I recently had the good fortune to travel to Phoenix, AZ, for the Inc. 500|5000 Conference & Awards, the must-attend event for the nation’s leading entrepreneurs. It is just that. Talk about inspiring!  In attendance were some of the most amazing people I have ever encountered -- folks who are not afraid to take risks, do what they love, and follow through on what they truly believe in.

There were also many incredible speakers!  From Guy Kawasaki speaking on enchantment to Captain Mark Kelly, who spoke on leadership and the hard work required to achieve your goal.  Coming away completely inspired, I wanted to share my takeaways with a larger audience … thus, the list below.  The top five things I learned at the Inc. 500|5000 event:

1. Think positively. Clearly, it’s easier said than done but after listening to Bert Jacobs, co-founder and chief executive optimist at Life is Good Company, I learned that optimism can take you places. Staying centered on positive-thinking just makes you feel better, too.
2. Be happy doing what you do. Always start by asking “Why.” Simon Sinek’s session was not just about fixing the things that aren’t working but rather learning how to focus on and amplify the things that do work. Simply put, if we are fulfilled at work, we are happier in life.  So start by asking yourself “Why” … and share that reason with everyone you can find.
3. Small contributions matter. Just $20 can give one person clean, safe drinking water. Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of charity:water, gave a very inspiring talk on how he went from being an NYC club promoter to the CEO of a non-profit organization that provides safe water in a developing nations. He had this bold idea of send 100 percent of the donations received to the field in order to fund water projects – And to show donors exactly how and where their money is making a difference the organization is  using GPS coordinates on Google Maps…simple and small…but a genius idea.
4. Be enchanting. According to Guy Kawasaki, when artfully mastered, the power of enchantment enables you to maneuver through difficult decisions, break entrenched habits, defy the wisdom of crowds, and get those in your team to work for long-term, mutually beneficial goals. You need likability and trustworthiness with customers, as well as those who work for you in order to overcome resistance and build a business that thrives successfully throughout the years. To learn more, read this a great overview of the steps to enchantment.
5. Analytics means different things to different people. There appears to be a “vocabulary gap” when it comes to the term analytics or business analytics.  We had dinner with five different business owners and each one had a different definition of analytics. A few thought it was all about statistics, others thought it was just a dashboard of business results. It’s obvious that this market segment could use some education on analytics.  Are you confused? Check out this book excerpt on the value of analytics for further clarity.

I’m really excited to continue working with the folks at Inc. Magazine and their sister publication The Build Network to educate the SMB audience on how to use analytics to grow their business. Stay tuned for more!