School of Hustle
Happy Friday, friends! How was everyones week? Mine has felt 100 mph and nothing short of it since we last spoke. Speaking of, how did your crust turn out? I hope that if you haven't been able to try it just yet, that you'll get to do so this weekend. You'll definitely want to have it done by Monday... by then, you'll have a brand new Total Eclipse recipe to jump into. Make sure you join me for that!
I had an incredibly exciting few days that I've been waiting all week to tell you about! I left last Saturday for Los Angeles, California. (That's right! The Pie Queen did LA, y'all!) I was lucky enough to attend an inspirational, game-changing event called The School of Hustle. This was an invite-only event hosted by Instagram and Hedley & Bennett.
So much of this adventure was a dream for me! I was honored to be chosen for this wildly informative event, but more than that, I was able to meet some of the entrepreneurs that I've admired from the beginning of my own journey. Fun Fact: For me, half of the day consisted of working up the courage to introduce myself to Ellen Bennett... but I am so happy I did!
Ellen Bennett, Founder + CEO of Hedley & Bennett.
I've been wearing a Hedley & Bennett apron for the last two years (featured in the photo of my first blog post!). Would you believe that Ellen started out on her entrepreneurial journey the same year we bought the Boyce General Store? I absolutely admire her hard work and determination in the business, as well as sharing some things in common! When just starting out, Ellen would sell her handmade aprons at local Farmer's Markets, much like I did with my pies. Great minds, y'all!
The day started by entering a warm, welcoming and FUN atmosphere where the event took place: The Hedley & Bennett Apron Factory in Downtown Los Angeles.
The day consisted of multiple panels, lunch break, a consulting hour and then dinner, drinks & mingle time. Ellen's theme of the day was "get used to getting out of your comfort zone." We did challenges where we used Instagram stories to introduce new friends and I definitely had to get out of my comfort zone... which was struggle, but rewarding for me. I learned that removing yourself from where you're comfortable can be very scary, but also so exciting and totally worth it.
Throughout the day, we were encouraged to just ask! We were told, "The worst that could happen is they say no." And most importantly, to not be afraid of having big dreams and asking for what I believe in.
As a Boss Lady, three of the most important things I took out of it were:
To inspect what you expect.
To trust & follow up.
That it doesn't make me a bad boss to follow up on what I expect to be done.
I also met Jen Gotch (shop bando) who I am so grateful for during this journey. Jen doesn't shy away from telling everyone that being an entrepreneur is HARD and it's OK. One of my favorite quotes of hers is, "There shouldn't be any shame in the STRUGGLE of doing what you LOVE" Isn't she adorable!?
I would be lying if I said I didn't leave with some serious swag, wonderful new friends and a LOT of amazing memories. Did I mention I got to jump into a huge ball pit!? YOU GUYS! Isn't that the coolest!?
On the other side of this computer screen is an incredibly grateful Queen. Grateful to be surrounded by such inspiring human beings, and grateful to have your support on this great adventure. Thank you for joining me today! Come back Monday for a really exciting new recipe release! You won't want to miss it. Take care, y'all!
