At the beginning of June I boarded a British Airways plane to Zurich, Switzerland.
I was heading to a conference to deliver a keynote. Conferences are an important part of my life and a way to really reconnect with my creativity, share my message and continue to develop my conference speaking skills.
Grab your copy of my new book Zero To Keynote here!
Conferences are an escape from the daily commitments of my day-to-day business work.
They are a chance to see other countries, share my message and connect with new people in the community. As much as conferences in my industry are about work, they are also not about work; they are about connection, being human and cultivating personal growth.
I recorded a podcast episode whilst in Zurich, along with audio from the city.
I tend to choose conferences based on whether I have been to the country they are hosted in before. I have no problem revisiting countries again (some) but I also like to travel, explore and see more of the world.
My eldest recommended an app called “Been” that allows you to log all of the countries you’ve visited.
It then gives you insights and data such as how much of the world you have seen.
I’m doing pretty well in Europe but still have a wealth of the world to see.
And so, Zurich, Switzerland was to be a new addition to my travel coverage. And what a lovely place it was. Damn expensive, but lovely.
I had a lovely day for flying, so I captured some magical clouds.
Conference trips are far more than a speaking gig, a hotel and some good conversations.
They are a chance to recharge my creative juices and to keep finding myself and my own interests.
I switch off from work, I walk the city, I eat new foods and explore the culture, and it helps me grow. It gives me peace. It plays to my soul.
A few years back I went to Oslo, Norway and was inspired to make 4 videos whilst there and took some wonderful images too. Travel does that for me. And it’s an important part of my life.
Anyway, back to Switzerland.
I’ve become a little obsessed with soundscapes and audio recording, so I took my trusty Zoom H4n Pro (affiliate link), some spare batteries, my headphones and my walking shoes.
I captured some sounds and also recorded an episode of my “Here’s an idea worth playing with” podcast.
I lucked out. On the Saturday morning there was a beautiful bell ringing session at the Cathedral and the zoom did not disappoint in capturing it. Hear it in the podcast episode - linked at the top of this post.
Grab your copy of my new book Zero To Keynote here!
I also took some photos too, although I think my Ricoh GR is dying as the quality took a hit. I’ve had that camera for many years and is my go to travel camera. I just can’t justify buying the latest version just yet.
The river really is spectacular and simply sitting there with a coffee allowed me to switch off and simply watch the water.
This meditative act took my mind off the upcoming talk, away from work and allowed me to just “be” there.
I crossed the river and settled down on the banks to record the church bells and an episode of the “Here’s an idea worth playing with” podcast.
I tend to taste beers from my travels. I enjoy sitting and merely noticing. Watching the world go by and sampling beers from the local country.
As I sat with the beer, I also had a breakthrough moment with my talk. I'd struggled a little with one particular section.
I'd followed my own advice from Zero To Keynote, and simplified, structured and rehearsed the talk, but something still didn't feel right. In the book I say that if the talk doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right. My advice is always to remove yourself from your presentation and find some nature.
As I sat by the river noticing the world around me, I had the aha moment about my talk!
I quickly made a note to change the slide order - not a problem last minute as I knew the talk inside and out.
The talk went exceptionally well and was well received. Plenty of questions after and lots of praise, which is nice. I do tend to get very nervous before a talk - but that shows I care. I've learned over the years to cope with my nerves, and the more talks I do, the less they affect me.
As soon as I hit the stage though, I am switched on, the nerves go and my rehearsal and experience kicks in. I cover all of this in the book.
Speaking at a conference is a way to share my message, but it's also a way to push my own boundaries and learn more about myself.
After the conference the organisers had booked a table at a cool bar around a river!
One aspect of a good conference is the social side where discussions about the industry and life happen. They're the best aspect for me - after sharing my message and visiting different cities!
On the walk back from the post conference meal there was a nice Porsche (not so sure about the stickers though). I’m a sucker for a Porsche.
Conferences are a vital part of my life.
They give me time, energy and a creative space. I miss my family of course, but that time to focus on taking photos, capturing audio, shooting film and exploring different cultures gives me a reward. I feel refreshed and rejuvenated after them.
I don't tend to do too many new talks as my preparation for them is intense. I want my talks to be the best talk I can deliver and to ensure that each talk is a "keynote" worthy talk - that's the entire premise of the book - encouraging people to put everything they have into the talk to make it the best talk of the conference.
If you keep doing that then it's only a matter of time until you land a keynote. But more importantly than that, it means you've grown, pushed yourself, simplified your message and done the best to deliver that talk. And that's worth it all on its own.
This article is part of a new series running in 2025. Creative Soul Projects is a manifesto, and point of hope, in regaining and rebuilding what it means to do valuable, creative and meaningful work.
