It’s no secret that we’re huge HubSpot fans at ABN and that their Inbound conference is an event we look forward to all year long. The 2022 conference was a hybrid event, featuring digital, in-person, and combined sessions. Josh and Michelle flew out to Boston this year to check out the in-person sessions and connect with other attendees, while the rest of the ABN team took advantage of the plethora of available digital sessions.
HubSpot truly knows how to put on an excellent event. With sessions focused on a breadth of marketing- and culture-related topics, this year’s Inbound was successful in feeding our team’s curiosity and keeping us on the cutting edge as we craft strategies to fuel our clients’ growth.
With speakers such as Barack Obama and Jane Goodall presenting, there’s no arguing against the caliber of presenters at Inbound, nor the value of the wisdom they provided. Here are a few of the ABN team’s takeaways:
Personally, I appreciated the session on The Logic of Action: How to Make Inaction Impossible. Presenter Tamsen Webster discussed the stories we tell ourselves during the process of making decisions. She said that we need a “moment of truth” for our decisions to make sense to us, because that moment frees us to make the action that leads to resolution. Webster did an excellent job melding the psychology of buyers to the universe of storytelling.
I think I’d be remiss if I didn’t briefly touch on the centerpiece of the event, the moderated conversation with 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. He reflected on a wide range of topics, including the current state of American democracy, and tips for remaining calm when confronted with challenging situations.
He shared that, “It’s very useful to maintain a long view, especially in a crisis. There may be things you need to do right away …. But emotionally, what I tend to be pretty good at is understanding that things are never as good as you think they are, and they’re never as bad as you think they are at any given moment.”
Phil Padilla mentioned that he, personally, found the following quote especially powerful: “As we refine processes, one issue stays consistent, the human element. The art of simply playing well with one another in a respectful manner.”
The art of simply playing well with one another in a respectful manner. It’s a powerful sentiment and one that drives our efforts at ABN, even if we might not always express it quite so eloquently. It’s a pretty great experience to come out of a conference feeling more invigorated and united as a team. Thanks, HubSpot, for putting on such a thought-provoking Inbound 2022.
We’re already counting down the days until next year. ;)