Alt Summit 2023 Schedule
Here’s our schedule* at a glance, with a more detailed list below. Click on links to jump to specific days & times.
3:00-5:00 PM Arts & Crafts Demos
3:00-8:00 PM Registration in Lobby
6:00-8:00 PM Gifting Party
Evening: Attendee-led Meetups
7:00-8:00 AM Yoga
8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast
9:00-5:00 PM Registration in Lobby
9:00-10:15 AM
Opening Keynote
10:15 AM-12:00 PM Sessions
12:00-1:30 PM Lunch & Runway Shows at Pool
1:30-3:00 PM Sessions
3:00-3:15 PM Break
3:15-5:00 PM Sessions
8:00-10:00 PM Dance Party
7:00-8:00 AM Yoga
8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM-12:00 PM Sessions
12:00-1:00 PM Lunch
1:15-3:00 PM Sessions
3:00-3:15 PM Break
3:15-4:00 PM Sessions
4:00-5:00 PM Closing Keynote
5:00-8:00 PM Market Market Sip & Shop
Evening: Attendee-led Meetups
7:00-8:00 AM Yoga
8:00 AM-12:00 PM Co-Working lounge open
9:00-11:00 AM Arts & Crafts Demos, Roundtables
Morning: Attendee-led Meetups
Sunday, March 12
Sunday 3:00-3:50 PM ARTS & CRAFTS DEMO
Sticker Swap — Choose Your Pipsticker Haul, Then Swap Them! Maureen from Pipstick will supply attendees with a different sticker pack and then they’ll be invited to swap stickers with one another — just like you did when you were a kid. It’s a great way to meet fellow attendees on the first day of the conference. Space is limited — first come, first served.
Mo Vasquez of Pipsticks
@Cantina
Sunday 4:00-5:00 PM ARTS & CRAFTS DEMO
Watercolor Painting — Abstract Desert Landscapes Unwind and enjoy painting the gorgeous colors of the California Desert. Whether you are an experienced painter or picking up a brush for the first time, this watercolor workshop will bring you calm confidence as you focus on the beauty of touching paint to paper rather than on your finished results. Space is limited — first come, first served.
Jacinda Boneau of Jacinda Studio
@Cantina
Sunday 3:00-8:00 PM REGISTRATION
Come to the lobby to check in and grab your badge!
@Lobby
Sunday 4:00, 5:00, and 5:30 PM MEETUPS
There are many to choose from and it’s a great way to connect with fellow attendees.
Meetup schedule and locations
Sunday 6:00-8:00 PM GIFTING PARTY
Join us for a welcome party where you can browse a lovely selection of items and make your own gift bag!
@Sago and @Agave
Monday, March 13
Monday 7:00-8:00 AM YOGA
Start your day off bright and early! Join us for a complimentary yoga sesh.
@Yoga room
Monday 8:00-9:00 AM BREAKFAST
@Palmetto
Monday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM MARKETPLACE & SPONSOR AREAS OPEN, REGISTRATION IN LOBBY
Also taking place all day: art installations, bookstore & book signings, headshots!
Monday 9:00-10:15 AM OPENING KEYNOTE
Hear from New York Times best-selling author (and Alt Summit founder!) Gabrielle Blair, about her new book, and what it looks like to be a content creator/blogger/influencer for 17 years and counting. Gabrielle will be signing books at the Pop-Up Bookshop (near the bocce courts) directly after the keynote.
@Pool
Monday 10:15-11:15 AM ARTS & CRAFTS DEMO
Scrapwood Party! Come to this demo to make pocket-sized scrapwood buddies. Think of it as creative therapy. Delanie will bring loads of scrapwood bits and cool junk for you to design and assemble a little robot or animal friend. We’ll even get to use some low-stress power tools. Let’s play, talk shop, and remember what it feels like to be a creative kid.
Delanie Holton-Fessler of Craftsman & Apprentice
@Cantina
Monday 10:15-11:00 AM WORKSHOP
Instagram Success Plan — How Attitude & Action are Essential for Success on Instagram Jodie & Julie have been coaching influencers and small businesses for years and know the issues people have and the stumbling blocks that cause them to fail: focusing on numbers and focusing on negative results and letting these negative attitudes drive their actions and decisions. Once you understand what drives the algorithm you can take back control, take action, and start your own path toward success.
Jodie Kammerer & Julie Lancia of The Design Twins
@Sago
Monday 10:15-11:00 AM THREE 15-MINUTE TALKS
Uncover Your Creative Self: In Business & Life No matter who we are, we all hold stories that have influenced our creative lives. Glory Edim, founder of Well-Read Black Girl will explore how our personal stories hold the power to shape who we are and our creative output as entrepreneurs. She will share her insights into the creative power of personal vision and highlight ways to shift individual fear into mindfulness & curiosity. Viewers will walk away inspired and ready to take on courageous undertakings of telling their authentic story. Glory Edim of Well-Read Black Girl
Achieving the Elite Mindset of an Olympian Learn how to bring the Olympic Mindset to your everyday habits by focusing on high achieving routines that supercharge your careers, personal habits and purpose! Priscilla will speak about turning obstacles into opportunities, persistent practice, finding empowerment in starting over, quitting toxic environments and thriving through failure! Priscilla Loomis
Limit Less: How to Start Changing Your Thoughts so You Can Live Your Best Life Do you have a list of things you plan to do “someday”? Or maybe a big dream that you want to work towards, but every time you’re met with a ridiculous amount of fear? There are parts of your brain that just want to keep you safe; to protect you from ridicule, embarrassment, and failure. But what if it is worth risking failure in pursuit of your dreams? In this TED-style talk, we’ll dive into 3 game changing ways you can start limiting yourself less and spending more time pursuing your dreams. Nikki Nash of Market Your Genius
@Agave
Monday 10:30-12:00 PM EXPERT HELP DESKS
Ask A Product Story Expert Telling an effective story about your product and brand is key to sales. Bring Angie your product storytelling questions and get an audit of your target customer and core ethos of your brand. Note: This audit is designed for product based brands (not service or influencers). Angie Chua of Bobo Design Studio
Ask a Facebook Algorithm Expert Cai is ready to answer your FB questions! What is the algorithm and what is required to keep it working for my page? What are the tricks and tips to wake up a sleepy page? How can I keep up with the algorithm changes? Cai knows you will be delighted to learn that it is easier than ever to make Facebook work for you… and that Meta finally sees Creators as valuable and fundamental to their survival. Cai Dixon of Green Child Magazine
@Expert Help Desks
Monday 11:15-12:00 PM WORKSHOP
How To Monetize Your Blog Without a Massive Audience Social media is not where the money is. Social media is so fast paced — you post something and the lifespan is unbelievably short for the effort involved. This workshop will show you how to set up content on a blog that will create recurring revenue for years on end and will cover the 4 main ways to monetize your blog: affiliate income, ads, sponsorships, and digital products.
