Hello everyone, and welcome to the CMO Stories podcast, Season Two, Episode 39. My name is Joeri Billast, and I'm your podcast host. Today is a solo episode. It's March 23, and I came back from San Diego the day before yesterday. I'm still a bit tired due to jet lag, but I thought I'd record a solo podcast and share my experiences from recent events.

I actually arrived on March 10, which was a Friday, really late in San Diego after a quite bumpy flight from Brussels to London, and then landing in San Diego was also an experience because the plane wasn't allowed to land. It was going down, but suddenly it went up again because they had received a red signal, so they weren't allowed to land.

That was a crazy experience, but eventually, I got on the ground. There was a problem with the luggage carousel, so I needed to wait. In the end, I arrived at my hotel and took some time to relax and prepare for my meetings in the coming days.

On Sunday, I participated in a walk organized by Sandy and met some amazing people from all around the world. We talked about the web with some people joining me on the walk, and it was interesting to know that most of them weren't aware of Web3, but by the end of the walk, they were quite excited.

The next day, there were workshops planned, and I attended some to learn more about video creation, Google Analytics 4, and my good friend Park Howell talked about ABT. ABT stands for "And, But, Therefore," and I really loved it.

For instance, an example in my case is: "You are an entrepreneur or a marketer, and you'd like to use Web3 for your business. But you don't know where to start because you don't know anyone in your network or community who knows Web3. Therefore, you can join my W3X Web3 Mastermind and learn from like-minded entrepreneurs and marketers who share their challenges and insights about Web3 and are also in the learning stage."

That's an example of an ABT I could have. So, that was the first real day of Social Media Marketing World. I also went to the bar at night and had great conversations with some of the speakers who were present. The next day, a lot of sessions took place.

My goal was to learn what people thought about Web3. As a marketer or entrepreneur attending Social Media Marketing World, what do they think about it? Do they know about Web3? Do they have plans to do something with it? I hosted the Web3 table and talked to lots of people. My table was filled all the time, and at one point, Michael Stelzner joined us. It was really fun and interesting to learn that most people aren't aware of it and wanted to know what it is. They asked me to explain it in simple terms.

I started by explaining what Web 1.0 is: when the internet started, it was only about reading stuff online and consuming information. Then Web 2.0 came, which wasn't just about reading, but also about writing and two-way communication. The problem with Web 2.0 is that you don't own your data. Companies like Facebook own your data and can decide what they want to do with it, and they can also delete your account without your consent. Web3 promises to solve this problem by letting you own your data. So, that was a simple explanation of Web3 by comparing it to Web 1.0 and Web 2.0.

At the end of that day, there was a party, and I met Pat Flynn again. He recognized me because I was the guy who made a TikTok with him last year at Social Media Marketing World. It was interesting to talk with him about podcasting and how I use AI to create my show notes, which saves me a lot of time.

On the last day, I attended some sessions and hosted the Web3 table talks for a second day. I made some great connections, gained insights, and learned that people really want to learn about Web3 and use it for their businesses, but they need someone to help them. I told them about my W3X Mastermind, as it provides personalized support from like-minded entrepreneurs with similar goals and challenges in a trusted environment. The first part of the Mastermind involves me teaching about Web3, followed by group discussions where we share experiences and insights.

For me, learning Web3 is easier because of my background. I had a business analytics company, which I sold in 2013. I had an investment club, so I know how to analyze and perform technical analysis of stocks. I have also been in marketing for a long time, and as you may know, I wrote a bestseller on Amazon about social media marketing.

Today, I'm passionate about Web3 because it combines my finance, IT, and marketing backgrounds. I made some good connections during Social Media Marketing World, but my week wasn't over yet. I went to Anaheim for a Marketing Mastermind to learn how to provide my followers with content so they can learn more about Web3, and how I can use AI to create content about it and better understand my followers. AI is here to stay, and now is the time to learn how to use it to benefit your business, inspire you, give you ideas, and provide structure.

At the end of the Mastermind, we went to Disneyland for some fun. The weather wasn't the best, but it can't always be sunny in San Diego, just like in Belgium.

Finally, I went home on Monday, and it took me quite some time to arrive in Belgium, but here I am, recording this podcast episode for you. If you have questions about Web3 or are interested in my Mastermind, which is called W3X (W3 stands for Web 3, and X stands for Accelerate), I'd be happy to provide more information. If you want to be ahead of the crowd and join Web3 as an early adopter, now is the best time to join my Mastermind. If you have any questions, please let me know, and I hope to see you back for the next podcast episode.

Take care.