The great thing about traveling around is making new friends regularly. Now, we have to work harder to keep in touch since they may not be just right down the street, or going every week with us to church, but it is still a pleasure to get together and share life together.
We recently went to the Life Surge conference in Seattle and I posted about it on social media. This is something I rarely do, but for some reason chose to do today. When I did, several of our newest friends and investors in real estate saw my post then started watching for me. Sure enough wouldn’t you know it, I walked right in front of them and didn’t know it.
They, of course, immediately texted me and then we were able to meet up at the next break. It was so encouraging for all of us because this conference was not only about investing strategies, but how we as Christians can do a better job with better tools and resources and we can do this by coming together.
The speakers were big name folks like Jason Benham, Willie Robertson, Bethany Hamilton, Bethel Worship team, Tim Teboe, Nick Vujicic, and Ed Mylett. The surprise speaker was one of my partner’s dad, James Smith. He comes out on the stage and they introduce him, but I was coming out of the long line in the ladies restroom so I missed most of the intro. When I sat down, I told Kurt, I know him. He said yes he is so familiar but I can’t place him. As he starts talking he tells a little about his family and that is when it hits me, it is “Ryan’s dad” I said. Oh yes that is how we know him.
It was so great to hear him speak and see him through a different lens. He did such a great job. When you meet up at gatherings, or in friends’ homes you don’t always talk business and shop so it was great to see that side of him. Of course the crowd loved him just like we do. A fellow business owner who has been through the ringer and is still in the game over several cycles. The ones we call tried and true.
But just like him, our friends that we met up with on break, now had the opportunity to share our faith and see that we had that in common as well and were seeking ways to bring more of an impact. So it was all around a fantastic day, but wait there’s more, you’ll never believe what happened when we left…
Stay tuned for next week’s episode.