Gillian Kyriakidis of Gillian Sarah Designs
@Sago
Monday 11:15-12:00 PM WORKSHOP
How to Craft a Book Proposal That Gets Noticed How do you creatively pitch your book—and make sure it gets noticed by publishers? This session will teach attendees how to create a book proposal that will get noticed by agents and editors with step-by-step instructions for creating everything you’ll need to get eyeballs on their writing projects.
@Agave
Monday 11:30 AM-12:30 PM ARTS & CRAFTS DEMO
Modern Floral Watercolors This workshop entails painting tiny flowers in watercolor that fill up a simple silhouette. It is the perfect way to create something you love in a sort period of time, while unwinding with a meditative and relaxing technique. It is perfect for new watercolor artists or those looking to freshen up on techniques. Attendees will leave with a beautiful floral art piece and maybe even a new hobby. Space is limited — first come, first served.
Carly Robinson of Carly Rae Studio
@Cantina
Monday 12:00-1:30 PM LUNCH
Choose from pork, carne asada, or squash tacos with all the fixins, it’s our favorite Saguaro lunch. tgla
Monday 12:00-1:30 PM RUNWAY SHOWS
While you enjoy your midday meal, get your fill of fashion-inspiration while you see fellow-attendees-turned-runway-models strut their stuff around the pool:
Requiem in the Desert
A fashion show to celebrate Alt’s return to the desert! This year’s show by Latoya Presley is themed around sisterhood and capturing the lifelong friendships and magic of Alt! The collection will capture the essence of attending Alt and some of the various ways Latoya was inspired during the pandemic as a designer and artist. Pieces will include handmade items, a variety of construction techniques, and designs inspired by some of her favorite artists.
Latoya Presley of Lucien & Oleander
Glad & Young Fashion Show
A fashion friendship that was formed at ALT Summit in 2019 is culminating with the brightest, boldest fashion show Palm Springs has ever seen! Glad and Young, a design studio producing fun-loving leather goods, and Bombchel, a handmade tie dye and African clothing brand, met at ALT summit, have boutiques right next to each other in Atlanta, and are now celebrating where it all began with their own joint fashion show! Their clothing and hand bags are absolutely the ALT aesthetic: Bold, colorful, looks that will turn heads and are consciously made. Plus, they are the epitome of what happens when true friendships are made at ALT Summit.
Anna Zietz and Erica Tankesley of Glad & Young Studio
@Pool
Monday 12:30-2:00 PM EXPERT HELP DESK
Ask a Marketing Strategy Expert Whether you have a business you are looking to scale or are just thinking about starting one, having a strategic road map is key. From helping you determine who your dream audience is and what they want and need, to how to develop messaging that actually works, and building smart and savvy campaigns you can grow organically, Cynthia can help. Cynthia will walk you through her strategic framework she has used to build and scale billion dollar brands and how to do it without breaking the bank.
Cynthia Ferngren of Brandsol Agency
@Expert Help Desks
Monday 1:30-2:15 PM WORKSHOP
How to Build Raving Fans and Loyal Influencers In this social media world brand loyalty matters. What you say, how you say it, and who says it for you will make or break any brand. At goumi, we have built a customer base from scratch that has become our staff, our ads, our images, and our heartbeat. In this workshop you will learn: How to start a loyalty and referral program. How to build an influencer program. How to find establish your brand voice. How to build a community of customers, that become more than customers but friends.
Britt Cornett & Kels Givens of Goumi Kids
@Sago
Monday 1:30-2:15 PM WORKSHOP
Work Smarter: Leverage Your Creative Assets to Monetize Them in New Ways In this workshop, learn creative ways to monetize your existing assets. Find new revenue streams by repurposing your content, whether it is photos, videos, blog posts, designs or books. There’s a catch, though: it’s not just copy and paste. You are reaching a new audience, so you have to adapt to the verbal and visual language they will feel drawn to. This workshop will show you examples and tools to help you work smarter, not harder.
Jeannette Kaplun of Hispana Global and Ronit Shiro of Feppybox
@Agave
Monday 1:30-2:30 PM ARTS & CRAFTS DEMO
ART and JOY : Story time (and Macaroni Necklace Making!) LOCATION UPDATE: Come outside to the Palmetto Patio (the covered patio where breakfast was served) for storytime-for-grown-ups, and hear Danielle Krysa, aka The Jealous Curator, read her newest kids’ book, titled “ART and JOY – Best Friends Forever”. After story time, you’ll head to the crafting space to make a project from the book: painted macaroni necklaces! FUN, FUN, FUN… and a great reminder that you should always have JOY by your side, no matter what the art bullies (ie. critics, inner critics, trolls, etc) have to say!
Danielle Krysa of The Jealous Curator
LOCATION UPDATE: Storytime @The Palmetto Patio | Crafting @Cantina
Monday 2:00-3:30 PM EXPERT HELP DESKS
Ask a Brand Building Expert As a newbie in the branding and business space, building a solid foundation is imperative. Building a recognizable brand takes deliberate strategy and focused action. Bring your brand building questions to Ashleé and she will walk through the Recognizable Brand framework that will give you the blueprint to building your brand so you have the confidence and clarity to stand out in a saturated society.
Ask an Attorney You’ve got legal questions: LLCs, DBAs, Trademarks, Copyrights, Contracts? Nicole has answers! Come chat and figure out the best way to setup and protect your business legally.
Nicole Swartz of Sprout Law
@Expert Help Desks
Monday 2:30-3:00 PM TWO 15-MIN TALKS
TikTok Secrets From a View-Count Billionaire Learn actionable takeaways that personal brands, small businesses, and entrepreneurs can immediately use to consistently create viral content, all while remaining true to your values and voice. Because as wild and unpredictable as making short-form video may seem, going viral is actually rather scientific. Learn the biggest mistake people make when creating short form content, and the #1 most underutilized tool for massive organic growth, and why most people miss it.
