world domination summit : The Art of Non-Conformity

Et Cetera

WDS Videos Are Now on YouTube!

For the past eight years, I’ve been part of producing an annual celebration called the World Domination Summit. It’s one of the few things I’ve made that holds up over time. I love everything about it, even though we’re choosing to end it after 10 years in 2020.

A lot of people have asked how to watch the talks that our main stage keynotes have given. Since year one, we’ve had a bunch of them online… but never before on YouTube!

Well, guess what: now whenever you’re watching cat videos or teenage makeup videos, you can also check out keynotes from some of our most popular speakers.

Check them out, and subscribe to the channel.

Et Cetera

The Future of the World Domination Summit

Way back in 2011, 400 adventurers gathered in Portland, Oregon to consider an important question, "How do we live a remarkable life in a conventional world?". Embracing the core values of Community, Adventure, and Service, the event was called the World Domination Summit.

8 years later, our once "little" community has grown to over 10,000 adventurers representing all 50 states and over 40+ countries.

We've broken world records, learned to Bollywood dance, faced our fears, found true connection, challenged conventionality, and supported each other's dreams.

At this year's gathering, we made an important announcement that we'll produce two more years of our epic annual gathering. Next year is WDS 2019, and then WDS 2020 will be our 10-year grand finale!

Et Cetera

The Reviews Are In! Attendee Blog Posts and Memories from WDS 2016 (Round 2)

Every year for six years, I’ve been part of a team that produces an annual gathering in Portland, Oregon. It’s a lot of work and a lot of fun. Rather than share my own recap, I usually prefer to let our attendees share their perspective—so without further ado, here's our second batch of reviews! (See Round 1 here)

Et Cetera

The Reviews Are In! Attendee Blog Posts and Memories from WDS 2016 (Round 1)

Every year for six years, I’ve been part of a team that produces an annual gathering in Portland, Oregon. It’s a lot of work and a lot of fun. Rather than share my own recap, I usually prefer to let our attendees share their perspective. All of these posts are unfiltered and uncensored—take a look and learn more of what WDS is all about!

Et Cetera

This Summer: Hack Your Book, Learn the Science of Happiness, & Become a Financial Badass

Link: WDS 2016 Academy Registration Is Now Open to Everyone!

Every year since 2011, I've produced and hosted an global gathering known modestly as the World Domination Summit (WDS). More than 10,000 people have participated in WDS main stage events, and starting in 2014 we expanded to feature half-day workshops known as Academies.

Registration for Academies is now open to the general public, and this year we have something special: an all-new experience called WDS Connect.

When you register for WDS Connect, you'll get access to hundreds of meetups and special sessions that aren't open to the general public. You'll also get access to one complimentary Academy of your choice.

Et Cetera

What Happened at WDS 2015? Unfiltered Attendee Reviews, Round II

Here's Round I.

After spending hundreds of hours in preparation and then hosting a week-long adventure for thousands of awesome people, I don’t usually say much about it afterward, at least not on the blog. I’m a writer who doesn’t do a writeup.

Thankfully, our attendees do a much more thorough job—and wouldn’t you want to read the unfiltered reviews anyway?

Every year we see hundreds of blog posts from attendees. Here’s the ~~first~~ second round of unfiltered reviews and opinions on a variety of topics related to WDS.

Et Cetera

What Happened at WDS 2015? Unfiltered Attendee Reviews, Round I

Every year after WDS we receive hundreds of blog posts, reviews, and writeups from attendees. Here’s the first round of unfiltered opinions on a variety of topics related to the whole event. Check them out and decide for yourself what WDS is all about!

Life

WDS 2015: Initial Batch of 1,200 Photos Now Online

Hi, everyone! I’m still on blogging hiatus but am looking forward to getting back to daily writing very soon. Thanks for your understanding.

Here in Portland, WDS week has come to an end and you can view more than 1,200 photos in the official media albums.

I'll be sharing more about WDS in the weeks to come, and I'll be linking to posts written by our attendees. For now, here are just a few highlights.

Et Cetera

Make History by Eating Breakfast: Join Us for an All-New World Record

Link: Eat Waffles, Set a World Record (YES!)

When was the last time you broke a world record by eating breakfast?

Never, that's when. But fortunately for you, that's all about to change.

This summer, whether you're attending WDS or not, if you can make it to Portland on Friday, July 10, you can become a world record holder—and this time, the task required couldn't be easier.

Et Cetera

What Are People REALLY Saying About WDS 2014?

After spending hundreds of hours in preparation and then hosting a week-long adventure for thousands of awesome people, I don’t actually say much about it afterward, at least not on the blog. I’m a writer who doesn’t do a writeup. Thankfully, our awesome attendees pick up my slack—and wouldn’t you want to hear from them…

Life

WDS 2014: First Photos Now Online

We had a fantastic time at the fourth-annual World Domination Summit (WDS)! I’m incredibly sleep-deprived at the moment, but over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing stories, attendee blog posts, and eventually video of the event. For now, you can see more than 1,200 photos at the official media page. Side note: It appears…

Et Cetera

First Videos from #WDS2013

The focus of WDS is on creating a strong in-person experience, so we don’t do any live-streaming. However, we also realize that many people who aren’t able to attend in Portland are interested in seeing what it’s about. With that in mind, we recently released the first two speaker videos from this year’s extravaganza. Darren…

Work

Ready Or Not

If you want to get something done, don’t give yourself enough time to finish. Keep it short and tight. Give yourself a fixed deadline. WDS is the ultimate fixed deadline for our team, because there’s no way in the world it can be pushed back. Thousands of people book plane tickets and hotel rooms for…

36 Comments

Et Cetera

WDS 2013: A Partial (and Impartial) Recap

We did it! Ten days ago, nearly 3,000 people descended on Portland for the third annual World Domination Summit. Everyone asks what WDS is, and here’s what I usually say as a brief answer: WDS is an annual gathering of creative, unconventional people from all over the world. This brief answer doesn’t tell the whole…

Et Cetera

WDS 2013: Still Working On It

I had hoped to write up my comments on last week’s adventure with 2,800 people, but I’m still in recovery. There’s just too much to process, at least for me as the host. I hope to do so more next week in some fashion. In the meantime, here are a few posts that are making…

1 2 Next »