The School of Styling | July 2018

Sep 11

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This past July we attended the The School of Styling for their #TSOSNorthCarolina workshop, a dream of mine for years! I have been following Kaitlin Holland, TSOS’s founder, on instagram for some time and in awe of the tribe she’s created and the inspiring education that she was offering at The School of Styling! I decided 2018 was my year and I was going to make the investment in education to better grow myself and my small business with their workshop program for creatives.

On our first day of the workshop, we were asked to write down one word. One word that was our ‘Why’ for attending the workshop. It may of seemed a bit cliché at first, but I wrote down: ‘Inspire’. And I didn’t just mean, I want to create pretty florals and feel inspired with design (although, yes - yes I did want that too!), but what I meant was I needed to feel inspired again.

Prior to arriving to the workshop in July, I was spending 12 hours a day with my head in a growing email inbox, stressing over my upcoming weddings and honestly, just not feeling like I was enough. Enough for my clients, enough for the job of being a business owner, enough for my husband and even to our little rambunctious dachshund. Every day felt heavy because I was letting the stress of being a business owner take over my life and not setting myself up for success. I wanted to leave the workshop feeling inspired again and remember the reasons I started my business: and that’s because I absolutely love being a wedding planner.

It’s hard to put into words just how amazing my experience was but to put it simply, it was absolutely magical. I left with even more motivation that I could have ever imagined! It was everything I needed and more to re-group, grow and focus on the future of not only my business, but also my journey as a creative entrepreneur and what that looks like for the future.

I had the opportunity to learn from some incredibly talented entrepreneurs who are making huge strides and changing the entrepreneurship game to new heights. A few of my favorite sessions was “Cultivating longevity & growth in a constantly evolving industry,” with Laura Hooper and Alyssa Law of Laura Hooper Calligraphy, “Creative Tabletop Styling,” & “Sales for Creative Businesses” with Becca Atchison of Rebecca Rose Events, as well as “Lucrative Learning, Part I: Identifying Alternative Revenue Streams & Creating & Launching Your Program in 90 Days,” with Jeannie Sullivan. Honestly though, I felt every session felt so inspiring and useful as a creative entrepreneur!!

It was truly a life-changing three days that I will forever cherish. There is nothing quite comparable to the education that I learned and the long-lasting connections I formed with our intimate group of 20 creative ladies and workshop speakers & partners — who to my surprise and relief struggle with the SAME stress and worries as I do. I found SO much value in going to The School of Styling, that I have even decided to attend next year!! I can’t wait to continue to grow and see what next year’s workshop has in store.

Below is a glimpse into the experience and our very own styled table and floral arrangement that we created during the workshop! For my fellow creatives wondering if The School of Styling is worth the investment to go, I can only sum it up in one sentence: You will not regret it.