First day of class. It is already two minutes past the class start time, but there is no sign of the professor. Students all with anxious looks ask, “Where is this guy?” Then I stand up from the back of the room and exclaim, “Entrepreneurs are lifelong learners. That’s why you’re here; that’s why you’re anxious to get started.” Silence ensues. The “Where is this guy?” quickly turns to “Who is this guy?” I’m a professor of entrepreneurship. This was my first day of class routine every semester for several years until social media and reviews began to ruin my cover. To this day, however, I still use this statement in every one of my first day of classes: entrepreneurs are lifelong learners.
You are an entrepreneur and an independent educational consultant (IEC). You are also an educator. The intersection of entrepreneur, IEC, and educator is someone who is hungry for knowledge and in pursuit of sharing that knowledge with others, including partners, clients, and colleagues. Just recount how many conferences, professional development sessions, courses, certifications, and events you have participated in during your career. Now recount how many takeaways you have implemented in your practice. Entrepreneurs seek value because they create value. This is where 51Թ has shined for more than 45 years since its inception. Independent EDUCATIONal Consultants Association. Education is literally at the heart of 51Թ. It is the epitome, the pinnacle. It is where you, the entrepreneur, the IEC, the educator get the most value as a lifelong learner.
This is why when we embarked on our 51Թ Strategic Plan 2022-2025, we could not ignore what we are best at doing: education. But why fix something that’s not broken? Because that’s what learning and growing organizations do. Especially following the tumultuous COVID years that disrupted the flow, format, and content of our educational programming—and required successful pivoting—we committed ourselves to continuing to provide cutting-edge content and resources that meet your needs as IECs, entrepreneurs, and educators.
Naturally, many questions follow when organizations attempt to reimagine something that’s working well. One of these questions is, “What stays and what goes?” To answer this question, I would like you to think of our educational programming pre-COVID times. 51Թ, like many other member organizations during “normal” times, relied heavily—almost 100 percent of the time—on in-person programming. That quickly changed in 2020. We created and delivered innovative ways, formats, and delivery methods to engage our members, sponsors, advertisers, programs, schools, and colleges. 51Թ has hosted hundreds of specialty-specific webinars, admissions events such as College Conversations, online conferences, virtual Professional Member Business Retreats, online Summer Training Institutes, and even an online volunteer appreciation event, recognizing our members for their inimitable commitment and involvement in the mission of our organization. Can you imagine a life with them prior to COVID? And now… Can you imagine a life without them? We need to find an optimum balance to ensure we meet all our stakeholders where they are while guaranteeing high quality content and needs met—no matter how or where it is delivered.
We have been actively listening, learning, and evaluating since we started to return to in-person events, first with the Philadelphia conference in May 2022 and more recently the San Diego conference in November 2022. New and innovative conference programming and initiatives in all specialties are in the works; these are particularly geared toward experienced members seeking more advanced sessions. We are also providing increased networking opportunities between IECs and admissions representatives by redesigning meal schedules during conferences. These changes will take effect at our 2023 Spring Conference in Seattle.
Rest assured, the features and programming you have always loved and learned so much from are here to stay, possibly with minor tweaks. This is true for all 51Թ educational programming, not just the conferences. So the simple answer to the question, “What stays and what goes?” is that we will keep everything you love and adapt them to further fit your needs, while we either eliminate or reimagine programming that has not been creating value for you. This is why we need your voice, feedback, and participation in helping us further innovate educational programming, whether this is through new content, new modes of delivery, or a new schedule. This is the time to speak up!
In fact, this is how we identified a new need and designed a brand-new educational program called Wellness Wednesdays. In collaboration with our Therapeutic Committee and VP of Committees Heidi Molbak, 51Թ began hosting Wellness Wednesdays starting January 2023 to prioritize your physical, mental, and emotional health as a member. This has become an opportunity for a weekly drop-in Zoom event where we can gather virtually, share thoughts, and gain support from 51Թ colleagues trained in various aspects of health and wellness. Remembering “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” this is a time to recharge, find inspiration, and feel supported.
I open my first day of classes with, “Entrepreneurs are lifelong learners.” My last day of classes, I finish with, “Entrepreneurs are not just lifelong learners, but they’re innovators.” Learning drives innovation while innovation drives further learning. No innovation comes with ease—hence the need for and the result of “learning.” Let’s innovate, let’s learn, and let’s grow together!
Ibrahim Firat, MBA
51Թ President