Think positive. Live well. #GoodRootsFest
Finding out about this event was a classic I-clicked-a-bunch-of links-and-found-myself-rather-far-from-my-original-search kind of find. But of course, these quite often make for some the best adventures! And when I saw that a handful of women I follow were going to be speaking, well how could I refuse!? The day started out like your average. I missed my alarm but just about made the train by getting a taxi to the station. Arrived in Waterloo all excited with time to spare so I headed up to Carnaby Street - because shopping! Got there realised the shops I wanted weren't open until later on a Saturday so I got back on the tube and headed for Dalston (near Shoreditch).
I arrived at the MC Motors old garage around 11am, got my goodie bag at the entrance and felt a rush of excitement stepping in. This was so my vibe!! Conscious food and clothing full of bloggers and empowered entrepreneurs all jumbled into a rundown but done up old garage. It could have easily been the set of Grease. It took me a whole two minutes to grab out my Lumix and start vlogging it!
For some reason it still throws me sometimes how 'human' famous names are. Sure some can be more aloof or nothing like their onscreen persona, but they are still real and began from scratch like the rest of us.
I must also note that I have only ever fan-girled once in my life ever. And that was when I met Mark Francis from Made In Chelsea last Christmas. It's ok! I redeemed myself by having a chat with him in Portuguese.
Having missed out on tickets to her talk, the last person I was expecting to see let alone meet was Deliciously Ella. But, I did! Stood in front of the Mae Deli pop-up stall, I was expecting to see a rope and queues around her. But nothing! Chatting happily with mums and taking selfies with daughters she was a friendly, chatty well, human! I couldn't believe my luck! Double-checking there was no queue I asked if I could take a photo with her after which I spluttered some generic "I love your books" silliness - mostly because my brain couldn't process anything else. Her boyfriend then checked the time and whisked her away to her talk. I felt giddy for a good ten minutes after that.
After sampling some of the stall delights outside - which consisted of Vita Coco, Bodyism and a few others - I made my way into the warehouse. This was where the Grease-thing really hit for me. You walked into an open space where the guest speakers gave smaller talks about their own stories and journey with conscious eating. I was super happy that I got to watch Calgary Avansino and Madeleine Shaw! Followed by a Mariachi band!?
Talking to vendors about their brand stories and hearing about how they got to where they have is SO interesting! And of course the best way to sell is through a story.
You know when you feel like you've found your "tribe"? I felt that too. Here was a group of millennials who were interested in bettering the world and inspiring others to be their best selves all through positive intentions. All under one tin roof. I vlogged to my heart's content, took pictures, got chatting to other early twenty somethings trying to make a path for themselves. It was magical!
Then came an even better pivotal moment. Watching Niomi Smart, Mel from Hemsley Hemsley, Madeleine Shaw, Liberty London Girl and hostess Phanella Mayall Fine on "From Blog to business" panel.
I feel like I've overused the word "inspiring", but these women really are. Nothing quite sits with people like hearing successful people's stories.
Entrepreneurship - the willingness to take risks and develop, organise and manage a business venture in a competitive global marketplace that is constantly evolving.
These lovely ladies have taken the word entrepreneur and made it their own - and they're all so *real*! There was no aloofness and what I continue to love about people like this is their authenticity. There is an empowerment and an innocence in the way they speak. An authentic love and ownership of their journeys, but a care about other human beings which you really get when they speak. I took a lot of motivation from them just from being in the room.
Wise words and an air of genuine passion in their voices, they talked about the effective use of your channels, using yourself as your own brand to find your niche and having a care for community and interaction with your audience. After all, what is your brand without your audience. It was great to hear about more than just the generic stuff and CRM and SEO were some of the more specific topics broached. With Madeleine finishing on how positive affirmations changed her life and helped her through tougher times.
There I met @thekothagram where we talked about our fear of starting up and the excuses we'd made to avoid it. Of course there is no real excuse for not starting when all you need to do is write! I cannot wait to see what this lovely girl comes up with!!
Having followed Niomi Smart since she was a minor feature in the background of Zoella, Tanya Burr and Marcus Butler's vlogs, I really wanted to have a chat with her. Watching her blog and then her Youtube channel escalate since September 2013 has been incredible and I really wanted to meet her. I made my way half-heartedly towards the book signing area. I say half-heartedly because I've seen how crazy their following is and I was expecting to be waiting a very long while.
There were about ten people milling about in the room... And about four of us for her. She's a super sweet person, naturally conversational and has a mellow confidence to her. I don't care how creepy this sounds but her skin was incredible as well! So glowy. I felt like such a sweaty mess stood next to her.
In the mean time though I got to chat to Liberty London Girl and Mel from Hemsley Hemsley. They were hilarious! Mel is now one of my favourite people to look out for.
Vlogging at this event - and in London in general - meant I got a lot more looks than usual. I found it amusing and I'm hoping they'll look out for me later... Wwwwink.
This was where I met @grebditch and we had a great chat about the talk and the day - I won't say more because you need to go watch her vlog.
I feel like a bit of a superficial cop out by telling you it was awesome and inspiring but I really have nothing bad to say about it! For those looking to tap into this side of entrepreneurship, it was a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded people and gather inspiration! My only personal regret was that I didn't have time to put make-up on to cover up a bit of the flushed-ness buuuut what ya gonna do.
It reinforced my confidence in what I am hoping to achieve with a business I want to start up and reassured me I was going in the right direction.
When I left the event I ended up half -inadvertently stalking Mel (Hemsley Hemsley) and her boyfriend half way down Dalston High Street and then I headed toward Leicester Square to meet a friend for dinner at one of my favourite late night cafes - Notes.
London. I continue to love and adore you for your hidden treasures.
What is your inspiration?
Han x
Ps. Outfit:
Top, Jeans & Belt - New Look
Shoes - Primark