About this Event
Small Talk: Big Conversations for Small Businesses
This free event is designed for small business owners, freelancers, and entrepreneurs to connect, share ideas, and tackle big challenges together.
No stuffy presentations, just real conversations, practical insights, and opportunities to learn from fellow business owners. Plus, enjoy complimentary coffee and snacks, and a professional headshot booth.
Don't miss this opportunity to grow your network, gain fresh perspectives, and invest in your business—all at no cost.
Agenda
🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Community Coffee & Connections
Info: Start the day by meeting fellow small business owners over coffee. Grab a drink, make new connections, update your headshot. and visit the FreshBooks Business Bar. Don't miss this first hour, where you can get 1:1 time with FreshBooks CTO, Chris Fields, and CFO, Dave Nute.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Look Big, Stay Small: Running a Professional Business on Your Own Terms
Info: Your clients judge your business long before they see your work, through the estimate you send, how fast you reply, and how easy you are to pay. Faye Pang from FreshBooks and Lauren Garcia from Stripe have a rare view into how small businesses actually win clients and get paid. In this candid conversation, they compare notes on the small, repeatable habits that separate owners who get paid on time and earn repeat clients from the ones still doing admin at midnight. They’ll share the simple systems that make you look like a bigger business, protect your time, and keep cash coming in, so you can grow without giving up the freedom that made you start your business. Come for the insider view and leave with a few changes you can make before Monday.
🕑: 11:45 AM - 12:30 PM
Breakouts & Peer Discussions
Info: Choose the conversations most relevant to your business. Join smaller group discussions, designed to help you learn from peers and share experiences.
🕑: 12:30 PM - 01:15 PM
Made It Our Way: Real Stories from Building a Business
Info: Being great at what you do gets you started. Running the business is a whole other job. Breanna Cooke, Isaac Murray, and Eric Venegas turned their skills into businesses, and they’re getting honest about what it took: landing the first clients, figuring out what to charge, the mistakes that taught them the most, and the moment they had to decide whether to stay solo or bring in help. Moderated by FreshBooks CEO Shaheen Javadizadeh, this panel is less about the highlight reel and more about what Tuesday actually looks like. Come for the real stories and leave knowing you’re not the only one figuring it out.
🕑: 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM
Lunch, Community Hour & Closing Networking
Info: Keep the conversation going.
Reconnect with fellow attendees, capture a professional headshot, exchange ideas, and leave with new connections and actionable takeaways. Plus, enjoy lunch on us.
Event venue & nearby stays
Oak Cliff Brewing Co, 1300 South Polk Street, Dallas, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.