I cried this morning. When you’re a grown man being misty eyed counts. It happened as I went in to kiss my two oldest kids (5 and 3 yrs old) goodbye while they slept. They’ll look older when I get back, it happens every time. I’ve tried to explain why I’m going to Portland, Oregon a few times this week and I end up sounding like an idiot. I’m going to the World Domination Summit and given our world’s political climate perhaps it’s wise that I tell as few people as possible the name of the conference. It’s friendly though, I promise.
Chris Guillebeau started the conference just a few years ago and it has quickly grown to 3,000 attendees. This may not seem like a huge deal but Chris is one man. He’s not part of a larger brand or even business. He works for himself and I doubt he even has an office he works out of. He’s the ultimate solopreneur (entrepreneur that works for and by himself most of the time). If you look for #WDS2013 on Twitter you’ll see the huge variety of people attending and expecting different things. This conference is unique. There isn’t another that comes close to it. It’s defined much more by the personality of the attendees than the founder or the speakers. There will be great speakers and break out sessions but the topics will vary wildly and there will be few lines drawn that we must follow.
This is a conference for people who think for themselves and it gives us a space to do just that. This isn’t a place for a step by step plan to change your life, it’s a time for friendship and opening your mind to new possibilities in yourself. That may sound like a vague reason to buy a ticket for hundreds of dollars then pay hundreds more to fly and stay in a hotel but I trust Chris and I trust the other attendees. There are billions of people in this world and I’m pretty darn excited about the 3,000 I get to hang out with this weekend in Portland.
If you didn’t know what to expect then you might fill your mind with ideas and scenarios. For the next three days I’m going to leave my scenarios at home in Sioux Falls and leave myself open to new friends, new ideas, new hope and new joy. The only way to receive a gift is with open hands. Here I come Portland, with open hands.
