This post recaps a sponsored trip. My expenses were covered. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Hi Friends-
Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Eat Sea Retreat at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Thanks to the resort and a couple of other amazing sponsors – Stonyfield and Nature’s Path, a small group of amazing bloggers were able to get together for a few days to eat, drink and chat about blogging and life.
Our group included:
- Amelia at Eating Made Easy
- Liz at The Lemon Bowl
- Ashley at Edible Perspective
- Lauren at Climbing Grier Mountain
- Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats
- Megan at Wanna Be A Country Cleaver
- Nikki at Seeded At The Table
- Me!
The group was the perfect size for productive, yet intimate blogging sessions and for me it was a great mix of bloggers I knew very well and some I was less familiar with. When I was initially invited on this trip, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go. My plan was not to travel much until Squish was a little older but as I learned more about it- who was going, what the agenda was, I decided it would be worth it.
And I was so right. It’s probably the most valuable thing I’ve ever done for my blog.
Being a part-time or full-time blogger is a somewhat unique career and because of that, it can be a bit isolating. It’s not like we all work in the same building, or even the same city! We don’t always get a chance to meet the people we interact with every day. Opportunities like this are wonderful because they allow bloggers to connect in person and talk about the behind the scenes blogging things that people in your personal life might not necessarily understand because they’re not bloggers themselves. It allowed us to share tips and tricks, offer constructive criticism and critiques, brainstorm and problem solve.
But probably most importantly, it allowed us to support each other. I titled this post with one of my favorite quotes “We rise by lifting others”, because although all 8 of us are bloggers and some of us even blog in similar niches, work with the same brands, etc, there wasn’t a single time during the trip where I didn’t feel 100% SUPPORTED & ENCOURAGED by everyone else who was there.
Blogging is a tricky beast and if you let it, it can easily become a cut-throat, competitive, money-obsessed occupation. But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, this retreat just went to show that in many cases, bloggers can be each other’s best advocates and supporters.
One of my favorite activities from the trip was what I’d call the “struggle circle”. We all came up with one thing we’ve been struggling with lately, described our problem to the group and then we went around and everyone offered a suggestion or solution. Since we all had unique experiences and insights, everyone left with several different ideas and suggestions for fixing their problem. We covered everything from time management to rebranding to blogging burnout to figuring out how much to charge the companies we work with and so much more. And many of us found ourselves relating to more than one of the struggles.
It was so refreshing to be able to chat with people who understood what I was going through or had been in my position previously and could offer insight. Most of us have been blogging for 5+ years and to be able to have a “meeting of the minds” like this where we could share experiences, tools, suggestions and encouragement was absolutely invaluable.
I could go on and on about my trip but I’ll leave you with these 5 valuable lessons that this trip helped remind me of:
1) Stop comparing yourself to others. What are you doing when you’re comparing yourself to others? You’re doing nothing to move yourself forward!
2) Just do it. There’s never going to be a “perfect” time to do something, whether it’s increasing your rates, quitting your job, rebranding, whatever. It’s always going to be scary, but you’ll never know until you try.
3) Find your niche and rock it! You cannot please everyone. If you try to, you’ll end up being mediocre in lot of areas instead of excelling at a few.
4) Get help. If there are things you don’t enjoy doing or don’t make the best use of your skills or talents, find someone else to help you do them.
5) Spread the love. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, support you and encourage you and make sure you’re doing the same for those people.
To give you a brief recap of our trip: I got to LAX around 9am on Thursday and took a cab to Amelia’s house. We ran to Whole Foods & the farmer’s market to get some supplies and then headed up to the resort. After we unpacked, we met up with Ashley, Megan and Lauren at the pool. Liz & Kristin arrived and we headed back to our villas for a happy hour.
That evening we had a several course dinner complete with wine pairings that was incredible. Friday morning we were up early and after a delicious breakfast thanks to our sponsor and then we spent the rest of the morning taking turns leading sessions.
Liz and I shared our tips for productivity tools and time management techniques, Ashley and Kristin talked about building a loyal following and Lauren and Nicki branched out and talked a bit about how to approach brands and expand your portfolio. The great thing about the sessions is that we had a rough outline but then we were able to each chime in whenever we wanted and address other related issues that came up.
After our session we had lunch on the patio of our villa cooked by some of the resort chefs and then we squeezed in a little more time at the pool before heading back to our villa to get head shots taken. We enjoyed a happy hour at one of the other resort restaurants and then came back to make dinner and chat some more.
Saturday morning we fit in a couple more sessions before the first group of us headed to the airport. It was a quick trip but it was jam packed with useful information.
