#LikeMinds and Kind Hearts

After hearing all of the positive stories from the @drewellis and @scottgould masterminded LikeMinds 2009, I knew that the 2010 event was going to be something special. Unfortunately I also knew that I would simply not be able to justify the cost. Certainly not because of the amazingly low ticket price, but once you added in travel, food and accommodation it was beyond my current empty pockets, and this was my innocuous reply to a tweet from @lesanto asking me if I was attending.


What happened next was both astonishing and affecting.

I awoke on the morning of February 4th and was greeted by the following tweet:

My first reaction was one of crushing embarrassment as I certainly hadn’t meant to imply that I was in need of money, but this Tweet was only the beginning. Not only had top man @MarkOfRespect offered to pay for a room, but offers of help came flooding in from @GabrielleNYC, @gemmawent, @mazi, @DarenBBC and there was even a generous donation of $16.75 from marketing pro and LikeMinds speaker @treypennington. I was going to #LikeMinds 2010 🙂


But the serendipity didn’t end there.

After deciding that I was going to drive to Exeter I tweeted numerous times asking if there were any fellow LikeMinders who would like a lift, but there were no takers. Either everyone was terrified I might be a serial killer or they had already booked their train tickets. Never mind, I thought. I’ll wind down the windows, play the music loud and count the miles by myself. However, my plans were suddenly changed when I was kindly asked by @drewellis to, I can’t say chauffeur, as the genuinely entertaining conversation I shared with @chrisbrogan on the arduous 170 mile trek from Heathrow airport, through M4 rush hour traffic and the pouring rain to Exeter was more akin to a road trip with a good friend than a taxi ride and the motorway miles simply melted away.

Upon arrival we were welcomed with open arms by @scottgould and @drewellis, and I was even invited to dine with the speakers (though I did feel terribly under-dressed for the occasion).

As for the LikeMinds event itself. Definitely one of the best that I’ve been to, some good points made and knowledge transferred (a rarity in conferences these days).

One last mention, however, must go to the chap who mistook me for Chris Brogan during the morning sessions and upon discovering I wasn’t the mighty man, simply blanked me and walked away. Thank you for giving me a harsh lesson in the day-to-day existence of a non-celebrity.