One thing that many of us learned during the pandemic is that human beings are social and need interaction with others. Despite the quick pivot of doing business, and life virtually, many people are anxious to get back in the saddle of in-person meetings and conferences.
With many industry events already taking place or happening in the near future we meet up with Ted as he shares his experience at some of the industries first in person conferences.
Video Transcription
Harry Brelsford 0:05
Hey, SMB Nation Harry back with Ted Hulsy. I keep thinking about you in those early days. And when I first met you with that chip clip I have that says Sonicwall. So I fondly remember and I, I'd like chips. So how you doing Ted?
Ted Hulsy 0:20
I'm doing well. Harry, How about yourself?
Harry Brelsford 0:22
Yeah, good. Just trying to keep things on the sunny side. Hey, listen. You have a really interesting update, you went to one of the first live events in the industry, Connectwise Evolve in Denver. You just got back. So what's news and when you talk about?
Ted Hulsy 0:39
Yeah, so it was the first MSP peer group meeting that happened, you know, the ITnation peer groups that happened, and I think what, like 16 to 18 months, so it was great to be back with everybody. And, you know, not not unusually, we were talking a lot about sales and marketing. So that was kind of like a hot topic. Everybody's feeling like, clients have their checkbooks out in 2021. But still, there's it's things are still a little rusty and people are trying to, you know, find ways to drive top line growth for sure.
Harry Brelsford 1:12
Yeah, yeah, exactly. I went to a live event, and fingers crossed live events will continue marching forward. I had a great time. Couple weeks ago, I went up to Nashville, Tennessee to the Retail Solution Provider Association. RSPA, their big annual conference, retail now, probably 1300, attendees, 100, booths, these 10 these are the point of sale VARs, right. So these are the POS fellas, and but at a high level, energy, excitement, old school, you know, every we're done, we're done with zoom. Even though you and I are working on zoom right now. But we're done with zoom. Tell, tell me about the vibe out in Denver.
Ted Hulsy 1:55
The vibe was great. I mean, I think there is so much pent up demand for people to, to have face to face interaction as again, I mean, there's, that's undeniable. So it was great to be back, you know, huddled around the U shaped table talking with business leaders about how to drive growth and improve their businesses so and it just reconnect with people on a personal level. I mean, there's people in the group who are fighting cancer or going through struggles in their lives, and it's just a lot nicer to have those sorts of conversations with your friends and your peers, when you can kind of reach out and grab somebody's hand or, you know, give them a little bit of encouragement and just be in the room together. So that's, that's an undeniable thing we've missed in the past 18 months and and that was great to be able to experience that again, for sure.
Harry Brelsford 2:46
Yeah, where can people see you the second part of the year? What events are on the calendar again, assuming it's all green light lighted and all that? Where can people find you?
Ted Hulsy 2:56
Yeah, I mean, I'm gonna be making it out to ITnation Connect, I mean, fingers crossed. I mean, who knows? I mean, the Connectwise is definitely gonna have the peer group meetings in the in the handful of days right before Connect. So I'm looking forward to Orlando. I mean, I, I've been going to Orlando in November for you know, nearly 13,14 years or something like that. Last year was the last year was the first year that that have hasn't happened. So we're looking forward to that. And, you know, fingers crossed. I mean, it should be a really exciting week and a big week for the Connectwise IT nation community as well.
Harry Brelsford 3:33
All right, well, I'm gonna Yeah, I'm gonna. I'm going to reach out to the Connectwise PR department I have not done in years. For no reason, just just haven't. And I'm going to reach out and see if I can cover it as a blogger podcaster analyst and because so much has changed. You know, in over in the connectwise. world. I feel I need to interject, and I'll go to Florida in November, anytime.
Ted Hulsy 3:58
Exactly, exactly. It should be I just it should be a great, great show. I think so.
Harry Brelsford 4:03
All right, Ted, I gotta fly. Thank you.
Ted Hulsy 4:05
Okay. Thanks, Harry. Good talking with you. Take care.