Thank you, Toyota and SIMPLY LA Conference for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
The event was held at the Americana at Brand which is located in Glendale, CA, about 10 miles north of downtown LA. Plus, I enjoyed my drive to Glendale because I got to ride in a limited edition Toyota C-HR in a gorgeous ruby color with black roof. The car is so plush, with leather seats, an excellent sound system and a really nice screen in the console with GPS and other smart technology. The car rode smoothly, had good pick-up, and was just a lot of fun to drive.
When I arrived, I checked in and waited until the brand experience section opened. There were a lot of great speakers and panels throughout the day, but I most enjoyed meeting new brands. I learned about several new brands I hadn’t previously heard of, including TOTALEE Haircare and BH Cosmetics.
One of the major highlights for me was getting to talk with the Luna Bar team. I’ve been a fan of Luna Bars for a long time and SIMPLY paired me with them to sponsor my conference attendance. Luna’s booth was extra special to me because they had a game for us to play to think more deeply about what type of negotiators we are. Their goal was to empower women to ask for equal pay.
Given that I have a professional career and I’m also an entrepreneur who created this blog and business, it’s so important to me to ask for what we deserve. Participating in their booth got me thinking about how I negotiate and how I value myself and my work. I love to see companies like this who are tackling such tough issues, especially for women.
The other thing I had so much fun doing was making my own cocktails with Grey Goose Vodka. They had these adorable little stations where you could make your own cocktail. The recipe I made used vodka, St. Germain, club soda and fresh limes. I love fresh limes, so this recipe was perfect for me. Note, I did start drinking at 9am, but hey, why not! (Don’t worry, I stopped long before I had to drive anywhere).
I received complementary conference admission and vehicle loan in exchange or my honest experience.