When you find your tribe {Elevate 2015}

A little over three years ago I started this blog. In the beginning my corner of the Internet was a quiet place. I wouldn't say it was lonely, but little more than four people read my blog. One of them was my mother. But I kept chugging along, writing my heart out, telling truths about my life and motherhood. It wasn't until I googled "cake pops", that I found "life style blogs", I had no idea they existed. I found a favorite and followed it religiously, and wouldn't you know it I found other blogs. I started participating in link ups and ad swaps. When this little bloggy that could hit it's first birthday I had made some friends. Internet friends. Blog friends. Friends that I connected with online and via email. And everyone in my real life thought that was so weird.

I would have never guessed that those "Internet" friends would one day become real life friends. Friends that I would email, text, and call. Friends that I would one day hug, hold their babies, meet their husbands. Friends, that would understand a part of me that many never would. Why is this spot of the Internet so important to me? Why would I cry buckets over losing the HTML for a guest post? What is the big deal that my original Instagram account was deleted? Why would I cry over such things? Laugh if you will, but my blog friends understood.

Every year I come home from Elevate with a renewed spirit. I'm exactly what the conference promotes, Elevated. I get inspired, not just by the speakers, but by the women who participate. The women who move mountains, farm out child care, save every single penny that they have to their name to make their trek to beautiful Southern California. Those are the women who fill up my cup, with their talk of endless nights mothering, writing, working, making. They craft, they worship, they lead, they inspire. They are the reason I will return to Elevate again and again. I will move my own mountains, bring my children with me, and scrape up every single penny. Because these women are my people. They are my tribe.

These are the women who start small business that turn into big businesses. They are women who write down the ugly, who promote their platforms with integrity, who love life even among the chaos of everyday. These are the women, who like me, worry that they are doing it wrong, and work tirelessly to make sure there is food on the table and roofs over all the heads. The women of my tribe understand that sometimes our dreams get put on the back burner, that our goals sometimes feel so out of reach, that some days are just a wash. But they are also the same women who will not give up, they will not let go, they will do whatever it takes to make their dreams come true. They will one day call me, text me, or email me to say, "I did it", and I will finally say, "I always knew you would".

Without my tribe the blogging world would never feel as safe as it does. It would be a boring and lonely place. Without my tribe I wouldn't push myself to the limit, I wouldn't expose so much of me, I most likely would have quit a long time ago. Because contrary to what people think, blogging life is not easy, it's not glamorous, it's not a get rich quick scheme. Blogging is a bear. It will chew you up and spit you out if you let it. So we gather together, online or in real life, and commit to not letting this blogging life get the best of us and our spirits.

Elevate 2015 was a beautiful experience. I met a new group of blogger and makers. I met small business owners and big business owners. I met women who are changing the face of women owned media and women owned businesses. Their stories were inspiring, but it is there life that makes them real life leaders. The grass always appears greener, but great successes take hard work and sometimes great hardships. Nothing is perfect, even if your Instagram account says otherwise. Elevate is always a place that the tribe can gather and be themselves. A place to be honest and open about what really matters in our lives. Every year I'm blown away by the experiences that got us all in that one room in New Port with that beautiful view.

This was Elevate's fourth year, and my third. The women who coordinate Elevate are beautiful inside and out. They work tirelessly for a year to make the day fantastic. They pick the right mix of speakers and vendors to put our hearts in the right place. Summer and Jen lead this tribe every year and inspire us to be our best selves. I can't thank them enough, because they want every single attendee to succeed. They want every single participant at Elevate to dream bigger, work harder, and be their best self.

There are so many conferences that I could attend every year, and every year I debate if I want to save my pennies for another experience. I think about me, and how I could self promote, take those classes and sessions on how to grow my blog, increase my content, maybe even publish a book. But then I remember how I feel when I leave Elevate. Elevate is so much more than a place to be educated about content and followers and self promotion. Elevate is a place where you find a better sense of self, not just as a blogger but also as a human. Sure I could learn a million ways to self promote, but would I walk away feeling like a a better person? Would I be as inspired to do better? Would I feel like my vision was more in line, that I had a handle on my dreams, that I would push my self to take the leap faith needed to accomplish said dreams? Probably not, because Elevate is still a small enough conference that you really could hug every person in the room. And I love that.

