RISE Toronto: How one weekend can change your soul

For many that know me, it’s common knowledge that author, entrepreneur and all-around mogul Rachel Hollis changed my life. The level of girl crush I have for this woman is higher than queen Bey. It’s one of those situations where I know if we were to meet in a real-world situation, I know we could be besties. I don’t mean a standard meet and greet while I wait in line for a selfie or autograph, but more of a meet-cute where we are at Starbucks and we accidently get each other’s order or perhaps my son is playing one of her son’s in a sporting event and we commiserate over our lack of love for such events while slyly drinking vodka out of the back of our SUV’s. While living states away is a technicality, I have imagined scenarios like this for funsies. I’m inclined to say my adoration for her and her work knows no bounds. However, I also would like to note I’m not psychopath and would never actually follow through with any of these imaginary scenarios as I would fan-gurl out and, most likely, soil my pants Billy Madison style.

While I may be digressing, I need to set the stage for how I was able to attend Rachel and The Hollis Company’s first international RISE event. You see, because I’m not a total psychopath, I actually DO have some amazing friends in my life. They are diverse and encouraging and sarcastic and some are even just as crazy-ambitious as I am. Thankfully, my dear friend of over a decade, Michelle, called me up one evening asking if I would join her for the next RISE conference which was about 45 days out. My knee-jerk reaction is always YES to anything that speaks to my soul. However, I’m also a wife, and a mother, and a full-time employee at a credit unit that has other responsibilities. Never mind the fact we live in Florida and the upcoming conference was in Toronto, Ontario Canada. IN.THE.MIDDLE.OF.WINTER. Thinking of the hotel costs and plane tickets on top of the event cost, it seemed insurmountable and unlikely that I could justify going for something that was just for myself. Then my sweet sweet Michelle dropped a bomb… she said she is wanting to pay for not only for herself, but for 3 FRIENDS TO JOIN! Now, I may be selfish, but I would NEVER EVER have occurred to me to do something SO giving but her gesture is one that not only had a huge impact on my life, but the life of the other ladies who were able to go.. and for that, Michelle, I thank you (and, of course love you)!

So, we had a plan. It was to be Michelle, Michelle’s sister Nichole, Michelle’s co-worker friend Sierra and myself. We started a group chat called ‘Rachel Hollis Girl Gang’ where we discussed coordinating outfits and seat assignments. We pumped each other up with inspirational quotes and planned out dinners for our stay. We briefly contemplated getting separate rooms but quickly realized if we were to immerse ourselves in this experience, we wanted to do it together while sharing beds sleepover style. It’s not often ladies in their 30’s get 5 days away from their lives that include jobs, fiancés, husbands, children and whatever else they may be juggling. We knew the conference was to be an experience, but we were also going to slumber party and site see the crap out of this getaway. We are all at different phases in our lives and this, we saw it, was a vacation and rejuvenation for our souls. However, I’m not sure we were prepared for how true this would ring.

When we planned this trip, the Coronavirus wasn’t even widely known about let alone a concern. However, as the trip grew near, it was something we had to take into consideration. There were maybe 6 known cases in Toronto at the time, but the risk was still considerably low. Social distancing wasn’t discussed yet so, without question, we were going. We just prioritized washing our hands more habitually. Let’s be honest, it would’ve taken RISE being cancelled for us to not go on our girls getaway. With Wednesday, March 4^th being early check-in day, we all scheduled our arrival flights then. 3 of us flew up from Pensacola together earlier in the day while Sierra couldn’t get in from Daytona until much later. Sans my broken luggage, I’m thankful that the flights, train rides, customs and hotel check-in all went smoothly for the 3 of us. We were even upgraded to a higher room, were given complimentary wine and fruit plate along with a free movie rental and had access to the lounge on the top floor with a breathtaking view. This, my friends, was the life.

The three of us got into our adult PJ’s, got into the covers and while drinking free wine, enjoyed Bombshell, a suitable girl empowerment movie. Unfortunately, poor Sierra’s flight was delayed due to weather and she had difficulty getting access to the train with it being close to midnight. It was around this time we realized our room was connected to the elevator shaft and that the constant movement sounded like what a whale’s growling stomach would be from the inside. This blubbing sound would eventually become our wake-up call and our nightly lullaby along with Michelle’s DavidJi meditations. It was this night we were at our highest hopes yet filled with naivety of what this conference would bring up. It was like we had waited in a long line for a roller coaster and we were finally getting our turn, but we had no idea what the ride actually looked like and where it would lead. Bless our tiny baby hearts.

