I love attending conferences.

I didn’t realize how important they were to my personal and professional development until I took some time to reflect and realized that every good friend I have made in the blogging/social media world and every major professional contact I have met have all stemmed from relationships forged at in-person blogging conferences. What used to feel like a big financial investment now has begun to feel like an investment in myself and my business, and the experience I had earlier this month at The Hello Sessions was no different. I actually haven’t paid for a ticket to a conference in a while because I have either attended as a speaker or been invited to participate as a friend of the collaborators. I have always had to pay for the travel expenses, hotel and accommodation costs associated with being away from my family, and I’ve never been paid to attend. I do always come away feeling like the ticket price would have been a great investment, and I would be willing to invest in a ticket in the future, as well.
Attending The Hello Sessions earlier this month felt like a great fit because it could also double as a tenth anniversary getaway with Dave as well as a chance to visit my little brother!

The conference was created by some awesome blogger babes Melissa and Joy, and was such a well-planned and carried out event I can’t wait to attend again. We started with a fun meet and greet at the Schoolhouse Electric headquarters, where I made myself quite comfortable.

The next day and we all gathered into this gorgeous, windowed room at The Ace Hotel. (I want to mention that the food for the whole event was really great, which is typically not the experience at business conferences. So, props for foodie organizers!) Once we finished introductions and settled in, there were some really incredible speakers and a few talking points that I am already working on incorporating into my life and business.

I want to share my Top 5 Talking Points from the event.

“Legitimacy requires defining and living your values.” –Lisa Congdon 

First of all, how amazing is Lisa? I’m a huge fan of her art, and after meeting her and hearing her speak I am also a huge fan of her person. She is genuine, down to earth, and so refreshingly honest. She spoke about legitimacy, being legitimate. How do we become legitimate or feel legitimate, especially as creatives? Her main points seemed to be that when we are doing our best work and living our values, than we are our legitimate self. We wont have to worry about being “found out” because we are being real. Also, she spoke a lot about being a beginner a lot of times, every time you try something new. I loved the quote she shared by Tracey Ellen Ross that says ” I am learning everyday to allow the space between where I want to be and where I am inspire me and not terrify me.” The idea of doing the work, being comfortable being a beginner, and being inspired by space to explore and try new things all made me excited about my work, sharing new ideas on this blog, making new projects and learning new skills in my life at home.

“Thinking that you will someday ‘Arrive’ is illusion. Arrival doesn’t exist.” -Lisa Congdon

How often do we all fall into this idea of getting to where we want to be, only to get there and realize the fence post has moved back just a little further? This idea of never arriving could feel overwhelming, but instead for me it feels like a relief! If I am never to “arrive” then the adventure along the way can be much more fun. Rather than always being in a hurry to make things different or better, I can take a deep breath and enjoy the process. In some aspects of my life I feel like I’m doing pretty well with this mentality and in others I am still anxious for that someday to be here. But, this was a good reminder to recognize the finish line we create for ourselves is oftentimes arbitrary, and find more joy in the moments of our lives.

“I don’t believe in faking it till you make it, I believe in owning where you’re at.” – Cyd Converse

I wasn’t familiar with Cyd before the conference, but wow, girl knows her stuff. She spoke all about good business practices from having an LLC for financial protection to creating and sticking to business hours to create boundaries in your business life. Every step of the way I was thinking “That’s such a good idea! I need to do that!” which really means that I haven’t done most of it and I have a long way to go. When she then stated the above quote about owning where you’re at it tied right back into Lisa’s precious talk about being legitimate and honest with yourself. So, I have a ways to go and a long list of to-do type business items to get my blog and business on the path I’d like it to be for the long haul, but I also love the journey that has led me to where I am now, even if sometimes it feels like I’m still such a newbie at all of this even after 8 years of doing it! It feels good to have a clearer idea of what steps to take to tighten up the back end of this business, and then continue moving forward.

“Just get started.” -Sarah Hearts

I met Sarah several years ago at a different blogging conference, and we’ve been friends since, seeing each other about once a year at different events. Her darling DIY blog continually pumps out fun projects, and her most recent projects have been in video format, which is the process she shared with us. We went from start to finish and each created our own DIY video using her process, favorite apps, and the supplies she provided. You can check my video out here on Instagram. Of all the many important and applicable skills she taught, this was what hit me. Just get started! You might not be perfect in the beginning, but you’ve got to just get going on xyz if you want to do it! I’ve been toying with the idea of a YouTube channel, and this was exactly what I needed to hear. Just do it! (Wish me luck!)

“Let go and get back to your roots.” -Nichole Hudson

I love Nichole. We also met at a blog conference several years ago (see, I told you every single blogger friend I have I met at a conference!!). She lives in Toronto and teaches business and branding workshops with the most happy, confidence-building, wonderful personality that makes everyone who she knows feel like they’re the most special person around. She’s awesome. Her talk at The Hello Sessions was about authenticity, which is such a buzz word these days. What is authenticity, how do we do it, why is it important? She walked through some of these ideas by sharing some personal examples, and speaking specifically about the idea of letting go of those things that do not serve you and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. I loved the imagery of getting back to by roots…what are my roots? Where did I come from? What things did I love as a kid? What are those pieces of myself that have always served me well–even before I had an understanding of what was popular, on-trend, or got lots of likes on Instagram? I found myself thinking a lot about the ways I would like to share more of what I make, the process, and rediscover myself as a maker. I’ve slowly stopped sharing as much creative process in place of sharing family photos and stories, but I feel so essentially tied to my deep desire to create, I think that’s something I can share more, inspiring others to do the same.
And after all of those wonderful lessons and thoughts, they busted out the cheese, charcuterie, and crafts for a perfect finale of the event. I mean, come on. I want to eat cheese and craft all day long.

It usually takes me several weeks to months to process and put into action the ideas that I have when I’m learning and exploring during a conference, but it’s the fun work. The behind the scenes of figuring out really what matters most and continue making the best decisions for my family, the blog, the business, and a really wonderful life.