Creative Business Conference with Country Living Magazine

I attended a creative business conference with Country Living Magazine recently. It was located in the grand ballroom of the very hip Navy Pier right on Lake Michigan, and it was such an amazing experience to be around other women who were in or starting creative businesses, and so inspiring.

Audience seated in a conference room faces a stage with a projected sign reading "Country Living Women Entrepreneurs 2008," at a creative business conference with Country Living Magazine, sponsored by The UPS Store.

It was hard to go to something where I didn’t really know anyone. I only knew Kasey well. Mostly, I was meeting all of these people for the first time. And, I haven’t been to a conference like this before so it was all so new and there was so much information.

Three women are sitting together in the backseat of a car, smiling at the camera after attending a creative business conference with Country Living Magazine. A 7-Eleven store is visible through the window outside.

I met some wonderful women and heard some really inspiring speakers that were featured in the June issue of Country Living. I learned a lot about lead times in magazine content. It’s 4-6 months out. It really give me thoughts about how I should be planning content here. I went with Alyssa,Vana, Jeanne and Kasey.

Four women stand together indoors at a creative business conference with Country Living Magazine, smiling at the camera. Three wear lanyards and hold bags or papers. A brick wall and signs are visible in the background.

They are such a great group of inspiring women. Vana has a silhouette business and Jeanne makes purses and other handmade items. And Kasey is just super creative and has her Shop Lola B’s. But I also got to meet up with the really nice Janet , and some other fab bloggers like Julie of Red Otter and Beth from Green Cricket. It was so inspiring and motivating. If you can ever go, you should! I also was able to meet and chat with the Editor-in-Chief Sarah Gray Miller. She is one of the nicest people. She’s the kind of gal I wish was my neighbor because I know we’d be sitting on the back porch, hanging out, watching our gardens not grow together.

Four women sit at a table in a modern, industrial-style cafe with empty tables around them. Smiling after their meal, they appear to be enjoying a creative business conference with Country Living Magazine.

I think it’s important to surround yourself with other creatives.

(*This is me from the future talking, looking back at this, make sure to join my Kitchen Table Creative Club newsletter to be encouraged and get info on your creative business.).

What did I learn from the creative business conference with Country Living Magazine?

*If you want to go into business, or are not sure what you want to do,

make a list of your strengths, weaknesses and passions. That can help give you a direction or insight to what might work for you.

*If you are submitting your product to a magazine, publication or TV make sure you have the CORRECT editor and have at least 2 ways they can contact you back.

*Lead time is normally about 4 months so if you want to do a seasonal thing, make sure you give it enough time.

*One of the speakers Mary Liz Curtin said “Don’t forget the roosters.”

meaning, Roosters are something people have always bought, always stock your tried and true with all of your other things.

* And the squeaky wheel gets the oil.. don’t give up!

If you get a chance to go next year, it’s a great way to network and meet old friends you didn’t even know you had! As I get the chance to head off to Farm Chicks next weekend ( Thank you frequent flyer miles!), it was a good warm up for traveling alone. I took the train to the city by myself, and I have to admit, as a bit of a country girl at heart, I was nervous about getting on the right train and getting to where I need to go… Normally, I just drive into the city, but I am so glad I went.

Jen

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