There is something special in the connections that you make with people you see on your screen. You see them everyday, you see their family vacations, you know when they are sick, you know when they are hurting. You share your successes, new homes, new jobs, new babies, new hair cuts, and come fall their Starbucks red cups. You get to hug those people who inspire you and who you have helped inspire. You get to hug those women who needed it that day in September when they hated their season in life, when they had to do the hard things, when they wanted just a little bit more out of that day. You get to embrace them for who they are, and they embrace you back with the same intensity. Because they are your tribe.

I am so incredibly lucky to call these women my friends, my tribe. This year I had a quick dinner with Renee and Kristine on Friday night, my girls joined us. It was heaven, and we decided that we could do this every Friday night for the rest of our lives. Without Nay and Kristine I wouldn't have made it this long. I would have quit blogging a long time ago. It's their support, sometimes daily, that keeps me going. It keeps me inspired and motivated. It makes my scary posts less scary, and it allows me to be comfortable when I ugly write out my heart. Their hugs validate that sharing my life in this space is exactly the right thing for me. Even when I give too much information and make my Husband blush. These women, my tribe, they have my back.

Every year, when I come home from Elevate, I know I'm doing exactly what I supposed to be doing. Elevate confirms that I'm exactly where I should be, with my tribe.

Handmade Secrets to Keep {with Aubrey Plays}

***This is a sponsored post. I received merchandise in exchange for this review. 

These are my opinions on products provided to me by an individual seller.

One day a package arrived at out door. It came with a warning.

We took heed of the warning, but nothing could prepare us for the joys we would find inside.

A bright pink fox with soft felt ears, and a sweet face. "Shh, Mommy", Mac said. "Pinky Fox is sleeping". She would also join Mac at pre-school.

A real riot girl with purple glasses and a tulle skirt. She had haunted houses and sullen girls on her dress. "Look Mommy", said Caitlin, "Just like my Monster High Girls, only more better". "More Better" indeed. I wanted to name her Raven, but Caitlin insisted on Elizabeth.

Pinky Fox found her way into our toy box and I have to admit that the other toys were jealous. None of them were made with such care and attention to detail. They did not have perfectly stitched noses and ears. The toys were jealous of things like crochet flowers and eyelet skirts.

Elizabeth made herself at home. She even kicked out a few American Girls. The pink stripe in her hair must have made her do it. It was very riot girl of her.

There is something delightful in the way handmade dolls keep secrets. They know why they found their way to you. Why they were made of that particular fabric, why they have long lashes or purple glasses. Why they so perfectly came with pink hair as if to bring a little chaos into a world filled with American Girl perfection. Not everyone looks like an American Girl. Sometimes we look like pink foxes, or riot girls with purple glasses.

I got to meet a new friend as well. I decided to call her Gemma, because glasses and pencil print guts drive me wild. Because her hair resembles a ledger. With perfect glasses and a soft smile we became instant friends. She holds some valuables and some unmentionables. And because her manners are better than mine, she keeps all my secrets.

I invite you to experience Aubrey Plays for yourself. I assure you, you won't be sorry. Aubrey's products are inspired and magical, and have something a little extra. I think it's the love and devotion that Aubrey puts into everything she does. Check her out on Instagram, and also check out our Instagram giveaway. For those of you who want to invite Aubrey Plays into your life, please use the code: ABSOLUTELYRAD for 20% off.

SHOP

Building your community with Lisa Leonard {Elevate2014}

The highlight of my day. Meeting Lisa Leonard and being inspired by her.

I find that I follow so many people on social media. Real life people, celebrities, bloggers, bloggers that feel like celebrities. A person can really get lost in all the appearances. People look good in social media. Their lives look perfect. Their families are flawless portraits of well behaved children and loving devoted husbands. Not that I post anything remotely like that, but you know what I mean. Sometimes I wonder if some of the people I follow on social media are as genuine and amazing as they appear. In the case of Lisa Leonard, she is exactly who you see on Instagram.

Lisa is a truth speaker, which says a lot because the truth isn’t always beautiful. She is the walking definition of kindness and grace. Her smile not only lights up a room but is contagious. And then, she speaks, and you can hear the kindness and the love in her voice. It’s inspiring. If you follow her at all then you know that her life is far from perfect. She has two beautiful sons, one David, with special needs. You know that she is an entrepreneur and a small business owner. A business which she owns and runs with her husband. You also know that she is a driving force in the blogging community and the creative community. So with all of these things that she is, you might be surprised to find that she, despite her twenty five thousand followers on Instagram, is very much like you and me. A mother, a wife, a blogger, a woman. But it’s her approach to building a community that sets her apart.

