This past weekend, I attended the “Build Your Own Brand Retreat” in DC: a networking conference for entrepreneurs, creatives and small business owners. I initially heard about the retreat a few months ago through my boyfriend, but wasn’t planning on attending since I did not have the funds for a ticket. Luckily, he ended up hearing about a free ticket through one of his friends a few weeks before the event, and passed it along to me. I knew it would be a good opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and learn a lot, so I gladly took the free ticket and blocked off Memorial Day weekend for the conference.
As you probably have already guessed, I did NOT regret going at all! From the moment I arrived, I felt energized, inspired, and just blown away by the level of excellence at the retreat. People not only flew in for all over the country (and world) for the retreat, but they showed OUT! It was like a conference and a fashion show rolled into one – some of the guests at the hotel looked pretty shook by the amount of POC that were there, let alone how well everyone was dressed and composed!
Looks aside, everyone from the hosts to the panelists to the attendees had SO much to offer in terms of wisdom, resources, and positive words of advice and inspiration. I am already very comfortable talking to and making friends with strangers, but I found that the level of openness and receptivity to these random conversations was much higher than usual, and these conversations veered toward life goals a lot faster than usual as well! Although most of the people I met and talked to live elsewhere in the country, I really enjoyed connecting with them and look forward to keeping in touch with them via social media.
The panels themselves were informative, inspiring and – most importantly – very relatable. It was the most engaging conference I’ve ever attended, and that is saying a lot given my short attention span! Each panel had a lot of mhms, c’mons, that’s rights, cheers, claps and laughs. One panel even included prizes! (Thank you World Peace Connection for the necklace!) The ending keynote on Saturday was one of the funnest keynotes I’ve ever attended, with music interludes every few minutes by DJ Nitecrawler that got everyone all the way hyped up! The “fireside chat” with Yvonne Orji at the end of the day on Sunday was obviously a highlight, and had everyone cracking up the entire time.
Although a lot of the actual information and advice given in the panels didn’t apply to me (yet), since it was directed mainly toward entrepreneurs and business owners, I felt that it was very valuable and will ultimately help me when I am ready to take steps toward starting a small business and becoming an entrepreneur. Even more valuable were the takeaway messages that all of the speakers and panelists left us with. As much as their stories and wording varied, there were a few recurring themes that everyone seemed to come back to:
- Know Your Why: Over and over, speakers stressed the importance of recognizing, acknowledging, and remembering your purpose. Regardless of the type of company you own, having a reason and a driving force behind everything you do is not only essential, it is IMPERATIVE. You simply cannot have a company without it, and the brand behind the company will be shallow and empty. Having a purpose not only provides meaning to whatever endeavor you pursue, but it will provide you endless energy to continue pursuing your goals.
- Be Creative & Be Yourself: Once you know your purpose, you have to figure out how to start a company or follow your dream in a way that is unique and individual. While it is great to look to others for inspiration, you will never be great by creating a carbon copy of anyone else. The most effective entrepreneurs use their unique talents, skills and connections to create something that no one else has or does, which immediately sets them apart and ensures they will have success by cornering a niche that is not already cornered.
- Practice Self Care: One of the biggest pitfalls that creatives and entrepreneurs face is overworking themselves in pursuit of their dreams. When there is no 9-5 schedule to establish the boundaries between work and life, the line often becomes blurred to the point of nonexistence. Almost every single speaker recalled the exact point in which they had an anxiety attack or mental break, and realized that something had to change. Once they stopped their maladaptive pattern of overworking themselves and started taking time to actually rest and recharge, they saw their success grow exponentially. Self-care looks different for everyone – aside from getting enough sleep, food, exercise and water – but it is SO crucial to make sure that you are filling up your cup every day before giving away your time and energy to others.
- Ask For Help: In the same vein as self-care, a recurring theme was looking to others for help along your journey. Whether it is a therapist, a mentor, significant other or a strong team, the speakers urged everyone to not take on too much on your own. There is power in seeking help and allowing others to guide and support you. Just as important, a strong spiritual foundation was at the root of all the speakers’ advice: put into the universe what you want to get back, and it will reward you greatly. As someone who is very spiritual, but has a hard time setting goals and creating action plans, it was comforting and reassuring for me to hear from all these successful people that surrendering, trusting and putting faith into the universe (or God, if you believe in that) is the key to being happy and living a successful and abundant life.
- Don’t Give Up: Throughout all the trials and tribulations of taking the leap of faith to become an entrepreneur, it is easy to feel as though it is too hard and that any setbacks or failures are indicators that you should give up. Many entrepreneurs hit a low point in their journey where they question if it was all worth it – leaving the comfort and certainty of the corporate world to follow their dreams – and often hit rock bottom before something gives. In those times, it is crucial to revisit all of the above points: asking for help, practicing self-care, being creative and unique, knowing your why, and walking in your purpose. If you hit all of those points, the only thing left to do is succeed.
Although it was only a two day conference, I feel like I gained SO much by attending, and am so grateful that I had the opportunity to go for free. My hope (and goal) is to figure out my life enough within the next year so that I can pitch to be a panelist at the next conference in Atlanta in 2019. Either way, I definitely want to attend again next year. Who’s coming with me???
