How to become more relevant in my field
It made me
defunkified 
"Participating in professional conferences, networking, and rocking your presentation is a great way to get some 'street cred' in your field"
How I did it: Spent at least 2 months working on my paper / presentation. Every waking moment that wasn't dedicated to my wife or work was spent on that paper. Rehearse!!!
Lessons & tips: Rehearse!!! You will come off as confident and rock your presentation. I did.
Resources: My academic adviser and other friends.
