How SXSW Reinforced What I Believe About Visibility, PR, and Saying Yes

I almost didn’t go to SXSW. Not because I wasn’t invited, but because I told myself it could wait. I wrote a whole article on it here.

That’s how it starts for a lot of people. You convince yourself that the timing isn’t right. You tell yourself you’re too busy, and you assume there will likely be another chance.

Then I remembered something I’ve carried with me for years. Don’t tell yourself no.

So I submitted. I went. And last week, I stood on a stage in Austin, Texas and read from my book The In Crowd for LinkedIn Mastery.

The moment it became real

When I was walked up to Salon A at the Hilton Austin, I saw two lines of people waiting outside the room. For me. That feeling is very hard to describe. It was a mix of gratitude, excitement, and disbelief all at once.

In fact, I started thanking as many people as I could while walking in.

It was the last day of SXSW 2026, and I had prepared myself for a smaller crowd. That’s usually how these events go with things winding down on the last day. Instead, I was dead wrong.

There were actually about 100 people in the room, and the event coordinators told me that it was one of the most well-attended sessions of the day.

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The day before, Steven Spielberg had spoken in the room next door, and all around town were some of the most recognizable names in the world. Founders, filmmakers, technologists, artists. People like Eden Xenakis, Rebecca Winthrop, Jonah Peretti, Larry D., Jesse Itzler, Betsy Reed, and so many more who are shaping culture and industry.

And there I was, reading from a book that I wrote in the margins of my hectic, entrepreneurial, dad life schedule.

This moment will likely stay with me for life.

In case you're wondering, here's a few actionable takeaways from my talk:

1. Rewrite your headline so people instantly understand what you do and why it matters. Make it clear, specific, and easy to grasp in seconds.
2. Share one insight from your work each week. A lesson, observation, or moment that helps others think or act differently.
3. Turn your experience into actual stories or measurable moments that people can remember. Focus on your journey and how you're helping.
4. Show up consistently, even if it feels small at first. Momentum builds through repetition, not perfection.
5. Put something on the record that others can find and reference. Posts, articles, or media mentions create a lasting signal of your credibility for future career and company growth.

The book found its place

After the session, I signed books. I sold about half of the copies available at SXSW and gave a few away on my way out. It felt right. Books are meant to move and be shared. That's why I've dropped so many in Little Free Library locations around the US.

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Seeing The In Crowd for LinkedIn Mastery sitting in the official SXSW bookstore alongside so many other titles was a quiet milestone. I was particularly taken back by being just a few book down from the legendary journalist David Pogue who wrote a book called, Apple: The First 50 Years.

It also made me think. How many great books are written every year that never get that kind of stage? How many ideas never get their moment because someone decided not to put them forward?

These questions matter.

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What SXSW reminded me about marketing

One of the biggest takeaways had nothing to do with a keynote or a panel. It was the flyers. They were literally everywhere.

Posters were layered across walls, and handbills and tear-aways were stacked over each other on poles. Messages were competing for attention at SXSW in the most analog way possible.

One campaign stood out to me, and I saw it everywhere. It featured a missing monkey. Then, a missing alpaca. Then, an entire series of animals emerged as appearing to be scattered across the city.

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It made no sense at first. Then it pulled people like me in. I even saw a Reddit feed about it.

It was for WeRoad and the QR code took us here. It created curiosity, and most importantly, it sparked conversation.

Right now, we are inundated with the use of AI, niche targeting methodologies, and every new marketing tool under the sun. Yet, one of the most effective campaigns that I saw was simple, creative, and human.

That says so much.

I find that as a marketing and communication industry, we are stereotypically too quick to move on from certain strategies and tactics, labeling them outdated. We chase the next thing, and assume that newer means better.

SXSW reminded me that attention still follows authenticity and creativity, and that does not need complexity to be effective!

The moment PR made the difference

There is another layer to this that most people miss. Showing up at an event like SXSW is one thing, but being seen at an event is something else entirely.

Alongside my talk, I had a press release go live that announced Press Hustle, a system designed to help early-stage founders and creators earn media coverage and learn how to do it. That announcement was picked up and distributed through traditional media channels, including the Boardroom Buzz News, O'Dwyer's Public Relations News, the Detroit Free Press, and others!

You can read it here: https://www.mcleanmedia.com/blog/press-hustle-debuts-at-sxsw-2026-giving-founders-a-system-to-earn-media-coverage

That piece did something important: It created a public record of the moment!

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Now, anyone searching for what happened at SXSW, or looking into my work, has a trusted third-party source that tells the story. That signal carries weight, and it travels further than a social media post. It feeds search and generative AI systems, and it adds credibility.

Companies spend a significant amount of money to attend events like SXSW, CES, Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), WSIA (Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association), and BIO International Convention. The travel, sponsorships, time, resources, happy hours, marketing materials, and giveaways can get very expensive. We all know this!

Many leave with great memories but very little return-on-investment (ROI) that extends beyond the event itself.

Public relations changes that. It takes a moment and turns it into momentum. It ensures that the work you are doing lives beyond the room you are standing in.

If this is something you need help with, learn more and message me here.

A story I did not expect

On the way to Austin, I had a layover in Atlanta. The flight was delayed, rebooked, and canceled more than I would like to share. I actually spent most of the day trying to figure out how to get there.

At one point, I noticed three guys nearby having a good time and cutting up with each other. We made eye contact, but no words were spoken.

The next day in Austin, these same three guys stepped out of a store and stopped me on 6th street.

They asked, “Are you Don McLean?”

We both laughed. "That's me!" I said.

They told me they had made up a story about me at the airport. That I was a jazz saxophone player heading to SXSW and traveling the country to headline events.

I smiled and told them I’ve been playing tenor sax (Selmer MK VI) and jazz for more than 30 years. They couldn't believe it and erupted, knowing that they were mostly right.

Then, I asked what they were doing. They were in a band, and they invited me to their show that night. Earlier that day, I had already planned to go to that exact show.

It felt serendipitous, so I went.

I watched them perform, bought their record, and spent some time in a room full of natural energy, creativity, and connection.

It was one of those moments that reminds you how powerful it is to stay open to the way the world want to take you.

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What this all comes back to

SXSW reinforced something that I believe deeply: Visibility matters. Not for vanity, but for connection.

When you show up, things happen. A room fills, a conversation starts, a story travels, an opportunity finds you. We cannot map all of this out. It has to happen naturally, and we have to allow ourselves to be open to receive it.

Know that, there was a version of this story where none of this happened. There could have been no talk, no book reading, no lines outside the room, no conversations, and no special moments.

That version started with a simple decision. I could have told myself no, but instead, I said yes.

If you are holding something back right now, take this as your sign. Say yes, show up, and let the world respond.