Hoopla is…
you’re probably reading the title of this thinking, WTH is Hoopla?!
Hoopla is Stella & Dot’s Annual Conference focused on fashion, fun and female empowerment.
its a time to learn what’s coming up (new innovations, products, etc), check out the latest line in person, listen to keynotes from our CEO Jessica Herrin and CCO Danielle Redner plus some other guest speakers and leaders from within the company, meet up with fellow stylists and most importantly, HAVE FUN! you guys loved last year’s roundup of What I Wore to Hoopla so I figured I’d bring it back for you again!
So I woke up at 4am Friday morning to get ready to head over to the airport bc the second I landed, I’d be hitting the ground running. (Side note: After waking up at 5:30am everyday, waking at 4am wasn’t too bad actually!) So after a quick flight, I touched down in Nashville, lyft’d over to the A-MAZING Gaylord Opryland Resort, checked my bags and high-tailed it to Leadership Day!
Earrings | Necklace | Wrap Bracelet
Leadership Day was pretty exciting for me this year bc it was the first one I qualified to attend now that I’m a Star Stylist! We got the inside scoop of what’s coming, heard from fellow leaders on what they’re doing to be successful in not only their businesses, but balancing family and life too, got some SWAG and a sweet lunch spread! All in all, a great afternoon!
Black & White Cuff | Jeweled Leather Bracelet | Bangle | Clutch – coming holiday!
Friday Night called for our Fashion Show – which is one of the highlights of the weekend! Not only did we get to see all of our Fall Collection modeled by fellow stylists, we also got sneak peeks of the Holiday Collection which is going to BLOW YOUR MIND! Seriously, cannot wait to share it with you – lets just say, we’re not stopping at just tops!
After that, I headed over to the Red Shoe Affair – an invite-only celebration for newly promoted Star Stylists! Clearly, you wear Red Shoes and this pair was SO me and only $10 – yup, $10!! I added a simple black dress that had a little flair on the sleeves and brought out a vintage Stella & Dot Statement Necklace for the occasion. We drank champagne, took pics and danced the night away – SO. MUCH. FUN.
After the party is the after party though, so we headed over to Broadway AKA the strip of bars and nightclubs in downtown Nashville and visited Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row for some more dancing and fun! Yes, I’m 37, but this gal can still have fun sometimes! Well not for too long, I’m also a 37yr old who needs my sleep!
Saturday called for keynote speeches from our Executive Team and breakout sessions from leaders within the company. I loved this casual leopard dress that I wore with slouchy open toe booties and dainty jewels!
That night was celebrated with a team dinner at Solario Cantina – the mexican spot in the Gaylord Opryland. Think tex mex and margs – you can’t go wrong! I wore this coral dress that I scored for $20 and its so flowy and comfy (even though it was supposed to be brick red!), I kinda want to live in it! Its a little bright for my taste, but you gotta step outside the box occasionally!
Sunday was a BIG DAY: The Star Parade!
Yes, this anxiety ridden psycho walked across the stage without passing out, throwing up or tripping! It was such a surreal moment for me and I loved every second of it! Its so fun to be able to own your accomplishments and be celebrated for it! I kept to my neutral wardrobe palette with a black and white striped jumpsuit that I got SO many compliments on! I’m wearing a US6 here and its SO comfy!
The day continued with BRENE BROWN – yes, Brene herself spoke to us! It was everything my ugly cry dreams are made of! She spoke on the power of vulnerability and gals, its a game changer! I won’t preach to you now, but grab her book Daring Greatly for more on that – I’ll be starting it shortly!
top | skirt | booties (similar) | necklace | earrings
That night, we put on our “country best” which is a category of clothes that I draw a total blank on, but this jersey gal did her best, k? We piled into huge shuttle buses and headed back to Broadway for a huge dance party at Wildhorse Saloon! To say it was “fun” would be the understatement of the century! Music was played, dancing happened (I didn’t participate in the country line dancing but this gal def did the Wobble) and drinks were had! It was so much fun to let loose with all of my Stella Sisters and as 10pm rolled around, we weren’t ready to call it a night! We hit the infamous local spot Tootsies for some live music and danced the night away some more!
