Why I Went To The RewardStyle Conference

loft wrap top

Top: Loft – love this wrap top and this one as well! | Shorts: AG Golde – also available here! Honestly the only shorts I ever wear. They are long enough and not too tight around the thighs! | Handbag: Urban Outfitters | Shoes: Steven – available here also! | Sunglasses: Ray Ban – also available here! | Lips: Bare Minerals

Since I’ve been receiving a ton of questions about what the RewardStyle Conference was, why I went and what I learned I figured I would share a little about it and some behind the scenes. RewardStyle is an affiliate monetization tool that influencers use. What that means is that influencers/bloggers work through them to earn affiliate sales and do direct brand collaborations.

The company is ‘invitation only’ and makes this conference ‘invitation only’ based on sales. I’m not a huge fan on anyone being left out of anything but at the end of the day I realize that this is a business. The invites for the conference are based on sales and given out in tiers. So the top 200 earners are invited and then it moves from there based on RSVP’s.

While I’m under no guise that I am in that first 200 influencers from all over the world it is flattering to be invited each year and since I wasn’t able to make it last year (I was insanely pregnant) I decided to go this time around. My business has grown a lot in the past year and I thought this spring more than ever was a great time to attend and soak up everything I could. Your days are filled with a mix of one on one brand meetings, classes of your choosing and brand lunches and cocktail parties.

As much ‘fun’ as the conference appears to be and is, it’s also terribly exhuasting. I was excited to get tons of work done while away from Zain for two days but I barely managed to open my computer and we didn’t even make it to the finale party. #old

I am really glad that I went this time around and thought I would share a few things I learned that could really be applicable in any field of work.

Don’t Doubt Yourself

As much as you may question your worth, what you bring to the table and/or why you are unique—don’t. Each one of us has something special to offer and although growth can be slow if you’re really passionate about something and believe in it eventually other people will to.

Find Your Tribe

I’ve touched on this before but I am so thankful for the women I have found through blogging and this job. Being in science classes all through college, surrounded by people in the medical and dental field through graduate school and much of the same thereafter I have been so amazed at how many unique jobs are out there. Beyond that, these women are so incredibly intelligent in so many ways and I am still learning so much from them. It was so lovely to have a group of Chicago girls there and it’s so refreshing to meet so many new and kind women in this industry!

Embrace The LikeToKnowIt App

With the changes in Instagram’s API (you can no longer ‘like’ photos to get outfit details) people have really been focusing on the app usage. I won’t lie, I really fought it in the beginning. I dreaded having to urge people to ‘follow’ me on one more thing and didn’t know how I would make it worthwhile. After using it myself to find things I love on other influencers and testing out a few other features, I’m now on board. I love that I can post everyday photos there and leave much longer captions reviewing products, giving sizing information, etc. I have been sharing quite a bit of extra content there so if you are worried it may become cumbersome I’ve found it to be the opposite and really easy to use. Not to mention, the new ‘wishlist’ feature is amazing since I tend to think about things for 12 years before I actually purchase them. Anyone else?

As always, if you don’t want to download or use the app you can always head to the ‘Shop My Instagram’ tab on my homepage and click on any image to shop!

Hope that gives a tiny bit of insight into the conference and some helpful takeaways! I hope you guys are having a wonderful week!

chicago mom blogger