My First Shred School
October 9, 2017
Kelly Martínez, NAID Director of Marketing & Communications
I still consider myself new to the association. Next month will mark my one year anniversary. And while I come with nearly 15 years of marketing experience, in the world of secure data destruction and all things NAID, there remains much for me to learn. As such, I didn’t honestly know totally what to expect going into my first Shred School two weeks ago in Austin, TX.
For those who have been around a while, you already know the caliber and quality NAID exerts for every endeavor. I’ve been witnessing this throughout my first year here. NAID put on a terrific event at the annual conference in the spring. I’ve attended Board of Directors calls and heard the passion in their voices as they discuss matters for the continued growth of the association. I’ve spoken with CEO Bob Johnson as he casts both vision and discusses the realistic impact of regulations on the daily lives of member businesses. I’ve read past articles rich in content and advice. And most of all, I was presenting at Shred School myself! But to be given a scope of what to expect during an event so you can prepare a presentation and to actually sit in sessions and speak to attendees are two totally different things. Going in, I wasn’t totally sure what Shred School would be like.
So, as a new attendee myself, let me share my thoughts on Shred School:
I was impressed.
What you may not know is that each presenter prepares their sessions independently. However, NAID has wisely selected experts in their fields who know what they are talking about. As such, our content built on one another’s naturally. I found myself nodding emphatically as Ray Barry spoke about the sales process (I have experience in lead generation and working with Sales for conversion) and as Daryl Woytowicz talked about the importance of websites (I used to be a web producer). My husband owns a small business and I was taking screenshots and notes as Joe Roberto shared more prudent pricing strategies.
It went on and on for two days straight with each trainer. Key speakers teaching in a small format setting, giving crisp actionable best practices for facets of secure data destruction or elements of business growth tailored specifically for the industry. I didn’t walk away thinking, “another good NAID event” – I walked away breathlessly impressed. I am proud to work for an association that offers this caliber of educational material and honored to be a part of the training team.
My job as a marketer is to encourage people to attend all of our events. Now that I have had almost a year with the association and attended many of these events myself, I can honestly tell you it isn’t just good PR – you have my genuine endorsement. I truly implore you to see for yourself. You won’t regret it.
There is still time to attend a Shred School this Fall: www.ShredSchool.org
What Other Austin 2017 Attendees Had to Say:
“Thank you for a fun and informative two days! NAID does a wonderful job taking care of its members and making sure we are well educated and up to date on the latest and greatest in our industry. Well done!” – Emily Braun
“Awesome event as a newbie in the shredding world. I got a lot of great information to start implementing right away into the business.” – Garrett Brickner
“I learned a great deal and can’t wait to implement some new ideas into my everyday practices. I will definitely be doing this again.” – Malissa Punter
“The amount of information, experience, and people I met were wonderful. If you’re new or have many years of experience, you must come. I highly recommend it.” – Juan Salazar
“Awesome experience and very informative. I’m really hoping to attend more along with the NAID Conference.” – Steve Montez