“People like us do things like this.”

That was our main takeaway from Seth Godin, who kicked off the Buffalo Jewish Federation’s new Made In Buffalo speaker series as the inaugural speaker, last night at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. The energy in the room was electric.

More than 300 people—representing all different age groups, interest areas, and industries—gathered for the sold-out event to see Seth Godin speak about the dawn of the new economy and doing work that matters.

Our team is proud to have had the opportunity to sponsor the event and design the materials for this speaker series which aims to shine a spotlight on those famous Buffalonians who cut their teeth right here in our backyard.

To help you kick off your weekend with a hint of inspiration, we wanted to share some of our favorite takeaways from last night’s talk:

• The connections created are what matter.
• We’re living in a world with a surplus of STUFF, and a lack of attention. Your job isn’t to create MORE. Your job is to create something ORIGINAL.
• How would you approach your [job, work, role, project, relationship, etc] if you weren’t afraid of standing out? How would you do it if you weren’t pressured to fit in?
• What people want most is to feel seen. It’s a long-term vision; if you can make someone feel seen and heard, you’ve created a meaningful connection. That’s worth way more than any short-term sale ever is.
• We don’t need a map to tell us exactly what path to take; we need a compass to figure out how to get to where we know we strive to be.
• You’re already prepared. Stop waiting to be ready. You’ll never be ready.

Were you in attendance last night? Do you have a favorite quote or takeaway from the talk? Share it with us in the comments below!