6 Top Takeaways from the Inc. 5000 Conference
Members of Team MACKEY recently attended the Inc. 5000 Conference in Phoenix, AZ. In addition to watching our fearless leader, Mackey McNeill, take the stage, we also got to be in community with and learn from some of the greatest minds in business.
Here’s a breakdown of our key learnings from the experience:
1. Never underestimate the power of networking.
Yes, there’s a lot to learn from workshops and keynotes, but the real magic happens during all the moments in-between the scheduled programming. The casual conversation with a stranger sitting next to you in the lecture hall, an impromptu run-in with an old friend, heck, even friendly chit-chat on an elevator ride — you never know where you’ll get your next big idea, so always be open to learning new things!
2. “If something’s worth doing, then it’s worth overdoing.”
Wise words from keynote speaker, household name, and famed entrepreneur Daymond John. (Actually, he’s quoting Ayn Rand, or maybe Shane Patton in the movie, “Lone Survivor.”) But regardless of the original source, his words struck a chord with us. Find the thing that gives you purpose and go all in.
3. Prioritizing DEI efforts? Start a targeted internship program.
60% of African American wealth goes to student loans, which is a deferral of long-term wealth building. If businesses want to eliminate systemic racism, they need to develop programs that will actually shift long term trends.
4. Combat meeting fatigue by working asynchronously.
Many of us spend too much time in meetings identifying and discussing issues instead of solving issues and moving forward. Asynchronous work allows everyone to share their thoughts and ideas ahead of the meeting. This means meeting attendees go into the discussion with the needed background information and are better prepared to discuss and decide. (It also means everyone has the opportunity to be heard, which doesn’t always happen in group settings.) Keith Ferrazzi, Founder and chairman at Ferrazzi Greenlight, suggests using a standard Google Sheet or Teams form to organize talking points and capture employee opinions all in a single location.
Sidenote: This one excited MACKEY team members Adam Reynolds and Ben Bessler so much that they’re already developing strategies for using the approach in-house.
5. Turn fear into curiosity.
Curiosity allows you to explore all possible opportunities. Once you’ve explored your curiosity, then you can use your wisdom to distill those opportunities down into a ready-to-implement action plan. “This is so in line with our Prosper for Business process. It felt validating to hear the approach reinforced by others,” says Adam.
6. Don’t grind for the sake of the grind.
Both Daymond John, Founder and CEO of FUBU, and Michael Dubin, Founder of Dollar Shave Club, addressed the importance of mental health in their keynotes. Building a business is important and meaningful work, but to sacrifice family, leisure time and your physical and emotional well-being isn’t worth it. Sometimes you need to step back. Life outside of work is important, too, so don’t allow yourself to be swallowed by the hustle. “This was a really refreshing message to hear from such big names,” says Ben. “Everyone in attendance at the conference has made sacrifices in the name of growing their businesses. So, it was really cool to get that reminder to take time for yourself.”
A Moment of Appreciation
Let’s face it, we had the honor to attend the Inc. 5000 conference because of you — our clients. Thank you for believing in us, thank you for trusting us, and thank you for going along on this business leadership journey with us. We can’t wait to keep learning with and for you.
In gratitude,
The MACKEY Team