The #hugeconvention By Carrie Guenther


Just between you and I, I’m wishing that my friends and family who doubted the wisdom of spending part of my midsummer vacation attending a window cleaning convention would read this testimony. Despite some of the other eccentric schemes I’ve implemented in my life, this one actually turned out to be a good decision. In August I attended the #hugeconvention in Washington DC, and I’m still patting myself on the back for it.


My third season as the owner of Window Ninja, a


small residential window cleaning business in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has just come to an end. Considering the minuscule size of my company, and the fact that I am its only employee, the decision to go to the #hugeconvention was a big deal for me. I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but when I think about my goals for attending, I ended up meeting or exceeding every one of them.


Part of my story is probably a common one. The


first time I learned about the #hugeconvention, I was excited and reluctant in equal parts; excited at the prospect of finally meeting others in the same trade, yet reluctant to spend the money on the trip. Recalling his first convention, Chris Lambrinides (one of the


creators of the #hugeconvention, along with Thad Eckhoff, wrote: “In February 2003, I attended my first conference in Atlanta, Georgia. I was broke-as-a-joke, and had no business trying to justify such an expense. I had a good feeling about it though, and decided to go.” Eventually, I also decided to attend because of a gut feeling that I should try it at least once, because I have this rare privilege of loving my job, and I figured I owed it to myself to learn more about the industry. Thad Eckhoff, speaking of the typical first-timer’s hesitation in attending an industry convention, agrees: “It's very cliché, but honestly, if a contractor thinks that they can't afford to go, it really does mean that they can't afford to miss it.”


During the first couple years as the owner of


Window Ninja, I often wondered why I never came across any other window cleaners in my area, and in the three years since taking over this business from a good friend, I’ve often felt envious of my peers who get to hang out and connect with the other folks in their various professions. Window cleaning, like writing, can be very lonely work. As Chris Lambrinides, speaking of his initial years in the business, says, “I spent my days working at beautiful houses thinking about building a large business … Working alone gives you a lot of time to think big and daydream.” At first, in my own work daydreams leading up to the #hugeconvention, I was simply curious about what other window cleaners were like,


Experience in Washington DC


A First-Timer’s


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