I left my house this week and put on grownup clothes – a.k.a. something other than the jeans and sweater I wear while working from home – and spent two days at the High Five Conference hosted by the American Marketing Association in Raleigh. Huge bonus that it was just 25 minutes down the road. And, just like every time I go out into the real world and network, I was reminded how important it is to take time to invest in my own business.

When I leave a conference, I am bursting with new ideas, and I feel like I can change the world. Or at least change my business and my clients’ businesses. This conference was no exception. I used to think that you went to conferences to learn skills. But for me, the benefit is more that I hear something that makes me change the way I am approaching something about my work or business.

In fact, the idea for this blog came while sitting in the back of a conference room after answering questions from other writers about content marketing. And without this blog, there is no way I would have the number two spot on Google for the keyword “content marketing writer,” which has brought me many new clients. There is no way to translate that into dollars. I think that one creative spark will pay for all the conferences I want to go to for the rest of my career.

But for those of you who didn’t get to go to the conference, I wanted to share the nuggets from the conference that resonated most with me. Maybe they give you the same boost even if you are sitting at your home office desk in your favorite sweater.

1.The biggest mistake in content marketing is playing it too safe. Ann Handley opened her keynote with this statement, and every example of great content that she showed us backed this up. Later in the day, Denise Jacobs added onto this sentiment during her keynote by saying that she also thinks this is the biggest mistake in life. They are both 100 (no, a million) percent right. Ann explained what she meant by saying that content that makes a difference is “Bigger, Braver, Bolder” and that creating that type of content takes brains, hearts and guts. Great content pushes the limits and is unique. It tells a story that no one else is telling, and it tells that story in a totally unique way.

Starting a blog and writing articles about seven ways to use social media is easy. But because it is easy, everyone is doing it. As writers, we often simply take assignments from clients. But this message has inspired me to start challenging my clients to think outside the box and do something different. So next time a client offers me a project writing about seven ways to do something boring, I’m going to say, “This is a good start, but wouldn’t it be cool if….”

2.Attract the like-minded and repel the timid. Ann made this statement in reference to creating bolder content and recognizing that some people are not going to like this type of content. But you want the customers who are going to be a fit for your brand, because those are honestly the ones who are most likely to end up being customers.

While this is totally true in content creation, I think that this is also true for freelance writers in general. Yes, not all clients are going to want a writer who challenges them (nicely) on their content plan and comes up with ideas that will throw their content into the bolder and braver category. But when I think about the clients that who end up being happiest with my work, it is those that who want my ideas and want me to be a part of the team. When I first started my business, I used to be all formal and professional when working with clients. But then over the years, I realized that shoe just didn’t fit, and I wasn’t landing a lot of clients. I started being myself – someone who is excitable, passionate, straightforward and who laughs a lot. And then something amazing happened. I got more business – and business with the right clients for me. And then it became very obvious right off the bat whether another writer would be a better fit for a client. Since I’ve seen the results firsthand, I’m going to trust that the same thing will happen with my newfound, bolder content approach with clients.

3.Focus on your brilliance. OK, so I am probably the only person who cries at marketing conferences, but it happens every time. During Denise Jacobs’ keynote, she talked about how everyone has something that they are so good at that they don’t even realize that they are great at it because it is as natural as breathing. She said that you do your best work and are the happiest with that work when you are using that brilliance. I totally agree with her and have been referring to what she calls “brilliance” as a superpower for years.

But it was what came next that probably changed my life. She said that most of us spend most of our time doing the stuff that we aren’t so good at to try to get better at it. But that no matter how hard you work, you will most likely only improve 10 to 15 percent, and that will be painful. That is what made me cry. And what kept me up most of the night, trying to figure out how to restructure my work and my days to focus on my superpowers instead of the areas that are not my strengths.

I also want to encourage you to check out your local chapter of the American Marketing Association. There are chapters all over the country and you can attend luncheons and SIGS as a non-member. I was very impressed with the people who I met from the AMA – they were smart, passionate and welcoming. By attending, you will learn more about content marketing as well as meet marketing managers in your local area who may have a need for a freelance content marketing writer.