I kind of fell into the whole “event organizer” thing

After running PHX Startup Week, two things happened. First, I started seeing events as an important way to (fairly) quickly and (rather) powerfully build community. Second, a lot of people started seeing me as the event guy and asking me about organizing and running events.

So, as a board member for the local organization, Pinnacle Forum, when we discussed the idea of hosting a citywide event for our members and to attract new members, it fell on me to lead organizing the new event.

The name itself was inspired by Dr. Bill Bright’s original catalyst for Pinnacle Forum, when he challenged a handful of leaders in Phoenix by saying, “I believe the only way we can change our culture is to find a way to network our high influence leaders and inspire them to use their influence for God.”

We held the first event in 2017 (right on the heels of my worst month ever), and I organized a second event in 2018. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anybody that took the baton and ran with it after that, but it really was a good thing while it lasted.

Though my views about how to influence the culture has evolved over the years, I still hold to what I originally wrote when promoting the event. “Everyone has influence, including you. Transforming Culture is not intended only for the elite or experienced, but for every woman and man ready and willing to use their influence to make an impact. That impact may be in one person's life or in thousands of people's lives. Whatever your sphere of influence or focus within the culture, we gather to inspire and equip you to do exactly as Jesus commissions: ‘Go, therefore...’”

Are you transforming culture?