How to Strategically Network at Pantheon | Podcast Ep. 185 | Toolbox for the Trades

Hello, contractors, and welcome to Toolbox for the Trades. My name is Jackie Aubel, and today I am chatting with my friend and colleague, Ellen Rohr, an industry expert, a master of financials, and someone who knows her way around conferences. We're talking tips and tricks for Pantheon 2024, how to plan and strategize to make the most out of your visit to Service Titan's annual user conference in Orlando. Heads up. If you're not joining us for Pantheon, this episode is still chock full of best practices for making the most out of your next conference, conference or networking event. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. Ellen Rohr, you are a plumber's wife first and foremost. You are also the founder of Zoom Drain and the current brand and marketing industry lead here at Service Titan. Today you and I are going to be sharing our conference knowledge. We're going to give some know before you go tips how to make the most out of Pantheon 2024, which is service Titan's user conference that is taking place this year, September 30th through October 2nd in Orlando. But also if you have any other conferences that you're attending this year, I know a lot of contractors listening probably have a very busy fall lined up. We're hopeful that we're going to give you some tips on how to make the most out of Pantheon and just generally some conference best practices. Ellen, you have been a guest on this show many times. I absolutely love talking to you. I am so happy that you are now one of my coworkers. Welcome to the show. I'm so excited to have you here.

You missed in my bio that I am the president of the Jackie Obel Fan club.

Oh my goodness.

Yeah.

I'm so lucky. Can I tell you how lucky I am to have a president of your caliber at the helm of my fan club? Thank you so much. And what a coincidence because I am also the president of your fan club. So I mean, how, how, how, how kismet it is.

And this topic, you and I have seen each other at so many trade shows, so I think a big chunk of our relationship has been on a trade show floor.

I know, truly, if I had, I think I can count. I don't think I can count on two hands how many times you and I have seen each other across the room at a conference and been like, ellen, Jackie. And then we're like, we run over to each other and we catch up. So I'm so psyched that we get to do Pantheon together as a team. With our other coworkers this year. So let's kick this conversation off. We're gonna really do more of a. Of a collaborative episode today. So I'll be speaking maybe a little bit more than the folks are used to, but I think we're gonna get some great tips out, you guys. So, Ellen, tell me about your best Pantheon memory.

Well, my. My best Pantheon memory was when I was on the big stage. I'm gonna cry talking about it. It was so great, and I am so thankful. I. I met Jasmine again the other day, and she really set me up at that conference, made sure I was, you know, trained and the slides were right, and we. Service Titan was so loving and supportive. I think that's how I ended up here. Now I really got a. A flavor for the culture and the support that I had as a customer and as a. As a speaker. And so speaking on that stage was definitely not just a conference highlight, but a career highlight. But not every one of my conferences has been a success, that's for sure.

Oh, my gosh.

Can we share what our favorite moment from last Pantheon was?

Of course. Of course. Yeah. That was the first time we went. That was the first time we went east to Orlando. So as folks know, Service Titan is originally headquartered up in Los Angeles, so most of our conferences have been on the west coast, and last year we took it to the east coast. My favorite memory, actually was last year at Pantheon. We had a Toolbox for the trades podcast booth where I got to interview so many of our customers, and I. It was just incredible. What an opportunity. I was thinking about this question before we got together, and there was this gentleman, Victor, who was works for 5 or free electrical, and he was there with his brother, and they were just such fans of the show, and their energy was absolutely infectious. I loved chatting with them. And they are also really passionate about a topic that I'm passionate about, which is second chance hiring. So it was just super cool to get to meet folks in the industry who are not only service tying customers, but giant fans of Toolbox for the Trades and just, like, hear from them directly and have them tell me about what part of the show has really helped them and then give me inspiration for other ideas. Victor and his brother really have an incredible story. I emailed him yesterday and I was like, I think I still want you on the podcast. So hopefully he reaches back out to me. But that was my favorite memory. What about yours from last year?

Well, I'm. I'm taking notes. That's what just happened. I Thought, where's my notebook? But I love that about them, and I have more to share about second chances now that I know that passion of yours. My favorite moment last year was Keith Mercurio's speech, and this is how it went down for me. I thought, I'm going to sit in here for five minutes because I love Keith, and just, like, see him get started. And then 10 minutes in, I'm still there, and he says something to the effect of like, if you're going to be here, you got to commit to be here. And I'm like, oh, no. I was going to slip out. Like, he read my mind. And then I stayed. I played, I did all the exercises, and it was this moment that I didn't expect. I thought I was going to breeze in. Hey. And then, you know, bolt on to the next thing. So I think one of the tips that we want to share today is leaving moments for serendipitous, wonderful moments. And that presentation was so good. It's what I needed to hear. The cost of being right, how problematic being right can be in your life, and his vulnerable sharing of his own story about it and his journey hit me like a ton of bricks right in the middle of the forehead. And I didn't expect it. So that was my last year's favorite.

