Alt Summit 2019 Report

photo by Nicole Breanne

Alt Summit is always an amazing experience and this year was no different. This is my 6th time coming to this conference (!) and it was especially fun this year as Alt was the place where I had the idea for my book, When Charley Met Emma, and where I met the book’s illustrator Merrilee Liddiard and where I’ve spent years connecting with women who inspired and helped me take this book from dream to reality. Since this year’s Alt was just a few weeks after my book’s release it felt like coming home after winning the championship game. Everyone was just as excited for my success as I was–so many friends congratulating me, lining up for my book signing and sharing the book with their friends and their friends’ friends. That is the magic that of this amazing Alt Summit community.

Here are a few highlights of Alt for me this time around.
1. My book signing!
I was lucky enough to be doing a book signing at the same time as Camille Andros and Sarah Jane Wright, both seasoned children’s book authors (Sarah Jane is also an illustrator) and all around lovely people. Yet, it was also one of those vulnerable things where you sit at a table with your book, a sharpie and a hopeful smile on your face just begging the Universe that at least one person will show up and that you won’t have spinach stuck in your teeth for an hour. But people came! They bought my book! They asked me to sign it and even asked for photos with me. And while there was no spinach in my teeth, I was having an unfortunate Seinfeld hair day, but it was such a fantastic experience.

2. Best panel discussion ever.
In addition to the book signing, I got to speak twice at Alt this year and one was with a panel of like-minded women who are passionate about social causes and how we are using our platforms for good. This panel was an all-time Alt highlight for me! I was a part of the panel, but I learned so much and was so inspired from the amazing women I shared the stage with. Each woman had a different way they were using their business and/or platforms for good and I think you should be aware of and follow them all.

Archel Bernard of The Bombchell Factory
Archel build a clothing factory in Liberia (the poorest country in the world) to help women who are Ebola widows, rape survivors and more, by helping them become more self sufficient through job training and education. A woman lifting other women around her for sure.

Elizabeth Quintal of Outside the Box by Cheeky Days
Elizabeth used to work in the nonprofit world, specifically with the homeless. When she became a mom she wanted to do something that would help parents both connect with their kids and teach them about important social issues. Outside the box is a monthly subscription box with a new theme for each month like gratitude, diversity, etc. Each box contains a book, something wearable, 2-4 crafts, as well as conversation starters and a famliy challenge to do together as a random act of kindness that kids can do to be more community minded. Seriously a great product.

Nole Garey of Oh So Beautiful Paper.
Nole worked as a diplomat in DC for many, many years before starting her beautiful blog about paper! But even though her pretty blog is all about the pretty things in life, she continues to use her education and her platform to help people make informed decisions about politics. She tries to remain politically neutral while giving concrete tips on how people can take action, like “how to help end the government shutdown.”

Sarah Chambers of Chicks who Give a Hoot Podcast
Sarah is the CEO of her own creative branding company as well as the founder of the Chicks Who Give a Hoot podcast where she interviews amazing women making a different in the world around them.

photo Christina Best Photography

4. Great face to face connections.
Listen, if you are a creative or want to be a creative you’ve got to high-tail it over to a conference because nothing can replace face-to-face interactions. Nothing. Meeting people face to face and making REAL connections is where the magic happens. Every major opportunity I’ve had has come because I’ve gone to a conference, I’ve put myself out there and I’ve started conversations with people who I never would have approached online, mainly because I had no reason to approach them online. And here’s the thing–I had no reason to approach them in real life either, but when you’re standing right next to someone and you strike up a conversation, magical, wonderful things can happen. I had some pretty great connections again this year and I hope they lead to some wonderful, magical things I get to talk to you about soon.

photo by Nicole Breanne

I feel like my love of Alt Summit must sound like I’m some brain-washed cult disciple because I talk about it so frequently with such love and devotion, and also because I believe that if you go to Alt summit you will find the true meaning of life and that you will be exalted to a higher plane of consciousness… wait a second. No but really, Alt just happens to be the conference I go to, where I get to mingle with my tribe. It’s a place for me to find community as well as a place for me to align my passions with opportunities. There are other conferences out there–many of my friends go to a few each year–and I if you have any desire to start a side hustle or a creative endeavor of any kind I would highly recommend going to a conference where you can mingle and learn from/with other like-minded people. My experience is limited to Alt and fortunately it has been an amazing resource and investment for me year after year, thus I feel confident in recommending this conference. But the point is that it’s all about connection, opportunity, sharing, and lifting each other up. Just like any relationship, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, we get more shiz done when we come together. Any other conference goes out there? If so, what do you go for? Have you thought about going to Alt Summit, but for one reason or another you’ve held back? If so tell me so I can talk you into it! Really.