Monday morning came WAY too fast you guys! As much as I missed the hubs and my boys, I was sad to see Hoopla end! I said my goodbyes to my Cali friends, packed up my bags and took the quickest walk ever thru TSA at the Nashville Airport to head home! ps: The Gaylord Opryland Resort does NOT have Coke so it was the first thing I grabbed at BNA however, Nashville definitely has that southern hospitality that everyone speaks of – I’ve never met nicer airport workers before, swear! Two hours later, we touched down in Philadelphia and I was able to squeeze my fine, Puerto Rican husband who I missed so much!
poncho | sunnies | horn necklace | pendant necklace | travel bag
So what were my Key Takeaways from the weekend?
Be Your True Authentic Self
People like you for you! You were created to be YOU! Stop trying to copy what other people are doing. Stop faking the funk. Just share the REAL YOU and you will be successful in everything you do!
Stop Rushing Success
Sometimes celebrating the process is SO MUCH more than celebrating the outcome! We miss out on all the trials and tribulations when we’re focused on the end result rather than enjoying the ride. You will enjoy success so much more when you recognize where you came from and the work involved to get there!
Create Community
We can’t do life alone! Work with other people who have similar goals and aspirations bc you are the five closest people you surround yourself with. Success breeds success.
Self-Care is SO Important
I shared my Self-Care practices HERE but gals, you need to take care of yourself! Once you do, you can just watch your business improve as well as your life as a whole. You cannot run on empty, you NEED to fill your cup!
Change Your Plan, Not Your Goal
To be blunt, Shit Happens. Things will go wrong, people will cancel, you will lose your power in two feet of snow (true story). This does not mean you have to abandon your goal, just change your plan of how to get there – and yes, that means you need a goal too! Every goal you want to reach should have a plan, a backup plan and another backup plan.
Be Intentional
Set your intentions and priorities each day. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I’m a HUGE supporter of time blocking and list making bc those things help me get ALL the things done! Make the time, be intentional about it and make your plan. Tackle your top three priorities first each day!
Here are some great notes I jotted down:
*Forgive me if I’m not giving you credit for any of them! Email me if you said any of these bc I would LOVE to acknowledge your wisdom!*
“The Problem Isn’t Usually the Problem, Your Attitude About It Is”
“She is NOT Me!” – Lauren Sigler
“Do What You Keep Saying You’re Going To Do”
“Do What Scares You”
“Evolve and Try New Things or Repeat the Same Old Thing”
“If You’re Going to Be Brave, You’re Going to Fail” – Brene Brown
“If You’re Not in the Arena, Working and Getting Your Ass Kicked Along with Me, I Don’t Want Your Opinion on What I’m Doing” – Brene Brown
“The Names of People Whose Opinions Matter in Your Life Should Fit on a 1″x 1″ Piece of Paper. Don’t Listen to the Criticism of Anyone Not on That List” – Brene Brown (paraphrased)
Made it this far?
You’re awesome AND clearly need to join in on this fun!
Lucky for you, we have an A-MAZING Sign Up Special this month:
$99 Initial Fee for $500 in tops, jewels and bags!
I knowwwww, crazy right?!! I explained HERE why I became a Stella & Dot Stylist and maybe its time for you to do it too:
Love our jewels? Love our tops? Want a discount?
Need some extra cash for shopping, vacations, kids sports, etc?
Want to build your own business YOUR way, not your micromanaging boss’ way?
This just might be the gig for you!
Click HERE for more info or email me and we’ll chat! Its seriously the best thing I’ve done for not only me, but my family as well! I got so many messages from how happy I look in my pics and I owe it all to this amazing business! Yes, I drank the Koolaid and would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
Best.Gig.Ever!
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