an ambassador for what you do. – Chris Garrett

Own a space, not just a channel. – David Bullock

Businesses are full of people. – Chris Brogan

Don’t sell people what they need – sell them what they want, because if they want it, they’ll need it. – Liz Strauss

You get what you give. Give more of you. – Wendy Piersall

What was your favorite quote or thought from SOBCon08 today? What did you think of the speakers? What will you do differently because of what you learned here?

Write down your personal mission statement – something you could say in 12 words or less if somebody held a gun to your head. – Anita Bruzzese

A subscriber who is not interested in buying something is not good for your business. – Brian Clark

What’s your promise? Who’s going to love what you do? – Lorelle VanFossen

More to come.

SOBCon08 kicked off in grand style tonight as dozens of bloggers and entrepreneurs enjoyed a cruise on the “Summer of George,” which floated us all through a brief downpour on the Chicago River and into the clear, windy night on Lake Michigan.

Christine Kane sang beautifully (while playing the guitar … and keeping her balance!).

Liz Strauss moved us with her masterful words.

The food, drink and conversation warmed our hearts.

Open Comment Night was never flashier, funner or more unforgettable.

Follow the SOBCon08 Flickr pool to see photos and videos from the conference.

Thank you to all our sponsors and organizers for putting together a night to remember.

On to a great day of learning and masterminding tomorrow!

What did you think of SOBCon Day 1? Who did you meet? How did you like the atmosphere?

1. Tony Clark - “I’ve been to lots of conferences, conventions, seminars, and meetings over the years. Too many to remember. I can honestly say this was by far one of the best.”

2. Wendy Piersall - “The presentations were just amazing – they far exceeded my expectations.”

3. Vernon Lun - “This wasn’t a conference, it was a life experience. I felt I could really walk up to anyone in the room and talk to anyone as if I had known them forever.”

4. Tammy Lenski – “Picture 110 people in a hotel ballroom, all generously sharing business ideas and secrets, building on each other’s creativity, and offering their experience as a gift. I can’t remember the last time I was in a space where that kind of spirit abounded on such a large scale.”

5. Easton Ellsworth (me) – “It was superlative and life-confirming in every sense.”

6. Joe Hauckes - “There was so much interaction between the speakers and participants (more than just attendees) it felt more like a neighborhood get together of friends and not a conference.”

7. Chris Cree - “A classic example where the total is far greater than the sum of the parts.”

8. Peter Flaschner - “It was a wonderful event. Very inspiring, with tons of actionable advice and tips.”

9. Hannah Steen - “WOW. What an experience.”

10. Liz Strauss and many others – You’ve just gotta read the post and comments.

I could go on, but you’re probably getting too excited.

Register now or take a deep breath and read on.

Here are 3 key reasons SOBCon08 is going to be even better than SOBCon07:

1. Bigger. More attendees. More planning. More to talk about. More to do. More, more, more, more.

2. BAP. “The SOBCon08 program guarantees to send each attendee home with a Business Action Plan that can be immediately executed for measurable success.”

3. Biz. School, that is. An even stronger focus on business blogging and how to use blogs to boost your business.

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably salivating. It’s okay.

Here’s what you have to do.

Register for SOBCon08 now.

Sell your fridge if you have to. Sell your doors and windows. This conference will more than make up for them in food for thought and portals of opportunity.

Please, please come to SOBCon this year. You will not regret it.

I promise.

Planning a conference is a lot like planning a wedding reception. Everyone thinks, “Oh it doesn’t matter if I RSVP.” But business is about being able to make a decision. We made our decisions. Can you make yours?

Would you invest one day of experts, models, and teamwork to build your business around your strengths, your situation, and where you want to be?

Success is a decision.

• Register now.Lots of registration perks up.
• If you’re returning from last year, register by April 1 to take advantage of that great price.
• If you’re planning to stay in the Club Quarters Hotel or the Hotel 71, book now. The rooms are limited, especially at the Club Quarters. Some folks have already signed up. Rooms are at a premium.

