I’m back after a busy weekend in Chicago after attending my first ever Create & Cultivate conference. I learned so much and am feeling so inspired! I wanted to share my experience with y’all in case you’re considering in attending.

I first heard about C&C last fall after I was doing research on conferences to attend after starting my blog. C&C is an online platform and offline conference for women looking to create & cultivate the career of their dreams. I heard such great things about the conference being so motivational and left women feeling so empowered, and I really wanted to attend! I was planning on going to the LA conference in Feb of this year but I waited too long and it sold out. After they announced Kim K as a keynote along with Chrissy Teigen, they sold out in seconds. I told myself that for the next conference I wouldn’t think twice and I would book my trip.

Jumpsuit|Leopard Dress

Below are the most common asked questions related to the conference that I hope can help make your decision on whether or not to attend.

How long is it? There is a cocktail hour the night before the conference and the conference itself is one day and lasts about 12 hours.

What’s included and which ticket did you purchase? They have three different ticket options, General, VIP and Digital. I bought the general one which includes access to the conference and based on a survey you answer they select one of the two tracks for you to follow. You also get a HUGE gift bag! The VIP one is more expensive and has a couple of perks, such as a happy hour with the speakers of the event, you’re able to select your track, extra goodies, and more! The digital one is if you cannot attend in person but you have access to the live feed of the conference.

Can you go alone? Of course! I’m not gonna lie but the happy hour was a little overwhelming and I think it would be more if you’re alone but it’s all about networking right? I feel like people were off in their little groups so it would’ve been hard to go up to people and chat. The conference itself is totally fine if you’re alone. You’re in a group setting the whole time and there’s actually little time to chat (maybe 2-3 hours total). It’s mostly about listening and learning from the different panels. I was actually planning on going lone until some girls from Atlanta let me know they were attending as well, so it worked out!

What types of things do you learn? It’s mostly inspirational and you get to listen to really experienced women- from bloggers to business executives and celebrities. There are two different tracks, one is more business/entrepreneur focused and the other is more focused on blogging/marketing/social media. I’m glad I was placed in the business one since I work in social media and wanted to hear something different.

What do they have there/What’s the setup? There are a BUNCH of vendors, food, drinks and beauty bars! The vendors have SO MANY samples to hand out such as branded goodies, products, and more! I actually had to check my bag on the way back because it was so much! They provide you with breakfast, lunch, snacks and cocktails! There are also tons of opportunities for amazing photo opps with all the beautiful decor. Super Insta friendly 🙂

 I’ll close out with a couple of my favorite quotes from the conference!

• Focus on what could go right vs. what could go wrong.
• Give yourself time to learn and make mistakes.
• Learn how to rest, don’t learn how to quit.
• If my value was zero you wouldn’t have come to me.
• Design is the elevator pitch of the Internet.
• I’m not too expensive, you just can’t afford me yet.
• There’s power in saying no but you have to get to place where you can say no.
• You don’t have to do everything, just because it’s out there.
• There’s a reason horses race with blinders. (AKA don’t worry about the competition)

Now get out there and go after it!