Ready to ‘next-level’ your business? Consider CaboPress

Steve Zehngut - January 19, 2017

If you’re like me, you can’t begin to count the number of conferences you’ve been to throughout your career. But, you can count on one hand the ones that truly made a difference. We love WordCamps, proven by the number Zeeksters have spoken at or helped to organize. I’ve been lucky to attend several WordCamp Business Tracks that gave me amazing, practical advice on the nuts and bolts of running a company. But when it comes to wanting to achieve things you’ve never achieved before, nothing you’ve done before will do. You can’t learn how through one 45 minute presentation at a time over the course of a year. Because of this, there’s CaboPress. Registration for 2017’s edition of CaboPress opens soon, and you can sign up for updates by email starting now. Here’s why you should apply for this invitation-only masterclass in management.

What is CaboPress?

Founded and hosted by Zeek’s Board of Directors Chair Chris Lema and his wife Melissa, CaboPress is a conference of a different kind. We gathered at the Fiesta Americana Resort in Cabo San Lucas for a week of poolside dining and intense conversations. The ground rules set CaboPress apart:

  • Instead of presentations, the “hosts” led conversations in two sessions of two conversations each day, and only in the morning.
  • These discussions took place in one of the resort’s pristine pools, with views of the ocean. No laptops, and limited note taking on phones through waterproof bags.
  • The lack of electronics and recording means no barriers or reasons not to be completely engaged, open, and honest about your business challenges. Plus, everyone feels a little exposed in their swimwear, so no worries about breaking the ice – it’s already done. Now let’s play ‘Who’s got the most tattoos?’!
  • We ate three meals together each day as a group, and got to know some of the fascinating attendees we didn’t know well before. We had smaller groups to meet with for lunch to discuss that morning’s sessions.
  • No schedule for the afternoon, so we could relax or get a little work done as needed.
  • Evenings featured after-dinner drinks, socializing, and cigars (this is a Chris Lema production, after all).

Why You Should Go

The Attendees

Fellow CaboPressers are a hand-picked group of company founders, CEOs, marketing experts, project managers, and even a clinical psychologist who specializes in the challenges founders and other executives face. They’re from companies with names you recognize if you’ve been on the WordCamp circuit, and they’re available for any questions you might have. In such a casual atmosphere, it’s easy to open up and talk about challenges you’re facing.

The Hosts

We had brilliant people from many different kinds of backgrounds leading our morning discussions, including Jason Cohen (founder and CTO, WP Engine), Zeek’s own Steve Zehngut, Jeff King (SVP & GM of Hosting, GoDaddy), Jennifer Bourn (partner, Bourn Creative), Sherry Walling (clinical psychologist), Karim Marucchi (CEO, CrowdFavorite), Brian Clark (founder and CEO, Rainmaker Digital) and of course, Chris Lema.

Every discussion was an active one – definitely no falling asleep in your chair here. As though the universe offered a reward for a particularly good session, we saw a whale breaching just off the shore one morning.

The Setting

Steve Zehngut and Sarah Wefald at CaboPress
Me and Steve, on a pirate ship

Simply put, it’s paradise. You can see the ocean, eat and drink on the all-inclusive resort plan, hang out by the pool, or go into town to get a little of the local experience. I was still doing some work that week, and developing many ideas for how I’d want to implement what I was learning back at the office, but I’d never felt so relaxed. The ability to disconnect and focus on the “why” and “how” of what I do instead of on the daily list of “whats” was a gift. Look how relaxed Steve and I look!

If you want to get something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done — and I don’t mean rob a guy and steal his boat. We all have high opinions about our own achievements and skill sets, but when it comes down to it, perspective is necessary to get to that next level. We can’t give ourselves that perspective by definition. One answer on where to get that perspective is CaboPress. Hope to see you there.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up now to be notified when the application window opens.

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