What is SubSummit and Why Should You Go?

I recently spent a week in Orlando, Florida with 1,500 people who love the subscription industry as much as I do! Where did I find all these people? SubSummit, of course. 

What is SubSummit? Put on by the Subscription Trade Association (SUBTA), it’s the first and only conference of its kind, dedicated to the direct-to-consumer subscription industry. 

SubSummit came about when the founders of SUBTA looked for an event to attend in order to meet other subscription box owners and realized none existed. So they started their own! Get to know more about Paul and SUBTA by listening to my interview with him on episode 49 of the Launch Your Box podcast. 

One of the things I love about SubSummit is that it doesn’t matter what stage your business is in, there’s a place for you. They offer tons of presentations and workshops in three separate tracks. 

1. Entry-level - for new or not-yet-launched subscriptions. 
2. Mid-market - established small to medium-sized subscription businesses (like mine). 
3. Enterprise - the big players like DoorDash and the New York Times. 

Organizing the presentations and workshops this way makes it easy to choose which talks to go to based on your needs and where you are in your subscription box journey. 

This year, SubSummit really rolled out the red carpet for Launch Your Box members. Last year they approached me and asked me to speak a LOT at the conference. I agreed but asked for a little something in return. Something like them treating my Launch Your Box members like the VIPs they are. 

And the people at SUBTA did not disappoint! We had a private Launch Your Box lounge, special seating at the CUBE awards, and so many more perks. 

Now that I’ve told you a bit about what SubSummit is, I want to talk about why you should go. 

Put yourself in the room with people who do what you do.  

Over the past few years, we’ve all gotten very used to connecting with people online. 2020 had us on Zoom calls for everything from school to business meetings to happy hour with friends and family get-togethers. And that was great when being together like that was our only option. 

But we all got really used to connecting online and I think maybe we’ve forgotten the value of connecting in person. Between my week with my Mastermind and these days at SubSummit, I’ve really been reminded how important it is to be in the same room with other people who do what you do. 

The organizers of SubSummit quoted me on their event Facebook page as saying, “I can’t quite put it into words, but this event has fueled my soul more than you can imagine.” 

Online connections are great and I encourage the members of Launch Your Box every day to connect with each other inside the group. They cheer each other on, celebrate each other’s victories, and answer each other’s questions about all the things. These connections are HUGE and they matter. 

But there’s something about connecting in person and networking in person that takes it to the next level. I loved meeting members of Launch Your Box in person - seeing their faces and hearing the excitement in their voices! And they LOVED meeting each other. Oh my goodness, I watched friendships blossom right in front of my eyes. They were making personal connections and business connections - in person! 

I challenge you to find a way to connect with other subscription box owners in person. Look for conferences or trade shows. Sign up for a Mastermind. Join us in Dallas next year for SubSummit 2023!

Step out of your comfort zone and show up for yourself.  

I told you I presented a lot at SubSummit. What did that look like? 

• Three stage talks.
• One LIVE recording of an episode of the Launch Your Box podcast. 
• One 2-hour in-person workshop.
• Presenting an award at the CUBE Awards.
• Hours and hours networking and connecting with Launch Your Box members and others inside the subscription box industry. 

Let’s just say for this introvert, it was a lot. It was wonderful - all of it. But it was a lot. I definitely found myself outside my comfort zone during the week. 

But here’s the thing. I showed up for my audience. I showed up for my members. I showed up for people who were scared to be there or weren’t sure they belonged. I showed up for people who are trying to make their subscription box dreams come true. 

We all need to show up and be there for our audiences. Even if it makes us feel uncomfortable. And yes, that means doing Facebook LIVES even if the thought of it makes you want to hide under your desk. I’ve been there. I survived the first one and they only got better from there. You will, too. I promise! For more on going LIVE, check out this blog post. 

Celebrate and have fun with the subscription box community.

I mentioned that I presented a CUBE Award at SubSummit. These are awards given out to subscription box owners in a variety of categories. 

One of my favorite things about the CUBE Awards is that subscription boxes of all sizes are nominated. And subscription boxes of all sizes win. Two members of Launch Your Box won CUBE Awards this year! (And no, I wasn’t a judge for either of their categories). I was like a proud mom when their names were announced. 

Nicole Jenney’s GPig Box won for Best Pet Subscription, beating out BIG names in the pet subscription category. And Jennifer Lea’s Entry Envy won for Best New Subscription! 

Y’all, it was so great to not only see Nicole and Jennifer recognized but to see how the Launch Your Box community showed up for them! The support, encouragement, and excitement was so amazing to see!

Going to SubSummit lit me up in more ways than I can even explain. Even though I was tired from all the people-ing (LOL), I was energized by spending time with this amazing group. I left inspired and more determined than ever to show up for my people. To give my very best. 

I hope you’ll find opportunities to connect in person with people who are doing the same thing you’re doing. I challenge you to step outside your comfort zone and truly show up for your audience. And I’ll be looking forward to meeting some of you next year in Dallas!