What I Learned at the Haven Conference

The Haven Conference

I just returned home from the Haven Conference in Atlanta, Ga. and it was one of the most inspirational weeks of my life. As a blogger, influencer and owner of a small media company, I work out of my home and communicate with a lot of people online. Having the chance to meet all of these people in one setting is pretty special and I am so thankful for the opportunity. The photo above represents all of the gals I have had the chance to get to know, share ideas and grow with over the past few years. I was thrilled to host these ladies at my brother’s home in Atlanta. This is what I love most about my job. These people!

If you are not familiar with the Haven Conference, it is a three day Conference held annually for home decor bloggers and influencers. The conference offers general sessions, workshops, mentor sessions, one on one time with sponsors and vendors and a lot of networking time. Does it get any better than this?

The schedule for this year’s conference can be found here. This year I attended and had double duties as a mentor and a presenter. I have to say I loved both of these responsibilities!  I attended all of the sessions and as many workshops as I could and spent a lot of time talking with the sponsors. It was incredible.

So What Did I Learn at the Haven Conference? 

It might be easier to answer “what didn’t I learn at the conference?”. But I can summarize that I am more motivated and inspired than I have ever been about my job. I have more clarity and understand I need to work smarter, not harder. I definitely need to raise my fees for collaborations. And my goal for the next twelve months is to focus on my blog.

More specifically, I was incredibly inspired by the talk Karianne Woods at Thistlewood Farms shared with all of us at lunch on Saturday. If you don’t know Karianne then you must get to know her! She is genuine, honest, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and has a hear of gold. Karianne is always promoting others and I want to have coffee with Karianne. For like a year. She is really that amazing. And she is smart, focuses on her blog and works really hard. She does all of the things I want to do! I think I want to be Karianne when I grow up.

Meeting the Sponsors of the Haven Conference

I love meeting with all of the sponsors of the Haven Conference.  Home Depot shared their new bath and bed collection. We all know that we can buy everything we need to build and remodel our homes at Home Depot. Did you know you can now buy everything you need to furnish it at Home Depot? How cool is that! They showcased their bedding and bath collection and I found the towels for our Waco Fixer Upper short term rental. I am so excited.

I also attended dinners hosted by Grove Collaborative and Home Depot. These events were amazing!

Workshops

There were a lot of workshops in the schedule and as I mentioned, my friend Holly from Our Faux Farmhouse and I taught a class called Tools of the Instagram Trade. We shared our experiences and secrets about how we have grown our Instagram accounts and also how we have worked with brands. I love my partnerships with brands and sharing my experiences was so much fun.

There were so many people who attended the workshop (we taught two days) and it was very inspiring. I am writing another blog post with highlights from the workshop so stay tuned for that later this week.

I have written a lot of articles on my blog about how I grew my Instagram account and first started out. Follow the links below to learn more.

How I Started my Instagram // The Biz of Blogging // Part One

Working With Brands // The Biz of Blogging // Part Two

Why Every Blogger Needs an Editorial Calendar // The Biz of Blogging // Part Three

How Much is Too Much // The Biz of Blogging // Part Four

To Blog or Not to Blog? // The Biz of Blogging // Part Five

The Biz of Blogging // Understanding the Nuts and Bolts of Your Blog // Part Six

Are Giveaways a Good Thing? // The Biz of Blogging

Are You Losing Instagram Followers? // The Biz of Blogging

One of my favorite workshops was taught by Julie Blanner. She is the smartest gal I know when it comes to running a blogging business and you need to get to know her! She has been a huge help to me and I learned so much in her workshop. You should follow her blog Julie Blanner and her Instagram Julie Blanner.

Mentors at the Haven Conference

One of my favorite responsibilities at the Haven Conference was as a Mentor. This is my favorite part about Haven because they put everyone in a mentor group. It’s a great chance to instantly meet people and talk about anything you want. We shared a lot and I loved every minute. These women were all a part of my group and we sure had fun!

My group included ladies from the following accounts: The Pickled Rose, SonyaBurgess.com, Farmhouse 4010, Unexpected Elegance, Old Tyme Marketplace, VKL Interiors, JorDecor, PNW Farmhouse Design Co, Lemons to Lovelys, Girlbosses, Domaine Layne, This Delightful Life, Remington Ranch Farmhouse, Essential Era, Debra Hall Lifestyle, Life by Leanna, our_whitefarmhouse_, and Rustic Urban Life. (We had a lot of additions, so if I missed anyone please let me know!)

So What’s Next?

I have been out of town for ten days so I need to catch up. Ha. I really am motivated and I cannot wait to make some strategic plans for my business. I am looking forward to focusing on my blog and getting some help. And I will work smarter, not harder. That I can promise you.

If you feel you missed out, then you need to attend the Haven Conference in 2020. They haven’t announced the dates or location, but tickets usually go on sale in late February or early March. I would suggest you put it on your calendar.

(photo credit: @lifebyleanna  @casagrella)