Karen at bestwellnessconsultant [@] gmail [dot]com has volunteered to help coordinate a list of roommates for those who are looking.

Southwest has come great airfares. They also require a decision.

SOBCon08: Stop the Noise, Drop the Details, DECIDE YOUR BUSINESS

Too abstract? Okay, okay.

According to a poll of 5,000 recent brand-sponsored event attendees, purchase intent rose 11-52% after attending such events. About 50% of the time, people actually bought things they had learned about at the events.

The poll also found that business-to-business events (like SOBCon!) are especially good for selling to potential customers. 54% of 2,000 trade show attendees reported an increase in purchase intent because of those events.

There are at least 250 reasons why you should sponsor SOBCon.

We hope to bring in 250 smart entrepreneurial minds and stir them together for 3 days.

And have you considered the word-of-mouth marketing power those 250+ souls possess?

Together, their blogs and websites reach over 80 million people every year. That’s about 7 million people a month.

And these business bloggers – these SOBCon 08 attendees – are some of the most well-networked people in the world. When they hear about a great product or service, they can’t help but tell their friends about it.

I can think of only 2 legitimate reasons why you shouldn’t be a SOBCon sponsor:

1. You don’t have anything to offer an intelligent, business-minded audience.
2. You don’t have any money to be a sponsor.

In both cases, you’ve still got well over 2 months to come up with what you don’t yet have.

And I promise it will be sooooooooo worth it for you. The ripple effect alone could be staggering.

Right this way.

SOBCon07 was a wonderful event that will always have a warm place in my heart, because of the great spirit of friendship, generosity, and shared learning that was in that room for the entire day.

Check out the SOBCon07 page for pictures, and just a few of the comments and posts from attendees.

The common response we got in the aftermath of such a great experience was “when can we do it again?”

I’m quite happy to tell you that we WILL do it again, in Chicago, with the theme “Biz School for Bloggers”, on these dates;

May 2-4, 2008

Mark your calendars NOW and watch this space for an announcement of the meeting place and registration details.

We have an awesome program planned – check out the “program” page for more details.

Yours truly will be the MC, yes, Christine Kane will once again perform, and perhaps even a “bloggy dance” will take place. Maybe

Since space will be limited to 250, I’d also strongly suggest that you get on our priority registration notification list by going to the contact page and filling out the form – that way you’ll be sure not to miss the chance to be a part of this special event.

We’re also going to have a really cool Sunday session called “SpeedSpeaking” – do you think you can “pitch” 20 slides in 5 minutes? Drop us a note if you’d like to be considered for that session

One more thing – if you have any interest in being one of our valued sponsors, please go to the contact page and drop us a note; we’d be happy to send you our sponsorship package. I think you’ll find a package for just about any budget that would bring great value to your business.

See you in Chicago!

Festivities start Friday, May 11th at 6:00pm with a live performance from popular songwriter, performer (and blogger!) Christine Kane.

That’s followed by the Open Mic Night Cocktail Party – a live community event, where we’ll take the conversation out of the comment box!

Saturday, May 12th starts at 8:00am. A day full of interactive presentations on publishing, design and branding, tools, analytics, social networking, marketing, and coaching — all from the perspectives of the relationship blogger and the audience.

Speakers include:

Phil Gerbyshak Make It Great! Relationship Geek

Liz Strauss Successful-Blog, SOB and BAD Blogger

Check out the full schedule.

Why You Should Attend!

• LEARN how to write compelling posts that draw readers in
• SEE how great blog design can make a difference
• DISCOVER how analytics and other tools can help you maximize your blog’s potential
• HEAR innovative and useful blog marketing techniques that will expand your reach and viewership
• GAIN valuable insights on ways to use blogging as a coaching tool
• CONNECT with other bloggers through our pre-launch activities and interactive presentations

Limited Spots Available. Sign-Up Today!