Why I Love a Good Conference Weekend (and Why I Can't Do It All the Time)

Friday, October 16, 2026. 3:10 AM PST.

It's dark. Really dark.

I'm driving my truck through our neighbourhood, passing the deer who are casually helping themselves to everyone's beautifully maintained gardens. Apparently, 3:10 AM is breakfast time for them.

For me? It's conference time.

I'm headed to the airport for a weekend in Calgary for the Mortgage Professionals Canada (MPC) conference, and despite the ridiculous hour, I am excited.

I pull up to airport valet, grab my bags, and head inside, where I find Erin. She's just as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as I am. Clearly, we're both running on excitement and the promise of coffee.

And just like that, we're off to Calgary.

Friday: The Learning Begins

We arrive early and stop by our hotel for a bite to eat before the conference begins.

We're greeted by Dustan and Scott, our President and CEO, and settle in for a lovely breakfast together. Already, I'm reminded of one of the things I love most about being part of this brokerage: the people.

By 8:45 AM, we're ready to get to work.

The day is packed.

We're talking about the mortgage market, how to make better use of our time, working with new referral sources, and finding opportunities to grow our businesses. We hear from lenders who walk us through their products, programs, and lending options. We ask questions, compare notes, share experiences, and learn from one another.

There's a beautiful lunch, plenty of networking, business planning, and conversations that remind me just how much knowledge exists in one room.

And somewhere in the middle of it all, I have that familiar feeling.

I am so lucky to do what I do, and even luckier to be surrounded by people who genuinely want to see each other succeed.

I've been in the mortgage industry since 2009, and one thing I know for certain is that there is always something new to learn.

The industry changes. The market changes. The way we do business changes.

And being in a room with people who are willing to share what's working, what's not, and what they're trying next? That's incredibly valuable.

Friday Night: Great Food, Great Friends, and Really Bad Singing

Of course, conferences aren't all business.

Friday evening rolls around, and we gather for a beautiful team dinner at an incredible restaurant.

The food is amazing, the conversations are even better, and I'm especially happy to see friends from Ontario whom I don't get to connect with in person nearly enough.

We laugh. We share stories. We catch up on life and business.

And then, somehow, five of us find ourselves doing karaoke.

I'm not entirely sure whose idea this was, but I can confirm a few things.

The song choices? Epic.

The laughter? Absolutely hilarious.

The singing?

Terrible.

Truly, truly terrible.

And yet, there we are, laughing so hard and having the absolute best time.

These are the moments that don't make it onto a conference agenda, but they're often the ones you remember the longest.

Saturday: Coffee, Connections, and Conversations That Matter

Saturday arrives, and it's coffee on coffee on coffee.

We're networking, attending lender events, exploring Calgary, doing a little shopping, and enjoying every minute.

At one point, a few of us find ourselves sitting on a couch in the hotel parlour, deep in conversation about our businesses.

Jeff and I start sharing best practices.

What are you doing that's working? How are you approaching this? Have you tried that? What would you do differently?

I keep asking questions.

And I keep learning.

I love these conversations because nobody is trying to sell you a magic formula. We're just brokers sharing real experiences, exchanging ideas, and helping each other get better.

It's easy to get caught up in your own routines when you're running a business. You do what works, you manage your clients, you keep moving forward.

But sometimes, sitting on a couch with another mortgage broker and talking about how they run their business can completely change the way you approach something.

I love our broker friends for exactly this reason.

Sunday: A Beautiful City and a Head Full of Ideas

By Sunday, we've packed a lot into this weekend, but we're not finished yet.

We start the day with a beautiful walk along Calgary's riverfront. The downtown is lovely, the weather is a solid 10/10, and we're enjoying the chance to explore a little more of the city.

Highly recommend, by the way.

Eventually, we're back to doing what we seem to do best: talking business.

More conversations in the hotel lobby bar. More networking. More sharing.

We're showing each other apps, talking about systems, discussing what makes our businesses run more efficiently, and swapping ideas.

I find myself writing down three things I know I want to implement when I get home.

Three actual, actionable ideas.

And that, to me, is worth so much.

I share some business cards, make a few new connections, and continue conversations with people I've been getting to know throughout the weekend.

I'm happy.

And I'm learning.

Later, I head to one final lender event, hosted by one of my favourite lenders.

I reconnect with so many wonderful people from our trip together back in June. I finally meet a few industry peers I've known online but never had the opportunity to meet in person.

More questions. More conversations. More laughter.

I leave feeling genuinely grateful that I get to know these exceptional humans.

So, Why Don't I Do This All the Time?

By Sunday night, I am full.

Full of ideas.

Full of gratitude.

Full of good food and probably more coffee than any person reasonably needs.

I've explored a beautiful city, reconnected with old friends, made new ones, strengthened relationships with lenders, and learned so much.

I feel like I've grown this weekend.

I've had conversations that will absolutely change how I do certain things in my business. I've built relationships that I know will continue long after we all fly home.

And I think that's the real value of attending a conference.

It's not just the sessions or the presentations.

It's the conversations between sessions. The people you meet over breakfast. The advice shared on a hotel couch. The questions you finally get to ask face-to-face. The friendships that develop when you're laughing over terrible karaoke.

It's the opportunity to get outside your everyday routine and remember that there's a whole community of people doing what you do, facing similar challenges, and figuring things out together.

But here's the other side.

I can't do this all the time.

As much as I love travelling, learning, connecting, and spending a weekend immersed in my industry, I also love my life at home.

I love my kids. I love our routines. I love being there for the everyday moments that make up our family life.

And by Monday morning?

Oh, I am SO ready to come home.

I miss my kiddos.

I miss my own bed.

And, if we're being completely honest, I could probably use a few early nights and a break from restaurant meals.

I think that's why weekends like this feel so special to me.

They're not an everyday occurrence. They're a chance to step away, fill my cup professionally and personally, and come home with renewed enthusiasm for the business I've worked so hard to build.

I don't need to attend every conference or be at every industry event to feel connected.

But every few years, a weekend like this is exactly what I need.

A Few Thank-Yous Before I Go

To Erin, thank you for being my partner in crime on this adventure. From our ridiculously early airport arrival to all the fun in between, it was a blast. I couldn't have asked for a better travel buddy.

To Scott and Dustan, thank you for creating such a wonderful environment for learning, sharing, and connection at Broker Talks. Being part of a brokerage where people genuinely want to help each other grow is something I don't take for granted.

To Braeden, thank you for saying yes to all my silly ideas and helping make the laughs happen. You're the real hero of this weekend.

To our lenders, thank you for showing up, sharing your knowledge, answering our endless questions, and making this weekend so valuable. You truly make these events epic.

And to all my broker friends, old and new, thank you for the conversations, the advice, the laughter, and the friendships.

If you're in the mortgage industry and you've never attended an MPC weekend, I highly recommend experiencing it at least once.

You never know who you'll meet, what you'll learn, or which conversation might spark your next great business idea.

As for me, I think I'll happily do this all again in another two or three years.

For now, I'm heading home to my kiddos, my routines, and a notebook full of ideas I'm excited to put into action.

Cheers, MPC. You were fun.

Ready to chat about your goals?

Visit www.emilycallme.com

Emily Miszk Mortgage Broker BRX Mortgage

FSRA #13463