Posted by Anonymous on 6/20/05 4:51pm
Msg #46265

ONCE AND FOR ALL-NNA CONFERENCE 2005

I just think we should lay it all out there for those NEWBIE who asked to be warned.

First, I was there and have experience to these statements.

1. It was a joke! Don’t was your money thinking about going NEXT year.

2. Why was it a joke? Because a conference should have a mixture of vendors and the ability to learn something through workshops that will benefit and FORWARD your career or business. Anyone in the business would have learned NOTHING there. Anyone NEW to the business would’ve gotten BAD information from Victoria Ring’s classes.

3. NNA cares only about making money and NOT giving back to the notary industry. Why? Because they haven’t in 27 yrs (since this was the 27th Annual NNA Conference) made ANY attempt to get more vendors to attend to benefit notaries advancing their business by marketing with people in the varies industries. Maybe a dozen vendors where there and nothing that would significantly further your career and increase your business.

4. Bob from Chicago = good. Even though I was unable to attend because of disgust of the whole conference expectations I had, I was told by everyone I came in contact with that it was the ONLY thing worth going to.
***and referring to the speakers…this will help understand #3 up there…NONE of the speakers were paid to speak…IN FACT, they had to still pay for their tickets to attend.

What the hell is that? I guess you get what you pay for, huh? (Bob aside)

5. I was told by someone that the NNA Conference is really an excuse for a vacation.
MY idea of a vacation is beaches and margaritas…not workshops where you’d like to get up and shove the microphone down Victoria Ring’s throat to shut her up from giving BAD information.

6. Maybe the only good thing from the NNA was after leaving early from Victoria Ring’s workshop, my colleague and I talked with the NNA rep outside and told them that Victoria was giving absolutely horrible MIS-information to a room full of notaries that stated they had done ZERO or less than 50 signings in their life and MAYBE, just MAYBE that was what made them cut her luncheon speech to just 5 mins. (as posted here on NotRot) Because we made a pretty BIG scene to the room of people left outside in the vendor-less area.

Just my TWO CENTS.

Reply by Lisa_LAArea on 6/20/05 5:18pm
Msg #46277

Thank you for putting it all out there for us....I nearly went glad I didn't. You should post a copy of this to the NNA message board.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 6/20/05 5:25pm
Msg #46279

The NNA has a message board???

Reply by Stephanie_CA on 6/20/05 5:35pm
Msg #46281

It's all a matter of personal opinion; I attended the conference and my feelings in regards to the conference are quite different from Anonymous; however, I will for the sake of avoiding high anxiety responses so late in the day, leave it at that & not give my viewpoint.

Thank you,
Stephanie

Reply by Roger/OH on 6/20/05 5:40pm
Msg #46282

Have to largely agree with the above .02 worth. They had speakers on bookkeeping and business plans who spoke in a one-size-fits-all format that few in the audience could relate to. It could have been MUCH better had they brought in a speaker(s) who had an actual, successful NOTARY business, who could have discussed the particulars of these issues specific TO OUR BUSINESS. Other than the location, the only other positive aspect was the networking. Since they didn't print a directory of attendees, no one knew who was there from your own state or anywhere else. They said the reason was fear of ID theft (from fellow notaries - the bastions of integrity??).

Reply by J in CA aka konakai on 6/20/05 5:58pm
Msg #46286

The best thing I got out of it was learning about this website!

Reply by Anonymous on 6/20/05 6:47pm
Msg #46296

But Roger/OH...networking only works when someone is doing business in your area. AND...not many notaries there (that I came in contact with) do anything but work for themselves and in OTHER states than what I am in. SO, to network would be with VENDORS...that work in your state..which were I think 3 or 4 there. And those I have been with for a long time. Because there is NOT going to be a company calling someone in CA looking for a notary in FL or NY or anywhere else, networking with notaries doesn't help you unless they are from your state....and with NO directory of notaries...you couldn't find them. (Unless you were to stand up on a chair and yell to everyone and ask the people there : "....alll the people from AZ move to the left side of the room, and all the people from CA move to the right side of the room., etc..."...and that's just another joke)

It was a waste of time and I think that there isn't anything they could say to make me go to any in the future.

Reply by BrendaTx on 6/20/05 7:04pm
Msg #46301

*networking with notaries doesn't help you *

Except that it's *fun*...I did not go to LV but would have loved to meet Bob and the gang. Maybe next year we should put together a private tour / short cruise for those who want to get to know others...we'd need to do something educational as well for the write off.

Reply by Becca/FL on 6/20/05 6:06pm
Msg #46288

I thought it was a joke too. Talk about a waste of money. I got more value from the money I lost gambling then I did from the money I spent for the conference.

Reply by Lisa_LAArea on 6/20/05 6:40pm
Msg #46293

Silvia: NSA Section » Q & A Hotlink

It's not really a message board (although they could use one) but it's and area where a person could submit a question and get a return reply from

Reply by Lisa_LAArea on 6/20/05 6:45pm
Msg #46295

Sylvia: P.S. Love your website...did you build it yourself?

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 6/20/05 9:32pm
Msg #46322

Re: Sylvia: P.S. Love your website...did you build it yourself?

No, a very nice notary by the name of Linda Jo built it for me.
Her own website is:
http://www.ponyexpressnotary.us/

She really does a good job.

Reply by oldhippie_IL on 6/20/05 7:22pm
Msg #46303

Re: Silvia: NSA Section » Q & A Hotlink

Alot of the companies ask if you belong to the NSA or NNA. I really don't want to rejoin. My membership is up, what should I do? A couple of times I tried to email a question in, I never got a responce......... Thanks

Reply by Jon on 6/20/05 9:32pm
Msg #46321

Re: Silvia: NSA Section » Q & A Hotlink

Consider yourself lucky you didn't receive a response, would probably be wrong info anyway. I have never been asked if I was a member of NNA. If I ever was, I would tell the requestor that I cancelled my membership due to the vast amount of wrong information that I received from them.

Reply by Melody on 6/20/05 9:12pm
Msg #46318

NOW do you see why Oldies hate the NNA? ~~ n/m