We had fantastic sponsors:: Delectable Catering who made yummy treats for all of the attendees and The Towne Printer who printed the workbook that each attendee took home with them. The service and quality of products from our sponsors was amazing. Highly Recommended!

Thank you to our sponsors and to those who attended our event. We are excited to see the changes you make to better your business! Thank you for the opportunity to share our passion with you…..

xoxo, kelli & vanessa

Are you an Entrepreneur? Business Owner? Dreamer? Do you need to re-focus your BRAND? Need insight into how to better execute your SOCIAL MEDIA strategy? If so, the Branding & Social Media LAB is the perfect answer for you – limited seats available!

// WHAT IS COVERED IN THE LAB? Good question! The topics will include : The importance of being YOU, What encompasses your brand, How to create an experience for your brand & Social Media – why it’s vital for your business.

// HOW MUCH? The BRANDING & SOCIAL MEDIA LAB is $99 per person OR $150 for two people from the same office/company. We will be providing a workbook for the LAB & breakfast will be provided by the Red Caboose [yum]!

// HOW TO REGISTER? Your non-refundable payment for the LAB will serve as your registration. The links provided ABOVE will take you to PayPal where you can securely register for a single ticket [$99] or a double ticket [$150]. So, if you’re ready to join us, go secure your spot for the LAB!

[*Please note, this LAB is for entrepreneurs & business owners, not for those who currently run a social media business.]

I love this concept that Vanessa dreamt up for the styled segment of JOLT | Dallas. Once again, this is her gorgeous niece Christian, who just so happened to turn 16 and is now a legal driver on the road! She was full of spunkiness as she hopped out of her cute mini cooper……I knew this would be a fabulous shoot!

We’ve got more Q&A’s coming from a few of our favorite creatives…..so stay tuned!

Christian ROCKED this session….she’s such a natural, in every sense of the word. Many of our attendees specialized in Seniors so this was a great addition to their portfolios!

Thanks for spending your day with us, Christian! I loved [finally] meeting you!!

In Nashville, we absolutely loved working with our good friends, Elise the author of the inspiring blog Pennyweight & Allister Ann an incredible photographer.

So, for our JOLT | DALLAS shop we snatched up the ever so talented, Emma Dime. One of her many talents is knitting pretty lovelies that are a must for any wardrobe. With the colder season approaching, you must go take a peek at Emma Dime : Knitted … you will thank us later.

For now, allow us to introduce you to our sweet friend, Emma.

We need to THANK a few people who made this event possible::

JOLT | Dallas would not have been a success without such incredible attendees! Thank you so much for trusting us and for spending your day with us. It was an honor and we truly loved meeting each and every one of you.

Our day kicked off with a delicious boxed lunch by Celebrity Bakery and we stayed nice and cool inside Greg Blomberg’s studio. We were also honored to have the the CEO of WHCC, Mike Hanline, stop in for the second half of our day!!

Inside each and every workbook contained discount codes to a few of our favorite products- so thank you VOL. 25, FORMULA ONE ACTIONS, BUTTERFLYSPARKS and THE 99 PERCENT!

Well, enough of this typing….here’s a peak inside JOLT | Dallas……

We received a few nice words from our attendees too….

“Love love love the JOLT girls! Kelli and Vanessa are simply the real deal. Two girls passionate about life, art and sharing their talents and wisdom with others. After not going to a “workshop” in quite some time, I was ready to get out of my creative “rut”. It’s so important to collaborate, meet with fellow creatives (photogs in my case) and share ideas, issues and advice. This was the perfect, inspirational “shop” for just that. Thank you Kelli and Vanessa for an amazing day and new friendships. Xoxo! -Heather Thorne

“JOLT was an incredible day full of inspiration, motivation, success tips and realizing the importance of being true to yourself! The shooting section was really fun and one of my favorite parts as we watched Kelli in action and Vanessa with her magical styling! Thank you to you TWO for pouring into us and helping us dream big….what an incredible duo and an amazing experience!!” -Ali Wood