At Elevate Lisa presented the 5 “B”s of building a community. Whether that community is with your blog, or if that community is the one you choose to live in, there are five things that can take your community to a higher level. In addition they are also five things to take your life to a higher and happier level.

The 5 “B”s to Build the Community You Want! - Lisa Leonard

Be Loving:

This sounds so simple. But to be loving is really hard. Lisa shared that she wakes each morning with the intent to “meet and greet” with love. Even when she receives discouraging comments and emails to her blog and shop. Even when the world is presenting itself in a hard way. She said that to be loving is to free yourself. Because when people are mean or say harsh words against us, it is not about us, our children, our families, or our businesses/blogs, it’s about the person speaking the harshness. That person, with hate or hatred in their heart, needs loving the most, and if you can find love for that person, then you are free from the harshness. You free yourself from the hurt. Do you realize how incredibly powerful that is? I cried when she spoke about being loving in a world and blog world that can be anything but. To be loving is an incredible power that we have inside all of us. Yet it is one of the hardest things we can task ourselves to do. I can tell you from hearing Lisa speak and meeting her in person, she is very loving, and let’s this guide her in her freedom to live.

Be Yourself:

“When you love yourself, you can love”. So true in it’s simplicity. Lisa talked about always being dissatisfied with things in her life. The extra ten pounds, hard created ideas stolen, the way she felt about herself. She said she has felt disappointments and dissatisfaction at times in her life. She shared times when she was so overwhelmed and scared at what she faced in her life. How could she love, when she didn't love the person looking at her in the mirror? But once she found that she could let go of all her worries and skepticism she had for herself and really love herself and her fears, she could love with her whole heart. She realized that if she could love herself flawed, she could love anyone. Her message to us was to be our flawed selves. And to love ourselves anyway. Embrace who we are and allow ourselves the love we deserve. In turn we will be able to be loving. I’ve built this blog on being myself, and embracing my flaws and fears. Once I could admit that motherhood wasn’t my strong point, it became my strong point. I strive to be myself everyday, and love that person that I am, even on my worst days.

Be Brave:

Lisa posed this question to us, “What if the goal is bravery?”. Could the real goal in life be bravery? Are we on this journey for love and life, and all the while those are not the goals, but the end results of being brave? Pretty powerful questions don’t you think? Lisa talked about big acts of bravery versus small acts of bravery. She shared that she knows someone who battles chronic depression every day, and every day they get up. They get up and face the day. In her mind, that is a daily act of bravery, and to some it may be so slight, but to a person battling depression it’s the world. It made me think about bravery in my daily life. Am I taking chances? Am I putting myself out there? Or am I too afraid to be brave. It gave me a lot to think about when it comes to my writing and to my blogging.

Be Careful:

Lisa encouraged us to be careful with our opportunities. Every opportunity may not be for you. It may sound good and it may have real attractions like money or earned success, but is it really for you? She shared that she had the opportunity to host a segment for a television station in another state. She loved the people she would be working with, and she loved the opportunity to show her creative/DIY side, and it was going to be wonderful PR for her business. In the end, she had to commit to being away for almost a week every month. She knew that was not the best fit for her family, and in turn would not be a good fit for her. So she walked away from that opportunity, because it didn’t feel right. Being careful in the face of opportunity is important in the blogging world. Especially if the opportunity isn’t you, isn’t your voice. She encouraged us to say “no” to posts that don’t carry our voice, posts that we don’t identify with, no matter how wonderful the opportunity. Being careful allows us to be true to ourselves.

Be Persistent:

“If you are determined and you do not give up, you will succeed”. Again, so simple in theory, and so hard in practice. Being determined takes hard work and patience. Two things that I am inconsistent at best. Determination is more than not giving up, it’s believing that you can, it’s waking up every day with the same goal in mind, it’s evolving and moving forward, no matter the obstacles. Lisa encouraged us to ask for opportunity again and again, don’t wait for opportunity to find us. Be persistent in how you operate your blog or your business, continue to evolve to the next thing, but don’t change so quickly. Being persistent while being yourself means that you have to grow into your blog and into your business at a pace your readers will respect. According to Lisa be persistent and success will seek you.

