The amazing speakers included Erik Stafford, Warren Whitlock, copywriting master Dr. Harlan Kilstein, Perry Belcher, Bob "The Teacherr" Jenkins,  Kevin Nations and Melanie Benson Strick.

I learned so much that my brain feels heavy. And after just two days at home, I’ve already implemented some substantial and very positive changes in my business.

All this focused activity wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t had the good luck to injure my knee just before the seminar. Because I had to limp in on a cane and keep relatively quiet, I learned a great deal and was able to instantly put what I learned into action.

In the past, I’ve attended seminars in all sorts of fields, especially publishing, and come home exhausted from all the late night networking. Lots of business cards get exchanged, lots of plans get made, lots of promises to follow up get flung out. But arriving back at home, I get thrust right back into the ongoing rush of business and family life. Much of what I learned drifts away. Most of the people I’ve met fade from memory.

I come home feeling like I have a thousand new possibilities. I end up lucky to actually implement one.

But this time, a cement sidewalk and my left knee conspired to make me more productive. By colliding just days before the seminar, they interrupted my pattern and put me on a new track.

I went to the seminar as I usually do–armed with self-promotional materials ranging from business cards to multimedia CDs. They all sing the same song-"Meet Bonnie Boots!" And I fully intended to promote myself, no matter what.

But by the time I’d swathed myself in Ace bandages, grabbed my brand new cane and traveled to the seminar, my knee was throbbing, my back was aching and I was exhausted. My conversations with old friends were brief. I barely spoke to anyone I didn’t already know. I put business cards and brochures on my table with a "take ‘em if you want ‘em" attitude and made no effort beyond that to promote myself.

It took all my energy to simply focus my attention on listening to the speakers-hard to hear sometimes, as my knee was screaming "TAKE ME HOME!" most of the time.

In between speakers,  most of the people attending rushed about to pump hands and hand out cards. I sat alone, making notes on ideas I’d picked up that I really wanted to put into practice. And I wrote out plans for the ways I could realistically make changes now, not "someday."

That’s why, back in the home office, I was able to quickly take action. Pumping hands and running your mouth can be good activities at any kind of seminar. I’m not discounting their value. But thanks to a throbbing knee, I have learned there is also a value in the Zen art of attending internet marketing seminars-doing the most by doing nothing.

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards for people, especially small business owners, that want to be more creative, make their own products and market on the internet.

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