The EVOLVE Effect: Why Conferences Need More Conversations, Not Just Content

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Evolve Talent and HR Show. I'm Anna Morgan, your career BFF known as the Rescuer of Dogs and Careers, but now the creator of the Evolve Talent and HR Experience. My career has been one big series of unexpected plot twists that now have landed me in the world of events for the recruitment and HR industry.

[00:00:23] Evolve was born from a desire to build heart-centered spaces for leaders to show up boldly and learn together. This show is for the modern day employee, a people first leader, individual contributors, managers, executives, practitioners, entrepreneurs, and fractional leaders who care deeply about humans and are not afraid to do work differently.

[00:00:48] If you influence how people are hired, developed, led, and supported, you belong here. On this show, you're going to hear conversations with talent acquisition leaders, HR business partners, event organizers, sponsors, speakers, and attendees who are passionate about building human-centered, connected, and creative workplaces.

[00:01:10] So if you're ready for something a little bit different, community, fresh energy, and practical inspiration that you can use right away, you're in the right place. This is the Evolve Talent and HR Show. Let's dive in. I'm Anna Morgan and tonight I'm in Orlando, Florida after the Work Life Human Conference and my friend Sam Eden with MindAbility and myself are co-hosting a dinner.

[00:01:39] Oftentimes, when we're at conferences, we get a lot of content, but we don't get a lot of conversations. The goal tonight is to add depth and intimacy with a hand-selected group of attendees that Sam and I have recruited to join this dinner so that we can watch the Evolve effect happen, which is where we have connections, collaborations, and then we collectively elevate the world of work.

[00:02:12] I'm Anna Morgan and we are in Orlando, Florida after the Work Human Live Conference and I'm here with my friend Miles. Miles, for those of us that don't know you, why don't you tell us a little bit about you, where you work, and why you're here? Sure. Happy to do so. So, Miles Pell. And historically, for the last 15 years, I've been working alongside HR offices and HR professionals, mostly on systems and strategy previously.

[00:02:38] But now I work with an organization, a company called Trua, T-R-U-A, Trua. And what we do is we provide background screenings, identity verification, but we're kind of changing the paradigm.

[00:02:51] Instead of a point-in-time check looking backwards, we try to establish the full background check and screening process and then maintain a continuously validated and up-to-date verified trust credential that is owned by the individual, first-party driven as opposed to third-party driven, which protects personal information, that PII, sensitive data, and also takes a lot of the onus out of HR for adverse actions and things like that.

[00:03:17] So, something that needed to be updated, people keep doing things because of the way that it had to be done. There wasn't any way to go about it, doing it differently, but that's changed. And so, really, we're trying to let the market know that they need to be willing to change as well. Okay. So, Trua is blazing their own trail regarding background checks, identity verification, and ongoing verification and security for hires and employees. You hail from what part of the United States?

[00:03:46] So, I come from Maryland, just outside of the D.C. area. Okay. We've been there for a long time. So, the weather's great here in Orlando. It certainly is. Is this your first WorkHuman Live? It is. It's my first WorkHuman Live. I've attended other conferences in the past, Disrupt HR conferences locally in D.C., SHRM conferences and things like that, but I was really excited to attend the WorkHuman Live. And it hasn't disappointed. It's been really exciting. So, roughly how many conferences do you go to a year, can you say?

[00:04:13] I try to go to at least one a quarter, just kind of the pacing. I really value, personally, I really value in-person events. Thank you. Yes, absolutely. More and more, I found that people are yearning for that proximity. And people are just sick of doing business over Zoom, sitting at their desks, trapped in their own basements all day. Yes, yes. And you can feel the excitement as soon as you show up. Everyone is ready to be back at events like these. Yeah.

[00:04:38] And that energy, I think, just makes for more fruitful conversations, both in the sessions, in the rooms. People are ready to show up and pay attention. Exactly. Well, and that's why we host tables like this, to keep that conversation going and have the conversations that maybe aren't being had from stage or in the hallways. So, you go to these conferences, and then how did you get invited to this dinner? Through our mutual friend, right? Yeah, that's right. Through Sam. It's interesting.

