What Did You Leave the BiggerPockets Summit With? Your Highlights?
Joshua D.Pro Member
BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votesAfter 3 days of nonstop networking and 2 days of nonstop learning, I'm exhausted. That said, my adrenaline is flowing like crazy! The BiggerPockets Summit was absolutely incredible and unfortunately, we didn't have the time in my closing session to have everyone come up to share their stories.
I thought I'd start this thread to let people share what took away from the conference. What were the highlights for you? What did you learn?
Lets hear about what made this a great event for you.
Thanks again to everyone who came, our sponsors, speakers and the volunteers -- you were all amazing!
Josh, Thank you for doing an incredible job. It was nice meeting you.
As so many people have stated, the quality of speakers at this event was incredible. I could listen to these exact presentations 10 more times and pick up something new every time (which is why I'm looking forward to getting the audio!).
These speakers were among the absolute best and brightest in the RE field, but yet so many of them took the time to "come down to my level" and hang out away from the conference rooms, after hours, at lunch, whatever the case may be to answer questions. It was awesome hanging out, chatting and networking with multi-millionaires who are cool, down to earth, genuinely good people who are helping others. These are the people we should be plastering on TV to tell their stories, not the celebretards/celebresluts everybody idolizes and obsesses over right now.
Pick your favorite professional sport. Now imagine the absolute top athletes getting together and sharing with you all of their tips, strategies and info that got them to where they are. And going to dinner with you. And telling you to email/call them if you have any questions. AND MEANING IT.
I had the pleasure of hanging out (mostly just listening and absorbing) with Rich Weese, Aaron Mazzrillo, Tahani Aburaneh, Will Barnard, Peter Giardini, J Scott, Marty Boardman and Ryan Webber. Thank you all for sharing your stories and knowledge. It will be invaluable as I grow my RE career.
I met some amazing attendees also. Steven from Oklahoma City and Ed O: Your passion was incredible. You guys have lit a fire under me. When we meet again, I fully expect myself to be where you are now. And I fully expect you guys to still be that much further ahead of me. Thank you.
McKellar, Rusty, Jeff Sielicky, Tod, Ember, Matty: I had an awesome time hanging out with you all. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Greg B: You're a great person doing great thing for kids, which is something I can personally relate to. Thanks for all you do. It was a pleasure meeting you. Try not to start any altercations next time, OK? :-)
Sorry for such a long post, but I'll end it with this. Special thanks to @Michael Quarles who played a huge part in making it possible for me to attend. Your generosity will not be forgotten. I have no doubt I'm going to go forth and succeed in building a successful real estate career. And when I do, I will pay your kindness forward in spades.
I have to agree with Chris. It was such an amazing event with such positive energy. It was so powerful to get to meet so many people for the first time and also build strong bonds with those I have met before.
Huge thanks to Marty B, Will B, Chris C, Duane D, Jeff, and of course Mr. Jeff Brown among so many other wonderful people. Last but not least Mr. Josh Dorkin.
This event was a true testament to see Josh's vision of education, networking and deal making come together.
Great people, great content, and a great experience. Cannot wait for next year.
Make sure its in Denver again. Great city, great venue, and very organized from the start to the finish.
What a great event. I left with tons of motivation, inspiration and knowledge. The presentations were great. Yet just hanging out with everyone; the lunches, the lobby, the dinners, the bars, listening and participating in conversations with such a high qualily group...Surely it will have a lasting impact on me.
Thanks Josh, and everyone who made it. You did an incredible job and it was more than worth the investment to fly over. I got home today with little sleep, yet I am pumped. It feels like New Years day with new resolutions.
Joshua Dorkin - 1st, Thanks so much for putting on this event. It was great to meet your wife and mother, and seeing how much work they put in gave me a glimpse of the hard work and sacrifice you must have put in to make the Summit and this site so successful. Another one of those "Overnight Successes" that was 7 years in the making!
2nd, Thank you to the presenters. They reinforced what I have known to be true in other walks of life - there is no magic bullet. Hard work and proper application of knowledge will get it done. No secrets. It also was great to see them all teach very similar techniques and processes even though most hadn't met or even talked before preparing for the Summit. I almost filled up an entire notebook in two days and have been writing out actionable to-do lists for the past 48 hours.
3rd, Thank you to the attendees! Many people have already mentioned it, but it was very energizing to be around so many postive, energetic, and like-minded people. I felt like I had found Ayn Rand's "Galt's Gulch" in the Colorado Mountains. The networking at all hours (although I had to call it quits at 2:00 am, I suspect some never stepped foot in their hotel room) felt like I was hanging out with 300 of my closest friends that I have known all my life. It solidified a core group of BPers that will only make this site that much more valuable of a resource and sounding board. I think (and know in my case) that there are 300+ folks that feel like we are all in this together, fighting along side each other. (hmm...Maybe a biggerpockets version of the film 300?)
And if you are still reading this...I think we should get DEPENDS to sponsor the next one. You know why.
Josh - like so many others responding this was a first for me to attend an entire real estate conference without a selling element to it.
As an attendee it was such a pleasure getting to know so many new people from all across the united states and to attend GREAT sessions. My favorites were Bruce Norris, Rich Weese, Geraldine Berry.
As a speaker it was amazing to present to so many seasoned veterans in the room. I thoroughly enjoyed the questions between each role-play.
Thanks again Josh!! Can't wait for next year.
Arriving at the hotel on Thursday afternoon was like stepping into a family reunion. It was both overwhelming and humbling!
