Hey everyone! I’m back from Alt and have had a little more sleep. I’m feeling much more pleasant today. Thank goodness! You know when you don’t sleep for a week and then everything starts to look black and white and start to shake? Tell me you know what I’m talking about… Anywho, I’m back on the blog bandwagon and am ready to share lots of the details from Alt Summit. This year was a whirlwind. From planning The Hello Social (more details on that next week! It was a hoppin’ bash, let me tell you!), to staying up til 2:30am with my roomies EVERY NIGHT, some amazing experiences were had. I made a small graphic explaining the top things I took away, but read on to learn more about what I did and who I stalked!
First of all, I had THE BEST time. I’ve been looking forward to this conference since the beginning of 2012. I wanted to go to Alt Summit 2012, but couldn’t swing it and didn’t dare to. And I kicked myself everyday afterward. You guys! If you think that you aren’t big enough or that nobody knows who you are, you’re wrong! Size doesn’t matter. Determination does. If you want to go to Alt or any other conference, do it. Sign up. Get out there and meet people, for heaven’s sake! Companies are waiting for someone like you to walk along and say, “Hey, company! I’m talented! I’m awesome! This is what I got and I want to work with you!” There is a job and a place for everyone in blogland.
The week before Alt, I spent every hour planning what to wear, making my biz cards (20+ hours on those guys! Holy!), and trying to catch up on a few other tasks needing completion. I worked on my media kit. I planned my whole schedule. I thought I had every hour planned. I was wrong. While I had a general idea of where I was going, I would re-route to meet and talk to others. The friendships made were the best part of Alt for me. In fact, those friendships need a paragraph all on their own. See below:
I was lucky enough to room with a few gals (Kelly, Ashley, & Brittni) who I knew over the interwebs. We were cyber friends. And now I feel like they’re my best friends. It’s like girl’s camp. You stay up late with your new friends and talk about anything and everything. The best conversations were had at 2 in the morning. We got real. We discussed numbers. We discussed opportunities. We discussed ideas and collaborations. We weren’t jealous of each other’s successes! It was so refreshing to learn that others feel what I feel about blogging! I definitely recommend rooming with AT LEAST two others at Alt. Sharing beds is awesome and the conversation is even better. Good roomie tip: I danced my little heart out on Friday night at the Method/Girls With Glasses party. The parties were over and we went back to our room. We ordered pizza because we were starving. The pizza came. I devoured a few slices. And then passed out on the floor. Face down. In my party attire. Fur scarf and all. And my friends didn’t snap a pic and post it for the world to see even though I’m positive they had the desire. Good friends right there! 🙂
Never pass up a photobooth. I would like to take a moment to publicly apologize to everyone I took a photo with. I just can’t smile normal. It’s tough! The photobooths were killer this year. Smilebooth is the official photobooth supplier at Alt and they really delivered this year. Anytime you see one, you should just jump in and take a pic! It’s much easier than instagramming. 🙂
Pay attention to the keynotes. The man above is Stefan Sagmeister. His energy is infectious. I knew a little about him before attending Alt, but holy crap! The man blew me away! He had me laughing and then crying at the drop of a hat. I’d blame that on my lack of sleep, but I’m positive it’s because he was that inspirational to me. Stefan’s latest project, The Happy Show, is all about finding what makes one happy and doing it everyday. He shared a 10 minute clip of his documentary with us. I cried three times in those ten minutes! Three times! What the?!
The biggest thing I took away from his speech was that risks can work out. Doing what we are afraid to do can be the biggest life-changer. He spoke about how it is difficult for some to go out of their comfort zone and talk to others. If you have ever met me, you know that I will talk your ear off. I love to talk to people. I love to compliment people. I never truly realized that it can make others physically ill to do that. I always worried that I was such a chatterbox and that it would drive friends away. Now, I just see it as a blessing. I feel so lucky to be able to strike up a conversation about nothing anytime. And I will forever be thinking of those that are working to break out of the shell. I vow to find those people and help them do that. When Stefan’s movie comes out, who wants to come with me to see it?! I’ll be waiting anxiously for that one.
Check that photo above! That’s Darcy Miller! With me and Ashley! Honestly, meeting her was one of my favorite experiences at Alt Summit. And it was totally unplanned! I was having lunch with friends and a few of them were missing something (Martha Stewart Weddings mags. How appropriate!) so I went to find some for them. Ashley decided to come and help me carry them back. We’re walking down the hall and whaddayaknow? There’s Darcy just lookin’ all cute. She was so down to earth and very sweet. She complimented my shirt and I was THIS CLOSE to offering it her. We snagged a pic and she gave us some chocolate. It was five minutes. That’s all. And it was the best part of my day.
I’m going to stop things there. I’ll be sharing more recaps throughout the rest of the week and next. Check back later this afternoon for a few of my fave biz cards! I’m splitting them into categories and there are a lot! Can’t wait to share those with you. 🙂
Peace out.
For two hours…
photo cred: Stefan & Gabrielle by Justin Hackworth, Smilebooth photo by Smilebooth
Lexy is a prop stylist,party enthusiast, and recent transplant from Colorado to Arizona. Her work has been featured by 100 Layer Cake, Style Me Pretty, Daily Candy, Better Homes & Gardens, Country Living Magazine, BuzzFeed, and more! She is the founder of creative event series, EAT DRINK CREATE. 
It sounds like you had a wonderful time! Thanks for all those great tips at the beginning! I’d love to attend an Alt one day, but am nervous. You’re encouragement, however, is inching me closer and closer to making that big leap!