Hilary Billings of Attentioneers Agency
5 Easy Hacks for More Views on TikTok — Or, The Steps I Took to Go from 0 to 100K TikTok is the fastest growing social media platform, with Reels and Youtube shorts trailing quickly behind. If you aren’t making TikTok a focus of your brand or company you are missing out on revenue, new customers, and viral video opportunities. So why isn’t everyone jumping on the platform um, yesterday? Well it can feel overwhelming and defeating to start. So come learn 5 hacks for more views on TikTok, and walk away with actionable steps to take your TikTok accounts from 0 to 100,000 without the overwhelm and stress!
@Sago
Monday 2:30-3:00 PM WORKSHOP
How to Make More Money as An Influencer Author Leslie Saeta shares her top ideas that can help you be more successful and make more money as an influencer. If you are looking for new ideas and a fun and creative approach to growing your brand and income, this session is a must. Leslie has been in the trenches for years, blogging 7 days a week and two times a day on Instagram. She knows what the frustrations are first hand and she has learned how to focus on long term growth and building her brand.
Leslie Saeta of My 100 Year Old Home
@Agave
Monday 2:45-3:45 PM WORKSHOP
NeuroScience of Calm — The Success Strategy Learning to breathe properly increases quality of life and is linked to our achievements, helps you relieve stress, stay focused, have a greater sense of mental clarity, and resilience. Attend this workshop to learn how to access these tools daily in your life, why it brings impactful shifts and experience this cutting-edge Neuro-Somatic breakthrough strategy for success.
Gina Skye of NeuroBreathwork
@Yoga room
Monday 2:45-3:45 PM ARTS & CRAFTS DEMO
Draw Your Own Fashion Illustration This is for fashion illustration beginners or attendees who just want to sit back, relax, and draw. Lacee will provide really cool backgrounds you can draw on, so you can create something you’ll want to hang on your studio wall! She’ll have croquis you can trace to make it super easy, and she’ll cover basics like drawing ruffles and pleats. Space is limited — first come, first served.
@Cantina
Monday 3:00 PM COFFEE BREAK
Take a break, get a snack, check out the Marketplace, chat with our Sponsors, or ask your burning questions at the Ask-An-Expert Help Desks!
@Palmetto
Monday 3:15-4:00 PM WORKSHOP
SEO Strategies In 2023: How to Drive Massive Traffic to Your Website How to drive massive traffic with an SEO-based content strategy! SEO changed in 2022 leaving many publishers/bloggers wondering what happened and why their content is no longer ranking. Let’s deep dive into keyword research, what a content strategy needs to look, site structure, and SEO strategies that actually work in 2023!
Camille Whiting of Friday We’re In Love & Elisabeth McKnight
@Sago
Monday 3:15-4:00 PM THREE 15-MINUTE TALKS
Everyone’s An Influencer! — Even Product and Service Based Businesses Can Earn Additional Revenue as Content Creators When I teach business owners, one topic that always comes up is the idea of them pitching themselves to brands for paid partnerships for the products and services that they use to run their businesses. Things like software, accounting systems, organizing products, etc. It will amaze you when you experience an “ah-has” moment about how you can partner with brands, too, to make additional money. In this talk, I’ll share how to get started, strategies, negotiating tips, etc. to get you thinking about this potential for additional revenue.
Julianne Taylor of Julianne Taylor Style
Become Press Worthy Learn how to land big media features, catapult your credibility and magnetize your dream clients by becoming your own Press Woman. I share THREE truths regarding landing media spots that actually grow your business! 1- How to book big media features (without special connections). 2- The surprising reason that journalists, producers + publishers need new content (and experts) daily! 3- a pitch formula to successfully pitch to TV, podcasts, speaking and more!
The Realties of Freelance Work Life Amanda Jane Jones will walk you through what it really looks like to create and maintain a freelance career — both the benefits and the difficulties. She’ll cover what she would do differently if she was just starting out, and go over key points to consider if you’re considering a shift from full-time employee to freelance worker.
Amanda Jane Jones of Amanda Jane Jones Studio
@Agave
Monday 3:30-5:00 PM EXPERT HELP DESKS
Ask A Book Publishing Expert Publishing a book is a dream for so many! But where do you start? How long does it take? And how do you even get from point A to point B? The publishing world can be an overwhelming place to navigate, and an experienced guide with a road map makes all the difference in the world. Come and ask Melissa any and all questions about how to publish a book.
Melissa Bahen of Lulu the Baker
Ask an Etsy Expert Chat one-on-one with Nicole Lewis about all things Etsy. As an Etsy U instructor, and top 1% seller who frequents Etsy marketing opportunities, Nicole specializes in Etsy branding, SEO, and marketing to get your products in front of your ideal customer. She can speak to specific questions including listing and shop audits, best practices, how to create listings that catch the eye of Etsy staff and members of the media.
Nicole Lewis of Art 2 The Extreme
@Expert Help Desks
Monday 4:00-5:00 PM ARTS & CRAFTS DEMO
Crowns of Splendour Tap into your inner child and create your very own Crown of Splendour. Come explore different materials to create a unique, one of a kind crown. Shift gears and enjoy this childlike creative space. No limitations, no hesitations, just this pure place of vulnerability to create.
Elise Maree Fehr of Hip Hooray Studios
@Cantina
Monday 4:15-5:00 PM WORKSHOP
Alt Summit Sneak Peek Exclusive: Generative AI + Microsoft Designer Join the Microsoft team to learn about its latest graphic design app — still in preview — that’s already getting amazing buzz. It’s called Microsoft Designer, and its AI capabilities are fundamentally changing all things creative. With Designer, simply type in your ideas and Designer provides suggestions and creates one-of-a-kind designs for you — in seconds — with graphics, text and imagery to match your needs. Designer uses generative AI to redefine your creative process while giving you full control to personalize your designs. You can even post your finished designs directly to social media. Designer isn’t available to the general public yet, and as part of the Alt Summit community, you are one of the first to get a sneak peek to try it out for yourself!
