March 21, 2018

A Day in the Life of a SXSW Speaker

Wow! I just returned from Austin after an incredible few days at the 2018 SXSW Interactive Festival. This was my first time attend as a speaker, and I learned A LOT. Having been once before, but in a different capacity — I was an event planner at the time, so I played more of a behind the scenes role— this experience was totally different. My talk was all about embracing vulnerability and leveraging it as a strength — ironically, being a speaker is a very vulnerable (yet exciting!) experience.

I thought I’d share the top 3 things I learned as a SXSW speaker.

1) Practice makes perfect… but be ready for some curve balls

The last few months have been filled with lots of preparation for my talk. Most weekends I would hole up in a coffee shop editing and practicing what I’d say. By the time I got to Austin, I’d made my speaking coach, my husband, best friend, her 6-month old, and countless co-workers listen to me practice. I’d even drive to work listening to an audio recording of myself giving the talk to help it soak into muscle memory. I was prepared. But there was something I didn’t see coming.

You see, my talk centers around a very personal struggle I overcame about three years ago. My family wanted to be there when I gave the talk to support me, and so my mom, dad, sister and husband were right there in the audience. As I began talking through one of the tougher parts of my story, I locked eyes with my husband who was starting to tear up. I could feel the tears welling up for me and all of a sudden I was right back in that place I was three years ago. I had a split second where I wondered what I’d do if I couldn’t pull it together. This hadn’t come up in all of my hours of practice. Thankfully, I composed myself and kept going. I’m not sure there’s anything I could have done to prepare myself for that, but I think being familiar enough with the rest of the content allowed me to work through it in real-time, and get back on track.

2) Make time to explore…AND take care of yourself

I arrived in Austin on Thursday, March 8, just three hours after giving a preview of my talk to Capital One’s Women’s Business Resource Group on International Women’s Day. When I got there, I did a quick sound check and run through of my presentation at the Capital One House. My talk wasn’t until Saturday morning, and I was so excited to have all day Friday without any plans. Part of me was tempted to rest (I mean, the Westin Heavenly Bed is no joke!), but I knew I’d regret not making time to explore all of the interesting things happening as part of SXSW.

My favorite was the “Mindful Oasis” for speakers, hosted by Lululemon. Imagine a space that is open, airy, filled with plants and delicious scents. Once inside, you could take part in a guided meditation session, enjoy some yummy refreshments, or take a few minutes alone to soak it all in.

One thing I didn’t fully expect was just how tired I’d be after everything was over! My adrenaline had kicked in big time to keep me going because I felt so great leading up to and during the talk. When it was over, it was like my brain finally felt like it had permission to relax. I took the best nap I think I’ve ever had that afternoon! That was crucial to be able to recharge and keep soaking in all of the cool things SXSW had to offer.

3) Practice gratitude

At my talk I had the chance to meet some amazing people from across the country (there were even folks visiting from outside the US!) and hear their own stories (and sometimes struggles) around vulnerability. I am so thankful for each and every person who attended the talk and who came forward to share their stories.

And finally, as a former event planner, I felt like I had a good sense of what goes into pulling off a massive event like SXSW. Even that couldn’t prepare me for how different it would feel as a speaker. I have to give a huge shout out to our Capital One team that put their heart and soul into making this year the best yet. I had plenty of nerves coming into the event. Would something go wrong with my slides? Our team made sure that speakers had tons of regular communication leading up to the event, manageable deadlines to help us back into all of the deliverables/due dates, and on-site it was true white glove service. Thank you, Robin, Chandler, Meagan, Mike, Eric and the whole team who make this look (and feel) so seamless!

My SXSW journey has been incredible. When I submitted an idea for a talk back in July (yes, it has been a nine month process!) I had no idea the amazing ride I was about to go on. I have grown so much through this experience, and most importantly, I hope I’ve helped others realize how much greatness they can unleash by embracing vulnerability.

