I officially wrapped up my third trip to Expo West, and it’s still one of my favorite parts of my job. 

Yes, the samples are great (most of the time, unless it’s a chocolate covered date that almost shatters my teeth or ice cream that tastes like you’ve just licked a tire), but the real magic of it all is being in a massive convention center filled with people who speak the same language. The energy is unmatched. Founders behind their booths telling the story of how their product came to be (their mom’s dad’s grandfather’s recipe), PR folks weaving through the aisles, seasoned networkers, VC teams very noticeably scanning the floor for the next breakout brand, and big-box buyers quietly doing laps and taking mental notes.

At one point while I was there, I had this strange out-of-body moment where I was looking down from the ceiling and watching the entire thing unfold. Thousands of people moving in every direction, like ants in a bed, each working toward their own goal but somehow creating a system that functions. Organized chaos, mostly.