Emily Tohir & Maya Bisineer of Microsoft
@Sago
Monday 4:15-5:00 PM WORKSHOP
Using Humor To Elevate You and Your Brand Join two noteworthy + successful comedians/content creators, to learn how you can use humor as a powerful tool to elevate yourself and your brand in this fast-paced digital world. Get clarity on how humor allows you to create both relatable and engaging content, cultivate a sense of trust with your audience, and can lead to effective storytelling. Leave with tips and confidence!
Alyce Chan & Rosie Nguyen of MomCom and The Hustling Mama
@Agave
Monday 8:00 PM-10:00 PM DANCE PARTY!
No Alt Summit is complete without a dance party and for 2023 we’re declaring it the year of monochrome. Can you imagine how chic you’ll look dressed head to toe in your favorite color?! Take a hue from past Alt attendees and pack colorful jumpsuits, bright separates and sunny dresses in all the shades of the rainbow. We want the room to look like a box of Crayolas.
Tuesday, March 14
Tuesday 7:00-8:00 AM YOGA
It’s that time again! Join us for complimentary yoga in the yoga room.
@Yoga room
Tuesday 8:00-9:00 AM BREAKFAST
@Palmetto
Tuesday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM MARKETPLACE & SPONSOR AREAS OPEN, REGISTRATION IN LOBBY
Also taking place all day: art installations, bookstore & book signings, headshots!
Tuesday 9:00-10:30 AM EXPERT HELP DESKS
Ask a Business and PR Expert Grab a coveted spot for a mini “Doll Date” with Caroline of PoshPR, where you can discuss your business with an experienced brand strategist. Bring all your business questions — from social media and content creation, business launch plans and financial planning budgets, to sales and PR.
Caroline Kalentzos of Posh PR
Ask a CEO This is your chance to ask Heather Carter, Co-CEO of The Riveter all your business-building questions. She’s ready to discuss: 1) How to evolve and adapt your business to thrive. 2) How to identify what in your business can be automated, delegated and eliminated. 3) How to grow a business on a budget. 4) How to effectively handle pressure. 5) Strategy – how to identify market trends, target audience and competitors.
Heather Carter of The Riveter
@Expert Help Desks
Tuesday 9:00-10:00 AM WORKSHOP
Rise In Your Power — A Breathwork, Reiki & Aromatherapy Experience Breathwork is a powerful healing modality that can help you strip away layers of old stories and limiting beliefs that are holding you back from achieving your wildest dreams. Christine Lu Singh will lead you through an empowering Breathwork session, amplified with Reiki energy healing and supportive Aromatherapy to help you release what’s no longer serving you. No previous experience is required.
Christine Singh of Breathe With Tine
@Yoga room
Tuesday 9:00-10:00 AM WORKSHOP
Let’s Stop Motion! In this hands on workshop you’ll learn how to create engaging and thumb-stopping stop motion videos. Trisha will walk you through the process of making a stop motion video from start to finish, and teach you how to incorporate stop motion techniques into the content you already create. She’ll discuss how implementing stop motion into your creative offerings can set you apart on social media, and facilitate your ability to charge more for content creation.
@Cantina
Tuesday 9:00-9:45 AM WORKSHOP
Unf*ck Your Relationship with Money: 5 Powerful Questions to Create an Abundant and Thriving Life For most of us, we’d say that money is the #1 cause of stress, fear, shame, and guilt. The trick about money is that it’s about more than another spreadsheet or app. Money success is 90% mental so it’s time we start talking about this. In this exciting workshop, participants will learn 5 powerful questions to help define their relationship with money, uncover blocks and trauma, create a vision for the business and life they want, and learn how to connect money behaviors with money success. Think of this as a little financial therapy that will change how you think, act, and feel about money in ways you never have before.
Shannah Game of Everyone’s Talkin’ Money
@Sago
Tuesday 9:00-9:45 AM PANEL
Reinventing & Rebuilding Your Career These experienced, knowledgeable panelists know all about reinvention and rebuilding. They’ve made major career changes after 20+ years with the same organization, they’ve started businesses, they’ve left full-time work for freelance life/entrepreneurship, they’ve grown social media followings and communities, they’ve returned to full-time-employee-life after running a business. And they’ve done it without losing their passion and personality. If reinventing or rebuilding your career is on your mind, don’t miss this important discussion.
Andrea Serrano, Natali Edmonds, Shaniequa Washington, Alex Vailas, Moderator: Rachel Matos
@Agave
Tuesday 10:00-10:45 AM TWO TALKS
Why is Burnout Hitting Smart Capable Women So Badly? Why is burnout devastating us right now? Dr. Darria Long is a mom, an ER doctor, a best-selling author, and in December 2020, she almost died. She was a Harvard and Yale-trained ER doctor – and now she was the patient. She was terrified, vulnerable….and burned out. She leveraged her experience and connections to launch the The Burnout Study in Women. Over 4200 women responded, and the lessons drawn are profound. In this talk, she’ll share breakthrough findings along with actionable guidance that women can implement today.
Darria Long of Trueve
Shift Happens: Making Peace With Your Path In An Ever-Changing World
@Sago
Tuesday 10:00-10:45 AM PANEL
Inclusion — A Standard Not A Strategy This panel will dive into the heartbeat of accessibility and inclusion from experts in various fields, to discuss the importance of representation of race, size, age, gender and disability. Attendees will love the depth this conversation brings as panelists stop tip-toeing around the topics that impact all of us and lean into setting lasting inclusion standards that shift society for the future.
Amy Webb, Elaine Lou Cartas, Erica Courdae, Heather Avis, Moderator: Melinda Martin
@Agave
Tuesday 10:15-11:15 WORKSHOP
How to Get Jeff Bezos to Buy You a Tesla (or How to Make $10k/month as an Amazon Influencer) Deanne Gustafson will teach how she went from freaking out about finances (January 2022 was rough!!!) to making nearly $10k a month within 6 months just creating product review videos on Amazon. She will cover: 1- Steps to joining the Amazon influencer program or Amazon Associate program and discovering which one is right for you. 2- How to create content that coverts to sales. 3- How to get a TON of free products sent to you. 5- Ways to leverage your social media to make money. 5- How to match your talents with your passions to earn income without burning out.
@Cantina
Tuesday 10:15-11:45 AM EXPERT HELP DESKS
Ask a Newsletter & Social Media Content Expert Laurie has years of experience building digital communities, made up of amazing creators with their own digital properties. At this expert desk, Laurie can pull up your e-newsletter or social account profile and give you five to ten actionable tips to punch them up for a more engaged audience, better findability for brands, and a more polished look overall.