[00:05:07] Just through the networking of the day. Yeah, you didn't know Sam or me. I didn't know you or Sam or the only other person at this table that I knew was my work colleague, Mark, who I came with. So, he's your conference BFF. That's right. That's right. And he's been trying to divide and conquer in the sessions, come back together, collaborate, talk about what we learned. But in doing so, he met someone in the elevator last night on his way back up to his hotel room. Elevators. Great place to make connections, right? Absolutely.

[00:05:36] I actually got a text from him when he got back to the room. He's like, I actually got to do the elevator pitch in an elevator. I was like, only in a place like this is that even possible anymore? So, I caught up with him today, and he was sitting with that same person that he met in the elevator. They were having a follow-up conversation. He had to take a call, but I was just arriving having come from a call. So, warm handoff. Yeah. And then the table just grew. People started forming in. This last session of the day had ended, and everyone was just very friendly. Yeah.

[00:06:05] Happy to meet, introduced themselves. And sure enough, Sam said to me, hey, by the way, if you don't have plans, we're going to dinner. We'd love to have you join us. I'm never going to say no to an invitation like that. Well, and because you're in the tech space, right? And your decision maker is probably HR talent, HRO CEO. If you were to attend a conference and then wanted to have more of those intimate conversations,

[00:06:30] what are some of the things that you think about in considering hosting a dinner like this for your ideal client? Yeah. That's a really interesting question. It's got a lot of layers to it. You know, first and foremost, I guess we're doing it for clients. I always like to start at what the objective is. And sometimes the objective is literally just networking, like tonight. It's about people who are interested in the same things, who share a passion for the same kind of work. It could be the Maryland blue crab.

[00:06:58] It could be the Maryland blue crab. Almost that we are going to just see even more of these in-person events. And we mentioned this earlier because Gen Z is going analog and forcing many of us back in the community.

[00:07:26] From this Gen X to the Gen Z, like I'm grateful. The conferences that you do go to, conference pet peeves. One of my biggest pet peeves is silence in a session. We're all there to participate. Right. We're all there to get something. And I see so many people sitting there. They showed up for the session. They paid for the ticket. They went out of their way to take time off work. Yes. And their head's down. Maybe they're distracted. And the second the session ends, they're up and they're right out the door.

[00:07:56] And I often wonder, well, what is the value of showing up to an event like this if you're not going to take that opportunity to actually be physically present with the people you chose to be physically present with? What do you feel contributes to the lack of presence for attendees? I wonder if it's just habitual. Tell me more. To a certain extent. I think that we have developed a habit of isolation, especially over these last five years. Yes, 100%.

[00:08:22] And people have found a sense of comfort in that discomfort in and of itself, if that makes any sense. I think it took so long for people to adapt to a remote work environment, to an at-home environment, to an isolated environment. Yes. And now it's just hard to break that cycle. So people have to relearn how to get there. And that's not always a comfortable thing. It is not. And it's like a difficult yoga pose where you're like, I'm never going to get into that.

[00:08:50] But it's so important to have those conversations. I mean, what I thought of was what distracts people when they do make that investment to come to a conference is not trusting that their desk is being covered. Sure. Just business demands. Or a lot of conference attendees come by themselves. That's true. They also may be neurodiverse in some capacity. And they can't be like, hey, Miles, I'm Anna. Right. Like, that is the scariest thing in the world to them. Right?

[00:09:17] So it's our job as the extroverts to rally up those folks. And when we model that behavior, that is the permission slip for others to be like, oh, I need to do that. And how do I get from just being in my laptop to just running off to my room to being more not afraid to introduce themselves? It's really interesting what you just said because that's actually something that I think is often overlooked.

[00:09:44] I think about it in terms of a parallel where as an adult, sometimes it's hard to make new friends. So what do we all do? It's so hard to make new friends. So who do you meet? You meet the parents of your kids' friends. Yes. And when you talk about modeling behavior, I try as hard as I can not to assume that I'm the only model here. My daughter is almost 11.