Resources: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s12/sh/2df07992-ccee-4b46-ace4-8e172be7d8ec/0640b122a9d69d19

Sponsored content and photos provided by Capital One

The post A Day in the Life of a SXSW Speaker appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

March 20, 2018

See You Next Year: SXSW 2019 Dates Announced

That’s a wrap on the 2018 SXSW Conference & Festivals, folks! We are so pleased to have shared another successful event with all the registrants, staff, crew, volunteers, artists, speakers, filmmakers, and the Austin community. It was a ten-day whirlwind of enlightening and inspiring sessions, film screenings, showcases, exhibitions, tacos, networking, art, competitions, awards, and beyond.

The 2018 SXSW Conference highlighted some of the most inspired thinkers and industry leaders across 24 Tracks of SXSW-curated programming. Leading up to the event we identified 12 trends predicated to dominate discussions at the March event. After hearing from a multitude of creative problem solvers and visionary storytellers, the trend that emerged was Globally Connected: We’re All in this Together.

From powerful presentations by SXSW Keynotes – Barry Jenkins​, Esther Perel, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and more – to compelling conversations with Featured Speakers including Jake Tapper and Bernie Sanders, Christiane Amanpour and Kara Swisher, U-God, Rian Johnson and Mark Hamill, the special event Elon Musk Answers Your Questions!, and many more.

The SXSW Festivals also provided a unique opportunity to explore the worlds of Interactive, Film, Music, and Comedy with screenings, showcasing acts, networking experiences, and beyond. The SXSW Film Festival, celebrating its 25th year, rolled out the red carpet with provocative dramas, documentaries, comedies, genre standouts, and more, including the World Premieres of John Krasinski’s The Quiet Place, Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, as well as the North American Premiere of Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs. At the SXSW Film Festival Awards we celebrated the collaboration between filmmakers and designers honoring the winners of the 2018 Jury and Special Awards.

The SXSW Music Festival turned up the sound with new, developing, and established Showcasing Artists across all genres from local to international acts. This year’s audible feast included the North American debut concert of Max Richter’s 8-hour composition Sleep, Fluffer Pit Party featuring METZ, Nathaniel Rateliff and more at the shores, 6th annual Korea Spotlight featuring Lee Hi and KARD, and more. The Music Festival wrapped up with the announcement of the 2018 Grulke Prize winners for Developing U.S. Act, Developing Non-U.S. Act, and Career Act – Starcrawler, Jade Bird, and Todd Rundgren.

Hundreds of exhibitors from around the world gave us a glimpse of the future with cutting-edge technology from VR demonstrations to robotics at the SXSW Trade Show and numerous SXSW Exhibitions, while we also celebrated the winners of the many prestigious Awards categories throughout the SXSW Interactive Festival and more.

SXSW 2018 was filled with ample opportunity to explore, learn, discover, cut a rug, and leave inspired. We hope you enjoyed each exciting moment. Now begins the preparation for 2019 (after a marathon of sleep and some tacos to refuel), and we look forward to seeing you again March 8-17, 2019 in Austin, Texas for the 2019 SXSW Conference & Festivals.

Connect with SXSW + 2019 Limited Badge Presale

Catch the 2019 SXSW limited presale before it ends on Saturday, March 24 at 11:59pm PT. Lock in the lowest 2019 registration rate and gain early access to SXSW Hotel blocks before registration opens in the summer of 2018. You will be notified in July with instructions on how to log into your account and access hotel reservations.

Relive all the exciting Keynotes, Featured Sessions, screenings, showcases, and more on the SXSW YouTube Channel. Stay tuned to SXSW News for more full-length videos and continued event recaps. Plus, catch up on exclusive conversations, red carpet premieres, performances, and more from our SXSW Live Studio. Watch some of the best moments from SXSW Live on our Facebook page for another helping of the SXSW 2018.

Stay in the SX know, sign up for SXSW Event Updates and follow us on SXSW News, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for ongoing event recaps and 2019 announcements. 2019 participation opportunities will be announced this summer for PanelPicker entries, film submissions, artist applications, and (you guessed it) more.