Laurie White of Laurie Media
Ask a Lawyer Ms Barnett Occhino is here to provide advice on the contracts every creative entrepreneur should possess, to discuss key intellectual property documents to have in your arsenal, and to answer specific questions. Legal affairs are often avoided or overlooked by entrepreneurs because of the perceived cost and complexity, so don’t miss this chance to address individual concerns in a proactive manner.
Michele Barnett Occhino of Bradley & Barnett Agency
@Expert Help Desks
Tuesday 11:00-11:45 AM FEATURED SPEAKER
Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay Microjoys are a practice of uncovering joy and finding hope at any moment. They are accessible to everyone, despite all else. When we hone the ability to look for them, they are always available. Microjoys are the hidden wisdom, long-ago memories, subtle treasures, and ordinary delights that surround us. Cyndie Spiegel first began taking note of microjoys during the most difficult year of her life—when she experienced back-to-back unprecedented and devastating losses—and she found that these fleeting moments of hope helped her move through each day with a semblance of comfort and a lot more joy. Cyndie will be signing books directly after her talk in the pop-up bookstore (near the bocce court).
Tuesday 11:00-11:45 AM THREE 15-MINUTE TALKS
Capitalizing on Your Menstrual Cycle for Personal & Professional Success Your cycle lasts the entire month! Each week of the month means different strengths and weaknesses both emotionally and physically. There is real potential to utilize hormone fluctuations to be more specific and precise about optimizing everything in your life. Tapping into this super power isn’t just for professional athletes anymore. Plus, April will talk about how to make your period more manageable, provide resources for additional help and ultimately help you work with your body instead of against it!
April Davis of The Vagina Blog
Scream Your Dream™ – Using Your Voice Through Personal Branding Confidence is key, awareness is essential, and a plan is necessary to promote your personal brand to your ideal target market and reach your goals. Cheldin will share a realistic strategy and suggested tactics to assist you in identifying your “unique marketing voice.” By strengthening your marketing voice, you will find the words to effectively share your personal brand, build your career and grow your community. It is time to no longer whisper your wishes but to, in fact, SCREAM YOUR DREAM™!
Cheldin Barlatt Rumer of This Is It Network
Detox from Hustle Culture: From F.E.A.R. to L.O.V.E. Today’s aggressive 24/7 hustle culture isn’t working for women. How do creative entrepreneurs balance the many hats they wear without sacrificing their health and relationships? This talk will teach you a more sustainable and inclusive way of growing your creative venture to help you avoid overwhelm and exhaustion. Jadah will share a new entrepreneurial model, centered on sustainable leadership—a practical framework you can use to prioritize your well-being and break free from the toxic culture that leads to burnout.
@Agave
Tuesday 11:30 AM-12:30 PM WORKSHOP
Easy Eye-Catching Animations in Procreate Wiggle, wobble, bounce, and blink! Animation in Procreate is easier than you think! Learn how to use your iPad to create eye-catching animations that you can use to enhance your brand, jazz up your content, and bring playfulness to your message. Be sure to bring your iPad loaded with Procreate, plus your Apple Pencil (or other stylus) to follow along and make your own animations. No Procreate experience or drawing experience is required. Bring along your logo, photo, or headshot to liven up with animation.
Lisa Bardot of Bardot Brush
@Cantina
Tuesday 12:00 PM-1:00 PM
LUNCH
Enjoy falafel and chicken salad sandwiches with green salad, chips, and cookies.
@Pool
Tuesday 1:15-2:00 PM WORKSHOP
Stop Clicking That Boost Button — Learn to Run Ads on FB & IG Like You Have a Million Dollar Budget Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs and small business owners who have attempted to run ads to grow their business, feel like they have wasted their money. And it’s because they didn’t know what they were doing! Learn how to apply million dollar campaign best practices to any budget, because it’s often more about strategy than budget. Attendees will immediately be able to apply these strategies to get their businesses growing.
Stephanie Smith of Social By Steph
@Sago
Tuesday 1:15-2:00 PM PANEL
Run Your Money Like You’re The Boss, Because You Are A discussion about saving, retirement and investing as an entrepreneur. Panelists will highlight financial tools and tracking systems so attendees can focus on creating and building their business, without sweating the numbers.
Steph Guild, Shafonne Myers, Julie Cole, Elle Rowley, Moderator: Charmaine Jennings
@Agave
Tuesday 1:30-2:30 PM TWO 30-MIN TALKS
How to Avoid Getting Hacked and Held for Ransom Social media is the life source for many creators, and yet people miss out on basic steps to protect their accounts from being hacked and held for ransom. Hackers prey on creatives in unique ways – for example by sending phishing links through imposter notices of IP violations. Erin will walk through easy ways to keep your social media safe and how to spot hackers.
Everything is Content: How to Streamline Your Content Creation Whether you call yourself a brand or influencer, you’re really a content creator! But, that doesn’t mean content creation needs to take over your life. In this talk we’ll discuss how to maximize your productivity by streamlining your content creation across multiple platforms. We’ll walk through online systems that make this process painless as well as tips to make the same content look and live differently on each platform.
Michelle Zemp of Golden Coil
@Cantina
Tuesday 2:00-3:30 PM EXPERT HELP DESKS
Ask a Build, Scale, and Sell Expert Danica is ready to offer one-on-one spirited conversation with any entrepreneur who dreams of scaling to sell. She’ll tell them the good, the bad and the brutally honest about what they really need to do to get there. Danica will joyfully offer her expert advice because she did just that — build, scale, and sell — with her own firm, Everywhere Agency.
Danica Kombol of Smart Outsider
Ask a Community Builder Bring Ana your questions all about building an Intentional Community. How do you determine your community’s purpose? How do you start building a community from scratch? How often should you communicate with community members? How to decide if the community should be online, offline, or a combination of both? What type of benefits should you provide to community members? How do you keep the community focused on collaboration and conversation instead of competition? How do you stay intentional through every point of contact?
Ana Flores of We All Grow Community
@Expert Help Desks
Tuesday 2:15-3:00 PM WORKSHOP
How To Grow And Monetize Your Email Newsletter in 2023 The need to “own your audience” as a Creator is increasing more and more. Email is still the best tool to protect your business and connect with your fans – putting you in the driver seat of your business. This workshop will focus on: How to build a high-converting newsletter landing page to grow your audience. Five steps to starting a successful paid newsletter as an additional income stream. Promotional tactics to turn audience members into paying subscribers..
