Back in February, I signed up for my first Creative at Heart Conference. At the time, I had no idea just how transformative this conference would be for me because I was in a different season of my business. I didn’t know it at the time, but this conference would come just one week after leaving my full-time job to pursue entrepreneurship. And while I know I have a lot to do to get to the place I want to be, I will be forever grateful for the knowledge I’m walking away with and the friendships that were made.

Over 4 days in Raleigh, I was surrounded by over 100 creatives and numerous educators in the industry that spoke to all aspects of running a creative business. I was blown away by the content and the inside glimpse they gave into their businesses. The educators truly spoke straight from the heart and I know that I wasn’t the only one who cried multiple times throughout the conference.

While I have a ton of takeaways I could tell you about, I want to share just one. Creative at Heart gave me the confidence and the permission to be the person that I want to be. That’s a person who isn’t ashamed to have multiple passions in life. A person who can create a life she wants. A person who realized that the path she was on, wasn’t the right one for her. A person who recognizes that life is short and you should be doing a job that brings you joy and happiness, not stress and anxiety.

“How brave are you willing to be?” This was the quote on the notebooks we were given for the conference, and I’m happy to say that I’m ready to be pretty damn brave. Enjoy some of my favorite photos from C@H round 7!

We stayed at the cutest Air B&B in the historic district of Raleigh!

The hosts left us pastries and beer! p.s.- I’m obsessed with brick in kitchens.

Beasley’s Chicken & Honey was a highlight of our trip! So delicious!

The outside of our Air B&B had the cutest front porch.

How beautiful is the Merrimon-Wynne House?

I met Caroline Doll, a fellow PR gal, who truly helped me figure out the answers to a few big questions I had. I am so grateful for her and her willingness to meet with me and talk through things!

If you follow the creative industry, you have probably heard of Katelyn James. She is an incredible wedding photographer and educator who I have looked up to for years. I met her in person and was so excited to tell her that I was actually mistaken for her on the opening night when someone came up to me and said “Oh my gosh, you’re Katelyn James!” It has to be the red hair & bangs!

Sending a huge thank you to Kat and all of the people on her team that made this conference so wonderful. I can’t even begin to image all the work that goes into putting on a conference like this, but I am so grateful that they continue to provide this life-changing opportunity to creatives. I also want to send a huge thank you to my incredible husband who made the trip to Raleigh with me and continues to support me in so many ways.

Here’s to the creatives!