Oh, my gosh. Amazing. And we should also mention that when you spoke at Pantheon, you spoke about your financials because people probably know you because. Because you are all about the money, honey. So why don't you just share a little bit about what you presented on, just so folks have an idea of where your expertise lies.

Well, it's interesting now, years later, I started 40 years ago, married a plumber. That's really how I got into the trades. And then the area of expertise I've really been firmly footed in this whole time is in financial basics. I'm not a likely person to be an expert on this topic. I'm very distractible. I'm creative. I. I get dizzy looking at spreadsheets and numbers. I don't have attention to detail. Like, none of the things that you would assume. One would have to be a financial maven. But I also realized that I didn't know my asset from my elbow. I figured it out, and it was like I was born again. So all these years, I am just preaching about financial basics. Assets, liabilities, equity, sales, expenses, profit. What are the few things? What are the few numbers that make all the difference? How do you get your arms around them? It's your money. You should Be a good steward. This is really my life's work and I'm seeing Service Titan as a grand platform for continuing that journey, that message, and I'm so excited about it. So, yeah, that's what I spoke about. Then I'm going to be speaking about it again in a breakout at Service Titan 2024.

Amazing. Amazing. So how many Pantheons have you attended so far? We were actually trying to do this math before and I think for me, I joined Service Titan in August 2017. So I've technically been to five pantheons, if you count our 2017 conference, which went by a different name. So how many have you been to?

I think that makes four for me because I didn't go to Dispatch. I think that's what it was called.

Yeah, that was the name. Yes.

Yeah, I don't. I didn't go to that. And I think I've been to the one since then. And you always pick good venues. Like, that's another thing I like. The venue is going to be cool always.

So it's really incredible. And like, I'm not just saying this as someone who's an employee of Surface Titan, like, the way that our events team has just grown and like completely blown our minds, like every year after year, like every year they keep making it better and every year I'm like, no way are they going to beat this. And every year they manage to. So it's such a. Such a cool event and there are so many people, it can be a little overwhelming. Which is why we want to talk about today's topic. And actually, before we even get to like, kind of the nitty gritty tips here, do you remember your first conference or industry event, Ellen?

Well, the first one, it was an NA phcc and I was absolutely overwhelmed. Even though I am an outgoing person, I'm someone who's comfortable in crowds. It was still too much crowd, too much going on. I didn't really know where I should go. It was thousands and thousands of people. And I would say I did not have a game plan and I did not get a lot out of it. I'll tell you the one that had the biggest impact for me, the first one that had a quantum ship producing impact was I went to the very first super meeting for contractors 2000, which is now called Nexstar. And this is in 92. I think it was in 92, maybe somewhere around there.

Wow.

And I went to it and there was a group, a small group of people and we were all in at the beginning. It's Something. There's something really magic about being in at the beginning. You see this with people who've been on Service Titan a long time or been in service at Service Titan for a long time. You know, when you were there when. And I was there when this group got started, and it was really and still is an influential group in the industry for pushing the boundaries of professionalism, of, you know, profitability, of taking these careers seriously and not being just a plumber. And so when I went to the event, Michael Gerber was the speaker. And at one point, I remember, like, my eyes starting to bother me because we're in this room, we're all listening to Michael Gerber. He feels like he's telling my story. If you've read the book, you can relate. And I realized that my eyes were bothering me because the glow off this group, the energy of this group was so bright that I thought, this is really something amazing. This is really something special. And I knew, like, being at the beginning was something that really had a life changing effect on me. My only other shop I'd ever seen before was my garage, and now I started to go to other people's shop. I went to Mike Diamond's shop and I thought it was a movie set, you know, so it really, it really triggered a whole quantum shift for me in terms of what this industry is possible. So Amazon can do that too. Like, it's so good and it can make such a shattering difference to where you are and then your next level of success at your company and in your life.

It's really so crazy how you're talking about a conference in 1992 where Michael Gerber was speaking. And I know that he was just like, talking about the core tenets of the E myth, which are still so valuable today in 2024. And I love that experience of, like, ooh, I'm at the start of something very cool. And I definitely think that Pantheon gives that vibe. I will say my first Pantheon, or my first industry event was the very first Service Titan user conference, which was called Dispatch. And I was just like, I had no idea what I was doing. I still, like, had no idea how our businesses ran. And I remember interviewing Tom Howard because I just needed someone to talk to. And, you know, it's just really funny to kind of see how everyone has grown in the span of my career at Service Titan. But it also, I think, speaks to how powerful these networking events are. Because when I think about my. All the Pantheons I've been to, I see owners and operators who like, start maybe at the 2, $3 million mark, and then the next year they're back, and they're at 10, and the next year they're back, they're at 20, and the next year they're back, and they're like, oh, we sold to private equity. And I'm like, wow, good for you. So I think it really is a testament to how powerful these conferences can be that every time you come back, you see. You see a lot of the same people and you see how much they've grown. And it's just, I think, good business practice to surround yourself with people like that.

