Why I Made Myself Get Out and Virtualize

By Conrad Winter, a freelance copywriter specializing in content and copywriting for transportation and logistics

I, like many people in the world, am pretty happy scaling back and staying in these days. I just moved, and my little bomb shelter of an office in the basement is pretty darn cozy I have to say. My dog is here and the headphones are on. I’ve got something good to write (this post) and I really don’t think I’m ever going to want to leave. But alas I must go out, virtually at least. 

We all have to go out. We simply can’t afford not to connect and just keep living and learning. To miss a year of striving, challenging and achieving would be devastating to our economy, our psyche and our kids.  

A few weeks ago, a bunch of us at TMSA went out (virtually of course) and took to it. What was “it” that we “took to”, you ask? 

Well, we quietly took the top off the industry and went to work on how to move forward. Every industry needs a wakeup call now and again. This was ours. Does that sound overly dramatic? Then you weren’t there.

You didn’t hear how a COO at C.H. Robinson navigates a 115-year old mega bureaucracy to innovate and his tough talk to executives who just don’t think it can be done. You missed Rachel Steinberg Sales Leader at LinkedIn (yes, the same LinkedIn that counts 51% of college-educated Americans as members) revealing that there aren’t very many companies in our industry that are leveraging LinkedIn for all its worth (hint, hint). You missed Jim Bierfeldt’s sensible, yet sobering take on brand differentiation in our industry and the disintegration of SEO disinformation delivered by industry truth-tellers, SyncShow. You also missed one of the most pointed and appropriate odes to the challenges of the one-person-band (Logistics Marketing Directors) delivered by Jennifer Karpus-Romain of Faye Business Systems Group. 

Essentially, you missed a full mind-and-marketing, sales-and-self-awareness workout, boot camp, master class and revelatory lightning strike that also included a seminar on AI that actually made sense to a primitive like me and even included practical tips on how to use it. 

Yeah, to quote Bruce Brown in Endless Summer I, “You reeeeeeeally missed it.” You are now officially one year behind the rest of us. But not for long. Create your own Logistics Marketing & Sales intensive experience on demand over the weekend.  

This year’s conference really was what every sales and marketing professional in our industry needs right now, namely thought-provocation, timely tips and an opportunity to engage with peers. But who am I to say? Read what conference attendees had to say about TMSA 2020 here. (And/or just see for yourself.)

“Loved hearing from Rachel Steinberg of LinkedIn. That was some good intel. And loved hearing from Chris O’Brien of C.H. Robinson. Very beneficial.” - Patrick McFarland, Director of Marketing, ITS Logistics 

“The conference was great – so much great content. My best takeaway was from the ‘Maximizing ROI on Video’ session with Elias Wynshaw; our team put his wisdom to work immediately” - Whitney Croxton, Sr. Marketing Coordinator, Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT)

“The presentations were top-notch and the tech was seamless. Chris O’Brien’s keynote was articulate and relevant—no platitudes in that guy. John Daters woke me up to a new kind of underpinning at Google. Meagan Johnson’s presentation on the multi-generational workplace was a nice change from just a talking head. Dennis Buttimer’s presentation on mindfulness was a welcome break in the program for me. Alex Draper’s presentation fortified my contention that we all have different perspectives—even definitions—of what we’re trying to share.” - Martha Anderson, Executive Director, James Street Associates

“My best takeaway was we can do this! We are virtual and still connected. Great content, great relationships and a willingness to be flexible was evident across the two days. TMSA members and all who attended the conference can pride themselves on staying on the cutting edge!” - Jill Schmieg, Founder & Chief Strategist, Sol de Naples Marketing

“There were lot of good takeaways from the conference, but the one that resonated with me most immediately was the acronym CARE.  The timing of that sort of a message could not have been better.  Managing my team from a distance presents a unique set of challenges…It was a great reminder to me to be Clear, Trusting, Empathetic, and Balanced in my work and in my life.” - Tom Collins, Sr. Director, Marketing, Saddle Creek Logistics Services

“My top takeaway is the importance of going into any event—especially a virtual event—with the attitude that you will make new connections. Networking at virtual events involves more planning, time prioritization and unknowns. But taking advantage of these opportunities to meet new connections and service providers is probably more important now than ever.” - Beth Malik, Head of Marketing & PR, SMC³

^{“I was impressed by the platform and the ability to feel connected even with the virtual event. This was my first TMSA conference, so I was excited to talk with others and share best practices. Connecting with other industry leaders during the roundtables and coffee talks was really beneficial for me as a newbie to the industry.” - Courtney Keenan, Marketing & Sales Support Coordinator, RLS Logistics} 

“There were so many great sessions. I loved the Generation Gap, the Virtual Modern Workforce, The Mindful Performance in Video and so much more!...I actually had my entire department attend the TMSA Virtual Conference, and we just got done with a meeting to see what we learned and what good ideas we can apply.” - Candi Cybator, Director of Marketing, PITT OHIO

“The best part was the advice and motivation my fellow members gave me. Starting out by yourself without any prior sales experience or networking connections can be extremely difficult at times especially during the pandemic.” - Sergio Barajas, Quick & Easy Logistics 

What do I say?

“It’s always invaluable to hear directly from the people on the front line of transportation & logistics sales & marketing about what they’re experiencing. For this, there’s no better forum in the industry than TMSA’s Annual Conference. The people in this community are extremely generous in sharing their knowledge and insights. Even in its virtual form, that statement was no less real this year.” – Conrad Winter

Conrad Winter is a freelance copywriter specializing in content and copywriting for transportation and logistics. Based in Metuchen, NJ, he creates website copy, campaigns, blog posts, whitepapers and case studies for carriers, 3PLs and transportation technologies. Learn More

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