There is no question that it’s all about teamwork! When I think about the tradeshow season, the first thing that comes to mind is how happy I will be getting to see both my clients AND my team in action! We are very lucky to have clients from all over the world, and tradeshows makes it possible for us to reconnect and discuss what’s next. We use this time to listen and learn from the industry. Let’s face it, where else do you get the opportunity to interact with so many leading industry professionals, and see so many cool technologies, all located in one place?! I think we can say we exceeded our goal to Connect, Inform, and Educate this week! Not just with our audience, but also within our team.

A key part of our goal was to strengthen the team, increase our reach, and develop new partnerships. With this in mind, we used every opportunity to identify and build new and exciting content while engaging with our clients. A special ‘thank you’ goes out to our video crew who helped us interview many of our partners, and at the same time, gain a deeper understanding of our customers’ voice. It really was a fun experience for me, even though I don’t like being recorded. As I’ve grown the Empowering Pumps team, I have always kept looking at ways of creating opportunities where we can ‘face our fears’ and grow as individuals. This is the way we can grow the industry… creating leaders with the right tools and skills to be successful. So outside of loving hearing “I Love Charli”, I also know each person we interviewed got a little more comfortable behind the video camera, and in some cases, the iPhone, when we showcased them over Facebook LIVE!

I was first introduced to Facebook LIVE watching Michael Phelps talk to his fans during the Olympics. I loved this because it was such a great inside look at Michael… an Olympian! I thought ‘this is so cool! I’ve got to try this!’ Having never used FB live before, I gave it a go while walking around the TPS tradeshow in early September. I learned quickly that walking while live streaming was not a good idea 🙂 I did fall in love with the instant way you can connect with your followers. I only wish I had tried it sooner so I could have provided our clients at TPS the same coverage as we did at WEFTEC!

I have to thank Karen Mech, who had seen my TPS walkabout and said she loved it when I stopped by her booth at WEFTEC. Having our video crew at the event and focusing on our clients, I had totally forgotten that I had wanted to try out LIVE again. Jumping into action, my team was able to use it to capture a monumental moment for our client, KSB. I am very impressed with the work Sherry Heinly, KSB Marketing Manager for North American Region, and her team put into this week! They combined a customer event, product launch, tradeshow, public relations, and traditional and digital media to bring attention to how KSB has solutions for the industry problems of flushable wipes clogging the pumps and wastewater treatment plants. My Empowering Pumps team got to stream the event live to our collective audience who follow on Social Media – how’s that for great team work!!

This week we were also invited to cover their press event via social media. Leading up to the event, I used Twitter and #ConquertheClog to create awareness and excitement, but when I arrived, I thought, this would be a GREAT Facebook LIVE opportunity! So, I took a leap of faith, facing my fear of the unknown, and with the assistance of Cieana Detloff, we were able to quickly jump into action and video showcase all the work that had been put together to make the event happen. I was also able to highlight the amazing new products that they were launching! I am so proud that my Empowering Pumps team was looking after our client and fully embracing all of our digital media platforms to give an amazing result… LIVE! We pulled it off perfectly!

Pro-Tip and reminder to self: Selfie Sticks work great to give you a steadier video image. Just remember to look where you are walking!

I am so proud of my team and thankful for all the hard work they put into preparing for this show.

I would love for you to tell me about your team. Tell me just how great they are, especially if they’ve tried and succeeded with something new!