Alt Summit NYC Recap

It has been way too long!  My apologies for the crickets around here lately- it has been a busy (but fun!) summer so far.  Way back on June 20th I had the honor of attending Alt Summit in New York City.  It was a jam packed day of speakers, different panels and networking with brands and other bloggers all under the Martha Stewart Living headquarters.


It would be impossible to tell you everything I learned and I think I am still digesting everything but here are some of the highlights from the day.

Keynote Speaker: Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge

I have been a long time fan of Grace's and was thrilled to hear her speak.  She talked about the growing and ever changing blogger community and how to stay on target.  I learned its ok to revisit your mission statement, breaking down big projects into small manageable steps, and to adopt early but maybe not fully- it's ok to sit back and see how things pan out.  Trends are important but it's not necessary to follow all of them.

And then a suprise visit from Martha Stewart... no big deal.

Yeah right!  I think the whole room jumped out of their chairs when she walked in!

Next favorite speaker- Isabel Kallman of Alpha Mom 

Isabel spoke on the topic of urgent vs. important using Stephen Covey's quadrant

Spending too much time in Quadrant #3- Urgent & Not Important can really drain you and leave you feeling empty.  I feel like too often I find myself in this category and I am going to try and make it a point to get myself in Quadrant #2 and #1 more often.

As a new blogger it can sometimes feel lonely- never really sure if anyone is reading it or getting anything out of what I am posting.  But I left Alt with a new lease on life- feeling motivated and inspired to keep blogging.

To see more pictures from the event- stop over to Alt Summit's Flickr page.

all photography courtesy of Justin Hackworth and sponsor, Atly

Alt Summit Here I Come!

I am on my way to New York City for Alt Summit today!  I can't wait to share everything I learn with you guys when I get back.  Of course I'll be posting pics along the way so make sure you are following me on Instagram (@mrsruggeri) and Twitter (@olivelaneblog)

Alt Design Summit- NYC

Next week I am attending a blogger conference, Alt Summit, in NYC.  It's a conference for bloggers of all different sorts to come together and discuss ideas and learn whats working for others as well as meet with brands with the potential to collaborate.  All in all a great networking event!  And guess where it's being held?! Martha Stewart Living Ominmedia in Manhattan!  How cool is that?  What if I run into her in the hallways?  I. Would. Die.

I am going to a sponsored dinner on Wednesday night with Hayneedle at Morimoto's- seriously? so cool.

Here is the schedule for Thursday and let me tell you it is a blogger-star-studded event!  

Thursday, June 20. 2013

8 AM - 10 AM  Check in, Coffee, & All-Star Crafting

After you grab your badge and get checked-in with Vivint, pull up a chair and prepare to get your craft on! Join All-Star bloggers, like Jenny Komenda, Vané Broussard and Mara Kofoed, while you try your hand at 3 different projects created by the Martha Stewart Crafts team. And while you're at it, enjoy delicious coffee and danishes, sponsored by Hayneedle.

10 AM - 11 AM - Opening Keynote

Surviving The Internet: Adapting to Change, Technology and Demands

by Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge

11 AM - 12 PM - American Made

The movement to discover, connect, and share stories about American makers.

Pilar Guzman of Martha Stewart Living

Kathleen King of Tate's Bake Shop 

Bob McClure of McClure's Pickles 

Stephanie Housley of Coral & Tusk

12 PM - 1:30 PM - Lunch break and networking sponsored by FamilySearch

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM - What the Coolest Brands Are Doing With Social Media

Are they spending more time on Facebook? Or Pinterest? How do they handle instagram? How are they working with bloggers? Which brands are doing the coolest things with social media?

Moderated by Gabrielle Blair of Alt Summit and Design Mom

Christiane Lemieux of Dwell Studio 

Tracey Stewart of Moomah

Jennifer Rubio of Warby Parker

John Jannuzzi of Lucky Magazine

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM - Nine by Five

Hear 9 experts give a fascinating presentation in 5 minutes or less. With 10 slides or less. You'll learn about a wide range of topics, like strategic planning, UX design, choosing between urgent and important, and ridding the world of poverty.

1- Nate Padavick & Salli Swindell on Creative Playgrounds

2- Ginny Wolf of ONE.org on Ridding the World of Poverty

3- Keenan Cummings of Days (Topic TBD)

4- Sara Paul of Blue Q on Marketing

5- Todd Gibson of Liesl + Co on Strategic Planning

6- Isabel Kallman of Alpha Mom on Urgent vs. Important

7- Jen Lee Koss of Brika on Storytelling

8- Ross Popoff-Walker on UX Design

9- Valentine Freeman of Ace Hotel on Snake Oil

3:30 PM - 4:15 PM  - Afternoon Break sponsored by Chevy

4:15 PM - 5:45 PM - Closing Keynote

by Garance Doré

6 PM - Cocktail Party

*subject to change

I am SO lucky to be going and cannot wait to share with you all that I learn at the conference!  And of course I'll be tweeting (@olivelaneblog) and instagramming (@mrsruggeri) all along the way!  Now can someone please come over and pick me out something to wear to this!?