Matthew Petro

Ruminations* on Ignite Phoenix 6

Tweet

We’ve all had a day to digest what we saw and heard at Ignite Phoenix 6. We’ve thought about the presentations that inspired us and those that we didn’t find so interesting. We’ve relived some of the funny moments and reflected on the serious ones.

For me, this Ignite was the culmination of a journey of personal growth from casual attendee to presenter.

I first heard about Ignite Phoenix when the first one was advertised. It sounded interesting, but I didn’t get off my ass to go until Ignite Phoenix 2. I went with my friend Scott and thought, “Wow, that was cool.” I was impressed that all these people had something they were passionate about and wanted to talk about, but I had no idea what I would ever present on.

As I attended Ignites 3 and 4, I started realizing how powerful it was to really understand and pursue your passions, and I started figuring out what mine were. I realized that my office coffee making was not only something I was passionate about, but also different enough from most people’s typical office coffee experiences to make for an interesting presentation. So I submitted it for Ignite Phoenix 5. Of course, it didn’t get picked then, but I was given the chance to do it this time.

I’ve already written about the process of preparing for an Ignite presentation, so I wanted to share a few things I learned from actually getting on stage in front of 450 people and sharing my love of coffee:

• 15 seconds is both an instant and an eternity
• 5 minutes goes by WAY faster than you think
• doing an Ignite presentation is a combination of careful preparation and complete improv
• an Ignite crowd is amazing to present to
• it’s a rush!

So there it is. A goal has been reached. I’ve found one of my passions, defined it, created a presentation and delivered it. I challenge you to do the same.

* Thanks to Amy Heisler for reminding me what a great word “ruminate” is.