Hey, friends! It’s been a busy past few weeks, trying to recover from the amazing experience I had at the Haven Conference this year and planning for our daughter’s birthday. I hope you’re having a great day.
Before the next conference comes around, I want to share my own experience. As a newbie, the amount of information I gained was a little overwhelming, but it’s worth attending!
The Haven Conference is a conference for bloggers, influencers and entrepreneurs focused on the home design niche. It is a conference where one gains skills on how to build and succeed in an online business. It is a conference to network with others and engage with brands.
I learned so much at the conference through the classes. I met with Instagram friends, made new friends and connected with amazing brands.
Two major highlights of the conference were the keynote and closing speakers: Egypt Sherrod and Amy Howard.
Egypt Sherrod shared her life experiences and told us about her path to success – she always had the mindset to be humble and grateful, even in rough times. She shared that to succeed, we should accept failure. From it, we pick ourselves up and attempt again. Life places us in certain circumstances only to build us up for something greater.
Amy Howard’s advice transformed our hearts at the end of the conference. She shared that finding clarity comes with action. Attempt your goals to identify your path to greatness. Her presentation was full of awesome guidance for bloggers, influencers, and entrepreneurs.
STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
I had been nervous about attending this conference. This is my very first networking experience as a home design influencer, so I didn’t know what to expect. I went back and forth on my elevator pitch as I thought about how to introduce myself upon meeting someone new.
I found that the amazing people I met made me feel comfortable. They encouraged and supported me. I felt welcome at the Haven Conference. Yes, knowing some Instagram friends who also attended helped. I was in the right place to be myself and share my passion for what I do.
FIND YOUR COMMUNITY…”YOUR TRIBE”
The first class I attended, “Community Over Competition,” was taught by Carmel @ourfifthhouse and Jewel @jewelmarlowe. Check out these ladies! They completely changed my mindset as a home design and DIY blogger.
They shared with us the benefits of finding your community. It is essential that we support others and vice versa. It helps to build your brand and others’ brands, too. Being part of a community allows us to encourage each other during difficult times and celebrate each other’s victories.
As part of a tribe, you also gain traction with sponsorships, partnerships and establish your brand’s influence and power.
CONNECT WITH BRANDS
This is one of my big wins attending this conference. When I started this journey, I always wondered how to connect with brands that might be relevant to me as a DIY blogger. Who do I contact to discuss partnerships and collaborations? I had no clue.
Finding a brand’s contact person seemed difficult. I didn’t know how to go about it. I had tried before and sent emails to the customer service department for some brands I wanted to work with but never received a response.
At the Haven Conference, I connected directly with brands, discussed with them about my brand, my ideas, and got direct contacts. I provided them with my business card and gained information on how we could collaborate and partner together.
This was stepping out of my comfort zone. Yet, as I discussed my ideas, I felt comfortable. All my nervousness disappeared.
One tip is that I would suggest using one of the class sessions to meet up with brands. This helped a lot. There were fewer people around, and I had enough time to connect with different brands.
YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH
No matter where you are on this journey, the Haven Conference can validate that you’re on the right path. The people I met, my mentors, and the classes I attended helped me bring everything into perspective.
As I continue to be myself and surround myself with the right tribe, I know that success is not far away. Growth is possible!
STILL THINKING ABOUT IT?
If you were on the fence about attending this year or were planning to attend and it did not quite work out, it is okay!
You did not miss out. You will gain much more next year because all the mentors and instructors will have grown in their journeys. This only means you will gain much more insight and knowledge and form deeper connections at the Haven Conference 2020. Plan to attend next year!
Let me know if you have questions on my experience at the Haven Conference 2019, in the comment below.
Thank you for stopping by!
What do you think?