Looking back on my time in Austin, it’s perplexing how much I experienced in just 4 days. I must admit, the bar was set pretty high. Leading up to my trip, I came across blog after blog ranting and raving about the conference. Friends obliged me with eloquent anecdotes about their amazing time at SxSW. I believed the hype, but the pessimist in me asked – will my experience be in line with everyone else? I’m ecstatic because I now have my own story to tell – at it’s a good one.

The camaraderie established among all the ambassadors elevated the trip exponentially. Most of us had never met each other, but I felt we all meshed well. Everyone in attendance had a vested interest in being there, and our mutual passion allowed us to connect almost immediately. After the obligatory introductions, we all hit the ground running. We conversed about the panels we attended, bands we wanted to see, and blog topics to write. To quote the iconoclastic Quentin Tarantino, our conversations lacked the “uncomfortable silence” that usually occurs when hanging around new people. When I think of SxSW 2010, I’ll remember the Stone Temple Pilots concert where Scott (Fagan, not Weiland) and I “negotiated” our way to the upper balcony for the best seats in the house. Andrea and I dancing our hearts out at the Ra Ra Riot show. Listening to metal legend Lemmy Kilmeister talk about 4 decades as a rock god with Randy and Brianda was another seminal moment. And mucho thanks to Christian for introducing me to the music of the charismatic Theophilus London.

Austin was definitely painted blue this past week. The PepsiCo presence was ubiquitous. From the Podcast Playground, to the Pepsi Refresh ads, all attendees and townies knew Pepsi was there and active. SxSW is an epicenter of innovation, and it’s important to be an early adopter in such a competitive industry. PepsiCo recognizes the need to keeps its hand on the pulse of what’s emerging within the digital media, film, and music industries. The times they are a changin’, and I’m proud to be with a company that understands that, and is being proactive about it.

A special thanks to the CONN3CT group, Pepsi social media team, and the guys at Weber Shandwick. Their coordination and insight was a helpful roadmap, and made our jobs (yes, we were working) that much easier. They took the time to fly to Dallas and put us through SxSW “boot camp”, and always answered our calls and emails – no matter the time of day. And an extra special thanks to Brian Katz, who pretty much gave up any R&R time to ensure we had everything we needed. It was comforting to know they had our backs as we dove into the mayhem that is the SxSW conference.

All in all, I feel reinvested in this company. I’ve worked enough to know that not just any employer would send me to a conference that doesn’t necessarily fit with my job function. Yet they recognized my enthusiasm for music and its culture would bring an interesting perspective to this “social experiment”. It speaks volumes about PepsiCo and the power and necessity of ERGs (employee resource groups). At previous jobs, I felt like there was a caste system where only the most senior employees got to experience the perks of the job. An experience like this informs me that I have found a home here at PepsiCo. And it is my responsibility to pay it forward. My obligation is to preach to all my coworkers about the importance to get involved. There’s a rich variety of Diversity and Inclusion groups at our disposal, and I implore everyone to join not one, but two or three. Not just to bolster one’s PDR, but to engage in new experiences, befriend your fellow coworkers, and subscribe to community service. I know firsthand that doing so will make everyone truly understand the “Performance with a Purpose” ethos that many PepsiCo employees already possess.

I hope you enjoyed the content provided throughout the week. It was a pleasure to document such an epic event. I’m already looking forward to next year.