It’s not often that we encounter an event that profoundly shifts our perspective, energizes our ambition, and sets the bar high for business conferences. ThriveCon, a dynamic congregation of ambitious and influential minds, is one such event. With content covering everything from sales and leadership to real estate and financial literacy, it is quickly gaining recognition as a premier business event. Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Kash Hasworth, the mastermind behind ThriveCon, founder of Solar Ignite Group, and published author of “Selling Keeps You Broke” to discuss the inspiration, execution, and success of this event.
The Genesis of ThriveCon
What inspired you to create ThriveCon, and what makes it a must-attend event for aspiring and existing business leaders, owners, entrepreneurs, and sales professionals?
Kash Hasworth: ThriveCon was born from a vision to create a space where like-minded personalities in the community can get together to connect, to network, and to inspire new thoughts, new actions, and behaviors to elevate to that next level. KJ & I put a lot of thought into assembling the right team. Because we wanted to curate the content to deliver diversity in the substance of the event—so it’s everything from sales and marketing strategies, leadership development insights, content creation, and real estate advice, to financial literacy. And most importantly, it’s all about giving those that attend the raw motivation they need to take action, to learn, to elevate, and to truly go out and disrupt their respective industry.
A Special Connection to Martinsville, VA
Big cities often act as magnets for major events. What compelled you to bypass that allure and plant ThriveCon’s roots in Martinsville, VA?
Kash Hasworth: We didn’t lead the event with profitability in mind. A larger city wasn’t even a thought. Martinsville is more than just my hometown; it’s the backdrop of my own journey from adversity to where I stand today. As a teen, my decisions led to my incarceration. Those decisions were a result of, well, one, my own stupidity, but two, the information I allowed in to define who I was at that time. But as I grew out of that stage and wanted more out of life, it felt like I didn’t have the information or the circle I needed to transition to a world beyond what I knew—which was a world dominated by drug dealing and aggressive behaviors that I thought was necessary to remain an authority in that environment—and I linked that to survival.
Despite the rocky start, my parents deserve more credit than I can express. They instilled a great value system that later transferred well into the corporate space. But, at that time, living through it, it felt like I had some pieces to the puzzle, but I lacked the knowledge to find the missing pieces and the wisdom to see how they could all fit together to create a masterpiece that reflected the life I really wanted to live. Having Martinsville be the birthplace for ThriveCon comes from a place of wishing I had something like it growing up. It’s my way of giving back to the community that developed me.
Unforgettable Moments and Key Takeaways
From all the insights gathered from ThriveCon, is there one that resonated with you the most or deeply influenced your perspective?
Kash Hasworth: The biggest takeaway for me was the excitement and attentiveness from the audience. Between that and just seeing how powerful putting the right people in the room can be. This was our first event. I have zero experience in this space. But the legacy I want to leave, right, the impact I want to have, is a greater reason to push through the uncertainty and the inexperience than to succumb to an excuse for why we shouldn’t push forward.
By the way, that’s single-handedly why this event was so powerful. It’s about the community learning our story and understanding we all started at zero. We all had excuses available. We all share similar struggles with identity, with this imposter syndrome, parental issues at home, or whatever the case may be. And throughout your life, you’re either going to make an excuse or you’re going to make a way. Every single speaker shared that same sort of sentiment and had that in common to get to where they are now as an authority.
But the speakers absolutely crushed it beyond expectations. Seeing their enthusiasm and their impact was proof positive that ThriveCon is more than just a business event. It’s a platform for change, for growth, and for real disruption. And people want it. We’ll continue to evolve and scale up the audience, but the first run was a hell of an event to show the community its value.
Every aspect of ThriveCon reflects Kash Hasworth’s fierce drive, from the diverse and insightful content to the inspiring and electric atmosphere. As we wrapped up our conversation with Kash, it became clear why ThriveCon has earned the title of ‘Best Business Event Ever.’ As one enthusiastic attendee put it, “That ThriveCon Growth Conference event was the best I’ve attended… And, believe me, I’ve attended quite a few. They broke it way down and gave it to you unassembled… And, right in front of you, put it back together again. No screws were left out. If you weren’t ready for the world, it prepared you. Great panel choice and awesome panel talks. If you missed it, you missed. Hope to see more of this, along with breakout sessions.” It is no surprise that attendees are eagerly awaiting the next edition.