At the end of the day, before I left, I made sure to thank Lisa for her words of wisdom, but I also wanted to tell her something. I wanted to tell her that even though I’m sure she gets comments and emails daily about how wonderful and kind she is, how beautiful she is inside and out, that she is the most genuine person I have ever met. She practices what she preaches and is a good human. She is kind and loving, but also just as flawed as everyone else. When I asked her during her session, how she finds balance in her life she said, “I don’t, and I probably never will, but I try, and I’ll always try”. She is that kind of woman, and that kind of inspiration. It was an amazing opportunity to meet her, shake her hand, and hug her. But what amazed me more is that this kind of human exists. That there are people in this world so beautiful you want to surround yourself with their light. Lisa has the light.

Whether you use the five “B”s to build a community or inspire your life, use them. Remind yourself of them, and in the end live them in your daily life. Maybe I won’t ever live all five “B”s at once, but I will try, I will always try.

Everyone has an accent {Desiree Campbell}

 

Desiree of The 36th Avenue. Image courtesy of The 36th Avenue.

I’m probably the only person who had never heard of Desiree Campbell prior to Elevate this year. Desiree has built a DIY blogging empire at her site The 36th Avenue, which until a few days ago I had never visited. She has also built an impressive following on Pinterest, which I also had no idea. I only tell you this because in true Elevate fashion, meeting Desiree was exactly what I needed this year. Two thousand and fourteen has been a rough one. One of doubt and worry, one of second guesses and the urge to wave my white flag. In the weeks leading up to Elevate I had begun to question myself and my direction with this blog. After three years was it becoming too much? Was I about to fizzle out? Then, Desiree happened.

I cannot accurately describe the firecracker and explosion that is Desiree. She is the definition of passion. She is five feet of combustible energy. She started out by saying that when her husband asked her what she was going to teach the women of Elevate, she replied “Women cannot be taught, only inspired”. Well, Amen sister.

What you notice first about Desiree is her thick accent. When she speaks you feel like her words take on a life of their own. You can feel her words, as if they want to dance with you. The surprising thing is that Desiree’s accent wasn’t always her prized possession. It was something that she was once ashamed of. She told us a story of being new to the United States and new to a secretarial job where she had to answer phones, with what she says was her broken English and her heavy accent. At one point she says she cried in the bathroom at her office and wished she didn’t have her accent. She didn’t want to sound the way she did. She didn’t want that piece of her that made her who she is. She says that in her moment of weakness she realized that her accent tied her to years of lineage. Her mother, her grandmother, her grandmother’s mother. In addition she sounded like her sisters and her aunts. Why would she wish such a thing away? She says today she is most thankful for her accent because it’s what brings people to her. She is so right about that, her accent is magnetic. You can’t listen to her speak without wanting to know more about her, you literally gravitate towards her.

Desiree said that now she is proud of her accent. That she owns it one hundred percent, because at one time it brought her so much shame but now it brings people to her. People gravitate toward her for the one thing that she had been ashamed of. That my friends brought tears to my eyes.

Because this blog brings people time and again to read about the thing that once brought me such shame, my battle with perfecting motherhood. At one time in my life I was so ashamed of the kind of mother I was. I was ashamed that I wasn’t the perfect mother with babies who slept through the night, and good boobs that produced breast milk. I was ashamed that my kids slept in my bed and ate chicken nugget dinners five nights a week. I felt so alone in my struggle and was so embarrassed at how I let motherhood get the best of me. Until I decided to share those follies. It was only then that I realized that I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t the only mom out there trying to be perfect in an imperfect world. By sharing what once brought me shame, I was able to find redemption and confirmation. I was able to leave the shame and find solace in knowing that motherhood wasn’t my biggest failure, but my biggest achievement. According to Desiree, motherhood is my accent.

According to Desiree, everyone has an accent. Maybe it’s your life long struggle with your weight. Maybe it’s your recent battle with depression or anxiety, or a recent battle with motherhood. Maybe you have your grandmother’s nose, or her butt, but no matter what you have, you too have an accent. You have something that makes you uniquely you, and let me tell you something, it’s what people like most about you. Your accent makes you human, it makes you real, it makes you, YOU.

