IIP 009 : Rick Calvert (CEO of NMX) On Turning An Idea Into Reality

Interview with BlogWorld & New Media Expo CEO and co-founder; Rick Calvert

My guest on episode 9 of the Inspiring Innovation Podcast, shares a real-life story of turning a grand idea into reality. In 2005, Rick Calvert started a personal blog sharing his views on state politics, a subject he’s personally passionate about.

As time passed more and more people were reading his blog. Internet-famous bloggers started mentioning him and linking to his site. The ball was rolling. Then, someone contacted him asking to advertise on his blog.

When someone offered him money, Rick realized there is a bigger opportunity in his hobby and decided to “go pro”. Since he worked in the trade shows world, the first thing that came to his mind was finding when the next blogging trade show takes place; so he could come down, network, meet people, and learn more about making blogging his main business.

“I Knew What I Was Looking For… But None Existed”

Rick quickly found out that there was no such trade show anywhere in the world in existence. So he asked around, first his blogging friends if such thing would interest them, and then his trade show peers, asking, “do you think it’s a good idea?”

They all did. So Rick had his validation, and set to work. Only he was already holding a full-time job, so this became his second job. He worked a full work week at his day job, and clocked over 40 hours each week building his dream trade show. Two years later, it was launched in the greatest trade show city in the world – Las Vegas.

Today his show brings together thousands of people from 50 different countries, creates new businesses and new opportunities, new partnerships, and helps content creators make more money, get sponsored, and build a better business.

What Rick And I Talked About

Today’s interview tells the story of the creation of BlogWorld and New Media Expo, sharing a real life entrepreneurial story of turning an idea into reality, but also packed with tips and advice to bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers and other content creators who seek making a business and a living out of it.

In this episode you will learn:

• What is the New Media Expo (NMX)?
• What is the number one thing that Rick Calvert took away from this year’s event.
• What is the social media revolution and what role is the New Media Expo playing in it.
• How the New Media Expo’s event started.
• What is the New Media Expo’s ultimate purpose and goal?
• How Rick turned an idea into a reality.
• What adversities and risks Rick faced while bringing this event into existence?
• What are the benefits for attendees at NMX?
• Common mistakes and misconceptions that Rick sees.

Items mentioned in this episode include:

• Rick Calvert: Twitter, Facebook
• Blog World and New Media Expo
• “NAB” National Association Of  Broadcasters
• TBEX- Travel Blog Exchange
• Fornoosh Brock:Twitter, LinkedIn,
• Guy Kawasaki: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+
• Dana White: @Twitter, Facebook

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Meron

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Transcript

[spoiler title=”Episode 009″]Still in progress, please come back later![/spoiler]