On behalf of all of us at the SXSW Conferences & Festivals – thank you for joining us and we hope to see you next year!

Paramount Marquee – Photo by Jonathan LaChance

The post See You Next Year: SXSW 2019 Dates Announced appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

March 19, 2018

What is Customer Empathy?

How much do you REALLY know your ideal customer?

You may be just starting your business and making the first steps in formalizing your target customer persona, or you have a thriving business and you can easily picture your ideal customer.

Hey, that’s easy! It’s Jane who’s been a loyal customer for years.

Before we deep-dive into the typical discussion of buyer persona best practices, I’d like to open up the field of view a bit wider.

The basic fact is that as human beings we’re in a constant search to process meanings for events that swirl around us.

Our brain is constantly looking for the cause and effect relationship of something we’ve previously experienced in order to generate meanings – is it good, bad, or neutral for us?

It’s an old survival mechanism from the days man spotted a bear approaching in the forest and translated that into acute danger, meaning “run for your life!” vs. coming across a patch of berries that was translated into food.

Each one of us has this remarkable software Jonathan Gottschall aptly calls “The Storytelling Mind.”

“The storytelling mind is allergic to uncertainty and is constantly craving for meaning. If it cannot find meaningful patterns, it will try to impose them. This way the storytelling mind operates like a factory that churns out true stories where it can, but will manufacture lies when it can’t.”

Let’s examine a situation too familiar in business development.

You just had a great meeting with a prospect who loved your product and promised to get back with requirements, so you can tailor a proper proposal for her.

A week passed, and you hear nothing. Immediately your storytelling mind springs into action and starts churning possible stories to unpack the meaning of this dead silence.

Could it be something in my offering that is still lacking? Price range? That extra feature she kept bringing up? Outcompeted with a better solution?

As you can see from this example, the role of meanings is critical in shaping human perceptions about pretty much anything.

Every time we encounter a new event that needs our decision, our Storytelling Mind digs deeper into our bag of past experiences we all carry in an effort to generate a proper meaning.

This brings to mind, Visual Semiotics, a sub-domain of semiotics that analyses the way visual images communicate a message.

Charles Sanders Peirce in the U.S. and Claude Lévi-Strauss and Ferdinand Saussure in France developed Visual Semiotics – the study of signs.

A sign can be a word, sound, or visual image. Saussure divides a sign into two components: the signifier, which is the sound, image, or word – the form which the signs take. And the signified, which is the concept or meaning the signifier represents.

So if I ask you what does this sign represent?

Most of you would say Snapchat. That’s the objective meaning of this sign’s form.

However, for some of you your Storytelling Mind will trigger “one of the best social media tools – ever!” and for others “I still don’t get what’s the fuss about this platform, I never used it! Well, these are 2 distinct, yet valid subjective meanings.

So when you think about crafting a complete picture of your ideal customer persona, the road to achieving maximum customer empathy goes beyond deciphering the signals your customer leaves for things she SAYS and DOES around your product.

Effective customer empathy requires you to go beyond what your customer
SAYS or DOES and venture deep into what she FEELS and THINKS.

The true gold nuggets lay in what your customer THINKS and FEELS and the subjective product meanings they assign to them. Keep in mind, this territory I call “Subtext Country” cannot be fully uncovered.

Furthermore, sometimes the things your customer SAYS or DOES are in complete opposite to what they THINK and FEEL.

The more you are able to extract subjective meanings from how your ideal customer views your product, the more authentic your story will be.

How would you know if you have a solid business story that truly empathizes with your customer’s problem?

It’s that the magic moment when your customer reacts to your story as if it was THEIR STORY. “Hey, this is my pain you’re talking about, here!” This is when your story will truly connect with your audience and trust your message.

***

Ready to empower your entire team
with effective visual storytelling?

Schedule a complimentary conversation today!

Source: Visual Storytelling