And Tom Howard was that guy, because I think when you met him, he was probably at 2 or 3 million in sales at Lee's Air. So how cool. And I think, too, just telling that story, we have this mystique about people who've, you know, really broken through and gotten to these astral levels of success. They started with a guy in a truck. And you will find yourself inspired by people who have done already what you intend to do. And that can be really focusing and energizing.

Yeah, I know. It's so cool. So let's get into some of our conference tips. Jackie and Ellen's conference tips. So when this comes out, we want to let everyone know that the official Pantheon agenda will be live soon. And they're actually five tracks in the Pantheon schedule. One is called Efficient Operations. Another one is Execution Excellence. Then we've got Revenue Generation, Effective Administration, and Financial Mastery. And I'm curious, right, Ellen, how do you think folks should plan out their schedule who are attending? Like, how should they plan out their two and a half days in Orlando? What's your approach?

Well, for sure, bring some people on your team. I know it's a commitment. I know you're going to have to punt back home. You can keep track of what's happening on your phone and on your tablets, and we expect you to do that. But try and bring some people from your team, because as they get it, as they understand it, they're going to learn a lot and be able to help you implement, as opposed to you having to go home and tell them all about it and try and sell them on it, tell the same story. And then you could use that agenda, the schedule, for the conference, to divide and conquer. So you bring your bookkeeper, and she's going to tackle the financial track, and you're going to tackle the marketing track, and you're going to get together and share notes. So that's a good way to do it, have a plan for it, don't over plan, but make sure you've got a few bulleted sessions that you want to go to and don't stay together the whole time. What do you think?

I 100% agree with that. Pantheon is a behemoth in terms of the amount of sessions we offer. And I know this year in particular, we're really focusing on Service Titan usability. So if you are trying to get, like, get better at Service Titan or learn how to unlock features of Service Titan, like, this is the pantheon to go to. And I would say. I would also say, like, once you've decided who on your team is going and once the agenda goes live, you guys get in a room for however long you need and just figure out, okay, you're going to attack the financials, you're going to tackle revenue generation, you're going to attack efficient operations. And think about, like, okay, how do we use our Service Titan? Uh, what do we want to get better at? What do we have trouble with? So this way you can kind of attack and highlight which are the sessions that we want to make sure we don't miss and which are like the we, we would love to go to these, but if we don't, it's not the end of the world. So I think it's important to plan what you want to get out of the conference and then another level down, figure out, okay, what are our. We must not miss this. And what are our. Okay, we would like to go to this and we can miss it. And what are our. We don't really care about that because then that will inform, I think, the rest of your schedule while you're there.

In addition to that, just as you were talking, I was thinking, do go to the big stage presentations. Whatever Ara and Vahe are talking about are gonna be the direction. This is gonna be the direction of Service Titan right now. That's good for you to know. It's not only inspiring, but it's also like, are your must haves aligned with the overall strategic vision of Service Titan? It's good to be in that conversation and understand what Service Titan considers a priority. Right now they're listening to you and you may recognize some of the things that you've been rooting for. That's a good place to touch base.

Yeah. And also, I mean, thinking about it, I remember, I don't know if it was last year or the year before when we really talked about AI in the trades. And now you think about, like, oh, AI is like, here and it is here to stay. And it's so cool to see how we were early adopters to that type of technology and now how it's how the trades are shaping, how this technology is being utilized, which is so cool. I want to ask you something that came up when you were giving your beautiful answer. So you were talking about how, you know, bringing members of your team to Pantheon, it's going to be a little bit of a sacrifice, right? So I'm curious, when you came on behalf of Zoom Drain, what reports did your team look at regularly to keep track? Like, what was your guys like, individual strategy to make sure that, you know, the home office like HQ didn't burn down while you guys were gone?

Well, we did divide and conquer and we met for breakfast and then we would regroup at lunch and we had the table picked out. So the first day, go and find a table and then we're going to meet back here at lunch and then give me the one thing. And everyone's responsible for taking notes. Just so I just take. We're too old to remember stuff, period. If you plan to take notes on that little hotel paper that they provide for you, I will make fun of you about that because that's going to get thrown in the. On in the trash or less in the wash. In the wash. It's going to be on the. The dashboard of your truck. With a million, you know, commit to using a notebook. And with our team, if they're not writing, I stop talking. Like you do want to make sure people are jotting down the important things. They can type it, they can use their phones, whatever. But you do want to make sure people are taking notes. And another tip is don't write down stuff you're never going to act on. If, like right away somebody says something on stage, you don't have to write everything down. Just write down something actionable, something inspiring, and keep your notes narrow because we can't act on everything. And right away you can start to triage and plan to triage. So have that conversation with your team members too. Don't write everything down. What do we need? What hit you? What are we willing to put on our all projects list and then energize.

