ALT SUMMIT! Must I say more? I had the amazing experience the week of January 22-25 to attend this conference of inspiring ladies and a select few brave gentlemen. Saying I learned more than I ever thought would be an understatement. I got to hear, meet and talk to some of the most successful, bloggers, photographers,entrepreneurs, videographer and sponsors.
Before going to ALT though I was incredibly nervous. I used my trusty google search and read a couple of blog post that where "helpful tips for ALT", or "Things I learned at ALT" and well instead of making me feel all knowing and prepared they just scared me. I though who the heck do I think I am going to this conference?? Literally only my mother actually reads my blog, and since she is probably the only one reading this right now I would just like to say THANK YOU for believing in me! Back to my train of thought though, I was going to be rubbing shoulder, speaking too and breathing the same air as these amazing people who have actually made it, people who have been able to turn the things they are passionate about into their job. To say I felt a little like a small aunt waiting to be stepped on going into this, would pretty much describe it. The first day of the conference I was really awesome... I showed up in my "fabulous" outfit ready to tackle the day and froze, like honest to goodness I walked up the stairs and pulled a deer in the headlights. I was basically asking people to shun me from fear of my weirdness. Anyways after I was able to motivate myself to move I decided that I was obviously not mentally or emotionally prepared for any of this.. so I decided to take a walk. I went out of my way to avoid check in and just wandered the halls of the hotel. It was about 10 min before the class I had come for was about to start so I took a couple minutes to prep talk myself into walking to the check in table. Guess what I did next, I checked in!
After checking in I really started to get excited. I attended my first early bird session which was presented by the writers of A Blog About Love and it made me instantly excited about the next few days. I felt motivated and overcome with inspiration. I realized that everyone had to start from somewhere and I started to feel a lot more confident. I knew I was there to learn and to be inspired. This post is a little late and certainly overdue... I have been working on it off and on since my adventures at ALT. I think that I was just a little afraid of diving back into my blog.
So here is a couple of tips I have for ALT Summit.
1. Be confident. This may come easy to some people, but I sometimes really struggle with being confident in my self. Honestly being confident is the number 1 thing you need to get the most out of this experience.
2. Bring a big tote bag. I read this on another blog and decided to bring a long an extra tote bag to keep in my car incase I needed it. I quickly learned that having the tote with me at all times was a necessity because of all the fun things you start to collect.
3. Bring business cards. For me I wasn't really sure why I would want to bring business cards because my blog felt so little that I didn't feel anyone would want my card. The night before I decided to make some last minute cards and I was really glad I did. It is a really great way to make connections and keep in touch with the people you meet.
4. Connect with people. I am not always the best at this. I tend to be pretty shy and keep to myself. The atmosphere at ALT is amazing. Everyone is there to make friends, inspire one another and share what they love doing. If I was to do ALT again I would certainly open myself up more it really does make your experience that much better.
5. Plan out your classes but be open to change. I went to ALT wanting to be really prepared. I planned out my classes and really thought that I would stick to my schedule. As the week went on though I found myself being inspired and interested in new things. I quickly started to rearrange my schedule in order to learn new things and gain new perspectives and experiences. I don't think you could go wrong with attending any class at ALT because all the presenters are so amazing and they are so passionate about what they do it gets you excited and you leave inspired.
6. Take advantage. Honestly there are so many great things going on at ALT it can feel a little overwhelming at times and maybe even a little scary if you are like me. Get out of your comfort zone and take advantage of the opportunities. Talk to people, hand out business cards, find the bloggers that you fangirl/fanboy over and hear what sponsors have to say to you. Even if you feel like a little fish in a big pond or aren't quite sure what you can provide to someone else.
I really had such an amazing time at ALT Summit and I feel like I got so much more than I expected out of it. The most valuable lesson I learned though, is that if you love doing something then that is what matters. It isn't about the numbers or the money. It is about sharing the things you are passionate about, helping other people, and enjoying the time you spend doing it. That is what makes blogging so great, there is always room for new inspiring people. A blog truly is a story. You get to share a piece of your heart every time you sit down and type and that is what makes it all worth it.
Lots of Love
xoxoxox
P.S. Here are some pictures from my amazing week at ALT Summit. (If you get the opportunity to ever go take lots of pictures!!)
The Wayfair Lounge
Super Fun Table Decorations by Furbish
Gift From Erica Domesek of P.S. I Made This
Sponsor Dinner Hosted By Red Stamp
Amazing Decorations And Dress Made By Cricut
My Outfit To The Mini Parties Friday Night
Some Of The Decorations At The Mini Parties
Ended My Night With These :*