[00:10:06] And I look to her and I watch her introduce herself to strangers unabashedly, excitedly, and how quickly and effectively it works. Because as soon as she makes the first move, I love what you said. It's the permission slip. Yeah. And it invites people into that world. And all of a sudden, those guardrails come down. Can we all just embody the confidence of an 11-year-old? And then they're fast friends. My daughter was very much like that too.

[00:10:33] So two conference attendees, embody that energy of your 11-year-old self and allow yourself to have fun and experience joy in a work environment. Yes. 100% possible. I think there's been a lot of talk over the years of bringing your whole self to work, really showing up as a whole person. Yeah.

[00:11:01] No socializing at work. You keep personal life personal. And those are really starting to blur. And I actually think that that is a really positive development. And I think that's something that was a catalyst from COVID. Yes. That employers were forced to look at their population as humans talking. Humans that have husbands and aging parents and a mother going through perimenopause or have experienced grief. Yeah. Or a wide variety of things.

[00:11:31] And so one thing I appreciate about this conference is the tranquil, the meditation, the nursing room, really showing that inclusive, safe energy. And we just haven't had enough of a tipping point, I think, for everyone to feel completely psychologically safe to show up in the ways that are more natural for us, you know, coming back into in-person events. So one last question and I'll let you go. So we talked about pet peeves.

[00:11:59] Have you experienced at conferences a little of that FOMO kind of high school vibe where everyone's like, I'm going to this dinner and I'm going to this dinner? Or is that just me? It's not just you. It happened last night. Last night. So yesterday we arrived at the conference. Mark and I met up. He comes from Atlanta. I'm down from Maryland. And sure enough, as we were talking about what we were doing for dinner and we were walking to the front, we noticed that there were signs for work human. And so we inquired about them. Oh, is this the shuttle to go to Disney Springs?

[00:12:28] Where is this going? Yeah. Where's this restaurant? And they were invite only, invite only. Or VIP. Or VIP. And we didn't even know that there was a list we weren't. And it wasn't until we found out that we were like, what are we missing out? But at the same time, this is both of our first times here. Okay. And so there is certainly a level of understanding. And we were just kind of getting our footing too. But so a day like today completely turned that on its head. Everyone being so welcoming. Everyone being so open to connecting. Yeah.

[00:12:58] And networking. And doing the work of being in person changes everything. And so I do think that there's a little bit of that. So how do we solve that? I mean, one, I believe vendors need to do a better job of nourishing touch points on the app or with their ideal client leading up to the conference. Like I've been kind of frazzled this conference because I came last minute. Like I found out I got a ticket on Thursday and I was here on Monday.

[00:13:24] So normally I do quite a bit of research and I kind of map out where I'm going and who I want to meet and all those things. But for this particular situation, again, making that plan ahead of time and then having some foot soldiers, right, to build that curated list. And then having great technology to make sure you're reminding and that everything is clear as to where it is, what time, how do you get there?

[00:13:52] And then helping people get there together as well. Any other ideas on that? You know, I think a lot of the onus has to be held by the individual. I think part of what makes. And that's a good point. Let me say this for conference goers. You're not going to get what you don't ask. And don't be afraid when you're networking with new people to say, are you going to any fringe events or have you heard of any vendors or partners that are hosting something? And who should I know? Right.

[00:14:19] Because you want the right people at the table anyway. Yes. And so if you're an attendee, make it known that you're a solo attendee or, you know, you're just there with one other person and that you would like to continue the conversation. Right? Absolutely. And I think part of what made this possible, my presence even here this evening, is I wasn't asking for anything. I was open to hearing from other people.

[00:14:45] And I think that that invitation to hear about them as opposed to deciding that I'm going to show up and pitch my wares. We all have pitches that we can offer. But if you show up curious, it's the same premise of the conference in general. You show up to a conference not because you know the information unless you're a speaker. But even then, I hope you're looking to attend other sessions to broaden and explore your own levels of curiosity. Absolutely.

