When I first started my blog, I didn’t know a single soul who also blogged. I was alone and on my own to learn the business. I slowly but surely started going to blogger conferences and meeting more bloggers, and each time I went learned a little more about how to grow my blog and monetize my business. Being a blogger is actually very lucrative and staying on top of trends, learning shortcuts, and knowing the tricks of the trade will only help you grow your audience and your wallet. Thus after 5+ years of attending these types of events and even speaking at them, my friends Jenny from Princess Turned Mom and Justine from Little Dove Blog and I decided to join forces and create our own blogger retreat/conference weekend! As you know, I love planning events, and this was the first overnight one, and I can’t wait to do more!
So in January, the inaugural Magical Media Retreat was born and it was a success! We intentionally wanted to make the retreat intimate, so we limited tickets to 20 attendees. And not only did we all have a blast, we all learned multiple new things for our business. We spent the weekend making long-lasting bonds, cultivating friendships, leaning on each other for support, and inspiring each other to grow!
The weekend retreat took place at the Radisson Blu in Anaheim. It was the perfect hotel for the retreat because it is close to Disneyland and had the perfect sized conference room for our event! Plus, the rooms were incredible! I cannot wait to take my entire family back soon! You can read more about the hotel here!
After we welcomed everyone to the retreat on the rooftop of The Radisson Blu, we took the Ride Art bus to Downtown Disney! You can scan a QR code right from the hotel lobby and ride all day to the parks for only $6 per person!
Then we had dinner at the incredible Naples Ristorante. We were given a private outdoor room on the rooftop of the restaurant and were treated to Sangria, wine, sodas, salads, gluten free pasta, pizza, and dessert. I can’t even begin to describe how good everything was, especially the pasts, and also how kind, helpful, and patient the staff was, and how amazing the view of Downtown Disney was! They were extremely generous and I cannot wait to go back!
The next day was the actual retreat, where we spent most of the day, learning from each other and our two keynote speakers, Angela Kim from Mommy Diary and Heather Brooker from Motherhood in Hollywood! I have been friends with Angela and Heather for years and I just adore them as humans and moms and also learn so much from them as business professionals. I even had the opportunity to moderate a Q&A with Heather!
I also had the privilege to speak about “How to Network, Build Long Term Relationships and Think Outside the Box with Brands, and Know Your Worth!” I love public speaking and I truly hope I was able to share some good advice to this group of moms!
I also would like to spotlight the sponsors we had for the event! First, our title sponsor, Smart & Final, generously gave us flowers for the table, snacks and goodies for the gift bags, and a little extra to cover some of the other costs of the event. I love shopping at Smart & Final and loved working with them on this retreat!
We also had the following sponsors:
Posh Mommy: I was just introduced to Posh Mommy during this retreat but they have the most beautiful jewelry for moms! You can personalize their jewelry with your kid’s names and so much more!
The Be Brand: This was the first time I worked with The Be Brand and I loved the three outfits I wore during the retreat weekend! From active wear to dresses and my extremely comfortable jumpsuit, all three outfits were a hit and I hope I get to work with them again soon!
Rubio’s Coastal Grill: I have worked with Rubio’s Coastal Grill for many years now and just love their food! They graciously gave everyone an entire box filled with goodies including the most comfortable blanket I have ever owned! I can’t wait to use my gift card for a free meal!
Buckle Down: I have also worked with Buckle Down for many years and love their products! I especially love their Disney collection of handbags, belts, and more! If you are a Disney fan, you must check them out! And I love my new Crossbody bag from the retreat!
Erin Condren: I have worked with Erin Condren for a long time as well. I love all of their products including their organizers, stationary, pens, and more! And I love my new glitter pen and vision journal we received for the retreat!
Go Think: I have been working with Go Think for a long time. I love their non-toxic sunscreen line as well as their other products! If you want a safe sunscreen for your babies and children, look no further! This is the brand for you!
Nash and Mater Creations: I was first introduced to Nash and Mater Creations for the retreat and I absolutely love the sign they created for the retreat as well as the custom drink coasters! I can’t wait to work with them again!
Word Press: Having someone from Word Press come and speak at the retreat was definitely a highlight! I got so many technical blogging questions answered and learned so much!! And they came with a gift for each of us!
And a huge thank you to our beautiful photographer Captivating By Amanda. Not only is she extremely kind and patient, she takes break taking photos! She is so talented capturing natural light!
What a great recap! Makes me excited for the next one!