Happy Friday, friends! I’m so happy to welcome another weekend. I thank you so very much for dropping in today to check out my Friday Favorites. This week’s edition is all about the Influencer Retreat I returned from Wednesday night.
Influencer’s Retreat
I know the word “influencer” is met with mixed emotions. But let me just say this, we all have influence, every last one of us. Those who identify as “Influencers” have a blog or some other social media presence. Whether you make money doing so or not is irrelevant; we all have influence and we exercise it in different ways.
As far as my role as a social media influencer goes, I consider myself pretty much a hobbyist. I do not wish to make this my main source of income nor do I dream of pursuing this full time. I consider myself to be someone with something to say and a bit of wisdom to share. That’s my purpose.
That being said, the best part of this hobby is connecting with others. I’ve made some of my very best friends doing this and I have met some really incredible women. I’ve learned so much and I also feel I’ve given quite a bit to those I’ve met.
When I heard from my bestie Lisa, that she had been invited to an Influencer Retreat and they needed a few others to attend I immediately and without hesitation said I’d be interested. This happened back in June so the plans have slowly evolved. Only a few times did I actually stop and wonder what I’d bring to the table.
I’m human like everyone else so of course the self doubt reared its ugly head. Truth be told no one cares about your blog any longer; everyone cares about your Instagram. My Instagram is rather embarrassing; I’ve been at it about 7 years and quite frankly I still have zero idea what I am doing.
The last few years have found me getting more comfortable with what I want from this space and this role. That being said I was not hoping to come away with a blue print for success. My goal was to spend time with these women – most of whom I already followed on IG and have a great time.
What We Did
The retreat was in Charleston, SC starting on Sunday, September 14 and ending on Wednesday, September 17. It was the perfect amount of time! The ladies who set this up did an amazing job of providing us with enough of a schedule to allow time for what we really wanted to do most: connect! Peppered in they had scheduled a few things but the amount was just right. This was not a sightseeing tour although we did see the beauty of Charleston.
We stayed at a charming AirBnB – the Thomas Waring House. It was huge with plenty of room for the 9 of us. Lisa and I have traveled together many times so we shared a room. Sunday night started with dinner prepared by a private chef! He cooked all the amazing food and completely cleaned up before leaving. He served us and it was truly an incredible experience!
There was so much to talk about so we stayed up pretty late Sunday night. Monday morning after breakfast we drove into town and had professional photos taken. This was a lot of fun and it was so nice that one of the organizers is actually a professional photographer.
A few hours later we returned home to have lunch and talk, talk, talk. Then we headed to the Jenni Kayne store for a private shopping event. Following shopping we had dinner at Felix’s. It was delicious!
Another late night chatting but we did so in matching pjs and sweatshirts that were given to us. It honestly felt like we had known one another for years.
Tuesday morning was a lazy one that we all needed. We did have lunch plans but it felt good to have coffee and just talk, talk, talk and share ideas. Lunch was at Leon’s. Another delicious spot! A quick pop into the Hart jewelry store followed by a visit to another cute little boutique and then an afternoon to relax was just what we all needed. Another Influencer from Charleston popped in to meet us and that was a highlight!
After our visit with Marissa, we left for a two hour cruise. The weather was perfect and the views were beautiful. We had the very best time!
A low country boil was waiting for us back the house and it was scrumptious! We ended the night giving gifts to one another. My gift was words of affirmation. I shared with each of the ladies what I saw as their gifts, the impact they had on me, and how I felt better for knowing them. It was a great night!
Wednesday morning we all headed home! A few drove and the rest of us flew. One lives in NC, one in SC, one in TN, one in LA, one in CA, one in PA, one in GA, one in AL, and of course me in FL!
I bought nothing on this trip but I did order these shoes and they were waiting for me when I got home. One of the ladies had them on and I loved how much they look like a pair I have from Dolce Vita. Mine are sold out but these look similar and they are currently $15!
What I Wore
I packed just a carry on, I don’t like to be overwhelmed with choices and since I knew what we’d be doing it was easy to pack. I also know what shoes to bring. When you know you’ll be walking a lot you have to plan for it. I am pleased to say I came home with zero blisters! I didn’t even realize it until it was too late but I did not get daily photos on the trip of what I was wearing. The clothes are in photos below but I wore either my flip slops or sandals – no heels.
For travel day I wore my Quince linen 2 piece set with flip flops (dupe for Vionics). Old photo – I didn’t take a picture on my actual travel day.
On Monday I wore my 2 piece set from Amazon for photos with my old flat sandals (I brought zero heels). I changed later for our shopping experience and dinner out into this pretty pink linen dress.
Tuesday I wore this dress with my sandals to lunch and layered it with my white denim jacket. For our cruise I wore this dress with my sandals.
Wednesday travel day – I wore my blue joggers and striped tee with my white denim jacket and flip flops. I didn’t have a photo but this is the same outfit I wore in June just with different shoes.
I actually wore everything except one dress (this one). I didn’t regret not bringing more and I certainly stand by my shoe choice. I love a good heel but not in this situation.
That’s a wrap on my Influencer’s Retreat! It was fun and wonderful to meet women who are like minded and just spend time talking! I cannot wait to see them again!
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