Like I mentioned before, I found the chance to get together with such amazing women and fellow entrepreneurs in a small-group setting to invaluable and it definitely gave me a push to make some changes and improvements I’ve been contemplating for a while now.
Huge thanks again to Terranea, Stonyfield and Nature’s Path for making it possible and to Amelia for organizing such a great retreat.
A few sponsor-related notes:
- If you’re looking for a California vacation destination, I highly recommend Terranea Resort. The resort staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, the rooms/villas we stayed in were spacious and clean and the resort itself was beautiful, with all sorts of available activities from hiking to spa treatments to poolside lounging. It was like escaping to Hawaii for the weekend- without the extra-long flight!
- Stonyfield has a couple of relatively new products you should check out: Greek & Chia Yogurt and Oh My Yog! I hadn’t tried either before the retreat and I liked them both! The Oh My Yog is delicious for dessert!
- Nature’s Path Organic also has tons of great products. My favorite was the Qi’a Superfoods Hot Oatmeal packets we got to try for breakfast. They were a fun change from my regular oatmeal and SO delicious. I loved the Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed flavor!
Let’s chat:
What’s the most valuable life lesson you’ve learned or been reminded of lately?
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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What a fun trip! I’ve always wanted to meet my fellow bloggers in person and share ideas with each other. Looks like you all had a fabulous time. 🙂
it was a great time!
The blogging world is a fantastic community that never ceases to amaze me! Sounds like a wonderful trip!
It sounds like a great trip! I’d be nervous hosting a bunch of food bloggers such as yourselves, at least about serving the tastiest of foods! ha Great pics. 🙂
haha they definitely delivered on the food!
One thing I really cherish about blogging are the relationships I’ve built. I have always felt supported and never like I was in competition with anyone. I really think that makes blogging unique. You don’t find that support in many other occupations. Glad you enjoyed your trip! Looks gorgeous and fun!
i agree… such great support out there!
blogging for me is catharsis and the relationships? have changed my life.
I loved seeing your pictures etc on instagram and living vicariously through your joy.
What an incredible experience! Is the hope for this conference to be public next year?
i don’t think so, but you never know!
That sounds like such an amazing experience! I’m lucky that I’ve found so many bloggers here in Richmond because it’s just fun connecting with people that share a huge passion for the same type of thing! Bloggers are a unique bunch and it’s so fun to meet each other in real life! 🙂
that’s awesome that you have so many close by!
i so love this and these women and you! so true and what a wonderful nourishing time. <3
What a great experience! I love the title of this post. 🙂
What a fantastic opportunity! I love connecting with other bloggers – they “get it”!!
yep. there’s just no one else who really gets it like they do
Sounds like an amazing trip- I was very jealous of the pics of your view you posted on instagram!
What a wonderful opportunity!!
I LOVE meeting other bloggers in person, because you definitely share something in common that is fun to discuss — life behind the computer. And of course, I think these press trips are great. You guys were fed well! “Struggle circle” is totally something I plan to use. Glad you decided to go on this one, Lindsay! 🙂
it was such a useful exercise!
Blogger friends are some of the best people you can have in your corner! They are always supportive, are great sounding boards, and they are people that you can be honest and open with without having to feel competitive. I am truly blessed to have some great “blends” in my corner 🙂
yay! love hearing that! so important!
This sounds like such an amazing trip! And thanks for the blogging words of wisdom, just what I needed! 🙂
glad they were helpful!
So so so true!!! As a blogger and student taking most courses online I CRAVE the time when I get to see other people, whether it’s meeting other bloggers, teaching a group fitness class, or studying at a coffee shop instead of in my kitchen. Looks like a fantastic trip, Lindsay!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
It was so great seeing you again and getting to spend more time together. I absolutely love your recap of the days spent at Terranea. It was just what I needed and helped me get out of this sort of wishy-washy place I’ve been stuck in. I’m glad you felt refreshed from the trip as well!
you too! three cheers for refreshed bloggers!
What a blast! I stayed at Terranea for the CrossFit Games last year — it was AMAZING!
right?! so gorgeous!
I am in love with this post 🙂 And it makes me SO happy to hear that you found the retreat so valuable. I knew we would all enjoy ourselves in this beautiful location but you never know how the programming part is going to go. I’m glad you came away with information & inspiration, I definitely did!! Can’t wait til we can reunite again! xoxo
you’re the best. thanks again for organizing!
It sounds like you had an amazing time and hashed out great ideas with some lovely ladies. I especially love tip #5″ Spread the Love” surrounding yourself around people who believe in you is key. You are that for me. Love ya! You’re amazing.
love you!
