I recently headed out to Austin Texas to attend Design Camp, hosted by celebrity interior designers Lori Dennis and Kelli Ellis. These ladies did such a fabulous job, were super down-to-earth and kept us laughing and entertained the entire time! The 2-day event was jam packed with tons of design info, fun cocktail parties, networking and attendees from all over the country. I had such a great time and made a handful of new friends – everyone was so open and friendly! I loved Austin, but didn’t get to see a whole lot of it since most of my time was spent at the conference. I did squeeze in a couple of fantastic dinners, but definitely need to go back to really see the city! Here are some highlights from my trip, including valuable tips and information that I plan on incorporating into my business and blog! Here we go…

• Submit your project snapshots to major blogs – bloggers are always looking for fresh content to share with readers! And you never know who’s watching.
• If you don’t have very many projects to have photographed yet, style a photo shoot in your own home; you can always focus on styled vignettes with accessories / details if you don’t have a whole room to photograph.
• Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and share what you’ve done – take advantage of social media platforms! There has never been a better and easier time to promote yourself as a designer. Editors and bloggers are always on the lookout for fresh faces and new projects to feature.

• What is a brand? It’s collectively what people say, feel, think…about a product, service or company. It isn’t what YOU say it is. It’s what THEY say it is.
• Be clear on who you are and what your point of view is – it’s all about the whole package!
• Be different than what’s out there – you want to stand out and be original!
• Focus, focus, focus! Avoid being all over the place with your blog and /or business. Be disciplined and innovative on what it is that you’re trying to accomplish.
• Collaborate with like-minded people to help build your brand and business – two heads are always better than one! Especially if you work for yourself and are often alone.
• Stay connected with social media and be sure that you’re actively participating in the conversation about your brand, other brands, etc.