Virtual TPT Forward 2022 Takeaways: 8 Lessons I Learned From the Conference

I attended TPT Forward for the first time this week. For the past few months, I'd been reading TPT emails about the event, but I held off on signing up. I kept thinking, "Is the $79 fee for the virtual conference worth it? Couldn't I learn the same things by following my favorite YouTube channels and podcast?" A few days before the conference, I caved in and purchased my ticket. 

I remembered a goal I set in January: to treat my TPT business like a real business. I knew that if I wanted to grow my company, I needed to invest in learning more about marketing, product design, etc.  I wanted to connect with other teacher authors and pick their brains.

Here are the 8 lessons I learned during TPT Forward 2022: 

1. Pretend to "pack" for the conference 

I couldn't afford the in-person conference in Chicago, but I still wanted to feel like I was attending a special event. The night before the virtual conference began, I drove to Dollar Tree and picked out a yellow notebook, two gel pens that write with the smoothest ink, and a snack to eat. This simple act made me feel the same giddiness and anticipation I feel whenever I pack a suitcase to travel somewhere. It made the virtual conference feel "real." 

2. Watch the sessions on replay mode 

I take a lot of notes. Sometimes in-person events are stressful for me because I can't jot down all of the information presenters are sharing. I loved watching the TPT Forward sessions on replay mode because I could pause them, rewind them, and truly savor the information. Rather than condensing the sessions into a three-day binge session, I am able to pace the conference recordings over a two-month period. My access to the videos lasts until August 31. 

3. Take action steps to cement learning 

One of my mottos for the conference has been "watch, then do." My productivity peaks when I feel inspired. Whenever a speaker shared something that sparked an idea, I paused the video, jotted down notes, and often took a minute to sketch out the resource. This direct application of the session's content will help me remember the information long-term. 

4. Narrow down 1-3 action steps per session 

After just two hours of watching sessions on my phone, my brain was fatigued. The teacher authors had given so much wonderful advice, but I couldn't decide what to do first. I decided to highlight 1-3 action steps in my notes after each session. I would commit to do whatever I had highlighted, but any additional work would just be "bonus." For example, even though I learned a lot about using Pinterest, Instagram, Easel, email, Boom Cards, and blogging, I only highlighted action steps that involved blogging and email. Moving forward, I am going to focus on quality over quantity in my work. 

5. Attend lunch breaks

Every afternoon, there were one-hour lunch breaks on Zoom. Attendees were split into breakout groups to discuss questions ranging from "Are you an early bird or night owl?" to "What is your biggest take away from TPT Forward?" I met some incredibly kind teacher authors. The lunch hour flew by as we swapped stories about how we started our shops, asked questions about growing our businesses, and encouraged each other. It was refreshing to network with such a supportive community of sellers, and this was easily one of conference highlights. 

6. Be generous with your knowledge 

As mentioned in the previous point, the TPT author community is so generous. There is truly a culture of sharing ideas and resources. As a business owner, it can be easy to fall into a scarcity mindset and view other sellers as "competition." However, this conference was a reminder that there's room for everyone. There's space for everyone to succeed, and running a business is so much more fulfilling when we operate from a mindset of abundance. 

If you find an amazing podcast, YouTube video, book, etc., share it with another teacher or TPT author. Passing along the resources that have helped you will continue the culture of generosity that I witnessed this weekend. 

7. Download the conference handouts 

The TPT Conference Store has free printable handouts. These include notes from the speakers, QR codes to scan for additional resources, tips, scheduling guides, etc. One of my favorite sessions was titled "Plan 30 Days of Content in Less Than 60 minutes with Erin Waters." Her free handout includes 14 magic content spells for social media marketing. 

8. Follow the speakers and keep learning 

During several of the sessions, I thought, "I could keep listening to this author for hours." Fortunately, I can. Several of the speakers have podcasts, blogs, YouTube channels, etc. Whether you were able to attend this year's conference or not, I encourage you to follow at least one of the authors for inspiration. 

Here are the names of some of my favorite speakers from the 2022 conference: 

• Erin Waters - School of Sellers
• Jillian Fernandez - Thriving Teacher Talk Podcast
• Misty Miller - TPT Seller Tips & Advice (her Facebook group is AMAZING) 
• Bryce Sizemore - The Teaching Texan 

My final thoughts on attending TPT Forward 2022...

Although only time will tell, my gut says that the financial investment was worth it. I have not finished watching all of the recorded sessions, but my notebook is already filled with product sketches and action steps. I feel inspired to take my TPT business to the next level and encouraged by all of the kind folks I met. 

Were you at the conference? If so, leave a comment below and share your experience. I'd love to hear what you took away from TPT Forward!