Growing up with many female influences in my personal life has generally made me gravitate towards smart, creative, and interesting women as a whole.  Joining the Style Collective was one of those no brainer decisions I made after watching founder, Annie Spano, week after week hustle as hard to achieve her dream as I was to achieve mine.  I knew that being around her energy would rub off on me.  She not only recruited me, but many  like me.  These women were like minded motivated females all trying to change their story.

When the Style Collective announced that it would be having its first conference I dare say I was the first to register.  I was thrilled at the prospect of being around other women, mothers, and bloggers that were all trying to navigate a new industry that allows women to authentically share themselves with the world.

Last month we all met up in the beautiful Cannon Room in the heart of Raleigh. NC!  A beautiful space that inspired and enthused us. The agenda was filled with women that I wanted to hear and learn from and best of all, they were willing to share!  Among many highlights from the conference, here are my top three.

The Venue

The Cannon Room was named after the first female Mayor of Raleigh, Isabell Cannon.  With that as a backdrop it was just the perfect vibe and space, intimate yet spacious and generously lit with its large windows.  It made for an inviting space that made us want to network in.   Lucky for us, this room has already been booked for next years conference!

The Influencer Panel

With our blog, we try to be open and honest about our journey as women and as mothers.  At the conference, we were lucky enough to hear from mother to be Holly of @MakeTodayAHollyDay, Courtney of @CourtEInk, and Keke of @StyleYourSelfie and they were wonderful! Each shared their story, journey, and ideas generously with all of us.  I recall chatting with Holly and discussing giveaway ideas!  I really appreciated that!

The Agenda

Generally we had a lot of information that we needed to cover during sessions, so by Sunday afternoon we were tired.   The agenda, however, anticipated that we would need creative breaks.  We had the chance to play in a live photo booth and network in a beautiful corner space.  The agenda also included a cocktail hour on Saturday night and a trolley ride surprise on Sunday!  Everything had been thought out and considered.  The team at Style Collective did an amazing job putting it all together (Thank You!).

I, along with my fellow chicks, am truly grateful for the camaraderie and the learning and I am looking forward to next year. Here is a peek at all the fun!

Your Chick,

Rina Puri

Shop all the cutest looks from the weekend!