Sunset Millennial Summit: A New Blogger Conference

I ended up on a train heading to San Diego a day before Women Get Social.  I somehow scored a special invite to the inaugural Sunset Millennial Summit (lucky me!) and was crazy nervous and out-of-my-skin excited.  Nervous because I have never slumber partied with a big group of women before, most of them I didn't know.  Excited for the open discussion about work/life balance at a vacation home in Ocean Beach.  But you know me...always putting myself out there, challenging myself to try new things and maybe suffering a little FOMO (fear of missing out).  I settled in to my seat and embraced my escape.  My best thinking is done both in solitude and surrounded.  One of the sponsors of #SMsummit, Chelsea of Millennial Blogs graciously picked me up at the Old Town train station and I eased up a little on the ride.  I was the first to arrive and got to help Amy, the owner of Sunset Vacation Rental (the other gracious sponsor) in the kitchen making caprese skewers and good conversation.   

The ladies started trickling in and I felt at home with the loud chatter (everything from photography to birth control) and laughs.  Dinner was a group effort and incredibly fun.  But the real fun was when Chelsea opened the floor to our questions and shared information I always want to hear at blogger conferences.  She threw out actual factual numbers.  Money is such a taboo subject at conferences and always makes us wonder if we are getting our worth.  Just knowing what is possible in my future reinforced why I need to stay on my path.  

After the Q&A, those of us staying the night got to pick out our beds, the home is a 2 bedroom but the rooms are HUGE!!!  I wanted to crash on one of the couches, I'm weird like that.  Some of the ladies went home and those of us that stayed got in pajamas and either went to bed or laughed the night away. 

Chelsea and Amy celebrating with wine and cupcakes!

Woke up to a yummy breakfast!  I'm gonna need your recipe Amy!

Sunset Millennial Summit was inspiring and kicked off the sisterhood I would also feel at Women Get Social.  I needed to be surrounded with women who are doing the same things I'm doing.  Women whose shoes I want to walk in.  Women who get this business.  Women who get me.  I came home refreshed and wanting more.  Chelsea and Amy are onto something.  

Big thanks to Whole Foods La Jolla for hooking up the food and swag bags - I've since been back to my local Whole Foods to pick up more 365 Everyday Value Blueberry Blaze Trail Mix!  I got to try the strawberry jam from Jackie's Jams out of El Cajon on my morning waffles and can't wait to use it as a topping on my vanilla ice cream!  

Visit my new friends!

Chelsea:  Someday I’ll Learn and Millennial Blogs

Amy:  Sunset Vacation Rental and Beloved Atmosphere

Alli:  Diapers -n- Heels

Heather: Baby Bump and Beyond

Heather and Whitney:  Rookie Moms

Pauline and Lynnee:  Club Chica Circle

Tiffany and Carole: Toot Sweet 4 Two

Elizabeth:  The Pirate Prerogative

Megan:  Sunshine Wonderland

Jillian:  Mommy Testers

Bri:  Bri Geeski

Becky:  MissPriss

Danielle:  Simmworks Family 

Women Get Social Post Conference Thoughts

Tiffany Romero said something along the lines of... the people who are meant to be in the room are there to hear the message.  I'm probably jacking that up in some way but it hit home hard.  It was a stormy weekend in California and I could've stayed home because well, that's the safe thing to do.  (I don't want to play it safe anymore!) I made a lot of excuses, flaked and lagged on things that were important to me when I was younger.  I did not value my time and honestly, no one else's.  Now that I'm older and feeling like time is fleeting, I wish I could just stop the clock so I could do everything I want.  I can't tell you what you should do but take it from me, quit playing it safe and take those chances. Everything I do from here on out has to be important to me.

The other standout speaker for me was Nell Merlino - she posed powerful questions that just spoke to me.

What is your vision?

What do you want to make happen?

Why do you exist?

What problem are you solving?

What info are you going to share to change lives?

What are your objectives?

What are you counting/measuring to know it's working?

I have an idea about my vision but I haven't totally crafted it out yet and I really should.  I don't even have answers to the other questions but I haven't stopped thinking about it.  If you want small keys to success, having a plan and seeing it through helps.  And if you know a little something about me, I'm a believer of putting what you want in the Universe.  So maybe at some point in the near future, I will answer those questions on here.

All that said, Women Get Social is an awesome conference where you are surrounded with amazing bloggers and sessions where you can actually learn (Google+, Pinterest, Facebook, SEO, etc).  Don't attend if you want to meet brands.  Don't attend for the swag (though there is some).  Go be with your people and get motivated and inspired to do things.  

Other things happened at Women Get Social - I'll be posting more thoughts next week!  Thank you latinamom.me and Wells Fargo for sponsoring the Latina track, I am so happy I won a pass!