It’s the end of May and you are packing your best outfits, getting your business cards ready and for some of us, practicing our Spanish skills.
It is time for #WeAllGrow Latina, a conference that is made up of 4 days that brings together women and turns them into sisters. A conference that once you attend, you are changed forever.
So what exactly happens in these 4 days that everyone keeps raving about? Why did the tickets sell out in 3 hours and 6 minutes months in advance without knowing any details of it?
This year was my second year attending as a volunteer and my fourth year overall attending the conference and I am here to tell you what exactly happens.
What calls me back each year are the stories. On Friday and Saturday you hear from different women who against all odds have successfully launched their own business or have climbed the corporate ladder while being latinas. You hear stories about immigrant parents who sacrificed their lives to give their children a better life. You hear stories of women who have been sexually assaulted and have reclaimed their bodies and lives to achieve greatness.
But it starts Thursday morning and with the field trips. The WeAllGrow staff carefully reviews each attendee and selects a field trip for them based on their interests, blog topics and overall impact. Some of the field trip examples are a visit to YouTube Space LA, a brunch with Dove for mothers, a day with the LA philharmonic or a tour around Long Beach which is the host city each year. All the women meet at Hotel Maya which is the host location for the conference and they drink cafecito, eat some goodies before they head out for an entire day of activities.
The field trips as well as the entire conference are filled with moments of motivation, empowerment and sisterhood. The field trip sponsors treat the attendees to food, drinks and music as they show off what their brand is all about.
Once the attendees come back from the field trip they are greeted by the excited volunteers at check in to start the weekend of learning and fun.
This year the theme was Changemakers which wanted to focus on what you can do to be a Changemaker. The welcome party also has a theme and this year it was to resemble a Ceremonia, meaning a ceremony. It was sponsored by AARP and attendees were able to dress up as Diosas, Brujas, Loba, Guerrera or Sabia. The night also featured music by Las Cafeteras and a DJ set by DJ Chava. The night was filled with uplifting energy of what was to come for the rest of the weekend.
There is also an aspect of learning, influencers and bloggers are able to learn how to take better photos, reach their intended audience and how to work for good.
Overall the conference is a mix of learning and growing together with your community. Feeling like you belong in a space where everyone wants you to achieve and pushes you to become something greater and in turn allowing you to help others along the way.
After a Friday and Saturday filled with learning, on Sunday you take the day for Wellness. This day was created to work on yourself, to take care of your temple. The weekend is perfectly formulated to take everything in but also take time to reflect on what you have learned.
So there you have it, a full weekend review of what happens at a typical #WeAllGrow. If you are interested in checking out the sessions for #WeAllGrow 2019 Check out the Digital Pass which has 80+ hours of content from the conference. It also has early access to next year so that maybe I can see you there!