She’s a city full of history and mystery and this year, Savannah played host to the Georgia Apartment Association’s Annual Meeting. GAA 2016 was nearly a week full of inspiration, education, and motivation and we were so honored to be a Diamond Sponsor!
The Blue Cricket Media team was in full force at GAA and our prized SELFIE STICKS popped up all over the conference weekend and helped every business in attendance raise the bar on their social media game!
We shook many hands, kissed a few babies (not really but isn’t that what they say in politics?), ate fresh seafood, but most of all we networked with some AMAZING multifamily industry pros and learned a lot!
We were INSPIRED to say the least. With two keynote speakers who primed our motivational engines, we started our weekend with Sam Parker author of “212* the extra degree”.
Sam starts his presentation with a poignant statement, “At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And with steam, you can power a train. Just one extra degree makes all the difference.” One extra degree is all it takes, and one extra minute or task or call per day can add up to HUGE growth for your business! We believe in that truth!
At Blue Cricket Media, we strive to embody the 212 principles and believe in going the extra mile for our clients! Everything Sam Parker talked about in his 212 presentation reiterated to us, the importance of being a company that is fully engaged in working with our clients. We truly hope that each of our “crickets” feel the extra degree in working with us.
The room was packed for keynote speaker #2: Gigi Butler, founder of Gigi’s Cupcakes. It was so refreshing to hear from a powerful woman CEO who built her business from the ground up. “The day Gigi’s Cupcakes opened its flagship store in Nashville” Gigi narrated, “I had $33 in my bank account. I had taken $100,000 in cash advances from my credit cards to get the shop open and it was that kind of tenacity that kept me going!”
Such an inspirational story of a woman who so truly believed in herself that she sacrificed and worked extremely hard, even working two jobs, to make her dream happen. Have you ever had a dream that you believed in that fully?
Have you ever had a dream that you believed in that fully? As the CEO of Blue Cricket Media, I can truly relate!
We also had the privilege of meeting some truly amazing people who are involved in the Georgia Apartment Association. We were honored to listen intently as Tom Aderhold, of Aderhold Properties, Inc. recounted to us the ghost encounters from his historical properties. Both amazed and intrigued, we listened as we were taken with his awesome personality and the enthusiasm with which he told the stories!
GAA has such a wealth of personalities who are true professionals and wise members of the multifamily industry, we can barely begin to skim the surface.
A heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to Russ Webb and his awesome team who organized and orchestrated this year’s GAA Annual Meeting. Planning events on such a large scale is not easy and pulling them off with ease is Russ’ specialty! We loved every moment of the GAA journey and can’t wait to see everyone again next year!
If we had to hit the nail on the head of the “take away” lessons from GAA 2016, here’s is what ANY business can learn from our experience.
#1) NETWORKING. Is worth more than any paid marketing you have ever or will ever do!
#2) CORPORATE CULTURE counts, big time! It not only impacts your employees, but it has a bearing on the caliber of work they do for your clients. We got some great ideas on corporate culture!
#3) GIGI’S CUPCAKES are still the best cupcakes on earth. Oh is that not a business lesson? Well, it is kind of!
#4) TENACITY. Never give up! No matter how little you have, you can do BIG things, with very little.
#5) 212 DEGREES. Go the extra mile. It will change everything!
Want to see more? Just check out the gallery below to see all the fun we had at GAA 2016! If you’re on Facebook, you can check out more photos from GAA 2016 and be sure to tag yourself in your photo!
And don’t forget if you’re looking for a partner in social media management for your community, we’d love to help!
About the Author: Misty Hickman
