Driving Bitcoin Forward with Gary Leland

“Some people don’t see it until it’s there…there’ll be a point I guess when anyone who bought under $10,000 is going to look like a rocket scientist because they’re going to be so early compared to the price it is in the future.”— Gary LelandGary Leland is the founder of the BitBlockBoom Bitcoin conference. In this interview, we discuss the importance of Bitcoin conferences, how to organise, market and run Bitcoin events, and Gary’s path to Bitcoin. We also talk about approaches to Bitcoin investment and spending, our entrepreneurial journeys, travel experiences and approaches to parenting. The conversation concludes with a discussion about football and the offside rule!- - - - Gary Leland is a seasoned entrepreneur, Bitcoin enthusiast and podcaster with whom I have a lot in common: we have shared experiences, insights, and lessons learned, and we are now both Bitcoin conference organisers! Albeit, I have a long way to go to match Gary’s impact, given the BitBlockBoom event in Texas next year will be his 7th consecutive conference. The positive influence such conferences have on the Bitcoin community can not be understated. Gary's journey into Bitcoin began at the Texas Bitcoin Conference, which sparked his interest in the concept of Bitcoin as an internet protocol for money. This led him to invest in Bitcoin and become a staunch advocate.We discussed the importance of Bitcoin in relation to our upcoming events. While the price of Bitcoin can influence ticket sales, we agreed that it alone won't determine the success of the conference. We shared our experiences of selling tickets with Bitcoin and how it has impacted our sales. Gary mentioned that he had more Bitcoin sales for his previous conference, even when the price was down.Concerning Bitcoin investment and spending, Gary compared his approach to holding onto his Bitcoin to being like a "crack addict," not wanting to dip into his stack unless absolutely necessary! He believes in using Bitcoin for things he couldn't afford otherwise, like gifts for others or a house for himself.Gary shared his entrepreneurial journey to where he is now, which is a testament to resilience and learning from failures. Gary reflected on how running his Bitcoin event, BitBlockBoom, has given him a different perspective on Bitcoin. He believes that being involved with the event has allowed him to connect with a larger network of people than the average person. It has also connected him to me and allowed me to explain football’s offside rule, so, every silver lining…- - - - This episode’s sponsors:Iris Energy - Bitcoin Mining. Done Sustainably Bitcasino - The Future of Gaming is hereLedger - State of the art Bitcoin hardware walletWasabi Wallet - Privacy by defaultUnchained - Secure your bitcoin with confidenceOrange Pill App - Stack friends who stack satsSwan Bitcoin - Invest in Bitcoin with Swan-----WBD745 - Show Notes-----If you enjoy The What Bitcoin Did Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following:Become a Patron and get access to shows early or help contributeMake a tip:Bitcoin: 3FiC6w7eb3dkcaNHMAnj39ANTAkv8Ufi2SQR Codes: BitcoinIf you do send a tip then please email me so that I can say thank youSubscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | Deezer | TuneIn | RSS FeedLeave a review on iTunesShare the show and episodes with your friends and familySubscribe to the newsletter on my websiteFollow me on Twitter Personal | Twitter Podcast | Instagram | Medium | YouTubeIf you are interested in sponsoring the show, you can read more about that here or please feel free to drop me an email to discuss options.