Q&A about #RSTHECON

I remember like it was yesterday, the day I received the email with my invite to the RewardStyle Conference. I was in shock and so excited because I had been dreaming about the day of being able to attend the conference. I had applied for Rewardstyle/Liketoknow.it 2 times before being accepted in the past, so lets just say I have come a long way. To me, being able to be amongst other influencers, learn, and sharing our journey was an experience I couldn’t wait to have.

So lets dive in with a few of the questions that I have received, and there is no holding back with these answers!

What in the heck is the RewardStyle Conference?

The RewardStyle Conference is an annual invite only conference hosted in Dallas, Texas. The top 200 influencers that use the Liketoknow.it app are invited, and believe me its more than just bloggers looking cute and running around to take pictures. You are able to network, meet with brands, have one-on-one brand meetings, and attend sessions based off of the topics we were able to pick from prior. RewardStlye also knows how to through great parties, with no details left behind!

How many WOC were at the event?

I know that often times we are not represented, but I can honestly say if we are speaking of WOC as a whole, there were a few of us there from Black, Asian, and Brazilian. Now if you want to break it down even further, there were 11 black influencers there, including me. Out of 200, there is still some major work to do! At the same time, you have to look at it like this… We as black people have to support each other. If you see someone posted on the liketoknow.it page you need to go heart the photo, comment, save, and show that we have a voice on this platform and want to see more of us. Also, you have to support influencers that are posting on the app. If there is something that I post and you want to buy it, the best way to support would be to download the app and shop my looks from there. If you want to see more representation and the culture represented then you have to support us in being the top sellers on the app. POINT BLANK! We cant do it without support from our own people. Lastly, I want to add that many of the influencers that attended the conference were NEWBIES!!! That is super exciting, especially for influencers like me with a smaller following.

3 things I’ve learned from the conference.

1. Network. I believe that I can talk to anyone, but when you are in a room full of people that literally have the power to sign you for your next campaign, I tend to get a little nervous. I tried to make sure I was myself, and speak to every brand no matter what. Being able to put my name out there, and letting people meet me in person and speak about my brand was something that was priceless. Seriously, special thank you the RewardStyle team for making that happen for all of us influencers.
2. Building a Household Name. I started this as a hobby, and it has literally turned into a business for me. I have to start to think about where I want my business to go in the future, and I learned that this is the perfect time to start thinking about just that!
3. SEO. I had no idea prior about SEO, but lets just say I took tons of notes in that class to get me started.

What I wore to #RStheCon

DAY 1 | CHECK IN & POOL PARTY

DAY 2 | MAIN STAGE

DAY 2 | BRAND MEETINGS

DAY 2 | COCKTAIL PARTY WITH EBAY

DAY 3 | BRAND SUITES

DAY 3 | CLASSES

DAY 3 | FINALE PARTY

Few Memorable Moments…

1. Hallway Chat with Amber Venz Box. Amber is the founder of Rewardstyle and I happened to run into her a few times in the hallway of the hotel as she was going back and forth to her room. She is so personable, and we hit it off of course about our kids. We both have little ones, and talked about our crazy schedules and lives. She inspired me because she is a busy mom and is making it happen. Her and Baxter Box (her husband) have started such amazing companies, and each day strive to make this influencer world a place were we can be profitable and grow!
2. Going Live on IG. Not sure if you got to see it or not, but a few of us girls that were WOC decided to go live and answer all of your questions in regards to how we were liking it at the conference and why we attended. It was such a powerful moment because many didn’t believe we could be there, and or was surprised by our experience. The experience was great, and I have no complaints on my end. Like I said earlier, if you would like to see more WOC attend the conference, then you must support any POC that may be on the platform. I know that our voices are being heard, and they are moving in the right direction. We have a few ideas that we would actually like to share with RewardStyle, so I can’t wait to be able to do that with the girls.
3. Connecting with People. I was able to connect with other bloggers that I follow and admire. It is crazy how you think you are someones bestie because you follow them on social media, then you meet them in person and y’all hit it off! It is like you already know about each others lives. At the JcPenny lunch, our table had the deepest convo where people shared personal moments about their lives, tears were shed, and we all connected on an even personal level. We shared stories of how being a black woman in this industry is tough, and what our plans were to change it so that others won’t have to go through what we have in the past. This conference sparked those conversations because we were able to connect and bond with each other.

I am still beyond excited that I had the opportunity to attend the conference. Make sure you are following me on the LikeToKNOWit app as I post tons of looks that are not on my instagram feed.