BUSINESS, BRANDING + SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP RECAP - FALL 2018
Paige Hull
Photo credit: Becki Griffin, Curious Details
Twice per year, we gather at the cottages with 50 + business owners and entrepreneurs who are eager to soak up as much connection, inspiration, and education as possible. Our latest was held on Saturday, September 22 with interior designer, Shea McGee and interior photographer, Alyssa Rosenheck. The day started off with coffee and mingling, the first of several networking opportunities woven in throughout the day.
Photo credit: Becki Griffin, Curious Details
Photo credit: Haylei Smith
One of the perks of this venture is getting to share it with our children. They’ve been a part of our buying trips, Marburger booths, cottage builds and all of our workshops. We love having them there to assist us with our attendees and panelists, knowing they are learning valuable skills and getting to hear what each of our panelists have to share.
Photo credit: Haylei Smith
Once attendees took their seats, Smoot and I shared the story of how The Vintage Round Top came to be, and some of the opportunities and lessons we’ve experienced along the way. Next, we moved to the panel with Shea McGee, designer and Chief Creative Officer of Studio McGee, and Alyssa Rosenheck, architectural photographer, stylist, and blogger at The New Southern. They both shared openly about growing their businesses, their hurdles and victories, and great takeaways for those looking for the same type of success. We then took a break for lunch, where everyone continued to meet and network over lunch provided by Royers Round Top Cafe.
Photo credit: Becki Griffin, Curious Details
After lunch we broke into two smaller groups to allow for more conversational sessions. Alyssa’s breakout session consisted of information on branding, photography, and social media tips and tricks. The session was also hands-on, where attendees were encouraged to bring items that represented their brand to take a flat lay photo in addition to the swag bag image. Shea’s talk guided attendees through a workbook, where she covered the topics of small business tips, branding, sponsorships, and collaborations. Each breakout session included time for Q&A, where attendees were able to ask questions specific to their businesses.
Photo credit: Becki Griffin, Curious Details
Photo credit: Becki Griffin, Curious Details
Photo credit: Haylei Smith
Photo credit: Becki Griffin, Curious Details
We ended the day with a wrap up and meet & greet and the energy in the cottages was palpable — everyone buzzing with new ideas, creativity, and excitement to take what they had learned and put it to use right away. Smoot and I had to stand back at one point and take in all the connections being made under the cottage roof. It’s exactly what we dreamed of several years ago, and once again, seeing it come true is just an amazing feeling.
Photo credit: Becki Griffin, Curious Details
We want to say a huge THANK YOU to our swag bag sponsors for participating in such a memorable day! Renovate Houston included a beautiful handmade Turkish bowl, Formulary 55 included luxurious bath products, Two Sparrows Roasting Co. included a bag of their delicious brew, Haylei Smith included essential oil perfume, Royers Pie Haven included a cutie pies, Mercy House Global included handmade earrings from broken pottery, Kuhdoo Soap Co. included handmade lip balm, The Butter Stick Bakery included yummy sugar cookies, Marburger Farm Antique Show included early-access tickets, Round Top Register included their Antique Show Guide, and The Arbors included a free snack and drink at the Arbors Cafe. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post on how this type of partnership works!
Photo credit: Haylei Smith
We feel so grateful to have the opportunity to open our home up to so many creative and ambitious individuals. Our mission is to support other small businesses in pursuing their dreams, and Shea and Alyssa could not have been better speakers sharing their own journeys.
We’ll be hosting another workshop during the spring antique show, so mark your calendars for Saturday, March 30, 2019. We’ll announce our panelists to our email list first, so be sure to sign up here to be the first to know. While we wish we had more room at the cottages so everyone could attend, we truly believe the intimate setting (i.e. intentionally keeping it small) is one of the best aspects of the workshop. We hope to see you in the spring!