A DECADE+ OF STORYTELLING POWERED BY THE BEST WRITERS ON THE PLANET

BE PART OF THE LEGACY

TAMPA BAY • FEBRUARY 23-24 2026

This FINAL encore experience will be unlike any other. Because like everything we do, it's been "reimagined" from beginning to end. It's not a virtual or hybrid event. It's not a conference. It's not a seminar, a workshop, a meeting, or a symposium. And it's not your typical run-of-the-mill everyday event crammed with stages, keynote speeches, team-building exercises, PowerPoint presentations, and all the other conventional humdrum. Because it's up close & personal by design. Where conversation trumps presentation. And where authentic connection runs deep.

Don’t Wait

Sometimes rather than jumping into life with the exuberance of a child, boarding a new ride at the county fair; we play it safe, waiting instead for that conjured-up image in our mind of what we think life should be, to manifest itself.

Never giving thought, that as we wait for that picture-perfect life, the hands of time are not waiting with us. Instead, they continue to click off the moments, days, weeks, and years, keeping time with life; just as a metronome clicks with each swing of its pendulum, marking the tempo of a song.

Until one day, and all too soon, life has passed us by.

Don’t wait, my friends, grab life by the horns; as if it were a bull waiting in the chute, of that rodeo event you witnessed as a child.

Holding on tight, as you enjoy the exhilaration of life’s ups and downs, twists and turns; because whether it be eight seconds, seventy years, or somewhere in between; it will be the best ride you’ve ever known.

“The proper function of a man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”

~Jack London (1876-1916)

Mike Sutton
Mike Suttonhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/703649711176635
Greetings from M L. Sutton, a born-again Christian and retired citizen of the Great Lakes State of Michigan, currently living in the Northern Michigan town of Cheboygan. A father of two wonderful adult children who also live in Cheboygan, and a husband of forty-three years, before losing my wife to a health-related illness in May 2020.  I began writing in a journal in April 2020, with the words and feelings that I had wished to express to my wife but could not because of pandemic guidelines and her illness. After her demise, I continued to write to vent the hurt, confusion, frustration, and sorrow associated with her absence in my life, culminating with the release of my first book, “To Lose a Soul Mate,” which was published by Xulon Press, and released to the public on September 25, 2022. In losing my wife, God had given me a gift, one that I could share with others, the gift of writing what my heart felt and my eyes saw, as though looking through the windows of my heart. This new gift allowed me the opportunity to see through the pain and grief of losing my wife and to recognize the beauty that had always been around me, but I had not taken the time to fully enjoy, or be thankful for it. I now write for enjoyment, as it gives me a sense of peace and comfort, sharing my material as a Featured Contributor on, BIZCATALYST 360°, The Writers Café, and Dirt Road Storytelling, both on Facebook, while also working on a second book, a collection of writings from both heart and soul; which I plan to have published at a later date.  Before that, I was enjoying retirement with my wife, after having worked for nearly 31 years for the State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources, as a Park Manager in various parks throughout the state of Michigan. 

DO YOU HAVE THE "WRITE" STUFF? If you’re ready to share your wisdom of experience, we’re ready to share it with our massive global audience – by giving you the opportunity to become a published Contributor on our award-winning Site with (your own byline). And who knows? – it may be your first step in discovering your “hidden Hemmingway”. LEARN MORE HERE


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