Courtesy of Growth Works Ventures, Detroit MI
http://www.growthworksventures.com/blog/entry/leadscon-u2013-same-script-new-faces-great-conference
For me, LeadsCon is like going to a class reunion. Many of the people I know in the industry are former colleagues, partners and co-workers. They are the people I’ve negotiated with, bought or sold services, built businesses and spent hours and hours talking shop with. Some people are good friends that I haven’t seen in a while and some are just good people that I enjoy catching up with. Relationships matter, but for me the people and stories behind the relationships are what I enjoy most.
LeadsCon is the perfect place to find out what everyone is up to and find out what’s new in the lead generation industry. The industry issues usually remain the same – Quality, Conversion, Volume and Price. This year there was an influx of new companies and attendees.
In the middle 2000’s the circles of relationships were relatively small. If you entered the industry you’d find less than 2 degrees of separation between everyone in the industry. There was a revolving door of talent. The same people were moving from one company to another or starting up their own venture. This year there was a new generation of talented professionals and entrepreneurs that have entered the industry looking to solve problems for consumers.
One of those entrepreneurs is Alicia Guerrieri, founder of iSearchDecor. I met her the last night of the conference. Alicia approached me while I was mingling with a group of people I’ve known for years and said “Can I ask you a question? How do you guys know each other? It seems like everyone here knows each other. Do you work for the same company?” The answer spurred conversations of the history of how all of us knew each other and a retelling of tales from the past.
Her story is a familiar one in the entrepreneurial world. Alicia created a business to solve a problem that she experienced when she moved to Scottsdale, Arizona from Silicon Valley. She found it difficult to find furniture, painters and other home furnishing businesses in the local area. She wanted to find the small businesses and hidden gems in the area to decorate her new home. That frustration led to iSearchDecor. If you think you’ve heard this story before, you have. Do a search on why Matt Coffin started LowerMyBills.com or why Doug Lebda started LendingTree.com.
This was Alicia’s first time at LeadsCon. Her business helps connect consumers to local home décor merchants and service professionals. Learning about her business and challenges was exciting because it didn’t fit the typical conversations about lead gen that I usually have at LeadsCon. She was focused on small business niche in a local area and providing a lead generation source for them.
The fourth edition of LeadsCon has come and gone. The conference is coming into its own and starting to mature. There is no doubt that there will be continued growth within the major verticals – mortgage, education, insurance and auto. However, there is a growing need for lead gen solutions for local, small businesses. It’s exciting for me because it’s the problem that I’m focused on solving every day.
And to my new friend Alicia… I can’t wait to catch up with you next year!
