RebelleCon 2017 & My Takeaways
Hola y'all!
I hope all is well! Here I am writing about stuff for the second week in a row. Be proud of me. Very proud. ;)
On the quest to 30, I'm energized, albeit on and off, to become the 2.0 version of myself. In doing so, I'm keeping an eye on my 30x30 list, but it's also had an interesting effect. It hasn't made me lazer-focused on the 30 things, but I feel like I'm motivated to do #AllOfTheThings, which is a bit overwhelming, scary, but also exciting and confidence-boosting.
One of the ways I'm trying to reach 2.0 status is diving deeper into my creative passions - this blog, my yoga, Hippie Juice, and branching out and making connections (because I have hermit tendencies). I did just that this past weekend and attended a women's conference in Richmond, VA. It was amazing.
Enter REBELLECON, a conference "...built by a community of women to educate and inspire one another to live a life of meaning and impact." Honestly, that's exactly what it was. I was in this space with all these women in different phases of their lives, in different parts of their journeys, from different industries all sharing their perspectives, their wins and losses, and most importantly, fueling the collective fire in the room. It was igniting!
Gather RVA conference space, Scott's Addition location | picture shared by Nicole Rutledge
Design, linked below
Take a look at Nicole Rutledge Design's Instagram here. She's responsible for the photo above and also has an IG feed filled with great inspiration to beautify your space. You can also hire her to do it for you. She was one of the many talented souls present on Saturday.
One thing I know, but continuously struggle with is.. Well, there are 2 things.
1- Imposter Syndrome. I like to call it the Expert Syndrome. I personally have this need to be the best at something before I feel confident enough to say I'm a respected authority on the topic. The problem is, how long is that going to take? Who's the judge? And does that mean I can't do ANYTHING until I become the expert? It's incredibily debilitating and wastes so much time, because you're making moves (or not) from a place of doubt and fear instead of from hope and excitement.
2- Instructions [Are Not] Included. I've always been a person who thrives on details. I need to know what time it starts, who's going to be there, dress code, location, vibes that will be present, how much it costs, and if you're going.. If you're going, how will you get there, what are you wearing, what are you bringing, and the list goes on. It's exhausting, and most times the pertinent details when designing your own life are not available. I'm learning that there is no blueprint to be found, and if I'm going to do this thing for myself, I need to get going. The only way to find the blueprint is to make it! (Tweet that!) ;) The blueprint does note exist!
It was great to sit in a room and have those fears validated, but yet and still see the same women doing the damn thing anyway! It was the smack in the head and the loving push forward I needed. So, what did I learn?
- Women are fucking amazing! (This was a known fact but reinforced.)
- There is space in this creative world for all of us. (Known fact, reinforced.)
- Speak up! You know more than you think!
- Ask questions! You won't look stupid, and people LOVE to help.
- Invest in yourself! Your money will never go to waste.
- Make a commitment to stand in your truth, believe in your offerings, and charge accordingly.
- Do Good. Be Good. Show Gratitude. Love One Another. (Shameless plug) ;)
I'm sure there was more, but that's a good gist of it all. There were so many good gems!
I was also able to chit chat with co-founder Anika Horn, who's a brilliant, badass mover/shaker who has her hands in a lot of pots! (A LOT!) What does she do exactly? In her words (or the words from her website), she "Guides purpose-driven entrepreneurs on their journey of launching, managing, and growing socially responsible businesses." She serves as a great resource supporting and fueling entrepreneurs to see their full potential, and obviously is the creative idea generator for amazing happenings like RebelleCon. Women like her are beacons for women like me. (Also, her tights/stockings game is strong!)
I missed out on the keynote speakers on Friday, but hopefully I'll be able to attend next year with better planning.
Have you had any inspirational interactions lately? And if so, how'd they make you feel - scared, hopeful, excited? Did they help revise any visions or assumptions you had of yourself? Let me here 'em!
-seria