use promo code shipping200 to get free shipping on your purchase over $200

A MUST | Create & Cultivate

by Taylor Gilkey Laird February 26, 2018 0 Comments

Whoa, what a whirl wind.

I just got back from my second Create & Cultivate conference and all I can say is WOW. To the tiny Create & Cultivate team of TEN, BRAVO. These conferences just keep getting better and better.

What is C&C? It is:

"a movement for women looking to create & cultivate the career of their dreams."

And it's not just all hype. There's SO much to be taken away from, AMAZING goodies included.

Last Saturday's conference took place in sunny Los Angeles which happened to be wicked cold...

I went into the day most excited to hear from Jen Gotch of Ban.Do and Kelly Wearstler . I was lucky enough to have Jen as one of my "mentors" and later privileged to listen in on Kelly speak as a panelist, then hangout post panel for a good chat.

Let me take a few steps back to tell you a little about the conference itself. There were 1500 women in attendance and keynote speakers consisted of Chrissy Teigen and Kim Kardashian. Ummm what? Yup, I inhaled the same air that Chrissy and Kim did. You can say that I qualify as a good friend of theirs now, right?

Chrissy was more endearing and gorgeous than I ever imagined and Kim was more humble and sweet spoken that I'd anticipated. All I have to say is, who's up next, C&C?!

The day was filled with informational/thought provoking conversations, amazing food, endless talent and most importantly down to earthnessness (ya, I just invented that word). That was one of my greatest takeaways from this conference. EVERYONE there was there to cultivate. There was zero snobbery. We were all there to network, learn and GROW.

Highlights and Takeaways:

Panelists like Jacey Duprie of Damsel in Dior became a friend of mine as I waited to use the facilities, no longer an IG celebrity, but a potential collaborator.
Turns out Kelly Wearstler is actually THAT gorgeous and even more cosmopolitan in person than Elle Decor's recent publication. She's relatable and made a point to compliment MY work. Scheduling a Kelly Wearstler studio tour is in the works (huzzzaaahhhh!!!)
Jen Gotch accepting the fact that I named a Gilkey Co. bag in honor and is NOT weirded out!
Jen recapping her young years with Ban.Do and providing invaluable information on how to scale Gilkey Co...
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen
Did I say Chrissy Teigen?
Education on VC funding.
The art of being scrappy and why more often than not, staying scrappy is the way to go.
Hiring Help: If it's time, make sure it's someone who compliments the work you do and can take on work that you might not be good at.
Sometimes breaking even in enough, if it gets you great exposure.
Trust your gut. Go with your instinct.
Surround yourself only with those who are encouraging.
Your reputation is your resume.
Start by starting. Don't over think it. Take the leap and be prepared to iterate.
Lastly, "You are exactly where you need to be!"