“JOLT was what I was looking for and more! I needed a creative boost and some marketing input. This left me reeling with ideas and released the burden of feeling like I have to buy every template out there to be successful. The one on one time was invaluable! It was extremely inspiring and I loved connecting with all of the ladies there! I am still putting into practice what I learned and have other goals that I am reaching for. Thank you for putting together a memorable experience. . .I look forward to a reunion some time!” -Amber Zimmerman

Eeeeek! It’s like Christmas in September…this package from The 99 Percent just showed up. We are beyond excited for our events this week with Art House Dallas and JOLT | Dallas! Our sponsors are truly amazing.

JOLT | DALLAS from kelli & vanessa on Vimeo.

Without further ado …

NAME : Julie Martin
BUSINESS : ZozoBugBaby
LOCATION : Salem, Oregon

What is the story behind the name ZozoBugBaby?
Well..it’s nothing too glamorous, really. My oldest daughter (5) is Zoe and her most popular nickname is Zozo. My youngest, Delia (4) had the nickname of Bug or Bitty Bug when she was a baby. I started out offering just baby clothing, so…..there ya have it! Zozo+Bug+Baby!

Before you sit down to design a Zozo piece, creatively where does your inspiriation come from?
I am inspired by EVERYTHING, but especially the juxtaposition of textures and color combinations. There is a house down the street from mine that is a gorgeous aqua color. They have huge vibrant red rose bushes in front. I am inspired by the aqua/red combo every day when I drive by. The way cherry blossoms look against a blue sky. Seriously. I am inspired by EVERYTHING. Lately I’m into themes, so I’m going to explore the 1920′s for my Fall children’s collection. I am also inspired a lot by fine art and other designers and photographers, as well.

How vital is social media to your business & how do you balance that with family & creating?
Social media is CRUCIAL these days for any business. It’s the fastest way to reach customers! Facebook is hands down the best free marketing tool on Earth! Balance is a CONSTANT struggle and I battle every day. I am not any kind of role model for balance. I actually was very inspired by my friend, Kelly Moore (yes, THE Kelly Moore!), to take the summer OFF to be with my girls! My business will still run and I”ll have to work some, of course, but I am not putting them into child care this summer. I am restructuring how my business is going to function for a few months, so that I can get just a step closer to that elusive balance (before the craziness of the Fall line begins!).

What was your most enjoyable experience when you last collaborated with another creative?
Do I have to pick just ONE? I’m going to live on the edge and list two. I have 3 other designer friends with children’s clothing lines (Lillipops Designs, The Measure and The Trendy Tot) and we are all very different in our aesthetic, but we all came together to collaborate in Portland earlier this year. It was outstanding! It’s truly so special when a group of artists that are so different can come together and create something really amazing. We all just feed off of each other really push each other to break outside of our comfort zones. This new collaboration is even more breathtaking than we all imagined. The new clothing line is called Small Nation and will debut on May 1st! Secondly, ANYTHING I do with Shannon Sewell ends up taking my breath away. We kind of trade off coming up with ideas, but it always works out beautifully. I love it when she approaches me with an idea and I get to put my Zozo spin on it and turn her vision into reality. We have an unbelievable collaboration coming up in June. You wouldn’t even believe me if I told you what it involves.

For someone wanting to turn their hobby into a business, what advice would you have for them?
First, you HAVE To think long-term. Branding is SO HUGE and before you even set out to make your hobby into a business, you need to have a solid idea of who you are as a business and what you want to put out into the world. I think NAMING your business has got to be thoughtfully considered. You want to be memorable, but also taken seriously (i.e….. Pink Turnip Clothing sounds really interesting, but “So-and-So’s Cutsie Pie Couture” sounds a bit amateur). (I totally made up those names, so I hope I don’t step on toes!). BE ORIGINAL!!!!