This past Tuesday, I sat in a room with Joe Pine, the best-selling author who gave the world The Experience Economy, as he launched his new book: The Transformation Economy.
If you’ve ever used the phrase “we need to create a better experience,” you’ve been influenced by Joe’s work. He helped change how leaders think about gatherings, brands, and what people are really buying.
The day was full of lecture, questions, and discussions. It was the last exercise where something surprising clicked for me.
We’re missing “mattering.”
Joe calls it, “flourishing.” For me, it landed as mattering; that deep, steady feeling that who you are and what you bring actually counts.
Not just that you were included.
Not just that you were entertained.
Not just that you were “seen” for a moment.
But that your presence makes a difference.
Here’s the Transformational Economy shift Joe put into words:
“In today’s economy, who people become matters more than what they consume.”
Click.
SWAY | LIVE has been a transformational event since 2023. And, it gets better every year. But sitting in that room with Joe, I finally had words for what makes it work.
People don’t just come to SWAY; they BECOME at SWAY.
Not because we tell them they matter. Because they feel it in the room. In the stories. In the way people actually see each other.
- SEEN. Not as a role or a title, but as a whole person with a story that matters.
- BRAVE. They tell stories on stage they’ve never told before. They drop the professional mask. They say the true thing.
- CONNECTED. Not in the networking sense, but in the “I see you and you see me” sense. The kind of connection where strangers hug like old friends.
- KIND. They stop being so hard on themselves. They let go of the impossible standard and start showing up as human.
- CREATIVE. They stop waiting for permission to try something new. They trust their instincts and bring ideas they’ve been sitting on for years.
- CELEBRATORY. They learn to cheer for themselves without apology. And they cheer just as loudly for everyone else in the room.
- BELIEVABLE. They stop performing expertise and start sharing from experience. They become someone others actually trust.
- THEMSELVES. The version of themselves they’ve been too scared or too polished to show up as in their professional life.
Here’s why it works: Creating a personal brand built with purpose and service. Purpose without service is just philosophy. Service without purpose is just busy. But together? That’s when you start to matter, to yourself, and to the people around you.
Back to Joe and The Transformational Economy:
“When you help people flourish, you don’t just build visibility. You build trust.”
If you’ve been showing up and wondering if anyone actually needs what you want to bring into the world, I want you to know: they do.
SWAY | LIVE BOULDER is August 2–4 in Boulder, Colorado. And there’s a room full of people ready to prove it to you.
If this resonates, tell me: Where in your life are you craving more mattering? I read every response.
Be unforgettable,
~ Sheri
This is your invitation to join us at SWAY | LIVE BOULDER.
Q1: What is “mattering” in the context of transformational experiences?
A: Mattering is the deep feeling that who you are and what you bring counts—and that your presence makes a difference beyond being included or entertained.
Q2: What is the Transformation Economy?
A: The Transformation Economy is the shift from selling experiences to enabling personal change—where who people become matters more than what they consume.
Q3: How do you create an environment where people feel they matter?
A: Design for real human connection: seeing people beyond titles, creating safety for brave storytelling, and encouraging kindness, creativity, and celebration.
Q4: Why do purpose and service matter for a personal brand?
A: Purpose without service stays theoretical, and service without purpose becomes busywork. Together they create impact—helping people flourish and building trust.
Q5: What makes SWAY | LIVE different from a typical networking event?
A: The goal isn’t transactional networking; it’s transformation—people feel seen, get brave, connect deeply, and leave more fully themselves.