Alt Summit was incredible. I was expecting it to be great, but it was better than I had even anticipated, and I’m going through withdrawal now. Can’t BELIEVE it’s already over!
Today I wanted to share a post with some of my tips and top takeaways.
But first, can we talk about how beautiful the Grand America is? Chandeliers even in the bathrooms? Yes please!
While all of the evening parties at Alt Summit were great, the first night was probably my favorite. I chose a sponsored dinner at the Melting Pot — let’s just say cheese, steak and shrimp, and chocolate is my kind of meal.
We had the best little table and bonded over lots of laughter (shoutout to Friday We’re In Love, Ever Clever Mom, Avoiding Atrophy, and Brooklyn Berry Designs)!
Tip #1: Don’t be afraid to talk to people at Alt Summit. I was amazed at how kind people were! One of my goals was to connect with other bloggers and I really think that happened, but part of it was because I decided I was okay with putting myself out there even if people didn’t reciprocate. I only had one experience of someone acting “bigger than thou” (of which we will not name names).
Tip #2: Plan your schedule beforehand, but when actually at Alt Summit, be flexible. I had decided on exactly which sessions and roundtables I wanted to attend, but then I missed a few due to preparing for our presentation and talking to people in the hallway instead. And that was okay with me! As long as you are doing something consistent with your goals for Alt Summit, do whatever you want. You can always ask other people for their notes :)
There were SO many great classes! Two big Alt Summit takeaways for me on Wednesday were:
Takeaway #1: Create a beautiful space that fits you well. Natalie Bowman talked about the importance of having good photography and content, which is something I really need to work on! Anyone want to give me a nice camera?! :) Seriously though, I think I so often get caught up in making money through my blog that I forget the basics of it, so I need to remember that.
Takeaway #2: After working with a company, ask what worked / what you could have done better. This was from the same class (shared by Megan Gilger) but it’s something that I hope will continue to improve my sponsor relationships moving forward. She also touched on the importance of doing follow-up “case studies” with the companies you work with, which is really smart!
My class was with the lovely Reachel of Cardigan Empire and Camille of Friday We’re In Love, about the Business of Blogging. We each have an MBA, so we gave a “MBA in 90 Minutes” geared toward bloggers and small business owners.
We really tried to give practical, deeper-level info and it was exciting to hear all of the positive feedback. To everyone who came, thank you! And to those who weren’t able to make it but want notes, I’ll be sharing some of my parts here on the blog in the next few days. We also plan to post the full presentation on SlideShare.
Additionally, I am now offering consulting for bloggers and small business owners. If you want to learn how to turn your blog into a profitable business, or take your small business to the next level – email me at Emily@HudsonAndEmily.com and let’s chat!
Martha Stewart spoke on Thursday and she was fantastic! One thing about her that really stuck out to me was how humble she was. She repeatedly mentioned (and knew the Instagram/Twitter handles of) the people who have helped her become who she is today. I also found it interesting that she knew SO much about what was going on within her company, even the “small” things.
Favorite Martha quote: “You can always wonder if you didn’t do something right and someone else did something better, but… (thought she was going to mention something about being confident in yourself) …there’s still time to do all of that, too.” HA.
Two big Alt Summit takeaways for me on Thursday were:
Takeaway #3: You won’t get anything without asking for it. Melissa Esplin mentioned the importance of determining your goal and then asking people to take action to help you with that. For example, one of my goals is to build my e-newsletter database, but I rarely ask people to subscribe. So…will you subscribe? :)
Takeaway #4: No one expects you to be an expert about everything. It’s more important to know a lot about a little. Kris Schoels mentioned this in her class with Meg Conley and Jamie Dorobek. This was my favorite class because it focused on Google+, radio, and TV, of which I know little to nothing about! It was a good reminder to position yourself as the “expert” in something instead of in everything, Now, to figure out what I’m an expert in is a different story! :)
Tip #3: Have a good follow-up plan. There are SO many people and brands I want to continue connecting with, and SO many people that want the notes from my presentation…that I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. Amber Housley had a great follow-up plan; she gave her roundtable attendees a link where she could capture their email addresses and later send notes. Next year (heck yes, I sure hope to go back next year!), I want do something like that!
Alt Summit was INCREDIBLE! I’m so thankful for my Alt Summit sponsors who made it possible for me: MailChimp, PlushRugs.com, Gypsy Threads, OnlineShoes.com, The Mint Julep Boutique, Mint and Lolly, ProDermagenix, DubLi, and Anjolee Tennis Bracelets.
If you were at Alt Summit, what was your biggest takeaway? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
*Thanks to the fantastic Justin and Brooke, who took all of the above photos for Alt Summit.
