This past weekend I was able to attend the Rise Conference in Dallas, Tx. I had been counting down the days to attend and was so excited to have my best friend Alli by my side. In this post, I want to share some of the take-aways from the conference, some inspiring quotes, and my overall experience.
This conference was chocked full of incredible music and dancing! This was probably one of my favorite things about the conference because it let you experience change. How much could change with just jumping up and moving your body for a could second to a great song! Rachel would say “Move your body, change your mind” and it was so true! The way that jumping up would just get your heart racing, your blood pumping, and your energy soaring was addicting and something I have implemented since arriving home.
I want to pinpoint some of the things that I took away from Rachel’s talks. She spoke many times during the Conference so I will try and reference all of the things that I really liked and lit a fire under me.
Rachel Hollis Quotes
- “Find the good in the hard things. What if life isn’t happening to you, what if life is happening for you?”
- “Unpack your baggage so that you can be lighter & able to teach others how to do the same. Own your past & stop letting it own you!”
- “Chase your dreams. Choose your life! Show Up! You have the right to WANT & to WANT it all!”
- “Your struggles don’t mean you are weak. The mean you are human.”
- “Don’t compare your beginning or middle to someone else’s end. Remind yourself of the journey & that it takes time.”
- “Go all in! Be in the community! Community over Competition! Be a leader not a fan. Show up Authentically!”
- “People need you! There is an empty void waiting for you to fill!”
- “I refuse to live as half of myself because other people can’t handle all of me!”
- “There’s such an incredible power in understanding that you are in control!”
- “It’s possible to pursue something for yourself while simultaneously showing up well for the people you love.”
- “Your goal is not wrong just because it inconveniences someone else.”
- “I had been taught to play small but I had been born with a heart that only Dreamed Big!”
- “It’s only a true failure when you’re so afraid to look at it that you can’t move forward. If you can’t move forward you will never make it across the finish line.”
- “It’s time to stop apologizing for who you are. It’s time to become who you were made to be.”
- “Do what you can, with what you got, where you are.”
- “No one recognizes your greatness until you prove your greatness.”
Best Friends together at RisexDallas
I was so fortunate to have my best friend of twelve years join me for the Rise Conference. Alli has been winning her fight against pancreatic cancer & inspiring people around the world as she has fought to live. She was a part of and spoke at PurpleStride Houston, you can link here and donate to support her and those fighting pancreatic cancer.
You can also visit her #RallyforAlli page and read about her journey, watch her recent speech and be a part of her incredible story! Alli is the type of friend everyone should have. Alli lights up the room, she encourages you to be your best self, she quite possibly is the nicest person I have ever met and she adds so much goodness to your life. She has accomplished so much greatness in her life and continues to do so every day! Alli is on a mission to start her own website and start writing about her life, journey through cancer, chemo, radiation, and her life on the other side of treatment. Be sure to check her out!
Ok, getting back to the Rise Conference, the speakers, and the messages that stuck with me. I am going to showcase and touch on the messages that I heard and what they meant to me.
I hadn’t experienced Trent Shelton until the Rise Conference, maybe a thing or two online, social media but Wow! I literally couldn’t write fast enough! There was so much information given during his talk and so much energy in the room. I really was left feeling inspired, fired up & ready to take my life on! If you haven’t heard of Trent Shelton I highly suggest you go check him out, you will be glad you did.
Here are the things that I frantically scribbled down during his talk and I hope you can take a couple away with you as well.
Trent Shelton Quotes
- “Promises aren’t words, promises are actions.”
- “Your current situation isn’t your final destination.”
- “You have to be your own hero.”
- “Give yourself permission to be GREAT!”
- “Don’t let people place their impossibilities on you.”
- “When you really understand your reason, it will push you to continue forward. Know your why.”
- “Put yourself in an environment that forces you to grow. Mindsets are contagious… what you are around, you will become.”
- “Get rid of all the bad seeds in your life. The problem will make it back to the surface until you get it out. If you don’t deal with your stuff, your stuff will deal with you.”
- “Plant new seeds in your life. Be intentional of your life.”
- “How you start your day is how your day will be. Either you lead your life or your life leads you.”
- “Self-care is necessary not selfish.”
- “Wake up with Appreciation, Give Affection, Accomplishment, Activity, Go create!”
- “Stop looking for your purpose, start looking for your placement.”
- “7 billion people in the world, only one of you. Look in the mirror if you are looking for a miracle.”
- ” We try and we live so much of our lives for others. We smile for the camera but we die behind the scenes.”
- “Quit trying to please everyone. What’s the point of making others happy when we lose ourselves?”
- “Trying to be perfect, just be yourself. People are more concerned on how they look online than how they look in their own lives.”
- “Quit trying to control things that we can’t control.”
- “Stop measuring your life and just start appreciating your life.”
- “Everything you need, you were born with. We have become blind to what we do have.”
- “Stop playing with your life. Fight for your dreams? Nothing is impossible for a heart that believes.”
- “Live It! Be It! Breathe it every day! It’s more about what you do than what you say.”
Rise Conference Dallas Dance Party
Jen Hatmaker
During Jen Hatmaker’s talk I was so engaged I forgot to write all the things down that she said but, one thing stood out and I will never forget!