Got it. And quick follow up question. Was there anyone on your team who was like, checking in back? I mean, it's a little bit different because Zoom Drain was a franchise, right? Was there anyone who was like, back in checking? Because I'm thinking about the owner who may be at like, say, the five, $10 million mark. They want to bring four of their team members with them, but they're still at that level where we do a lot of the day to day stuff. I'm curious if you have any tips for them so they like, kind of feel more secure about making this investment into everyone's time, you know what I mean?

Yeah. Well, shout out to the executive women or the. There's a women's group at Service Titan.

Lady Titans.

Lady Titans. Okay. And there was a podcast, a webinar that they put on the other day about communicating at the executive level. And part of it is how are you going to communicate with the executives at your company? And also how do you communicate as an executive? It was so good. And it really came down to bullet points, clarity, triage, quick story, backup points, action item. So practicing those skills, if you're sent to represent at Service Titan, consider you got to come back and you can't lose all your main points in a large, you know, word salad. You have to identify the few things that you really think are going to be important and then sell your story. And so that's a good exercise too.

And I'm also just thinking about, like, how it's just an important exercise in learning how to be brief in your communication. Sometimes I can go around the block to get next door and it's important. I mean. Yeah, I know you do. That's why we get along so well. All right, cool. So we've talked about the tracks at Pantheon. We've talked about make a plan triage with your team overview, the agenda, which should be out soon. So last year I ran into Kathy Nielsen, shout out to the chicken lady, and she shared her favorite cough drop with me, actually, because I was doing so many interviews last year that I was losing my voice. And I'm curious, like, what are your go to essentials to pack?

That was nice that she had those handy little things like that. Well, when I travel anymore, if I'm going to be gone for more than like one night, I travel heavy and I check a bag, and in my bag I put all kinds of comfort stuff for me because it is a lot. And even someone like me who can handle a lot of social interaction, I need a minute. So I bring my running stuff, my workout stuff, I bring all the shampoos, lotions, potions, so that when I go back to my room, I can take care of me. So I really liked. I like the pack heavy.

I'm with you actually on that. I used to be the queen of the light packing, but at the end of the day I would end up spending like 50, 75 on stuff when I got into my destination. And it's stuff I don't really want or use, you know what I mean? So I am a fan of packing heavy myself. Well, for me personally, I will tell you chapstick is essential. If I don't have chapstick, I'm not having a good day. Mints or gum? Anything to freshen your breath. There will be coffee there and I encourage folks to be mindful that they are going to be talking to a lot of people. So it's always nice to have a mint. I also always bring a portable charger and reusable water bottle because I think it's important to stay hydrated. We're going to be in Orlando where it is going to be hot, hot, hot, but also portable charger because you're going to probably be on your phone all day, like sharing contact information, sending texts, like checking in with your team. So I think it's important to have those essentials for sure.

Oh, that's so good. And don't neglect the shoes. I mean, everybody knows comfortable shoes. I wear boots anymore. You know, it's just to me, the fancy shoes, I think they're adorable. But I read once that Oprah puts her shoes on as she walks onto the stage and takes them off when she's walking off. And I thought that's an appropriate length of time to have fancy shoes on. And for me, boots are the best. So you will probably see boots on me.

I will say that for this year we're at the Orlando Convention center and the Marriott is attached to it. And I walking from my hotel to where the toolbox or the trades booth was and back and forth, just two laps was about 3,000 steps. So yes, I am going to highlight, underline all that stuff. Also bringing a sweater because there's going to be so much air conditioning and if you become and if you're cold, you're going to want to have a sweater. Perfect. So another thing I wanted to let everyone know. So we're going to have the attendee hub that will be live in August. And this is basically like the web based version of the Pantheon mobile app. So this is going to allow you to flag sessions that you want to attend to and register for them, which is really important. So this kind of goes back to what you and I were saying about like as a team, divide and conquer, figure out who's going to go where. But let's also talk a little bit about Doing stuff outside of the sessions. So Pantheon's a phenomenal networking opportunity, and you are so excellent at networking and building connections at these events. So I want to know, what's your secret?

I learned a great secret from Dustin at any hour last week, and I saw him at the last Pantheon in the hall outside of one of the sessions, and he said, oh, that's where I stand. And it said something to the effect of, like, I stand in the river of people so that I can stay put and people are going to walk past me. And that's where I might, hey, see someone again or strike up a conversation or take note of something that they. A conversation that they're having. But as people are moving into and out of session, just putting yourself in that river of humanity. He says he stays there all the time.