Looks like a wonderful meeting of the minds 🙂 I’ve been learning lately just how important it is to be myself and stay true to that no matter what I see other people doing….just because it’s working for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for me because we could be (and likely are) completely different people. It’s actually been very freeing!!!
yes! i’m working on adopting this mindset as well!
The title of this post really sums up one of life’s most important lessons. Competitiveness and getting others down to feel better yourself only hurt. Helping others even by offering small favours or lending an ear alone is bringing much more kindness to the world. … and there I’m rambling.
It looks like you had a one of a kind experience once more proving that the friendships made are truly the best part of blogging. Living overseas it’s a far-away dream as of now but I hope I’ll be able to attend a blogging conference myself one day.
you never know!!! i’ll keep my fingers crossed for you 🙂
It was so wonderful to spend a few days with you face to face for a change!! It really was priceless and I hope we get to do it again soon!
meeee tooooo! xo
Looks like an awesome trip! One of the first things I did when I started my blog was join a blogging group and I have been in one every since. They are great for networking, support, and sharing ideas. I love our meet ups and it sounds like your trip was similar. Glad you enjoyed it!
so glad you have a strong network of support too!
What a wonderful opportunity. It’s so easy to compare ourselves to others and feel insecure, so your post was such a great reminder NOT to do that! It’s all about mentoring and support :… and having fun.
yes! fun is the most important part!
Love your recap! This retreat was exactly what I needed too! It was so nice to meet you and I hope we cross paths again soon!
great to meet you as well!! xo
Sounds like a fantastic experience! Thanks for the tips. As a newer blogger it’s easy to get wrapped up in everything everyone else is doing instead of focusing on my personal goals. I look forward to retreats like this someday!
it’s definitely an easy trap! focusing on moving yourself forward is so much more important!
This sounds like such an amazing retreat. Glad you had such a great time!
What a great post! One of the things I’ve been so amazed and touched by is how supportive bloggers are of each other, especially in the dietitian community. In the places I worked before, I’ve run into a lot of backstabbing, gossip, and negativity. It makes me so happy that us RD bloggers can be a great example of community and lifting others!
i agree! it’s the best community!
Connecting with other bloggers in person is such a treat. I’m going to the Word Camp in my city next month, and I’m so excited to get to meet and connect with other bloggers.
oooh have fun!
What an amazing opportunity!
I think we all gain more by lifting each other up, than by competing. I believe there’s room for everyone, and I love that.
definitely room for all!
I’m so glad your trip was great! I love hearing about other bloggers being supportive. Even though I’m not really blogging as a job that pays, all of this was still so relevant advice!
i agree. it can cover a lot of general aspects of life!
Loved this Lindsay! Thank you for sharing!!!!
It sounds like you had an awesome trip! I think your message about lifting others up can apply to any aspect of life.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I was wondering what the trip was when I saw your fab Instagram pics 😉 Your experience reminds me of how I felt after Blog Brulee last year. It was an incredible experience, I learned so much from others and it was such fun to meet blogger friends in person!
yay! so glad you got to have a similar experience!
That looks like so much fun! I love a good mastermind because I come back motivated and ready to rock it out! Thanks for sharing 😉
yes! ready to rock for sure
Great recap! I’m so glad to have met you and learn from you! Can we go back? 🙂
yep! we need round 2 for sure!
That sounds like such an amazing trip and so informative and helpful! It makes all the difference in the world to have a great support group behind you…no matter what you’re doing! 🙂
so true!
I love this post so much. Even without being there, I got so energized by reading it. Having a supportive community is so important for us bloggers – I’m going to to try and reach out to the bloggers commenting on this post as there are many of you who I haven’t gotten to know yet! 🙂
yay kate! hope you make some new friends 🙂
This is the happiest, warmest post – it made me feel so good to read! It makes such a huge difference to feel like people are rooting for you and helping you succeed, and that you can do the same for them. I love that you had this opportunity to talk to other amazing bloggers face-to-face – it’s something we can so easily forget we need, but it is SO valuable – both personally and professionally. <3 this!!
agree! def important on a personal AND professional level
Looks like you had a blast! I’ve been to the Terranea, it is gorgeous. I’m jealous, I’d love to go again!! Good thing you didn’t pass up the trip!! xox 🙂
i agree! well worth the trip!
The best part of blogging community, is support 🙂 you deserve this trip, you support other bloggers all the time 🙂
It’s really amazing to see a group come together like this. Also those eats look absolutely amazing, great job. This is so encouraging for similar blogging niches to do something like this and meet up!