It’s no secret that we're all working in a new reality of physical distancing, and we all need guidance when it comes to pivoting and changing how we bring value to our audience, customers, and clients.

And I’ve been trying hard to bring you stories of, both on my podcast “I’m a Millionaire. So Now What ?” and here on the blog. That’s why I am super excited to bring you this news:

Drum roll please: Elevated Conversations: The Dinner Party is back!

What’s “Elevated Conversations” you ask?

Well, it’s a small group (only a certain number of spaces are available) of smart investors, entrepreneurs, industry professionals, and business owners who get together to chat over dinner.

Only now, we’re doing it virtually! (…thanks Covid-19)

Elevated Conversations and the Need to Remain Flexible

I created Elevated Conversations in 2018. And I've talked about it here, and I've rolled it out over time on the podcast. The original idea was to bring super smart people together over dinner – in person - to explore finance technology and future trends in business and society.

Well, we sure are in the middle of an era of significant innovation and disruption to the way we live and do business – the fourth Industrial Revolution, really. And as the pandemic flared, life as we knew it ground to a halt.

Enter multiple event cancellations across every business vertical – including mine (sad face).

Yes, I had to face the harsh reality that this pandemic had wiped out my in-person, Ottawa-based May workshop. Called Double to Sell, it was going to feature serial entrepreneur (and uber successful businessman) Cameron Herold, and was a workshop geared to helping business owners to take a step back and figure out how to monetize your business and create the vision for achieving your cash rich exit in the next 10 years or so.

Basically – it was going to be EPIC (I’ve tentatively rescheduled for Wednesday, November 4 – fingers crossed!).

So, I was sitting in my basement office – where I work and do the podcast – thinking about that, and the loss of our smart talk dinner parties - and suddenly it hit me: Take the show virtual! Duh.

And so, I did.

Three Cheers for Webex!

I tested the interest by seeding the idea out on LinkedIn - business owners in my network. And then I just started to reach out in general. And I ended up hosting nine highly engaged business owners. Everyone arrived by 5 pm, and the programming began promptly. Let me give you a sense of what happened in that space.

We went around the room and each business owner was asked to introduce themselves - who are you? Name your business, describe your ideal client, share one fun fact about yourself and one thing that you want to take away from investing your time in this “Elevated Conversation”.

Grabbing the Bull by the Horns in a Bear Market.

The theme was “How to Grow When it’s Slow” – basically how to commit to growth in the face of uncertainty (guests were prepped before they arrived). So, with that context and with, you know, the reality of the world, we held a roundtable discussion. I focused on five main questions and allowed time in case we wanted to pivot off in a few places.

Here were the questions:

· What have you found most challenging about the current environment?

· Show the one change or pivot that has made the biggest difference for you.

· What is working for you?

· Where are you doubling down and investing capital?

· And finally, what are you walking away from?

I based the dinner content on Chapter 11 (I know, I know!) of Cameron Herold’s book Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less and called it “How to Grab the Bull By the Horns in a Bear Market.”

And it was a huge success!

So much so that I want to continue this virtual dinner soirée, and I would LOVE if you could join us. I promise you – the ROI is immense, plus you’ll have a lot of fun.

The next event is Monday, June 8, from 5 pm to 6:30 pm., and if you want more info and/or to sign up, click here!

And you can listen to more about Elevated Conversations - and Double to Sell - on this week’s episode of “I’m a Millionaire. So Now What? ”

I would also LOVE to share YOUR story. If you’re interested, drop me a line.

“I’m a Millionaire. So Now What?” is brought to you by Double to Sell - Canada's Premier Invitation-ONLY workshop for business owners wanting a cash-rich exit in 10 years or less. For more information, or to register, please visit the “Double to Sell” website.