It's almost like a bears with salmon. Like salmon migrating up stream and you're just, like, vibing there, just looking for your fish. That is actually a really, really, really great strategy. I've mentioned it on the show before. I think people know, but I am from New York and I was raised to have, like, look at, like, know where you're going, don't make eye contact with any strangers. Like, walk with a purpose. So I actually have to be really mindful about making my body language open and inviting. I have, you know, the resting, don't screw with me face. So I really have to be intentional about open body language. So not, like, looking down at my phone, not crossing my arm, like, crossing my arms. Being mindful of, like, what if I'm conveying, like, a soft smile or if I have my, like, you know, do not disturb face on. So I think that's also really important if you want to make connections with people.

I love that, you know, be aware, like, smile sweetly. Like, just do something to be a little more open is such a good tip. And I think making a plan. You probably won't see someone at Pantheon if you just say, see you at Pantheon. So make a list of maybe six people, no more than six people you really want to connect with and set them up ahead of time. Hey, let's meet at Pantheon. How about. And you can name a couple of specific times. Let's meet at breakfast and I'll text you when I'm on my way and let you know where I am so we can connect. So you set it up ahead of time. Yeah, I'd love to meet you. Great. I will text you on Tuesday morning. Let's plan to see each other at breakfast. You don't really know where to meet yet till you get there. So then text on your way and say, I'm at the first table you turn to on the right and then, you know, have a conversation or move that conversation to a quieter spot. But. And for six, here's another great thing. I just got this yesterday from a friend of mine. There's a guy named Bob Bodine, and he wrote a book called two chairs. He's a really cool guy. I recommend his stuff. But he said to a friend of mine, oh, you're going to this really cool conference where she was going to be honored. He said, I bet you're going to identify one person that makes that whole trip worthwhile for you. I wonder who that's going to be. He had her set this intention that somewhere she was going to meet someone she didn't plan to meet. A serendipitous moment that was going to make the whole trip worthwhile. And I love that. So plan your day and leave moments for these serendipitous things. The best things in my life have come out of the blue from the left or the right I didn't see coming. I plan, but leave yourself open to like that's aligned with what I want. This person is someone I'd really like to help or get to know or ask a favor of. You'll find someone like that. Especially if you send the intention. Isn't that good?

That's so good. So, like, I wonder who's going to be the really incredible person I meet today. You are so positive, Ellen. Oh, my goodness. I just, just a little bit behind the scenes stuff. I, I, if I could, if I could inject some of your optimism in me, my friend, I would. Well, I think you're rubbing off on me. So I will say that. It will say that is the good thing.

So you recogn. It's a why not situation. Like, I know stuff happens, but I also have just experienced the magic of life and that's what I look for. So, yeah, and you will definitely find it, especially if you set the intention. But think that every person that you do interact with, you're thinking behind the, you know, on the simmering pot of your subconscious. Maybe this person is the one that really is going to make my, my moment here. I wonder what's going to happen. So, you know, leave yourself open to that as well as have a plan. It's a dual, dual purpose here.

Yeah. And really quick when you talk about, you know, setting up, you know, meet times with people that you want to engage with. I know when you did this with Al Levy, who, you know, you've worked with so, so long, he actually sent you an agenda, which I think is a little intense, but I think it is helpful to. When you chat with someone, you say, hey, you know, I know that you guys were really successful at this, or say, oh, I know you guys just sold to private equity. I would love to talk to you about how that affected your operations or what you had to do with payroll or something. I think it. It is worth it to be really specific about what you want to talk to people about, if you know what it is you want to talk to them about.

Dear Al, this is a love letter to you, but anyone who knows Al knows that there's going to be an agenda. Like, you don't just call Al out of the blue. We're going to. We're going to send a text. This is what we need to talk about. And there's always room for, you know, for friendship and other things that come up. But I love that about Al. He doesn't want to waste your time. He wants to make sure that you have a productive moment together. It's a really great habit and has become an endearing characteristic of Al.

Amazing. Okay. And I also want to say, you know, I'm looking at our notes here, and you have a great, great kind of opener, because sometimes. Okay, so we've got open body language. We've got, you know, identify some people that you want to meet at Pantheon and figure out when's the time that we're going to meet. Kind of get that timeframe set up. I talked about being like, open language, like, open body language, having a smile on your face. I feel like it's really hard to even talk to people about, like. Like, what is the thing I talk to them about? But the great thing is, is that you are both at a. Sharing an experience, which is being at this conference together. And you were saying that Wyatt Hepworth turned you onto this concept of finish big. So what are some of your kind of conversation starters that you got from him?

