pictured with the Founder + CEO of Create & Cultivate – Jaclyn 

This past weekend I attended my first Create & Cultivate conference. For those of you who may not be familiar, Create & Cultivate is a platform for women to feel inspired, enhance their business, mix, mingle and cultivate new friendships in an amazing and beautiful environment. Each year they host conferences geared toward the community of entrepreneurs, business women, bloggers, and creatives. Women gathered from all over the world to learn tips and tricks from some of the best in the business.

Friday Night

C&C NYC kicked off the weekend with a happy hour event hosted by Crown Royal. So many like-minded women met up to chat all things beauty, style, and business. It was the perfect way to start an eventful weekend. I was able to meet some amazing women who shared some generous tips about their experiences as bloggers. Thank God for friendly, like-minded women. Leaving the Mezzanine, I felt inspired and ready to soak up all the tips Saturday!

All-Day Saturday 

The day finally came when I attended my first C&C conference. Totally blown away by the space each brand created to make feel like their own, all the booths offered a unique sense of style. The impactful one-day program of workshops, mentor sessions, and panels, as well as delicious cocktails, food, pop-up shops, photo booths, and gift bags was unforgettable.

High on my list, was listening to panel discussions from the ones who know it best. Being a girl from Detroit where blogging isn’t really big, I see this as an opportunity to create my own lane and give back to my city.  It was such an honor to listen to women pour their hearts out about how they got started. I’d been struggling with motivation lately because the market has become sort of over saturated. Now more than ever is the time be unique and authentic.

Time to dish on everything I learned from a few panels…

Panel 1: Strong POV – (Refinery 29 Stage)

Panel Guests: Will Taylor (Bright Bazaar), Michelle Newbery (Zola), Farryn Weiner, Rosette Pambakian (Tinder), Jennifer Spector, and Caryn Johnson.

• When branding, keep it simple, classic, and true to your brand.
• Always have a purpose statement to connect with your market (creating this as we speak)
• Identity your customer, where is she from, what’s her daily lifestyle like?
• What problem are you trying to solve with your brand?
• Build a brand that creates conversation
• Don’t be afraid to change – always foresee your company years down the line.
• Create customer surveys + net promotor scores
• Write down words you like/don’t like to define your message for your brand
• Put your customer’s experience first

Panel 2: Content is QUEEN – (Laura Mercier Stage)

• Stick with things you like when collaborating with brands
• Answer this question: What will your audience gain from reading your blog or your product?
• Always have content ready – post 3-4 blogs per week
• Invest in a media kit (calling my graphic designer now!!!)
• Research affiliate marketing and understand it
• Have visual consistency with your feed and website
• Be consistent with captions
• Blogging is about sharing, celebrating and educating others
• Set realistic goals + have a mentor
• Pick your social channels – you don’t have to use every social media there is
• Remember to keep it authentic & tell your story

Pop-Ups/VIP Lounge

All I can say is wow! Each brand did an incredible job bringing their spaces to life. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Urbanstems, Tinder’s flower wall, and La Criox’s colorful palette. More importantly, I’m so grateful for all the freebies I stocked up on. Some brands I’ve tried and some I’ve been excited to try. I have been a fan of Kendra Scott for quite some time. Heading over to the mani bar was a must to add a little nail art to my nails. She also gave nail polish, packaged in these gorgeous bottles. Can’t wait to try my True Red!

Now that I’m back home, I am setting new goals and gearing up to do some amazing things with my brands. This conference couldn’t have come as a better time. It’s early in my blogging days that I can create  and cultivate my dream brand. I have a ton of work cut out for me but I’m up for the challenge. New York will always have a special place in my heart. Peace + love to The Big Apple!