A few months ago, I spent a glorious few days at a bed + breakfast outside of Nashville for the Inspired Retreat. As you may remember, I attended and spoke at the retreat last Fall and was honored to come back again for another incredible experience. Every moment of this conference is filled with wonderful activities and celebrations. The caliber of the speakers is beyond incredible and the things that I have learned during these retreats are priceless for both my personal well being and business growth. I have a notebook, well actually even better, a May book filled with tips and action items that I have already started to work on and will continue to study and implement in the coming months.

Oh, these girls. How lucky do I feel to know each and every one of them? The smartest women in creative business. Designers, stylists, wedding planners, artists, calligraphers, shop owners, photographers, website experts, CEOs, each sharing their own experiences, successes and struggles in business. I was so honored to be a part of this speaker group. I absolutely adore them all and I highly suggest you follow them all.

Back Row  |  Leah Remillet, Valerie McKeehan, Samantha Shepard, Jennifer Faught, Jessica Bishop, Kim Stoegbauer (me!), Cathy Olson, Brandi Schaffran-Webb
Front Row  |  Carmen Rogge, Melissa Esplin, Amber Housley, April Foster, Nicolle Spitulnik, Ashlee Proffitt, Kristen Polhemus

To give you a feel of the serene setting that the retreat takes place in, this is area where some of the sessions are held. Absolutely gorgeous, right? To get here, you have to walk over a bridge with a rushing waterfall underneath it. Pretty amazing. As you can see, we had a little rain while we were there, which made this Arizona girl quite happy!

The stuff. Oh the stuff. What girl doesn’t love pretty gifts and surprises? At every turn during the retreat, we were spoiled with adorably designed things. Two of my faves? This darling tumbler from Ashlee and custom-branded May Book notebook.

During the retreat, I taught an Advanced Photo Styling session. I was nervous beforehand (as usual), but everyone seemed to love the presentation and tips I provided. I also touched on improving your iPhone photo skills and editing, and then took the girls outside for a hands-on styling/shooting session.

To encourage my students to continue trying/using my tips, I hosted a little photo contest on instagram. Heather from Design Roots was the winner (see below)…and you can see the runner-ups here.

Every meal was an event at the retreat. Each night, Amber styled the tables beautifully with gorgeous blooms including these incredible peonies. So amazing, right?

Not only did we spend our days learning, but we also had several opportunities to express our creativity. The day of the final dinner, we all made floral crowns to wear that evening. This was mine…

Inspired is such an amazing retreat! I am so happy to announce that I will be speaking again at the Fall Retreat, which is October 18-21.

I invite you to join us for another incredible experience! 

Early bird registration is going on now through 8/18, and you can use code TOMKAT to get an extra $200 off registration!

Find out the details, check out the speaker line up and get ready for a truly unforgettable experience!

Get Details Here

Photography by the oh-so-sweet, Brandi of Alexis June Weddings