Angel Marie of ConvertKit
@Sago
Tuesday 2:15-3:00 PM WORKSHOP
Building an Engaged Community to Generate 7-figures on a Shoestring Budget Often times creators and entrepreneurs put monetization first, but building and putting your community at the forefront provides a seamless path for monetization. Lindsay will instruct attendees on how do build their community through her SWEEP method: social media, website, email marketing, events, partnerships and publicity with a minimal investment.) Learning objectives include: 3 Ways to put your community to work for your brand, 3 Key organic strategies to build your community, and 3 actionable steps you can take RIGHT NOW to start growing an engaged community. This method has been used to generate triple digit increases in reach, engagement and ultimate bottom line revenue growth.
@Agave
Tuesday 2:45-3:45 PM WORKSHOP
Join The Fight For Equal Rights! It’s 2023. Do you think your basic rights are fully covered under American law? Are women and queer people protected by the U.S. Constitution? The answer, sadly, is NO! Join attorney, author and activist Kate Kelly to find out how we can get ourselves into the constitution and why that matters. The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced exactly 100 years ago—July 21st, 1923. Find out everything you ever wanted to know about the ERA and the modern movement to finalize it! #ERANow
@Cantina
Tuesday 3:00 PM-3:15 PM
COFFEE BREAK
Take a break, get a snack, check out the Marketplace, and chat with our Sponsors!
@Palmetto
Tuesday 3:15-3:45 PM TWO 20-MINUTE TALKS
From under $20 to $4M: How I Started A Personal Care & Fragrance Business and Created A Force For Good IIt’s hard to know if you’re doing it right. Over the past 10 years, Danielle has faced sweeping triumphs (raised $3M from venture capitalists) and crushing defeats (hiring the wrong people and nearly going out of business). Eventually she determined: THERE IS NO ONE RIGHT WAY. But she found some common threads in the many biographies of success and applied them to her path, and she wants to share what she’s learned to help save someone from crying on the floor of their bathroom (any more than is necessary).
Danielle Vincent of Outlaw Soaps
How You Can Create Anything in Your Life with Imagination, Bravery, and Stamina After being a career media professional for over 20 years, Naibe ventured into entrepreneurship. In 2018, she founded two companies, Con Todo Press, a children’s book publishing company that amplifies diverse stories, and LATINAFest LLC, a company that creates community events that celebrate Latina women. Naibe wants to show Alt Summit attendees that if they can think it, they can create it. She’ll help guide you to take a peek at the other side of the proverbial mountain, and realize that sometimes, what is in your way is just one exciting hike to the other side.
@Sago
Tuesday 3:15-3:45 PM WORKSHOP
Creating an Emotionally Intelligent Work Culture: Fostering Connection and Collaboration in Workplace Relations and Customer Experiences In this workshop we will examine how emotional intelligence is the cornerstone for customer connections. This process starts by creating an emotionally intelligent work culture. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a part of a team, a CEO of a growing company, or just starting a new position; each of us has the opportunity to create a space of connection and collaboration where people feel seen, heard and validated. Join emotional development researcher Alyssa Blask Campbell to dive into fostering emotional intelligence in the workplace.
Alyssa Campbell of Seed & Sew
@Agave
Tuesday 4:00-5:00 PM CLOSING KEYNOTE
We’re thrilled to announce that design expert and Emmy-nominated TV host, Bobby Berk, will be our Closing Keynote speaker! Join us at the Keynote Stage by the pool, to hear Bobby Berk interviewed by designer, Ben Uyeda.
Bobby Berk and Ben Uyeda
@Pool
Tuesday 5:00-8:00 PM MARKET MARKET SIP & SHOP PARTY
Meet at Market Market for our first-ever Sip & Shop Party! Head to Market Market (1555 S Palm Canyon Dr Suite F, Palm Springs, CA 92264). It’s about a mile from the Saguaro, so you can walk, bike, drive, or grab a ride-share. Enjoy some sips from Golden Rule Spirits while perusing the sprawling emporium of fine vintage and repurposed goods.
@Market Market
Tuesday 5:30, 6:00, and 6:30 PM MEETUPS
Consider joining a Meetup — they are an ideal way to meet like-minded attendees.
Meetup schedule and locations
Wednesday, March 15
Wednesday 7:00 AM-8:00 AM YOGA
Come on out for one more yoga session!
@Yoga
Wednesday 8:00 AM-9:00 AM BREAKFAST
@Palmetto
Wednesday 8:00 AM-12:00 PM CO-WORKING SPACE OPEN AT PALMETTO
Need a place to catch up on email and collect your thoughts? Head to the Palmetto to find a co-working space.
Wednesday 9:00-9:50 AM ARTS & CRAFTS DEMO
Custom Leather Wallets Get creative while making a unique leather wallet that you can carry for years to come. Attendees will be able to paint, custom stamp and set hardware on their wallet, taking it from start to finish (hello sense of accomplishment!) with our guided expertise. The final product will be completely unique to them and serve as a fun reminder of their inspiring week in Palm Springs. Space is limited — first come, first served.
Anna Zietz & Erica Verges of Glad & Young Studio
@Cantina
Wednesday 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 12:15 PM MEETUPS
Consider joining a Meetup — they are an ideal way to meet like-minded attendees.
Meetup schedule and locations
Wednesday 9:15-11:00 AM THRIFT LIKE A QUEEN CLOTHING SWAP
Join Alli Mayorga for a discussion about thrifting and social media and how we as creators can build our brands more sustainably. For extra fun: let’s turn this discussion into a clothing swap. Bring something (in wearable condition) from the back of your closet that needs to be given new life. You’ll chat, style, and leave this discussion inspired — and maybe even with a new-to-you piece of clothing to love!
Alli Mayorga of Thrifted Queen
@Sago Balcony
Wednesday 9:15-10:00 AM ROUNDTABLES SESSION ONE
Twenty-five roundtable speakers spread between both the Agave & Sago rooms. These same speakers will repeat in Session Two. See roundtable options below.
