I’ve been to many conferences. Most of them leave you with a tote bag, a lanyard, no access or connection, and a camera roll full of slides you’ll never look at again.
So when I signed up for The Good Soil Forum in Dallas, I asked myself the question I ask before any investment of time or money: will I leave with something I can actually use?
Short answer: Worth every penny. Below I’ll explain why.
They put half a million dollars where their mouth is
Plenty of conferences talk about supporting underrepresented founders. The Good Soil Forum put half a million dollars directly into the hands of deserving founders of color, many of whom have been underfunded for most of their careers.
That isn’t a panel about access to capital. This is actual ACCESS to CAPITAL.
That’s the moment I knew this was more than a conference. It was a community that backs its words with money.
The ROI showed up before the conference ended
Good Soil had an app where attendees could connect directly, message each other, and exchange information during the forum. Most conference apps are just a schedule or docs nobody opens. This one actually worked.
Before the forum ended, I had:
- 12 new LinkedIn connections
- 3 booked consultations
- 1 client ready to move forward with the contract (as of today, 10/13)
All three consultations came from people I had never met before. Each one started in the app’s chat. I’ve put on my to-do list to connect with everyone listed in the app by the end of the month. How? With the help of A.I. ;-).
Why I went
The Good Soil Forum exists to connect under-resourced entrepreneurs to capital, community, and the strategies that build generational wealth. I’ve spent more than 12 years building brands for athletes and creatives, and I don’t need another room full of hype and inspiration. I need rooms where people talk honestly about money, access, practical tools, strategies, and what it takes to build something that lasts.
Half a million dollars in founders’ hands and direct access to key decision-makers told me I was in the right room.
Takeaway #1: The next wave of founders will buy, not build
We are in the middle of what’s being called the Great Wealth Transfer. Somewhere between $84 trillion and $124 trillion will change hands by 2048. A large part of that is baby boomers selling businesses that their children don’t want to inherit.
We’re talking about HVAC companies, accounting firms, dental practices, plumbers and electricians. These are not glamorous businesses, but they have reliable cash flow and years of customer trust.
The advice from the stage was simple: find a successful business and innovate it. You don’t have to start from zero. There are already pathways in place, including CDFI partners who fund businesses of $100K and up and a Wells Fargo cohort built specifically to prepare people to become buyers.
My PR take: Most of these businesses have strong operations but a brand and systems that haven’t been updated in decades.
Takeaway #2: If you disappeared for 30 days, what would break first?
This question was uncomfortable to hear.
The framework that was shared to measure a strong business went like this:
- Is it profitable?
- Is it documented?
- Is it measurable?
- Is it repeatable?
- Who on your team owns the outcome?
Then came the stress test. What happens if your largest customer leaves? Your biggest supplier? Your best team member? What happens if you encounter a PR nightmare? Bulletproofing your business should be a top priority, especially if you’re trying to scale.
One line from the forum stayed with me: “Scale is being able to do things repeatedly without having to be there.”
This is where AI comes in. AI is the tool that will take you from six figures to the million-dollar mark.
The founders who reach seven figures in the next few years won’t be the ones working the most hours. They’ll be the ones who built the A.I. systems that keep running when they’re not in the room.
Takeaway #3: Relationship capital comes before money
Before you get money from a bank, you need a relationship with a bank. Before you hire employees, you need advisors. Find out who the person in charge is who could one day fund your business. What programs do they have in place that you can show up for and introduce yourself to the organization? So when it’s time to ask for funding, they are already familiar with you and it will be easier to secure the desired money.
They didn’t let us leave on hype
This is what separated The Good Soil from other conferences. Before we left, they gave us a 90-day workbook designed to turn three days in Dallas into one real change in your business by January 8. If you want the workbook, comment below, and I will send it to you.
So, was there anything overrated?
Having worked with celebritities for a long time, I don’t get starstruck anymore and care more about the message than the messenger.
The question I’m still thinking about
The forum ended on a question I wasn’t ready for:
Arian Simone, founder of the Fearless Fund, a VC fund that provides capital to early-stage female founders of color, raised the question of how much fear costs us.
Not how fear feels. How much it costs. The deal you didn’t pursue. The price you didn’t raise. The partnership you talked yourself out of. That dream you didn’t go for, etc.
Hesitation costs more than mistakes do. Sometimes our fear can get really expensive, so we have to choose wisely.
Verdict: Worth Every Penny. I will be there next year and maybe even join a cohort.
If you spoke at or attended Good Soil Forum this year, I want to connect. Tell me your biggest takeaway, because I’m sure I missed a few.
XOXO, Dynamically Branded.