I’m Back! Altitude Summit Rocked Hard Core.

I’m still processing everything that happened at Altitude Summit this past weekend.  In a nutshell…. it was inspiring, incredible, and kind.  And, by far the best conference I’ve ever been to.

{Amy, me & Ez}

A few reasons why:

1.  The people.

I had the best roomies ever. And now I call them my besties.  Amy Turn Sharp has a heart of gold, and made me laugh all weekend long.  Her and her husband makes the best wooden toys eva’ over at Little Alouette.  You should buy one for each of your kids and your neighbors.  They are so soft and gorgeous, I want to eat them.  Ez is the most genuine person I’ve ever met.  I feel like I’ve known her forever.  She runs a beautiful site called Creature Comforts which is full of inspiration daily.  Once you check out her site, you won’t be able to live without her.

In addition to my roomies, I was able to reconnect with so many talented friends- like Alison, Marie, Laura & Gabrielle.  And I can’t tell you how many inspiring women I met this weekend.  I now walk around saying, “What would Erin Loechner do?”  She is so freaking amazing.  She helped me (and so many others) this weekend by connecting us together, and being a sounding board.  I so wish I could carry her in my pocket.  There were so many more people I met that I loved.  Summer  and her husband, Kerry are a hoot and I could have talked to them all night long.  Jamie is hil-ar-ious and has beautiful hair.  I told her I wanted to eat it.  She seemed okay with that.  Jenny is drop dead gorgeous in person and so, so nice.  I’m pretty sure Brian Patrick is going to have his own show someday.  He’s charming, and uber talented. 

I could go on and on.  Everywhere I turned, there was talent and enjoyable conversation.  And everyone was so, so kind.  I was a little nervous about going to this conference all by myself.  I was worried that everyone would have their own little circles and I’d be the lone ranger in the corner.  This was not true one bit.  Everyone was gracious and welcoming which was a huge relief! 

{from altsummit flickr stream}

2.  I learned good things.

My biggest complaint leaving conferences usually pertains to the content.  Not that I know it all, but I’ve been blogging long enough to know the basics.  This conference left me chewing on things.  Here are some of the things I’m thinking about:

-When working in a group, it’s best to delegate all tasks (i.e. have one in charge of email, one in charge of accounting, one in charge of twitter, etc.) and have meetings consistently.  Since most of what I do is a collaborative work, it’s good to remind myself of this. 

-There are many tools I need to check out: Skitch (easy to manipulate screenshots), Tineye (reverse image search), and Rescue Time (time management tool) to name just a few.

-”Brands are people too.” ~Maggie Mason.  She also said that people that want to give you money are not the enemy.  Working with various brands can be diffi

-Tina Roth Eisenberg from Swiss Miss is the bomb-diggity.  She was candid in her keynote, and full of information.  Here are  few things she’s learned along the way.

1. No one can tell you what is best.
2. Surrounding yourself with people is key.
3. Don’t just talk.  Do it.
4. Be kind and generous.  It comes back to you.
5. Your enthusiasm and integrity are your biggest assets.
6. Think BIG.  It is possible.

3.  Big bathtubs are where it’s at.

I had time to take a bubble bath in Grand America‘s deep tub.  It was dreamy, and I’ve added it to my dream house list.

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A huge thanks to the Kirtsy girls and their vision.  Thanks for hosting such a great conference, sparking so much inspiration and bringing all of us together! xo