[00:15:08] And I think that that is the easiest way to kind of field those invites and find them coming your way if you express curiosity. When curiosity and other people, they're going to want you around. A hundred percent. So. We love to talk about ourselves. I mean, only kids, dogs, travel, the whole nine yards. Anyway, thank you for having this chat. And we look forward to evolving together at Work Human Live, third day.

[00:15:35] And everyone manifests that I get to meet Michelle Obama. I'm thinking for you. I'm manifesting it for you. I'm just wondering how early I have to get there. Maybe noon. I think we all are. All right. Any last minute tip for people that are, you know, thinking about adding conferences to their learning agenda or how to navigate the conference tour racket, if you will? I would say first and foremost, do it. If you have your interest in a conference, just bite the bullet and decide to go. Yes. Right.

[00:16:05] Show up and then do your best to swallow that anxiety. Even if you're just going to start with the vendor booths and just let them talk at you. That's a great way to practice your intellectual curiosity. Exactly. And it is like EQ skills too. How to approach people, how to be curious and ask questions. And that muscle will develop, which then you can use at the lunch table and in the elevators and all the different things. Came here for a reason.

[00:16:35] Remember that every day. Exactly. Awesome. The whole gatekeeping thing, whether it's hosting a conference or having a platform or software like you do, I feel like the benefit is when we pull back that curtain and have the transparency and say, Hey, I made these mistakes in building Evolve my second year. Yeah. Have you experienced something like that? And they'll be like, Oh gosh, let me tell you about year four. Wanted to light it on fire. And I feel like those conversations are possible.

[00:17:03] But like we talked about the permission slip on the playground, right? My goal and my vision is if I keep showing up in that manner and promoting other conferences and highlighting other organizers, then they'll see that we all win. By getting more practitioners in the seats to learn and build community, we're solving our business problems of the world of work. We're building community, which helps solve a massive mental health issue of loneliness. Yes.

[00:17:31] Then we're sharpening our in-person emotional intelligence skills, which are all incredible ROI for promotions, career insurance, and then unexpected collaborations and connections. Yeah. I think that part of what you're doing right now with this is also very similar to that. It's the same modeling behavior that you've alluded to earlier, right? You can show other people that might be perceived as competition

[00:18:00] that, no, I'm open to collaboration. Let me share with you what I know already. Yeah. And now all of a sudden they're like, oh, well, I can find my way through that lane too. Yeah. And we can consider ourselves colleagues and collaborators. I feel like the important thing is that these conversations are being sparked. Yeah. And the wheels are turning. And whether I may be a little early on the vision of all of this,

[00:18:23] I think just doing it and keep building is the answer because the wins that verify and the humble lessons or mistakes, they are the greatest teachers. 100%. Thank you. Thanks, Thomas. Sam Eaton, friends. We are in Orlando, Florida after the Work Human Live conference. And the lovely Sam Eaton and I have hosted a dinner tonight after the conference. How was the day? Amazing.

[00:18:53] The day was amazing. Okay. But Work Human is one of my favorites anyway. And I just think you've seen the dinner tonight. There are 20 people that came as strangers and left as just the most fabulous. Okay. Well, you might have answered the first question is, what separates mediocre conference dinners from something like this? Oh, such a good question. I think it's a combination of things, right? So many of these dinners are, let's just go around. Let's just explain who we are. Let's just have a conversation.

[00:19:20] And you've got a bunch of vendors who just want to sell, right? They're just there for the bottom line and the target. And that's why I like these things. It's the more let's play it forward. What's that connection? What's that communication? That's what makes these dinners so special. Then trust and depth and intimate conversations are the tipping point to new business, to promotions, to new job opportunities, right? And if we just focus on being present, I feel like the business comes.

[00:19:49] Because both of us are hosting the dinner in service of the longer term goal of getting clients, getting sponsors, things like that. And there's no shame. It's not personal. It's business. It's not personal, right? But I believe and you believe there's a way to host these containers in a way that is natural, authentic, and truly does convert in the way that it's supposed to, right? You and I kind of operate in that abundant energy, right?

