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May 9, 2012

Lucky FABB recap : Part two

Now that I've had ample time to process what I learned at the Lucky FABB conference last week, I'm finally able to share what I took away from it in terms of the panelists, speakers, etc. (See my first recap here!)


Lucky's editor-in-chief Brandon Holley started the conference by asking how many of us would want to quit our jobs and blog full time. Needless to say, every hand in the room went up. Over the course of the day we'd hear from bloggers turned entrepreneurs who made this dream a reality.


The first panelist was designer Zac Posen (if you haven't seen his work, you must check it out!). He talked about how he took a huge risk by starting his own line but stressed the power of resilience. My favorite quote of his: "Reputation is repetition." Think about it!


It's no surprise that everyone was most anticipating seeing Jessica Alba. Along with her business partner Christopher Gavigan (left), she talked about how it's important to fill a niche, which she's doing with The Honest Company. Her best advice? "See your idea through to the finish line. There's someone on the other side who wants to hear it."


Hillary Kerr (center) and Katherine Power (right) from WhoWhatWear have paved the way for so many bloggers and it was awesome to hear from them in person. Also, Jennie Mai (left) told the inspiring story of how she got the attention of a talent agency after sitting in an office for over six hours, refusing to leave. It wasn't until Wanda Sykes mentioned her to the person "upstairs" that she was actually allowed a brief meeting. Proof that perseverance pays off!


There's a reason why Banana Republic has been creating collections based on the hit show "Mad Men." So it was definitely fun to hear from the costume designer and actress Kiernan Shipka, aka Sally Draper. To be honest, there wasn't a whole lot I took way from this panel, but as a fan of "Mad Men," I enjoyed hearing them chat.


One of the best parts of the conference was the semi-controversial subject of bloggers working with brands. Aimee Song of Song of Style (center) shared that she has an agent who represents her to companies to get her sponsorships, products, etc. This is a contested topic among bloggers, as some feel it takes away from the "organic" (another buzzword from Lucky FABB) nature of blogging. I'm definitely conflicted over this, but it's undeniable that bloggers who have someone represent them seem to be very successful.


One of my favorite speakers of the day was Amber Venz (right), who most bloggers recognize as the creator of affiliate program rewardStyle. If anyone knows about starting a successful business, it's Amber! She truly embraces the entrepreneurial spirit and understands what it takes to be successful. She stressed that it's best to keep it simple but don't ignore things that are new and cutting edge. (Those are the the ladies from Bag Snob next to her!)


Another really fantastic speaker was Jeff Rudes. If you haven't heard of him, you've most definitely heard of the business he created: J Brand jeans. He said to never forget that "it's very easy to do more, but much harder to do less. It's all in the edit." As someone who often over thinks and forgets that less can sometimes be more, this was a great reminder!


After a long morning and afternoon of panels, we split up into smaller breakout sessions. Mine was with Bri Emery of Design Love Fest. As someone who built her blog from the ground up, she had a lot of really common sense tips. For example, the pictures on your blog should all be the same width. Why didn't I think of that!? Every blogger should read the recap she wrote for her blog. Check it out here!

This was supposed to be the first of two breakout sessions, but since we were running behind schedule we only had one. I really found this to be beneficial, so I'm hoping they make more time for these sessions at future Lucky FABB events.


The last speaker of the day was Randi Zuckerberg, sister of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. I seriously could have listened to her talk all day. She was smart, funny and so insightful. And if anyone knows about creating a really ridiculously successful business, it's this gal! I took her advice, which was, "the best thing you can do is listen." And I did just that.

I could probably go on all day about the things I took away from the conference. There was so much great advice, but the most repeated message was that if you treat your blog like a business, it'll turn into one. As long as you stay true to yourself, create original, captivating content, and don't model yourself after anyone else - bloggers included - you'll be a success. Because, ultimately, you are your brand. And that's why people were drawn to you in the first place!

If you have any questions about anything I learned or want to know more, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. I'd be happy to share more with you!

XO,
Alison

6 comments:

  1. Great recap - you got some good pictures too! :)

    http://www.pennypincherfashion.com

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  2. Great recap, really enjoyed reading it! Glad you had a great time!

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  3. Great recap Alison, seems like you learned a lot!

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  4. Both of your recaps have been great and very insightful! I will definitely have to take you up on "learning more!"

    xo,
    Natalie

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  5. Thanks for sharing. It encourages me to keep going in this " Blog world." Even though I hate computers, for some reason I am driven to do my blog site. I am a new blogger, not even quite 2 months yet. I hope to hang in there and I always enjoy seeing what you and other bloggers are doing.

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