Those Girls: What I Learned at Alt // Part 2 by Emily

(Read Andie's post in Part 1 here)

In some ways, my experience at Alt Summit in San Francisco was very much what I expected: lots of inspiration, lots of business cards/usernames, and lots of goodies! You could tell that everyone was enthusiastic, and I appreciated the community-focused energy that everyone brought to the table.

Like Andie, I found that I was just as worried about representing our business, felt the need to reach further than I could, and was a little drained by the end. A week later I still feel like I'm absorbing the experience! But there are a few stand-out moments that convinced me, yet again, that Andie and I have something very, very special in running Assemble.

Photo courtesy of Alt Summit and atly
Lessons in Running a Creative Business
Conviction
Mariam Naficy said that in order to sustain creative energy, we must rely on our conviction and courage. These are things no one else can give us--they come from within. I can be a better business owner/mother/friend if I stick to what I believe is true.

Focus
Wendy McNaughton reminded me to "Focus on the work, not the showcase." Social media is a large part of what we do as bloggers and artists sharing our views, but at the core of our business is what we create, not who we show it to. This helps me see that the process of making things and evolving is more important than constantly asking for outside validation.

Photo of an overhead drawing by Wendy
Passion
Mike McCue insisted that "Passion and drive aren't coachable. The rest is." He was referring to hiring your team. In Assemble's case, the team consists of only Andie and myself. But how lucky are we to have coordinating drive and passion?? If it were a matter of shaking a few more hands or going over the day with Andie, I'd pick my partner every time. And that should never be undervalued.

I went to San Francisco with the inkling that Assemble, as well as my personal life, could benefit from a deeper sense of self-worth. I am amazed that this "inkling" is actually a loud and clear voice saying:

• Andie and I ARE the authorities on our own creative paths.
• Assemble represents an avenue for success.
• The journey IS the reward.

A Trip to Heath Ceramics and Blue Bottle Coffee

I had never been to San Francisco, but Emily had, so she led me to a veritable heaven of sorts: Heath Ceramics with Blue Bottle Coffee. We had a very small amount of time to explore the city, so we chose Heath, the views from Ghirardelli Square and In 'N' Out Burger (a favorite from my LA days).

Of course I've known (and loved!) Heath Ceramics for ages, but being in the space was something quite different. So many modern, clean lines. It makes me want to have five kitchens. I walked away with a lovely, large Sand mug and a Terra Cotta Succulents Cushion cover. Enjoy the photos--and see many more from our trip on our Instagram!


Heath Mascot, Carlo the Newf

Images taken on a teeny, tiny iPhone 4S.

Those Girls: What I Learned at Alt // Part 1 by Andie

Altitude Summit in San Francisco was a whirlwind for lack of a better word. Being thrown headfirst into a pile of extremely creative, smart and driven women (and a few men) can be daunting to anyone, but as a wholehearted introvert, I have to say that it was a tough one, until I had a bit of an epiphany.


We heard from some amazing speakers, including Mariam Naficy, the founder and CEO of Minted, who delivered the Opening Keynote on sustaining yourself while managing a creative business. Above everything else that she shared with us, I held to one specific quote. On conviction, for better or worse: "An entrepreneur does not care what other people think." This was the first seed that was planted in my mind during our San Francisco stay. Here was this brilliant woman, explaining to a room full of "networkers" about how to not care about networking. Seed successfully planted.

My next experience with the same thoughts were in the Closing Keynote. Mike McCue, founder of Flipboard (and an amazing speaker, by the way) spoke to the group in a variety of startup stories and lessons that he learned in the past. They were all brilliant, and rather than relay them badly to you, I will give you the final point that I took away from his hour-long speech: "Lead with your first principles." When it comes to the principles that Emily and I share, we put a number of things first, before business success and money:
• Our families
• Our business relationships
• Our friendship
Although we could probably have made more money, more connections and gotten more press by being hard and fast with our business rules and focusing more on product and consumption, I think that in the long run--we would lose so much. We are a very small company, and the more we work with larger companies, the more I value other small companies and sole proprietors. I do wonder what is lost in the shift toward bigger and better.

Finally, we ended up at the Pinterest afterparty: Alice in Pinterland. To be quite honest, this could not have been a better analogy for how I felt at the party. It was delightfully decorated, creative and savvy, with unexpected details like tiny tea cookies and inspirational neon signage. I have trouble chatting with people about myself when I first meet them, so I did a lot of listening at this party.


Emily & I with Ben Silbermann
We were able to meet Ben Silbermann, the founder of Pinterest who is notoriously shy. We were both standing in the corner, nursing our liquid courage and I managed to ask him if he had ever taken the Myers Briggs test (if you haven't taken this, you need to get on it). I am an INFJ (Introverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging) while he is an INTP (Introverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, Perceiver). Here was this guy--a painfully shy introvert--who created one of the most brilliant and successful social media and design sites in the world.

And then, it hit me. All seeds at once:
• Entrepreneurs do not care what other people think.
• Lead with your first principles.
• Being who you are leads to greatness.


This party was fabulous, but I have to admit that I absolutely felt like Alice. I was in a flashy, dream-like world where everyone seemed to know what was going on except for me. I am an introvert, and although it is important to leave that comfort zone at times to further experiences and learning, molding myself into a sociable networker is just not my bag. Abandoning how you work the best kills inspiration.

Don't get me wrong, it was a fabulous learning experience--but what I learned most is what we've been talking about this entire time in the Those Girls posts. I guess I just wasn't listening hard enough to myself! You follow your own creative path by following your own creative path. I am most creative in my little condo, overlooking Queen Anne with Bach on the record player. I write, create and work the best when I focus less on the fantastic things that others are doing around me. So thank you, Alt Summit. You were absolutely grand, but I might not be back for a while.