Most of the photos are courtesy of ShiftCon, used with permission.
Last Spring, I received an email about becoming a volunteer for ShiftCon, an eco-wellness influencer conference, which was to be held in New Orleans. I had always wanted to go to this conference, and with our kids not being babies anymore, I got my husband on board and my parents to watch the kids, and we were set! I was so excited to visit New Orleans, meet new likeminded people, and learn about eco-wellness!
The Sights of New Orleans
I had never been to New Orleans, so it was a fun experience! The weather was a bit chilly for me, but hubby and I had fun walking around during the day and enjoying the sights and sounds…and food!
Since we were volunteers, we got to meet lots of new people early on. The first night, we helped sign in representatives from different companies and organizations at a special reception only for them. On day two, we helped punch out name tags and then…my favorite part…sign in companies for the Expo! We met so many wonderful people!
The Warm Welcome
Leah Segedie and her husband, Mark, along with Kia Ruiz, the volunteer coordinator, all gave us a warm welcome and were so nice. Since this was our first ShiftCon, this was the first time we had met them. In Leah's opening speech, she encouraged us as bloggers to support and encourage one another, no matter what "shade of green" we are. There are some hardcore green folks out there, and I think that's awesome because I learned so much from them!
My hubby, Ben (aka DFWdad,) met a few fellow males in the sea of women. He is admittedly not as "green" as I am, but he, too, felt welcomed and learned so much.
The Speakers
I was completely blown away by the amazing speakers at ShiftCon. My absolute favorite was Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, a writer, midwife, medical doctor, herbalist, massage therapist, and martial artist! She has so much wisdom on the nutritional needs of kids, pregnant women, and other adults. Check out her newest book, Fortify Your Life: Your Guide To Vitamins, Minerals, and More.
Another favorite was JP Sears, a comedian and life coach. Besides the fact that he is a ginger like me, he was funny, informative, and just fun to be around. Oh, and he was super nice, too! If you haven't seen his YouTube videos, check them out!
The Expo
For a few hours each day, different eco-wellness companies were represented in the Expo. We loved walking around talking to the different people and learning about new products. Of course there were many companies there that we already knew and loved! It was nice to be able to geek out over those companies!
The People
The people at Shiftcon were all so nice! We all gathered there, from all walks of life, different hair colors, skin colors, genders, jobs, beliefs….and we all got along and loved learning about eco-wellness. It was a happy place, if you will, and it was wonderful!
The Swag
Of course….I would be silly not to mention all the awesome swag we came back with after the conference. The picture below is NOT mine, but this gives you a rough idea. Hubby and I both came back with two large bags of swag just for attending and volunteering, then a couple more bags from Expo goodies. Books, vitamins, tea, salt, fruit, chocolate…and coupons for cold stuff, too! The swag definitely took the conference over the top and I literally just put everything away. Lots of eco-wellness goodies!