[00:20:18] I think there's something about just actually letting people be themselves. Yeah. There's something about that whole piece around, actually, what am I doing here now? I have a connection with this person here. I might not work with them for 12 months, but if I wasn't at this event, I wouldn't have met them. Right. If I didn't have the invite for dinner, I wouldn't have then had an in-depth conversation with them. That can turn into something down the line, right? Now, you go to conferences all the time.

[00:20:43] What trends are you seeing with fringe events and how have those post-conference events evolved in the last five to 10 years? When you look at the fringe events, we've gone from it being, you know, these big vendor events outside where, you know, I think this little guys feel left out, right? To where we're at today. We're the largest event going on tonight. We're the largest event going on in Work Human tonight. So popular.

[00:21:11] So I think that's been a huge shift. And when you look at some of the stats that came out of the event today, the 50% of the U.S. workforce will be fractional by this time next year. 50%. So these curated events and dinners, we don't need hundreds of clients. Yeah. We need a significant amount, but it's different. Like I used to tell job seekers, it only takes one person to say yes or one person to

[00:21:39] recognize or be attracted, you know, to your energy or your product or your training. Again, if we come to these spaces from a place of curiosity or when we host spaces that are intentional, curated, not overly scripted, but structured enough that there is ROI post-dinner. Yeah. And I think all of that is in the follow-up, right? A hundred percent. You know? Can you say that louder for the people in the back? Follow-up people. Follow-up. But the whole thing really is about that. Okay.

[00:22:10] Loads of people I only met the last couple of days. So then you invite them to dinner. Then we have a follow-up conversation. And again, nothing might come for 12 to 18 months. You're just planting the seeds. Yeah. Yeah. It's that. And also it might be an introduction that comes from someone else. But if I've kind of watched them with like a number on their head here, it's never going to happen, right? And I think that, again, it's the beauty of these fringe events, which is you don't know what's going to happen.

[00:22:37] For people that are just getting into the conference scene, right? Like, hey, organizations, prioritize community and education for your employees, right? What advice would you give them? Because I know I felt it. And many of my community members have too, that they come to the conference, they're present, they're learning, they're trying to network. But then the nighttime comes and all of the people they met, someone's at this dinner and that dinner and that event. And then it's like, I really don't want to eat a cheeseburger in my bed, right?

[00:23:07] How do we help solve the fringe event experience, which is so valuable for entrepreneurs like us, as well as tech vendors, right? Because people are not organically like great at approaching a vendor on the expo floor, right? But when they choose to host a dinner like this, then they can get that connection and that relatability and the trust. And the trust is the tipping point to opportunities.

[00:23:35] So what advice would you give to attendees that may have experienced that? And I'll ask the same thing for people that are hosting those. Hey, it's Libby DeLucian. If you're sick of business advice that sounds cute, but doesn't actually move the needle forward, this one's for you. The Libby DeLucian podcast is where we go one layer deep. No gurus, no glitter, just straight up unfiltered talk about scaling a business, running a household

[00:24:05] and holding onto your sanity in the middle of the chaos. If you're the bottleneck in your business or in your own life, I'll show you how to fix it. Simple, tactical and one layer deep every time. Let's go visit LibbyD.com and check out our podcast today. So for people who are going to these events or wanting to go to these events, why aren't you asking? That's what I said earlier. Just ask.

[00:24:33] Tell people that you're a solo attendee. Yeah. And you'd love to have some dinner with some people, right? Yeah. I really like to be invited. Yeah. Can I come? Yeah. What's wrong with that? There's nothing wrong with that. I mean, closed mouths don't get fed, literally. And do you really want to be in your hotel room tonight eating that cheeseburger when actually you could be down here having a lovely time? A lovely time. And have some Mexican, right? Exactly.

[00:24:57] For vendors, the people that are hosting on the expo floor, they want to have these events. What advice would you give them other than follow up? One, follow up. But two, know your audience. So with an event like this, most of these events have an app, right? Yes. I spend a lot of time in that app building and curating these relationships. So I recognize people when I walk in. Even if I don't know them and I haven't met them because I've got to know them online, I've got to know them through the app.

