Coffee, Curiosity, and Getting Out of Your Own Way
If there’s one universal truth about conferences, especially ones that start early, it’s this:
Where’s the coffee?
That’s how day two began here in Trento. Coffee first… then the rest of the world can come into focus.
Somewhere between breakfast, church bells, and the sound of a city waking up, I realized something. I hadn’t really “vlogged” much at all today. Instead, I’d been learning, listening, and occasionally getting lost — which, in a place like this, isn’t the worst thing.
Trento Has a Way of Distracting You (In the Best Way)
There were moments today when I completely forgot I was at a conference.
I could smell food drifting through the streets… hear birds competing with church bells… watch people cross the square as if this was just another ordinary morning. Trento has that effect. It doesn’t demand attention, it earns it quietly.
This city sits on the way to the Dolomites, and for years it was more of a pass-through than a destination. Now it feels like a place that invites you to slow down — to notice architecture, light, and the spaces between things.
I kept thinking, I need to come back here at night when it’s empty.
Why Traverse Works (At Least for Me)
Traverse isn’t about being an influencer, and I don’t even really like that word.
It’s about gathering people who tell stories for a living… or are learning how to. The organizers partner with destinations like Trentino and use creators as a bridge between place and story. It’s a different model, and one that actually feels thoughtful.
I came for two reasons:
- To learn from a few specific presenters
- To listen to conversations I don’t normally get to hear
And it delivered on both.
A Session That Landed
Hands down, my favorite session of the day was Greg Snell from SnellMedia.
It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t hype-driven. It was practical, honest, and immediately applicable. The kind of talk that makes you rethink how you’re approaching your own work … and more importantly, why.
I left knowing I’d be making changes to my channel, not because someone told me to, but because it suddenly made sense.
Those are the best kinds of lessons.
The Real Takeaway
Later in the day, after getting turned around (again), camera straps tangled, and laughing at myself more than once, it hit me.
You can’t do this stuff alone forever.
At some point, whether you’re changing careers, starting a creative project, or just trying to figure out what’s next, you need to be around people who are also trying. People who ask questions. People who are a little uncomfortable. People who are curious.
That’s where momentum comes from.
Wrapping Up Day Two
I didn’t capture everything on camera today. And that’s okay.
What I captured instead was perspective, and motivation I didn’t realize I was missing. Being around people who are building something, questioning things, and staying curious has a way of resetting your internal compass.
Tomorrow, I head into the Dolomites. Fewer sessions… more landscape… a different kind of learning.
As always… more on all of this later.