Well, one is, I. I mean, I think it's a strength of mine, but I'll call anybody. I'll ask anybody anything. I mean, I will just walk up and why not? And what I've learned is that so many people were generous with me back in the day, you know, when I. When I started to open up my eyes to this industry, so many people said, well, come to my shop, or you look at my financials and you know, I found so much giving, and what I found out was that no one makes it to the top alone. Everybody has a mentor or two or a thousand that they have to be grateful for. And so you're honor bound to give back. Wyatt probably feels honor bound to give back based on his history. And that's what I come with. The assumption that I'm not going to be a burden to him. I'm going to be an asset. This is going to be a good conversation. So I do like to find out what that person might be interested in as a way to start the conversation. So a really good tip is like, what's been your favorite moment of the conference so far? What made you leave your shop to come to Pantheon this time? What's been the surprise moment for you so far? And that's a great conversation starter because he probably, you know, how can you not have something to say as a result of that? So it's going to be about him. I want to know what's happening with him right now. And then, as Zig Ziglar says, you can have everything in life you want if you'll just help enough other people get what they want. So I try and look for those moments, assuming that I may know someone that Wyatt wants to meet. But it was funny. He was talking about, you know, employee ownership and how they're expanding. You know, his obsession right now is how they're going to expand any hour. They have a very cool construct to the way they're acquiring companies and expanding the opportunities at their shop. And he said, have you read the book Finish Big? I had not. I have now. And next to the E Myth, I think it's the book I've recommended the most. It's so good. And so I had this nice moment with Wyatt. Thank you very much. And that's how I met Dustin and Sarah and his team. And now I've been to their shop. So that's what can happen. Like, you know, these things just springboard. And everyone's six degrees away from Kevin Bacon or Wyatt Hepworth. So there.

Amazing. So, like, I think that's a great prompt, like, what's gotten your attention today? And also just coming in with the confidence that I'm not going to be a burden when I ask this person for anything. I'm probably going to be an asset and they want to help me so much about, like, just assuming the best intentions of everyone and coming in with a lot of self confidence, which can be hard. I'm here to tell people, listening it can be hard, but these are definitely tips that I'm gonna try to use. So we've got a couple other tips for, like, during conference here. And one thing that you mentioned is that you should act like a reporter when it comes to the question and answer component of some of these sessions. Tell me a little bit about that.

Oh, I love that, Jackie, when you go to a conference and you ask a question, here's just a few tips. Stand up. So they call on you. Stand up. Wait for the microphone. If they have a microphone, that's good because now people can hear you. Wait for the microphone and state your name in your company. I'm Ellen Rohr, and I'm a brand ambassador at ServiceTitan. So state your name and your company or your position, and then ask your question and do your best with that question to support the speakers on stage. I have been on stage, and really I'm losing five pounds on stage, just trying to keep it together, trying to make sure I'm on point, doing the best job I can, feeling unprepared. Here I am. Like, all of that is happening to the speaker. And so I really encourage you to use that opportunity to befriend the speaker. I am an ally for you. And here's a tip I have based on what you said, or here's a. Like, let me ask a clarifying question because what you said was so interesting. Set them up to win and make it a moment where others around you realize, like, this person is here for us. We're going to, you know, this person has added to the program. If you've got a problem with one of the modules of Service Titan, we all do bring that up privately, just like, not in the group setting. Go find, like, that's the guy. He's the product manager. Make sure you connect with him. Say, hey, I want to visit with you. I've got some feedback about the product that you might appreciate. They'll love that. But make sure that your presence in that class is more like a reporter. You're going to ask what, why, when, how, questions. You're going to try and keep the conversation going. You'll add to the presentation, not hard stuff.

Derail it.

Yeah, derail it. Yeah. And you've been that, like in a podcast, Jackie. How many times have you been.

I will. I will say I 100% agree with you, because I think when you stand up and you say the name, your name and your company, not only are you contributing to this conversation, you're creating an ally with the speaker. If you're being intentional about your question, you're also signaling to everyone else in the room, oh, this is someone to pay attention to or they may recognize you. Oh, I loved your question that you asked during that one session. So it's a great way to market yourself. I will say that I don't think we're necessarily encouraging folks to not ask questions, hard questions, because I think, you know, you're totally entitled to do that. I think it's more like when you're asking a question, think about, is this a question that is hyper specific to me and my unique instance? How can I reword my question in such a way that it's going to benefit the most people? Because that's what we get. That's, that's an engaging Q and A. And as someone not only on the podcast side, but on the webinar side, I know it's so tempting to get up in front of like hundreds of people and ask this very specific question about your shop. But great news is we're going to have a ton of Service Titan employees on staff that you can ask those really specific questions to use the Q and A part of these presentations as a way to get goodwill with the speakers, to market yourself as someone who knows what they're talking about and to, you know, enhance the learning at this event. So I think it's a really good mind shift here and also, you know, shout out to all of our Service Titan employees who are going to be there and going to be ready to give you one on one technical help.