There were so many other lessons that Desiree taught that day. Lessons on social media, lessons on interacting with your readers, lessons on having an assistant. But for me the biggest lesson was that I have an accent. An accent that I am proud of. An accent that makes me human and flawed and perhaps even beautiful in my own way. An accent that has been such an instrumental part in growing into the person I am today. I was lucky enough to thank Desiree when I was leaving Elevate. I cried, and then she cried and then of course we laughed and hugged, and I left knowing that once again Elevate knew exactly what I needed that weekend.

Everyone has an accent, so don’t be ashamed. Embrace your accent, and you just might find, it’s the absolute best part about you. It’s what makes the people in your life gravitate towards you.

Bloggers in Real Life {Elevate: The People}

A blogger's life is funny. We write, we craft, we take pictures of what we wear, then we send it out into bloggyland and hope that someone, anyone will see it. Bloggers get giddy over new followers on Instagram, new likes on Facebook, and retweets on Twitter. We start conversations in "comment" boxes, make friends over selfies, and we treasure those friendships. We talk about bloggy friends as if they are our neighbors, as if we just had coffee with them yesterday. The truth is, for many of us, we rarely will meet those we hold so close to our hearts in blogland.

Saturday I got lucky. I got to meet some amazing women who I see everyday on a tiny screen I hold in my hand. I got to hug them, laugh with them, craft with them, and confirm what we already knew.

We are friends. In real life. In this life. We are friends.

 First selfie of the day with Kristine (@tffunedited on Instagram).
Kristine was my first bloggy friend. We have been leaning on each other for over three years. We like to send Facebook messages and laugh about what our husbands are doing. I love her something fierce. I'd follow her anywhere.

 Group selfies are nice too. Nay (@coffee_n_ink), Megan (@shapingupmegan), Kristine (@tffunedited), Me. Nay is my homegirl. Nay keeps me sane, says the right things, and always encourages me to write. Write it she says. Sometimes I hear her when I'm clicking the keys. I feel like I've known Nay all my life. Like there was never a moment when I didn't know her. I love to send her pins that remind me of her. And then she sends some back. I love that she hugged the Hubbs when she met him on Saturday, like she's known him for years. She kind of has. Megan is my name twin, my blog guru, and a no BS kind of gal. Obviously we get along. She is also so kind and supportive and genuinely wants my blog to do well. I know Meg, word press conversion. Also let's take a moment to reflect on the fact that she said, "Tell your husband I'm flipping him off".
Oh, these are my people. This is my tribe.

 The nicest, kindest, most beautiful woman you will every meet is Tracy Jensen (@fivejensenboyz). Follow her on Instagram for all the latest on the daughter she just brought home from an Eastern European orphanage. Tracy and I laughed and cried and told truths about motherhood. She is beautiful and I'm so honored to call her a friend.

 Fact: I love Amanda's shop. Fact: She rushed an order to have it ready for me at Elevate. Fact: after I snapped this selfie she said, "you betta filter that". I'm smiling so big because I could not wait to meet her! Amanda is @looluhrue on Instagram. And yes, I put a filter on it.

 I met Ashley last year (@littlemissmomma) and I seriously thought I was going to pass out. I've been following her since I began blogging and to say she is a role model, is well, the truth. She is so kind and genuine, and didn't even bat a pretty eyelash when I was fangirling her last year. This year she hugged me tight and we shared a little moment about writing and inspiration. And look at her mixing prints, like it is her birthright. It was amazing to connect with her again this year. 

 Two people I just had to reconnect with this year were Elise (@eliseypants) and Chrissy (@chrissydelacy). I didn't really get to hang out with them much last year, but I made sure to follow them (stalking kindly) on Instagram all year. Elise is such a beautiful person, and so incredibly creative (follow the hashtag #elisedoodles for proof). I was so excited that she was sitting at my table! Chrissy is also a beautiful person who radiates light.  She was the conference photographer this year, but she is so much more. She was also at my table and I loved all the energy that she brought to Elevate. She even gave a lesson on taking better selfies. It was so great to get to know them a little better this year.

 I will tell you all about Lisa Leonard's (@lisaleonard) fabulous presentation at Elevate in the days to come. All you need to know is this: She is the most genuine person I have ever met. She gives outstanding hugs. And she is exactly who you see on Instagram. Beautiful, talented, kind, inspiring. Also she recognized my Instagram name and I just about fell over into a bush. True story.