This image above shows a breathtaking photo of a group of Elephants standing together in a circle. Jen had shared this photo on the big screen at the conference. She shared that Elephants protect one another, when a mother Elephant is giving birth they gather around to protect her and the baby. They send the message that a predator would have to get through all of them before they could get to the mom and baby. As soon as the baby is born the whole group trumpets, letting the world know a baby has arrived. They will turn and brush and kick up dirt to protect the baby from the sun and also cover the smell of birth. Jen used this example to showcase protecting one another.
What if we too did this for a vulnerable friend, a loved one in need of care and protection?
Impact on our Society.
How would this change the world we live in? Would this change the current mindset of competition, that you have to be strong on your own? That there is no time to be vulnerable, and if you are down, you should hide it. This message was truly inspiring and really got me thinking. I believe it would be an incredible shift in our society to have protection like this, to have a support system around us until we are ready. How do this photo and this story make you feel?
It was so fun being able to see Dave Hollis speak in person! I have followed Rachel Hollis for some time now and watched their morning show so it was a treat to feel his energy & personality in person. Dave really was a wealth of information and had so much to share from a different perspective. Here are some of the incredible things that he shared and takeaways from his talk.
Dave Hollis Quotes
- “People will feel threatened by, fearful of and have heightened insecurities because of who you are striving to become.”
- “Stand firm within yourself in the discomfort or you will go back and meet them in mediocre town.”
- “Other People’s Opinions (OPO’s) Don’t let them stop you. Their opinions are more about them and their insecurities than you and what you are choosing to do and dream.”
- “It’s on you and you alone to decide if their opinion will weight in on you pursuing your goals and dreams.”
- “Be conscious of what you are consuming every single day. Is social media making you feel energized or depleted? Are the people you are surrounding yourself with creating inspiration or negativity?”
- ” “Identity” – you have to change your “predetermined” identity. Who you think you are has you showing up in the world in a certain way. Unlock your possibilities and the true you.”
- “A ship in the a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are made for.”
- “Show up every single day! Make Waves! Be the person you were placed on this Earth to be!”
Rise Conference Dallas – “How She Built This”
This panel of women was one of the most inspiring parts of the Rise Conference. It was incredible to hear from each woman how they created the business they are running today. To hear their struggles over the years building and maintaining thriving multi-million dollar companies was jaw-dropping.
Charis Jones – Sassy Jones Boutique
Charis Jones was a really inspiring speaker, she shared about her path to where she is today and it took a lot to get there. It was really great to hear her honesty and work ethic to create what her business has become. Charis won 2018 Mogul of the Year, 2018 National Association of Women Business Owners “Rising Star” Award as well as Traffic Sales & Profit “Freedom Award.” Here are some of the takeaways I got from her speaking on this panel.
- “You have to want it more than you want sleep,”
- “It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you respond to it.”
- “Pivot – work smarter, not harder”
- “Create a legacy!”
- “This is a must…. Only do the things you only can do, when you shift this in your business, you will soar.”
- “Believe deeply you can do it! That you are worth it!”
Joy Cho – Oh Joy – Co-founder & Creative Director of Oh Joy
Joy was such a powerhouse woman in a tiny little package. I loved Joy’s sense of style, her stories of hardship & identifying she was allowing society and societal norms to make her believe she was less then. For example, she thought she had to run the business, have the kids, make all the meals, and have the house clean when her husband got home. After having an honest conversation with her husband she realized he did not expect this, so why should she?
Joy was named one of Time’s 30 Most Influential People on the Internet and has the most followed account on Pinterest with almost 13 million followers.
- “Create the thing to show them what you can do!”
- “Modeling for your children.”
- “Don’t get sucked into what society thinks you should be.”
Jamie Kern Lima – IT Cosmetics – Co-Founder & CEO of IT Cosmetics
Jamie was awe-inspiring to listen to. The number of companies that had turned her down, told her she would never make it, that she didn’t have a good idea was shocking. It was super impactful to see that she kept going and now has created a thriving business. IT Cosmetics is a top-selling makeup and skincare brand recently acquired by L’Oreal for $1.2 Billion. Their largest US acquisition to date, making Jamie the first female CEO in L’Oreal’s 100+year history. Talk about making history and creating a movement for other women to move to the top shamelessly as well.
- ” Believe in yourself. Persistence!”
- “Doesn’t matter if you are qualified when you are called.You must go!”
- “Don’t quit when you get No’s. You must keep moving forward.”
- “If you want something, give it!”
- “It’s going to be hard work but Gosh it’s going to be worth it!”
Rise Conference Dallas Conclusion
In conclusion, I enjoyed every minute of this conference. Having Alli by my side and experiencing the conference together was priceless. As a result, memories were made that will last a lifetime and a friendship that just continues to grow. There were 7,000 women at this conference and I could feel the energy from each and every one of them! I feel so fortunate to have been able to attend Rise and be a part of this life-changing weekend.
If you have the possibility of attending a Rise conference I would highly recommend you do so. If you can’t, I would highly recommend following Rachel Hollis on social media or grabbing her books to read. She is a wealth of information and an inspiring woman on a mission to change the world, live her best life, and dream big! I think we can all find inspiration in her work and how she lives shamelessly.
I believe there are so many of us not living up to our true potential. Not believing in our own abilities, dreaming big, and going for it. Today is the day to change that. To feel the fear and do it anyway. To no longer allow others to decide how we live our lives!
I would love to hear from you! If you too attended this conference, if you follow Rachel Hollis or if you found inspiration in this post! Please reach out, leave a comment, send a message, I would love to hear from you!
To see some of my other work be sure to check out my posts below.