So good. And a lot of these guys are not professional speakers, don't find themselves in this situation. So we want to, you know, be sensitive to that. But you will find out who the cheese is of any particular product. Like, I met at a Toolbox Live, I met Gene Yeager, who knows everything you know about touchless journal entry integration with Service Titan in your accounting program. Nerd alert. He is fantastic. And now I know who to go to. Or he could steer me to the right person based on that product. So that's invaluable.

Amazing. Let's talk about exhibitors and vendors for a second. An exhibitor is going to be your girl here. We're going to have a toolbox for the trades podcast booth like we had last time. So please come visit us. We're also going to have a very special extra something that you will find out about, I believe, on Thursday. Well, not on Thursday we're not. I don't know. I don't know. But you're going to find out about it very soon. We're going to have another very exciting thing happening in my booth. So please come find us.

What are your.

So same thing for, you know, your team, I imagine, like, how you approach vendors, how you approach exhibitors is also going to be dependent on the type of problems you're trying to solve at your own business. Is that right?

Yes. But now I'm completely distracted about this teaser of a surprise. Thank you very much.

Okay. I'll tell you offline.

Okay. All right. The vendor relationships. Thank you for bringing that up. This goes to any conference. I think that meeting the vendors and spending facetime with the vendors is so important. At Zoom Drain is a drain cleaning company. And there is a trade show called the WET show that's specific to that industry. And all of our vendors are there. And those franchisees or team members who go to WET and introduce themselves, introduce themselves to our competition, to vendors, to just like, put faces to names of people that you are engaging with in your life. Oh, my gosh, that's so valuable. So I know there'll be. All the finance companies will be there, the coaching companies will be there. So it really just makes a world of difference to have a communication face to face. That moment takes you a long way in any future Zoom calls or phone calls.

It does, it does. When you have that, like, more personal relationship with your vendors, then I think that does go a long way. And it's a great opportunity, even if you're not shopping for a vendor to go to the vendor. We have so many trade vendors that are going to be there to go and just say, hey, it's me from such and such. And now we have that, that connection. And it's going to make our calls, our Zoom calls later more. More effective, I think. So I. I'm really there with you. And some of our vendors and exhibitors got some really cool swag at their booths, so.

Oh, that's right. Yes.

You got to think about that, too. You got to think about that, too.

You got to take some stuff home.

I know, I know. All right. One other thing I do want to mention here. So for folks, little trivia question here about myself. I actually started a service titan, social media manager, and I no longer have that role, but I work really closely with our team. I will say, if you plan to use social media at all to connect with people, to post in real time. First off, the official hashtag is pantheon2024 and servicetitan is just ervictitan at all of our social media profiles. A good tip if you have your profiles on private is to put them on public for those. For these events. If you want to. You totally don't have to. But if you want your content to be discoverable by Service Titan, if you want us to repost some of your content, if maybe you want, you're someone who searches hashtags and sees if you can find anybody in the crowd, which is a way to connect with people. You may want to put your social media profiles on public. So this way you're discoverable and you can easily find other people at the event.

So good. And don't we all want to get better at that? I do. Like now, you know, especially now that I have this great platform at Service Titan. I think that's a really good tip, Jackie.

Thank you. So let's talk. We've been talking for 40 minutes. No one is. I could not be less surprised. I knew this was going to be a long episode. So let's talk about post conference follow up real quick. So what's your process for following up with everything you learned and who you met at Pantheon? Because that can be so actually really quick. One of the earlier episodes I did was with Jamie D. Domenico and he talked so much about implementation. Like implementation is what separates like the professionals from the hobbyist, essentially. If you can't implement, what are you doing? And so talk to me about implementation, like implementing all this great stuff that you learned. How do you, how do you think our people should approach it?

Well, I was just prompted to back up a minute. I don't care about business cards anymore. I always feel guilty that I'm not entering the information. I've gotten the apps, I've asked people to do it for me. You can just tap your phone with someone that you want to meet or text them in the real. Give me your phone number. Did you get that? Okay, that's me. Reply back and then just connect that way. The business cards are just, just a road of hurt for me.

Yeah, yeah, I'm with you on that.

I don't have them. I run out of them. I felt guilty about it no longer. I'm just going to make it a point to slow down enough to engage, you know, on, on your phones and share information. So then the follow up. This is what I always assume with any professional relationship I have. I'm going to follow up. I'm not going to wait for them. I'm not going to. I'm going to follow up. I'm going to send them A text or an email or a gift or a note card or something. And then I'll send my calendly link. Pick a time, let's set something up. And I will nudge. I will nudge someone at least five times before I give up on them. So that's. Everybody's busy. Everybody came home and stuff. Just like, hey, I've got some time next week. Are you available? Or. I learned this. It was just what you were talking about at the event. I thought you'd love this. So here's a book that underlines that point. Give to get and then, you know, follow up. But make the. The next to do is always mine. I'm not going to ask why. It's to go to my calendar. And like, I will just. How about if I set something up, I'll give you a call. Are you the right person? Do you want to hand me off to someone else if that comes up? Like, if I know that he's not the guy, but Dustin's the guy, you know that that kind of thing can help a lot. But this is the importance of, like, don't have a thousand things. As you go through with your team, identify maybe the top 10 things that are going to go on your all projects list. Here's another nod to Al Levy. And then the top five projects list at your company. Those are things that are going to get greenlit. So did one thing from Pantheon make it to the top five? Is there a module or a pro product or is there something that you're going to fully energize? Is it time for you to adopt a center of excellence? I love this position at your company. What would that look like? Should that be a top five project for you? So just. Just a few things on the list and then committed to are going to make a bigger difference than 20 pages of notes that never go anywhere?