 I have been waiting to meet Alissa (@alissamcircle) for years. Years! Well I finally did and she was just as amazing in person. Alissa is an inspiration, a savvy business woman, she knows her bloggy biz better than anyone I know. She is a fantastic friend, an excellent mom, and an inspiring blogger. She is totally down for selfies, I wish I could have spent more time with her, but the day went by so fast. When I left, I hugged her twice for good measure and promised to stalk her on Instagram, as is my usual. I hope to see her sooner than later!

 Ok, fangirl moment of Elevate 2014. This is Ashley (@lilblueboo) from LilBlueBoo. I know. I know! So I walk up first thing to check in and I see Nay talking to this really tall gal. I think it's someone I met last year, so I stroll up like I own the place (because that's how I roll) and butt into the conversation. Then I look up (literally) and see Ashley. That's when I grab her arm and excitedly shout "Oh my God, I didn't know you were going to be here! I've been following you for years!". Yes. Yes I did that! I was so embarrassed, but let's talk about how cool Ashley is and how didn't even think it was a thing. Then when I was saying goodbye and snagging this picture (thanks Nay!), I got all teary eyed because she is such an inspiration to me. She didn't bat an eye then either.

 There are a million things I could say about Tausha (@taushawierlo). Let's start with the fact that she leaves the best comments on my blog. She tells everyone who will listen that she reads my blog daily. And the fact that when we said our goodbyes we both cried. Real tears with mascara streaks (me). She had the kindest words for me, and let me tell you I needed to hear those on Saturday. She gave me the confirmation that I needed. And she said I give her the confirmation she needs. We are quite the pair Tausha, so honored to finally meet you.

To say that I adore Lauren (@pinkonthecheek) is an understatement. She is hilarious and always fun to follow on Instagram and twitter. Also we killed the sunnies game at Elevate. Killed. She lives in the Bay area so this was a big trip for her and I was so glad she made it. Now if I can convince her to put together a Bay Area blogger meet up...

 @boxofcheese was there to let us take even more selfies. The sign that Kristine is holding says #holla, but that flash though. I love the picture on the bottom because I was laughing and trying to kiss Kristine on the cheek and I got the timing wrong. Yet, it's so right.

 More fun with @boxofcheese this time with Nay and Kristine. 

This picture really sums up Elevate as a conference, Tracy, Lisa, Sarah (@littlepenelopelane), Emmy (@emmymom). Ashley, Andrea (@aidieshideaway) and me. A portrait of bloggers at different phases of their blog life, but you would never know by looking at this picture.

Ever have a good conversation on Instagram and think, I really like her. She's my people. Well meet Krystal (@krystaladele). We had to stalk each other on Instagram on Saturday because we kept missing each other. Finally grabbed a selfie. I love meeting blog friends!

I didn't recognize Emmy (@emmymom) with her sunnies on, so glad she was like "Hello, I'm emmymom". I love following her on Instagram. She is so positive and blogs about her real mom life. Because we all need that breath of fresh air in mommyland, am I right?

 I met the amazing Ali of Sage & Harper (@sageandharper) on Saturday. I thanked her so kindly for my new favorite bag. I fangirled a little. She was so nice and told me all about her upcoming line, which, hello, will be the shaz. Then she was so nice to take a picture of me holding my bag that I wore all day. Yes, it was strapped to me all day. It's got pockets for days! Also what do you think of my outfit choice? Yup. Comfy and cool. 

What on earth could I say about Jen (@delightfuldeets) and Summer (@munchies_mama)? That they are beautiful and amazing and selfless. That they know how to throw a party? That they have become friends of mine in real life? Yes I could say all of that, but it would never do justice to the amount of love they have for what they do and who they are. They make Elevate what it is, and what it will become in the future. I adore them.

I couldn't write any other Elevate 2014 recap without writing about the people first. Elevate is about the people. The women who organize it, the women who speak at it, and the women who come and let down every single wall they have put up all year. It's the women of Elevate that make it the life changing event that it is. I met so many amazing women on Saturday, and got to see many of the women I met last year. It was as if no time had passed at all. It was so much fun, and I'm sure a lot of that had to do with Summer and Jen and Nicole. They put on a fantastic event. But I have to give some credit to the women. Who embraced the theme and principle of Elevate, to be uplifted, to be inspired, and to soar. 

I'm already counting down the days until next year.