At the end of January Caravan Shoppe was lucky enough to go to Alt Summit SLC. For the uninitiated Alt Summit is a conference for design and fashion bloggers that is stuffed with sparkle rolled in confetti and topped with whipped dreams.
We love it.
It was three days of mingling with friends, lessons learned and cups and cups of lavender hot chocolate. What did we learn? Other than the fact that the law of diminishing returns does NOT apply to macarons?
Be Yourself
- You have a voice and a vision. Be true to it and everything else will follow.
Mike’s never afraid to stick out from the crowd. Plus he looks really cool when he drinks orange juice.
There is always room for great ideas
- Whether you are talking about the best new children’s toys (ahem, Olliblocks and Match That Monkey) or the latest piece of online technology, the market will always be receptive to the innovative and imaginative.
We loved passing out grab books full of Caravan goodies. Alt attendees soon proved that Olliblocks aren’t just for kids!
Crazy obsessions make for good business
- Look no further than our own dear Melanie Burk. This girl eats, drinks and breathes typography. And then she uses in her work every single day. What do you love? How can you make it a bigger part of your life?
Melanie sleeps with these books under her pillow. Just kidding. They totally have their own bed right next to hers.
Have a plan
- Respect your vision and treat it like a business even in its earliest stages. Create systems, manage your editorial calendar and don’t apologize for what you want.
Alma is a woman with a plan. Just look at those eyes.
Surround yourself with people that edify you
- Hello! This is our favorite lesson already learned! At Caravan we get to work with our best friends every day. (Heck, Mike and Alma like each other so much they got married that one time.) Alt only reinforced this ideal as we got to sit and network and learn from some of the warmest, most genuine creatives out there.
We really, really like each other.
And finally…
Everyone, from the 80 hrs a week professional to the domestic goddess (and everything in between), needs more beauty in their lives. And we are so happy that we get to be some of the people that supply it.
Check out some of our favorite pretties here.