297: Event Hosting: How to Bring Your Tribe Together and Build a 6-Figure Conference on the Side

"I'm this close to firing you right now." That's what Hung Pham's boss told him when he reached out about ways to get his team more engaged with the company's overall mission. "If you want passion and purpose," she said, "you've got to look somewhere else." Frustrated with the internal cultures at the organizations he worked in, Hung wanted to attend a culture-building conference. The only problem? That event didn't exist. Sensing a void in the market, Hung was inspired to create Culture Summit. With nothing more than a website, a few contacts booked as speakers, and a whole load of enthusiasm, Hung started emailing prospective attendees and getting the word out within the right circles. He had more than 200 attendees for that first event and was profitable from day one. By year two, Hung’s Culture Summit, at CultureSummit.co was a 6-figure business – all on the side from his day job. This was after Hung almost gave up and his partner left the business when they didn’t sell any tickets for the first three months. Tune in to hear how Hung validated his idea for his conference, how he sold his first tickets, and how he’s grown this side hustle into a full-time business with attendees from 5 continents, and where he wants to go from here.