We all remember when Covid hit. For the first time ever, many of us were forced to slow down and stay home. In a way, I loved it. I ate lunch with my partner every day and had an excuse not to go anywhere.

We also discovered that remote work, works. And many workplaces have never returned (we won’t get into the ones who have right now).

Essentially, the world changed forever. And much of this was good. But not all.

Enter the new reality for most people who log onto their computer every day and proceed to spend the next 8 hours in back-to-back Zoom meetings. Exhausted at the end of the day and managing families, we stay in and scroll or binge Netflix. The weekend often means shuttling kids to this or that.

And without realizing it, many people have become isolated and disengaged. We see people but don’t take the time to connect. We text but never talk.

This has created a new wave of interest in intentionally seeking in-person connection with people. It certainly has for me.

Before Covid, I had never invested in going on a retreat for either personal development or professional growth. I attended conferences for work, which I enjoyed, and I didn’t feel any kind of void.

In fact, the idea of spending my hard-earned money (potentially thousands of dollars) to attend an in-person event was not high on my priority list.

Fast forward to today and I attend a minimum of 4 retreats and one conference every year. This is a significant investment and one that I continuously challenge myself on. ‘Is this really worth it?‘ And then I come back from the next one, and my answer is – 100% YES.

So today I want to talk about this. Why it’s so important to prioritize in-person connection and how it can serve you and your career growth.

Let’s dive in…

There are 4 big benefits to in-person events

There are probably more than four, but the following benefits have changed me into someone who now budgets these events into my yearly spending.

Connecting with people LIKE ME

I have amazing friends. But as I’ve gotten older and evolved, I’ve realized that many of my hometown friends don’t share my same ambitions. And that’s 100% okay…

But sometimes I just want to be around people who want to talk about the same big ideas as I do. Who want to share big dreams or discuss the last great book we read. Instead of complaining that my friends aren’t interested in doing this, I seek out people who are.

When I go to an event and get to speak to like-minded women all day long, it’s incredibly validating and inspiring. The first mastermind I attended, I had no idea what to expect. The morning after we arrived, my roommate and I woke up at 5am and started talking. We talked straight until we had to meet the group for breakfast! I’d never experienced this before.

I was used to spending my time with people who wanted to know how I was doing, but weren’t necessarily interested in diving into every detail of my business. And to finally be with people who wanted to do that was amazing.

Haven’t found ‘your people’? Not to worry because it’s never too late.

Accelerated learning

Without fail, when I attend a conference or retreat I come home having learned a ton and with so may new ideas. If you’re like me, you try to invest in your development regularly. But let’s face it, the kids get sick, life gets busy, and sometimes you’re too tired at the end of the day to pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read.

What I love about attending an event is that I carve this time out for me. I dedicate it to learning without any other distractions.

The result is often learning more in a single day than in the previous 6 months! Especially if the event has relevant sessions and speakers. But even if it doesn’t, you’re likely to learn from the side conversations you’re having with other attendees.

Finding new perspective

When we take a step back and zoom out on our career or life, we see things that we’ve missed. Often we’re too busy to zoom out on a daily basis and being out of our regular routine can be exactly what we need to do this.

Are you someone who runs from meeting to meeting every day and then immediately goes from work mode to parent mode? If so, spending a few days away and getting some space may just shift everything for you.

What makes this so great is that you’re often in a learning environment along with having the space to zoom out. This can help you gain a whole new perspective on situations that you’ve struggled with for months.

Coming home re-energized and motivated

I remember one of the retreats I attended last year. When we arrived, we were asked to share what our goal was for the few days we were together. I was tired. I’d been working really hard and was starting to lose motivation.

My only goal was to leave the retreat re-energized and feeling motivated again. And to say that happened is an understatement.

Now, I also ended up learning new things and solving some problems I didn’t even realize I had in the business, but being able to come home feeling new energy and ready to get to work is invaluable when things are starting to drag.

Having experienced the power of these events over the last few years, I’ve decided to create my own. And you are invited!! Join me at the Own The Room Summit – a one-day summit in Toronto, Canada where you’ll level up, get inspired, and meet other amazing women.

​Check out the details here​, and let’s finally meet IRL!

Until next time friends… ✌️💜

Katy

PS.Early bird pricing for the Own The Room Summit is available! Join us for just $500 and learn how one intentional day can change your life. ​Find all the ​​details​​ here​.