Have you ever left a conference feeling inspired and re-energized about your business, only to return to your work with no idea how to implement the new ideas you learned? It's easy to remember the people who spoke and a few of the buzzwords they said, but how do you actually DO IT?

The innovative benefit concepts we learn about at conferences can be mesmerizing. I vividly recall sitting in a benefits conference session four years ago and listening to presenters talk about "cost containment," "transparency" and "supply chain management." I was on the edge of my seat, as these concepts were exactly what my business partner and I committed to when we merged our agencies together. I remember listening harder and harder as the presentation went on, waiting to hear the specific and tangible actions I could take to actually start doing these things.