This newsletter/blog post comes with a heavy heart. So many tragedies are happening worldwide, from the horrific events in the Middle East to those suffering in Maine. My heart aches that lives have been lost due to senseless acts of violence. My heart and prayers go out to the victims and families suffering. Writing about money is hard when so many people are not in a good state.

Last week, I ventured to New Orleans for FinCon. FinCon is the largest digital marketing conference for financial literacy enthusiasts, experts, and brands. I planned to attend FinCon for years and finally had the opportunity to attend. The below blog post will cover my budget and what I would do differently.

Budget

My planned budget was $1500, which included lodging, food, entertainment, transportation, etc. I ended up paying less than $800 for the entire trip. Win! Kind of. Check out my breakdown below. I use Vertex travel spreadsheets for all of my travel costs.

Thoughts

Here is my overall assessment of FinCon. FinCon is a busy conference. There were several workshops throughout the week, which made it extremely challenging to keep up with. I missed some more significant events because I was talking to someone or resting in my room. I've been to large conferences before but was worn out from FinCon. Was it because I spoke with so many people? I don’t know, but I'm still recovering. It was a great event, and I will go next year.

I spoke on the Reching the Next Generation Gen-Z Panel with Colleen M. Salchow, MA, AFC®️ David Delisle Hassan Thomas Lawrence Cain, Jr.. We shared about community partnerships, sharing tangible items like worksheets and books, and creating aligned opportunities with organizations specializing in youth development.

Lessons Learned

If I do attend FinCon or any other conference, here's what I would do differently:

I will arrive the day before the conference starts. While this is an extra day of expenses, it's worth settling and getting a lay of the land. I arrived on Wednesday, and technically, some events started on Wednesday. I spoke on Thursday, so I would like some buffer room to prepare and rest next time.
Stay in the host hotel. My inability to rest was attributed to transitioning back and forth from my hotel to the host hotel. It was an 8-minute walk between both. I booked the host hotel and canceled it. Why? I have no idea. Additionally, I missed opportunities to connect and have breakfast or dinner because I was so far away. Safety first! Walking to your hotel at night (at least for me) is a no-go. I opted for Ubers, but even being out super late is something I was not comfortable with. I saved money and had a complimentary breakfast, but sometimes, that extra expense could be a better return on your investment.
Pace Myself. It was so lovely to meet everyone, but I overwhelmed myself. By Friday, I was fatigued. I went to my hotel Friday afternoon to finish a grant application and catch my breath. I needed the space to wine down. Take your time and go sit down when you need to!
Digital Business Cards and Photos. I brought a stack of business cards to FinCon and brought the same stack back. The digital business card came in handy. I use an app called HiHello. It has my photo and all of my contact information. I also took photos of people and texted them to remember me. I learned that tip from Ali Garced on a recent podcast.
A friend/assistant. Next time I go to ANY conference or event, I'm bringing someone with me. I've spoken at way too many conferences this year and did it myself. It's hard to transition from attendee, speaker, bookseller, connector, etc. It would help if you had time to breathe and adjust. A helper can assist in that area. They can take pictures, handle financial transactions, etc.
Show Out! Another missed opportunity for me was during my panel. I should’ve shared my book series. Like what?! I have beautiful books that have impacted thousands of students. Why on earth did I not have them to display?
Inventory. If you're going to sell books, bring enough inventory. I brought 20 books with me, and I sold all 20. My goal was to travel as light as possible - which didn't work out in my favor. Next time, I will bring 45 books to ensure enough for people.
Have a strategy. If you're speaking, you need a speaking strategy; if you're attending, you need an attendee strategy; and if you're selling books, you need a strategy. I was going to FinCon as an attendee to learn. While I did know, I was also speaking and selling books, which requires a different mindset.