Yeah, a hundred percent. And I will say to that I've tried to get better at this with every conference I've been to. And let me just say this is my apology to anyone who I've met at Pantheon in the past and they've said, hey, we should really link up, and we don't. I apologize. That is a fault of mine. And I am get. Trying to get better at it. Um, I love keeping like a notes app, just like simple notes app on my phone, like after. So after I exchange information, I'll be like, okay, Ellen, Ellen. I met Red dress, was wearing Red dress, talked about financials, and we talked about her coming on the podcast. To talk about, you know, your profit and loss statements. And so, like, I'll make that note for myself. So this way, when all of that information gets, you know, flushed out by my brain over a night's sleep, when I go back to reach out to Ellen, I have that context and sometimes I'll even put it in the text message like, hey, it's Jackie from Service Titan. We talked at Pantheon about blah, blah, blah, blah, can't wait to connect with you when we get home. So I think that's also something to keep in mind when you're doing the follow up and love what you mentioned about Al Levy's thing kind of coming back together as a team the week that you're home, looking at all of these things that you guys implemented and deciding, okay, which are the ones that we are going to commit to implementing in the next 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, next year, what have you, I think it's really, I mean, when I think back on this episode here and like, I summarize it, it's really just comes back to, like, plan, block and tackle, follow up, be comfortable, pack some essentials and some nice things for yourself. But more than that, you know, have fun. And speaking of fun, as we wrap up this episode, Ellen, I would love it if you could tell us a little bit about what you're doing now at Service Titan.

Well, and this brings me back to your second chances comment. Okay, so, love. My official title at ServiceTitan, as Jackie said, is I'm brand and industry marketing lead. It's new. I'm getting used to it. Brand and industry marketing lead. In other words, as an industry expert, I'm in charge of expanding the brand. And the project I'm lead of is our brand ambassador and influencer project. So what Red Bull is to extreme sports Service Titan is to the trades. And what does that mean? That means we want to broadcast and amplify cool things that are happening in the trades and highlight great people, big personalities with something to say. So one of the questions I'm asking as I look out across this amazing trades people universe that we have is like, what if you were to stand in the middle of a parking lot on a box with a megaphone, what would you say? Like, what's the message that's still in you? Maybe it has to do with the trades. You know, my friend Dennis, the Apprentice is all about, you know, how to be a great apprentice. Here's what great apprentices do. Here's what an apprenticeship can do for you. It's such A great pointed message. I asked Ishmael Valdez, I've said this a hundred times. Thanks, Ishmael. It really encapsulates what I hope happens with this brand ambassador program. I said, well, what would you be interested in as a brand ambassador? Like, how do we help each other here? And he said, I want to become famous for introducing young people to the trades. 18, 19, 20 year old. I want them to find the trades. What a great career this is. I want to walk into a store and have someone say, you're that guy who's trying to get me into the trades. Now, that's a mission. That's a purpose. And so when you said second chances, that really resonated with me because I have many friends who are incarcerated, and some of them get out and some of them won't. But there is a big part of my heart devoted to this group of people who are so often forgotten or misunderstood or just need a hand. And so that's what I would want to hear from you as a potential brand ambassador. Does that make sense? It doesn't have to be about the trades. You have to be a friend of service titan, and it's certainly in the trades. We're in this river of the trades. But I want to know what you stand for, what is making your. Your heart pound or the itch you have to scratch yet in this life that we have together. So that's part of it, too.

Amazing. Well, this is so exciting. I am so excited to have you on. I know you're going to be at Pantheon talking about this program. I'll be at Pantheon doing toolbox for the trade stuff. So we hope to see listeners. We hope to see you there. If not, I really hope that you got some tips from today's conversation to apply to your. Your future conferences, maybe the next Pantheon. But, Ellen, thank you so much for joining me on this. This week's episode to watch the trades. I'm so excited for us to party in person at Pantheon, and we can't wait to meet everyone listening here. So thanks so much, Ellen.

Thank you, Jackie. I love you so. President of the Jackie Abel fans.

Oh, thank you. Thank you so much, Ellen. Love you too.