Allison! Take the leap! Take it! I swear it’s worth it. I had no idea what I was doing and neither did the majority of bloggers there! We all learn and grow together and it’s the best time. I really hope you’ll consider going next year! 🙂
It was beyond wonderful meeting you this weekend at Alt. I only wish we had had more time to talk! It was crazy, right? So much to do and see and hear in so little time! I’m already looking forward to next year. And thank you so much again for tracking down Lori for me so that I could tell her how much she helped me create my little business card. That gets even a little competitive at Alt! But in a good way! 😀
Christy! I’m so glad you had a great time! I wished we would have had more time to chat as well! It was a little hard to get a good conversation in with everyone! And you are so welcome about Laurie! I’m glad you were able to chat with her a bit! She’s very talented and it just so sweet!!! And your cards are darling! 🙂
Sounds like you had so much fun, Lexy! And learned a lot. I have had some amazing opportunities to collaborate with companies and I look at each as a blessing, but I really have no clue what I’m doing. And part of me feels like if I start “trying” then I’m setting myself up for failure. It sounds like Alt would have crushed my insecurities or shed some reality light on them.
Darcy was right, that blouse is fabulous.
Girlfriend. I wasn’t really sure what to expect at Alt. You go with a plan and you come home with a completely different (but so much better!) one. You are such an inspirational blogger to me and I know you would have just rocked Alt! Maybe next year!!!
Darcy was simply amazing. Best five minutes. Ever.
Ah I can’t believe you saw Stefan Sagmeister! Soooo rad. Does he live up to all the hype? Sounds like you had an amazing experience!
Girl, he totally lives up to all the hype. He was honestly the best keynote there. He was so inspirational and I canNOT stop talkinga bout him!!!
You’re just a doll and a half. xo
You are!
what a blast! i’m glad alt was a success for you! excited to hear about your hello social party too. sounds like a good time!
Heck yeah, kristine!!! It was a fun time and I’m soooooo glad The Hello Social is over! It was such a fun party but so much work! I’m posting all of the details tomorrow. Hope I make you proud!
Ugh, your passion for blogging and Alt is infectious! It sounds like you had an amazing time and I can’t wait to read more about it! Thanks for sharing – happy hump day!
Haha, Aimee! My passion for literally anything can be annoying!!! It was a wonderful experience and I hope you get there! The Diet Coke supply is the best part. 😉
I just had to say a supersized thank you for saying that if you think you’re not big enough to attend Alt you’re wrong. I am such a teeny tiny fish in this blogging pond but I have dreams of growth and would just die to attend Alt. I was the girl living vicariously through all of you on Instagram this past week. I just didn’t think I would belong there as a no name blogger but I am so ready to learn soooo much. I still am shaking in my boots at the thought of going next year and being amongst such incredible bloggers like yourself, but it was soul lifting to hear your encouragement!!!! Thank you, oh thank you.
Briana!!!! Girl, you just made my day! I’m still catching up from Alt and am super duper slow to respond to these comments, but when I read yours, it put the biggest smile on my face. Alt is for people who are growing their blogs and wanting to connect with others in the same situation! It wouldn’t be much of a conference if all of the biggest bloggers just sat around chatting with each other, now would it?!? I really hope you shoot to get there next year! I promise it will be worth it!!!
oh my goodness, this looks SO amazingly fun! I love following along with your alt adventures on instagram, made me feel like I was there.
Christine! Thank you! I’m so glad you feel like you were part of it! There were lots of people that couldn’t make it this year and I want you all in on the action!
so jealous!!
I love that I was included as an official roomie even though I never slept in the room. I think that pizza face plant thing will forever be an inside joke between the four of us…I had the best time with you three.
-B
You may as well have slept in our room. Or I should have just come and crawled in your bed. Next time….. You guys were my best memories. 🙂
You’re living testimony of all of this! Your blog has exploded and I am so proud of you, Lex! You are so dang talented and I love your enthusiasm.
Oh thanks, Meag! I don’t know if it’s exploded, but it has definitely grown! And it’s because of the support from friends like you! You’ve been my biggest fan from the beginning and I love ya! 🙂
I saw Sagmeister in Dublin, at this design event. Not up close like in that picture, he was speaking from up stage and I was sitting and listening. However, I had the same experience with his energy. Its contagious!
I wish there was an Alt summit like thing in Holland.. would be so awesome….
I vote that I just come to Holland and we hang out. Mini mini mini Alt Summit right there! Stefan Sagmeister is honestly the king of everything now. 🙂
i cant wait to hear all about Alt on Tuesday! Sounds like such a blast!
I just can’t wait to see you on Tuesday!!! Woo!
I am so glad to hear that I wasn’t the only one getting teary eyed during Stefan’s keynote. he was the best!
OMG, Patti. I still tell people the train story and I start crying every time! I’ve told it at LEAST five times since I’ve been home!
Lexy, I am loving these recaps! Makes me feel like I was there, even just in spirit 🙂 Hopefully we can meet in person one day at a future Alt Summit. I’m glad you had such a great time!
Xo, Ali
Hey Ali!!!! You need to get your butt to Alt next time! There’s an event in NYC and San Fran this year!!! You should go!
so so sad we didn’t get to meet at alt! great re-cap and looking forward to seeing you next year!! cheers! corey
Seriously! There were so many people there it was hard to meet everyone! A little frustrating, but thank heavens for the internet! Am I right?!?!
Awesome post! Thank you so much for sharing your recap! Very informative, felt like I was kind of there… 🙂 And hopefully I can see you next year! Cheers!
Thanks, Lesley! I hope it was able to explain what I learned. It was a wonderful experience and I’m crossing my fingers you get there next year!