At 7 p.m. on June 25, I stood outside of The Windup Space in Baltimore, eagerly waiting to see if I could get in to the Ignite Baltimore 3 event. Lucky for me, I am interning at The Baltimore Sun and I guess you could say my badge comes with a few perks. I got in.
There were a few honorable mentions that stood out in my mind. I applaud all of them for giving excellent presentations, especially when it was 90+ degrees in there. I think I would have fainted.
My favorite of the night was Steve Goodman presenting “Incomplete Manifesto for Growth.” Goodman showed that there are many “little things” we could be doing that can change our future journeys. Most memorable tips: Take field trips and see the world. Allow events to change you. Dive in and learn everything you can about something.
Truly an inspirational segment of the night, but it made me rethink my approach to what I’m doing to prepare for my future career in journalism. Yes, my career is something I take seriously, but I also need to make sure there is room to stretch.
Another speaker, Bryan Liles, stood out when talking about personal brands. To sum up his entire presentation, “Who cares about your personal brand?” He asked us, “What are you about? What do you care about today?” This is what’s important to establish when representing ourselves.
Steve Kozak, Executive Director of the GBTC, spoke about the power of networking in “One Sandbox: Share Your Crayons.” He gave 7 tips on how we can share out networks (crayons) with others and benefit from it.
“Never stop having ideas,” Kozak said. Companies are always looking for smart people to represent them so don’t be afraid to take chances. Say what’s on your mind.
At the conclusion of the event, many of us stayed around to mingle and network. I met several people, all from different backgrounds and fields of work, and was happy to share my crayons.
Next year’s Ignite Baltimore 4 will be held on October 22 at The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. For information visit their website or follow them on Twitter.
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