Wednesday 10:00-10:50 AM ARTS & CRAFTS DEMO
(Re)Introducing Cross Stitch: The Modernization of Slow Crafting Come learn the simple craft of cross stitch with a fun project to celebrate Alt Summit in Palm Springs! This simple, modern pattern will be a great introduction (or refresher) to cross stitch and will make a fabulous souvenir. We’ll also discuss the mental health benefits of adding slow crafting and mindful making to your daily routine. Space is limited — first come, first served.
Camille Ipsen of Not So Modern Millie
@Cantina
Wednesday 10:15-11:00 AM ROUNDTABLE SESSION TWO
Twenty-five roundtable speakers spread between both the Agave & Sago rooms. See roundtable options below.
Roundtables
The Legal Side of Doing Business Online Learn best practices for handling legal matters in your online business, such as creating and exploiting digital content; participating in social media marketing; protecting and enforcing your intellectual property rights; and running an e-commerce platform. Amanda Schreyer of Morse Law
How to Open a Brick + Mortar Store Amanda will share her experience creating a physical presence for her e-commerce brand. In this roundtable you will learn the basics of how to open a brick + mortar store. We will discuss the reasons why to make the move, and also get into the nitty gritty step-by-step process of how to bring a store into fruition. Amanda will also be sharing her favorite softwares for POS, inventory management, and more! Amanda Stewart of Mochi Kids
Become a Networking Queen Aria has been featured over 150 times in the press to showcase her unique approach to business and networking. She will walk attendees through the art of identifying the rooms their people are in, how to own any room they walk in, and how to create a loyal power network of referral partners, collaborators, and ideal peers! Attendees will learn about networking in a way they have never heard or learned- guaranteed. She has taught this workshop to hundreds of Women and it always has amazing testimonials. This is tangible information that will transform the way every attendee shows up in the world. Aria Leighty
Have an Ecommerce Expert Review Your Online Shop Live Are you willing to have your online shop reviewed live? Learn what mistakes tend to show up on every site, and how navigation and copywriting can be improved. Bring a device of some kind to view the sites and offer your own impressions. Get actionable advice that you can apply during the roundtable. Arianne Foulks of Aeolidia
How to Be an Influencer, Even If You’re Not 30 Discover how a 50+ influencer went from unknown to a 200K+ audience in 12 months. Her journey shows how being a non techie social media newbie can build an audience of loyal raving fans ready to buy at a moment’s notice. Being an influencer doesn’t require you to be a certain age, especially when you resonate and engage with your audience. In this talk she will discuss the 3 components necessary to build an engaged audience while staying authentic and aligned to your vision and mission in life. Britta Tabor of The Beekeepher’s Movement
The 5 Things You Need to Know Before Selling Your Products Wholesale – a.k.a IN STORES! Have you every dreamed of your products being sold in stores? Wondered what it would feel like to walk into a local shop and see your products proudly displayed on the shelves? As magical as it feels, you can only sell your products wholesale if it makes sense — you need to be able to be profitable. Using these 5 key factors Cat was able to grow and scale the wholesale side of her product based business, Kitty Meow, from 7 stores to over 1,000+ stores sold in over 13 countries in under 3 years. It wasn’t until she made some major shifts in her wholesale strategy and mindset that business took off for her. And she wants that for you too! Cat Hildner of Kitty Meow Boutique
How to Build an In-Person Community Building an online community is one thing, but creating an in-person atmosphere that allows people to gather regularly face-to-face, is an entirely different challenge. During this roundtable discussion, Charmaine will teach you the dos and don’ts of building a community based on in-person interactions – i.e. workshops, panels, mixers, seminars, fun outings, etc. In addition to sharing experiences with the event side of community building, Charmaine will talk about all the other nitty gritty details like membership structure and pricing, membership perks, marketing, gathering your community in an online space for news and updates, and dealing with supposed competition or imposter syndrome. Charmaine Jennings of Hustle + Charm
Show Me the Money! Are you a content creator and unsure of how much to charge? Chelsee and Lauren will share their proven method on how to price yourself in the industry. They have been content creators for over six years each and have secured brand partnerships with Martha Stewart, Disney, Target, Pottery Barn and much more! Chelsee Hood & Lauren Olson of The House of Hood and Sleep And The City
Rebrand? Rebuild? Pivot?! Recreating an Identity and Breaking the Rut Sometimes you need a rebrand. Sometimes you need a rebuild. Other times you need to just pivot your life. Rebranding and Rebuilding in the creative space is an essential topic because many creatives and businesses will explore the possibility of a rebrand at some point. Rebranding can be scary and costly but Danielle will show you what tools are needed to do so. Come brainstorm and engage with small business owners on how they can rebrand or rebuild what they already have, or make a pivot from what they are already offering. Danielle Hunt of The Sports Brat
Create and Sell Your Own Retreat Do you dream of running your own retreat? But not sure how to get started? Desha will share how to create and sell your own small retreats. Walk away with a retreat checklist and timeline, and let’s turn your retreat dream into reality! Desha Peacock of Sweet Spot Style
Implementing Systems for Your Business You do it all, you’re amazing, but here’s the secret; you actually would grow faster if you had systems in place to scale your business. This roundtable will discuss the strategies and steps you need to take to implement systems into your business to scale, delegate and be less in your business. Emily Merrell of Six Degrees Society
Pinterest Traffic Strategies for 2023 Is Pinterest still good for traffic? Getting traffic to your site is one part of the puzzle … the real success happens in the followup. Learn how to use Pinterest for traffic and to build relationships with new site visitors to maximize results … even if your traffic is lower now than in the past. Jennifer Priest of Smart Creative Social
What is Copywriting? What to Charge and How to find Clients Good writers should expect to be paid proportionally to the value they create, not based on an hourly rate. If you’re a freelancer copywriter, content strategist, social media marketer, or blogger, Koseli will help you nail down your power and charge accordingly. Koseli Cummings
You’re Ready to Hire a Team — Now What? 5 Legal Tips for Hiring Your First Employees You’ve worked hard to grow your business and now you’re at the exciting stage – it’s time to grow your team and hire employees! Whether you’re hiring your first employee or looking to hire an entire team at the outset, Melonie will present five legal tips that offer practical guidance on best hiring and onboarding considerations, including discussing independent contractor classification, implementing solid policies and documents, and providing great (and required) training to your employees. These tips will help you take the best steps to protect your business while building your dream team! Melonie Jordan