[00:25:25] The first year, last year, when I did something like this, literally, we just put messages out. We just spoke to people and we just rolled with it. Again, what's wrong with doing that? Because you've got to spec out the city, right? You don't already know where you're going. Use the event concierge. Get their help. That was a great call. Use the event organizers as well to make recommendations. But don't wait two weeks before the event to then say, oh, I think I'm going to try to host a dinner or a happy hour or something.

[00:25:54] And to your point, I think the ROI is in the pre-conference work and outreach and nourishing. And then it makes the conversation real and then the tipping point to accelerate business. To your point earlier, you've built that trust, right? You've built that trust. Well, you got there. Right. It's not like, hi, I'm Sam. And you're like, hey, who are you? Are you? Right. Yeah. Hey, glad we chatted. Yeah, I'll come to your dinner.

[00:26:21] I wonder if part of the miss for vendors is they haven't been in the work like you and I have. And so because we have, we think like that and we know what would make a practitioner feel safe enough if they're a solo traveler to take an Uber to a restaurant. Where they don't know people. Have dinner with new connections. Yeah. I think that is a big difference. Yeah. Or they are looking for transactions. Yes.

[00:26:48] And not thinking in that longer pipeline mindset. Yes, yes, yes. So I think that's a good reminder to our partners that if you do the work ahead of time and you also really are intentional and, you know, hire me to do your events, then you can focus on your business development and being present. And I've seen all too much this year vendors running around after the day of the conference begging people to come to their. Why?

[00:27:18] And it's, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. You're spending thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars to display at this conference. And then you're lighting your money on fire, in my opinion. I mean, one, I think there's that. And it's just something you said a moment ago. If you're going to build a short-term transactional relationship, people will see that, right? They will see that you put a dollar sign over that person's head. No one is going to buy from you because they want to build a relationship with someone that they can trust, which is, do you know what? I do it all the time.

[00:27:46] Someone says, yay, I'm going to come into your mastermind. Do you know what? Stay in the business club for now. And when you're ready, then we will. Can't wait to start the business group. What is it called again? Business club. Business club. And then I will be likely that person. And then it might make sense. But you're doing amazing work. And the way you think and the way you're building is inspiring. And I'm just so grateful that because of you, I'm here in Orlando, which wasn't the plan. It wasn't the plan.

[00:28:15] On Wednesday of last week, I went to her mastermind, Pitch Atlanta, and had a phenomenal time. It was so good. And then found out there was an extra ticket. So here I am following the nudges and being present and just really focusing on the human side of what we do. So important. I think that's when we watch the miracles happen. Yeah. Right? Yeah. So what are you looking forward to tomorrow? Because so I think for me, it's about continuing the conversations.

[00:28:44] I'm excited for Michelle Obama tomorrow. I think that's going to be amazing. How early do we need to get there? I mean, who knows? Right. But that's going to be a really interesting moment. But continuing some of the conversations from today, right? Because I genuinely believe that these opportunities, when we're all together, everyone goes back into their little silos, right? What a wonderful time just to make sure you're making the most of it. Absolutely. This has been a great experience tonight. We've had such a great take.

[00:29:12] We've had a good turnout tonight. Amazing conversations. I can see all kinds of great friends being made and mentors and leaders saying to another person that's thinking about leaving, like, you are ready. You can do this. You know? And what a blessing. I mean, I follow this principle that on the days where I'm like, I can't do this anymore because I know you believe in me. I'm just going to borrow your belief that I've got it until it's done. You know?

[00:29:40] And that's another thing for people out there is just borrow the belief in others if you're struggling with what you're building. But don't be afraid to ask for what you need and be present and come to conferences and be a part of the community. Then we can all evolve together. Thank you. Thank you for joining me today on the Evolved Talent and HR Show. I'm Anna Morgan, always your career BFF.

[00:30:04] And my intention here is simple, to create brave, fun, and high-trust spaces for people-first leaders so that they can connect, learn, and also remember that they are not alone in this work. So if today's episode gave you a moment of relief, made you laugh, or gave you that spark to just keep going, then we are doing our job.

[00:30:27] Until next time, please keep showing up boldly, keep caring about humans, and always keep evolving. Bye!