As stated time and time again Josh and his team did a fantastic job from start to finish... it will be hard to beat this performance... and yet I have every confidence that the next one will also exceed every expectation.
One of the greatest take-aways from this conference was that real estate investing is alive and thriving! For those attending we had constant opportunity to share in the successes of other attendees and for those who were not able to attend or are having doubts that real estate is the place to be... rest assured... based on the successes of those in attendance this past weekend...
If you aren't in real estate right now, today... you are going to miss the boat.
Great friends, fantastic discussions, free exchange of information... whats not to love.
See everyone next year!
Pete
Thanks Angel- I enjoyed evry presentation I went to, and I went to one every slot. I just noticed something interesting....
This thread asks "what did you leave the Seminar with?" Of the last NINE posts, SIX of the 9 were from presenters! I'd challenge anyone to find a comparable Summitt where 2/3 of the ones pumped are the presenters. I had more fun at this one than ever before, and I've been around the block a few times. The fun was not in the actual presenting, but seeing the high caliber of speakers, attendees and the extreme drive and thirst from them to learn. I could present or attend another one tomorrow. Great fun and lots of new friends. I won't list favorite sessions or attendees, I'll just get in trouble by forgetting many. Rich
Left with many little nuggets of wisdom. As the days afterward roll by new things are coming to mind. There is more to process than I originally realized.
For some reason it felt like being with old friends, even people new to the site. Not sure I undertand it but certainly enjoyed it. It was pure learning and pure fun.
The thing that is important is that the information presented is information you can count on as the truth. When a person has done what these presenters have done, there is a lot of trust that is deserved.
What I needed was a boost to my want to. I went to Denver to learn a few things but mainly to get my mojo back and meet some new, motivated people.
The presentations were great and I have pages of notes to rehash and apply. However, the after hours activities were the most motivating to me. It is great to hear where people have come from, their challenges, and how they have overcome them. It is also great to hear the different approaches to the same challenge that different people will take. Thanks to all the people I sat with and swapped stories with. You all are an inspiration to me as well.
I have already made quite a few contacts since Denver and I know there are more to come. Thanks Josh, it was a blast.
Good luck to you all.
The presentations were great, but the highlight for me was the quality of the speakers and attendees themselves. The interaction with everyone – including those speakers who spent all those hours with us in the lobby, bars, and restaurants – was priceless. There are some truly impressive (and diverse) stories behind the success here. Not only amazing investors – amazing people.
Thanks Josh, and thanks to everyone else who made this such a memorable event. Looking forward to the next one – hopefully in Vegas!
Josh, Thank you for doing an incredible job. It was nice meeting you.
As so many people have stated, the quality of speakers at this event was incredible. I could listen to these exact presentations 10 more times and pick up something new every time (which is why I'm looking forward to getting the audio!).
These speakers were among the absolute best and brightest in the RE field, but yet so many of them took the time to "come down to my level" and hang out away from the conference rooms, after hours, at lunch, whatever the case may be to answer questions. It was awesome hanging out, chatting and networking with multi-millionaires who are cool, down to earth, genuinely good people who are helping others. These are the people we should be plastering on TV to tell their stories, not the celebretards/celebresluts everybody idolizes and obsesses over right now.
Pick your favorite professional sport. Now imagine the absolute top athletes getting together and sharing with you all of their tips, strategies and info that got them to where they are. And going to dinner with you. And telling you to email/call them if you have any questions. AND MEANING IT.
I had the pleasure of hanging out (mostly just listening and absorbing) with Rich Weese, Aaron Mazzrillo, Tahani Aburaneh, Will Barnard, Peter Giardini, J Scott, Marty Boardman and Ryan Webber. Thank you all for sharing your stories and knowledge. It will be invaluable as I grow my RE career.
I met some amazing attendees also. Steven from Oklahoma City and Ed O: Your passion was incredible. You guys have lit a fire under me. When we meet again, I fully expect myself to be where you are now. And I fully expect you guys to still be that much further ahead of me. Thank you.
McKellar, Rusty, Jeff Sielicky, Tod, Ember, Matty: I had an awesome time hanging out with you all. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Greg B: You're a great person doing great thing for kids, which is something I can personally relate to. Thanks for all you do. It was a pleasure meeting you. Try not to start any altercations next time, OK? :-)
Sorry for such a long post, but I'll end it with this. Special thanks to @Michael Quarles who played a huge part in making it possible for me to attend. Your generosity will not be forgotten. I have no doubt I'm going to go forth and succeed in building a successful real estate career. And when I do, I will pay your kindness forward in spades.
Much praise for putting this event together. The speakers were great and the venue was amazing. I met so many good people there and took a ton of valuable information that I've now got to sit down and process where to go with the business. I'm revising the marketing strategy, branding approach, buying model and a few other things to shift from wholesaling to more rehabs. The rehabber boot camp was perfect for me. Thanks again.
Oops, I mentioned the wrong Jeff in my post above. Jeff Harding, it was nice meeting you. I hope we can get the gang together again sometime, it was fun. Until then, What's the occasion?
For me, the biggest takeaway from the bigger pockets summit was that I am NOT the only RE Junkie. It's easy to get caught up in my day to day business and feel like I am the only one going through challenges. The ability to meet and speak with hundreds of other addicts of varying skill levels, disciplines and geographic locations was fantastic.
My only regret is not being able to meet more people. Josh had so many great topics/speakers that it truly was hard to decide. This just proves the case that this needs to be an annual event. Of course I will throw my VEGAS suggestion in too.
Shawn