My first Invest Fest

A highly anticipated weekend arrives.

Parker complained to me Tuesday night about interrupting our schedule.

“Do you have to go to Atlanta?” she asked.

My response to my little princess was yes. But the truth is I don’t have to. No one is forcing me. I’m choosing to go. As I told Parker via FaceTime on Tuesday night, I’m going there to give us a better life. I’m disrupting our week only so I can provide our family with a more fruitful future.

And so I won’t be picking up Parker from school today. Logistics made it impossible to keep our Thursday nights intact. I’ll be boarding a plane at about 5:15 a.m. Friday. I’m flying from Chicago to Atlanta for the weekend.

I’m headed to my first Invest Fest.

What is Invest Fest?

It’s a three-day event that marries investing, finance, entrepreneurship and entertainment, complete with a who’s who of guest speakers, podcasters and panelists. The conference, in its third year and expected to bring together as many as 20,000 like-minded individuals, is hosted by Troy Millings and Rashad Bilal, the duo that forms Earn Your Leisure.

I came across Earn Your Leisure late last year. It didn’t take me long to appreciate their message. I was a latecomer so I played catch up. I pulled up their podcast. I binge-listened to old episodes.

But each Monday at 7 p.m., I started watching them live. Along with stock market expert Ian Dunlap, they host “Market Mondays”, a two-hour show on YouTube dedicated to how to make money in the stock market.

The feeling that “Trappin Tuesday’s” gives me on Tuesday nights, “Market Mondays” supplies on Mondays.

When I learned of Invest Fest, I knew I needed to be there. This year’s headliner is Robert F. Smith, a billionaire businessman and philanthropist and someone who looks like me. It didn’t matter to me who else would be there. But the organizers just kept rolling out names.

Sean “Diddy” Combs. Steve Harvey. Chris Paul. Cathie Wood. Michael Novogratz. Junior Bridgeman. Steve Stoute.

And many more.

If I call myself an investor, how could I not be in Atlanta this weekend?

It’s not about the celebrity names for me. I stopped caring about celebrities a long time ago. I’m eager to hear what they have to say and try to apply their teachings to my journey as applicable. But I’m going more to meet everyday people.

I want to shake as many hands as possible and pass out all the Money Talks business cards I can. I want to network with people who have the same passions as me and figure out how we can help each other achieve our goals. I want to be exposed to information and ideas that I would not have otherwise heard. I want to do laps around the conference in my Money Talks merchandise and proudly share our project with anyone who will listen.

I want to come back to Chicago better than I left.

On July 7, I paid $250 for my ticket to the event. It was the early bird price before the fee rose to $300. I filled out a media application, promising to provide wall-to-wall coverage for Money Talks. I haven’t heard back on the credential. My next two columns will be reports from Invest Fest regardless.

I locked in my flight using airline points back on May 25. My fare total was $11.20 for tax, which is listed as “U.S. 9/11 Security Fee.”

On May 28, I booked a three-night stay at the SpringHill Suites Atlanta Downtown for $516. It’s the biggest cost associated with the trip and one I braced for by reducing my spending throughout the first half of August. But the hotel is an 18-minute walk to the Georgia World Congress Center, where Invest Fest will be held. I won’t need a rental car nor will I have to rely on rideshares. My hotel also offers complimentary breakfast, which will help me save a little money.

Meals and ground transportation to and from the airport to the hotel upon arrival and departure are the only expenses I should incur.

Beyond that, it shouldn’t be difficult to remain diligent with my dollars. I’m not jetting off to Atlanta for a carefree weekend. I’m going there to listen, to learn and to grow.

It could be among my best investments this year.