5 Steps to Make A Sustainable Living from Your Creativity Miriam Schulman breaks down the 5 fundamentals for building a successful business to achieve your goals, including plans for production, profit, prospecting, promotion and productivity. With these 5 keys in place, you’ll be able to: Build an audience of raving fans who want what you’ve got and are prepared to pay top dollar. Draw attention to your creations by embracing your authenticity. Integrate creativity with family (you don’t have to choose). Romance collectors by seducing them in a way that feels authentic and non-salesy. Price your art (or services) with courage by using a three-step process. There’s never been a better time to turn your creative ideas into a successful business, as the internet is pushing aside art world “gatekeepers” who used to decide what was “worthy”. Miriam Schulman
No Filters, No Shortcuts, No Performances: Building A Genuinely Inclusive Business Inclusion is not about “making space” for others, it is about *creating* a space from the foundation up, where everyone and anyone can feel a genuine sense of belonging when they show up as their authentic, unfiltered self. As creators, bloggers, business owners, and experts we will explore the many facets of your craft to shine light on the innumerable opportunities across industries, marketing campaigns, social platforms, content strategies, informative resources, product development, business practices and relationships, and more where we can empower, listen to and amplify diverse voices, celebrate differences, serve our communities more equitably, and let our craft grow into a vessel of human connection and joy. Disclaimer: There will be talk on racism, social justice, and acknowledging our biases in general. If you don’t think you’re racist, this may not be a fit for you… You’re still more than welcome to poke around. Nadine won’t bite, but her words might! Learn and grow at your own risk. 😉 Nadine Fonseca
How to Run Businesses & Raise Babies Sieria will be teaching moms how to raise businesses and babies using the right systems & strategies. Sieria Payne of The Mommypreneur Company
The Unique Message Model: The 6-Step Framework to Clarify Your Marketing Message to Attract More of the Right People AND Convert Them into High Paying Clients Most people don’t have a marketing problem, they have a messaging problem. Having the greatest offer in the world means nothing if you can’t communicate why your audience should pay for it. In this roundtable, you’ll learn the Unique Message Model, which consists of: Values, Archetypes, Stories, Framework, Offer, Niche. These 6 form a unique blend of messaging elements that belongs only to the entrepreneur who develops them. Participants will walk away with clarity on how to communicate more effectively with their clients and audience, and most of all, feel more confident in expressing how they help people. Jennifer Kem
How to Manufacture and Ship Effectively As A Small Business in Ongoing Covid Times As a first-time furniture brand founder, Stella experienced the worst of the pandemic logistical chaos with overseas manufacturing. This year, she was finally able to launch her brand, Bezier Home, as the supply chain moved to correct itself. She’ll share the valuable lessons she learned: 1. The challenges of manufacturing in the US and overseas and how to overcome them. 2. The challenges of international logistics compounded with supply chain crisis. 3. Inventory vs. made-to-order vs. a bit of both. 4. Domestic shipping ins-and-outs. Alt Summit attendees will take away with valuable knowledge that will save them time and money for their budding retail/e-commerce business and hopefully feel empowered to tackle the challenges that is doing business in uncertain times. Stella Guan of Bezier Home
Not Your Typical Influencer: How to embrace your true authenticity to create your money-making niche in the blogger/influencer world. If you have ever compared yourself online to other bloggers and influencers and thought, “But I’m not a fashion blogger,” “I don’t give make-up tips,” “I’m not a millennial and I don’t want to dance around on social media,” you are not alone. Your authenticity (your real authenticity, not the buzzword authentic) will appeal to an audience when you reveal your true self. Learn how opening up about mental health, grief, or even a non-materialistic lifestyle can garner you a career in blogging or as an influencer. Being in a unique niche is a good thing! Shannon Arner of Arner Adventures
Learn how to design a space that feels like an extension of YOU! These days we are flooded with interior design, retail spaces, commercial spaces that are all starting to feel the SAME. In a recent study we learned that the world is loosing color and personality within their brands. During this roundtable Kelly will teach you how to find your inner style and amplify it into your space. This space may be your bedroom, your office, your coffee shop, your clothing boutique or even your short term rental property. Learn how to source items and tips on how to execute designs. Alt Summit attendees will walk away with new skills on design planning, sourcing, and even modeling in a 3D program! Kelly Bryden
What’s Your Story?: Building Your Personal Brand With LinkedIn LinkedIn is the social media platform for you – not your business. With that understanding, in mind, Marie can help attendees know how to use the platform in a way that it will benefit them. From sharing anecdotal stories of our personal lives on a professional platform, we open ourselves up to create organic conversation in a way that captivates other users and brings them to us. LinkedIn is an important part of the marketing wheel that allows potential customers to keep our brand top of mind, if and when they find themself in need of the product or service we offer. Maria Healey
Four Steps to Profitable Facebook Ads: Digital Courses Edition During this session, Jackie will provide you with the four step framework she’s used to help multiple clients generate record-breaking profits by selling digital courses and products with Facebook & Instagram ads. You will then work together as a group and individually to outline your profit-focused ads strategy. Lastly, you will write down the next steps to implement these strategies after the summit. This exact framework has helped clients generate $3 million — and counting — in course sales last year! Alt Summit attendees will love this session because they will learn practical, actionable items they can leverage when selling their online courses and products with Meta Ads. Jackie Kossoff
Cultivating Media Relationships: How to Build a Media List and Land Press Opportunities In addition to the first steps of building a media list, attendees will also learn: How to find contact information for members of the media. Where to find calls for product roundups and expert advice. What research needs to be done before starting a relationship with an editor, blogger, member of the media you want to work with. How to provide VALUE for the publication, organization, or writer you want to work with. Best practices in communication and followups to land your overall media goal and keep the relationship going. And what to do after you land press. Nicole Lewis of Art 2 The Extreme
Finance Your Fun: RE Passive Income 101 Why is Financing Your Fun through real estate awesome? Because it allows you flexibility, earns you passive income, and builds your wealth over time WHILE providing you a fun place to visit when you’re not renting the home. Chances are you’ve rented an Airbnb at some point. You know the perks, but did you know that with Laura’s formula, even renting your place half time will net you salary-replacing income? You don’t need to be handy, you don’t need any experience, and you don’t need to have a ton of capital. You just need grit, goals and a plan! See how your 100k Cabin could turn you into a passive income producing powerhouse. Laura Pilcher of 100k Cabin
*Schedule is subject to change.