During New York Fashion Week in early September 2018, the Style Collective hosted the #SCCon18 Conference at a high-rise building across from the Empire State Building in New York City.

The inspiring day-long event brought together women from all parts of the country (from California to Atlanta and beyond), who work in a variety of fields (like social media, blogging, fashion, and public relations), and who are pursuing different goals and dreams.

What is the Style Collective?

“Style Collective is a platform for female influencers to connect, grow, and learn how to be successful bloggers and entrepreneurs.” The mission of SC is: “To inspire women to follow their purpose, be inclusive of each other, and achieve success.”

The purpose of the group is to “offer sisterhood, support, and empowerment for female influencers in the fashion and lifestyle industries in many ways – from discussion forums for idea sharing, to online courses and guides for influencer education, to in-person meet-ups and group events, opportunities to work with brands one-on-one, and the strategies you need to turn your blog into your brand and business. Annie has made it her mission to empower other women, improve their happiness, and help them achieve their goals through sisterhood and support of a shared passion. Style Collective is that mission.”

Style Collective Hosts The #SCCon18 NYFW Conference

Created by Annie Spano, the CEO & Founder of Style Collective, the #SCCon conference was designed to “inspire you to take action to go after your biggest dreams.” 

Throughout the conference, a number of informative speakers (including PR Strategy Expert Amanda Berlin, TV Spokesperson Nicolette Brycki, and Author, Speaker & Life Coach Cara Alwill Leyba) provided insight and tips on everything from creating press pitches to handling constructive criticism, overcoming rejection, and working with brands.

As a #GirlBoss who grew up in an all-girls high school (and as a result, created Inspirations & Celebrations – an inspiring lifestyle guide for modern women), nothing makes me happier than supporting a community that encourages women to help and motivate each other.

Style Collective #SCCon18 NYFW Influencer Panel

As a speaker on the Influencer Panel (along with fashion and lifestyle bloggers Keke O of StyleYourSelfie.com, Brittany Sjogren of LoverlyGrey.com, and Tanya Foster of TanyaFoster.com – pictured below), I was so grateful to have the chance to encourage and empower the attendees through inspirational personal stories, a dose of humor, and a lot of helpful advice on how to become successful in this field.

To educate the audience about what it takes to become a successful blogger or social media influencer, during our panel, a few of the questions that Annie asked us included:

• How do you decide what brands and companies you want to work with?
• With social media constantly evolving, where do you see the role of influencers in the future?
• What are the biggest mistakes you see people making when trying to establish themselves as an influencer?

As a big believer in being authentic and true to yourself, I expressed my belief that in being a blogger or influencer, your goal should be to “share your unique perspective and point of view”. To maintain your originality, “don’t compare yourself to others or think you have to do things the same way as someone else”.

Tips for Becoming a Successful Influencer or Blogger

Other topics we covered included current trends and fads, and ways to stand out from the competition.

One of my tips pertaining to the subject of creating eye-catching imagery that looks fresh (whether it was taken 7 years ago or today) is to “avoid using presets”, as these “quick fixes” aren’t good for a long-term strategy. Plus, your photos will end up looking too similar to other people’s images, making your photos less unique, and discouraging brands to repost your content as a result.  

When it comes to creating photography that resonates with your audience and captures their attention, try to “cultivate an image that will stand the test of time”. 

I also encouraged the audience to ask themselves, “How do you teach people?”

As a content creator, lifestyle editor, and influencer, I believe that the content we create is a combination of “inspiration and information. That’s of value to people most, because we usually go online to learn something. So, refine your message and figure out how your format will be helpful to your audience.”

Aside from the engaging panel discussions, the conference attendees were treated to a variety of snacks, refreshments, and goodies by brand sponsors including Sweetgreen, RX Bar, Smashmallow, SimplyProtein, Vita Coco, Suja, and other great companies.

In addition, during the conference, guests had the chance to win awesome giveaways from Beglammed, Rocksbox, Designershare, and Andiamo Luggage. Plus, all the attendees were delighted to walk away with bags filled with samples, products, gift cards, and jewelry from Fab Fit Fun, Realher, Trestique, Skyn Iceland, Beauty Kitchen,  Trestique, and other brands.

If you’re looking to be a part of a growing community of thousands of women who are focused on career growth, personal empowerment, and learning the skills to succeed, join the Style Collective. To learn more about #SCCon and to join the Style Collective, head to their website to sign-up and follow @stylecollective_ on Instagram.

[Photography by Bora Images]