Now, on to the CONFERENCE! For those who don’t know what the RISE conference is, their website states “RISE Women’s Conference is a space where women from every background, race, and religion can come together in a place of community. If you’re looking for a girls’ weekend with some kick-in-your-butt motivation then attend a RISE Women’s Conference and get ready to reach for your potential!” However, I think Rachel said it best with “My mission-literally the reason I believe I was put on this earth-is to teach women to own who they are. I want you to own your talents and skills. I want you to own your beauty and brilliance. I want you to own your flaws and imperfections. I want you to own the work you still need to do on yourself. I want you to own how far you’ve come. This weekend we dig into the foundations of our lives and that means agency over every iteration of our self. Past, Present, Future… This weekend we own up to them all”

During check-in, the Hollis Company has the enthusiasm level turned up to full volume with the decorations and dancing and all-round good time vibe. Unbeknownst to me, that is the vibe they’re going for the duration of the conference and they pull it off seamlessly. The process of checking in was uber easy and the bag and notebooks they provided were on-point! Thankfully, the Hollis Company gives you a fool proof notebook that guides you not only with each days events, but on self-led exercises, pages for note taking and even for doodling. It also breaks down the guest speakers as well as key spots we should see around the city. I had no idea upon receiving the material how often I would go back to refresh my memory since the weekend was an emotional blur. Whoever thought of these notebooks deserves a raise!

Day 1: OWN YOUR PAST

“The intention for today is to change your perception. Maybe it’s altering your view on perceived weaknesses. Maybe you need to redefine past trauma. Maybe it’s simply about learning the tools and tactics to see your past as a platform to build your dreams on instead of an anchor weighing you down. Today, we break free.”

As a breakdown, I will note my personal key takeaways. Please note, these are not all-encompassing as truly, you had to be there to feel the gravity of these. Additionally, I don’t want to give away all of the good nuggets as I don’t want you to think this recap is a replacement for the actual RISE experience.

• Things aren’t as they are, they are as YOU are
• Things aren’t happening TO me, they’re happening FOR me
• Podcast #72 discusses the gratitude/start today journals
• It’s not what you’re carrying, it’s how you hold the load
• Not everything happens for a reason, but you can find meaning in everything!

This one really hit home with me because of my sister’s passing. I, too, was one who used to believe everything happens for a reason but with this new mind shift, it takes the guilt out of finding the meaning or silver linings when bad things happen

• “Carry your own weather with you wherever you go”
• It’s better to fail as yourself than to succeed as someone else
• You can be right, or you can be happy
• You are not defined by a season in your life
• There is someone praying for all the things you have right now
• Act the way you want to feel
• There is not one thing that will make you more loved
• No one who has achieved more will judge you
• There is no such thing as completing someone
• How do you get loved ones to believe in your dreams? YOU ACHIEVE THEM!
• Stop chasing love in unhealthy ways; be enough love where you don’t need it from anyone else
• If you don’t transform your pain, you transmit your pain
• FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real
• There are 3 kinds of fear:
  • A loss of love
  • A loss of security
  • A loss of pride
• Rosie Revere Engineer- Children’s book

Speakers:

Brit ‘Beans’ Barron- @britbarron

Brit is listed as the emcee but she was so much more than that. She is a speaker, writer, author of ‘Worth it’ and great friend to Rachel and team. I had personally never heard of her prior to the conference but she touched my heart and I’m now currently listening to her TedTalk as well as the podcast she joined on Rise! You can also find her and her wife Sami on Instagram for a regular dose of cuteness.

• Is my life a reflection of what I want to be or is it a reflection of not upsetting other people?
• The right things are often the hardest
• You are always going to live in some sort of fear; you just need to decide to not let that control you
• There isn’t something wrong with you, you just have the wrong information
• It’s not enough to know what you’re moving from but moving towards
• Share your vision with others so they can remind you of your dream
• It’s not the easy times that build our resilience, it’s the hard ones
• Joy and pain come from the same well
• “Plant seeds for trees you’ll never sit under”- Octavia Butler

Jen Hatmaker- @jenhatmaker

Now, I’ve known of Jen Hatmaker for years. Her book ‘Of Mess and Moxie’ (along with 12 others) is one that made me laugh AND cry multiple times within the same sentences. Her sense of humor and prose in her writing and podcasts has made me a HUGE fan so I was STOKED to get to hear her speak! If I recall the story correctly, she is actually the one who inspired Rachel to write ‘Girl, Wash your Face’ while on a trip to Ethiopia a few years back. (See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPSlOJf9Jy8)

• An experience in life does not have to be a life sentence
• Ambition does NOT mean you’re putting anything above your children; you don’t have to choose
• It’s okay to have a healthy appetite for anything; never feel shame for that
• The world needs you and your gifts
• Another woman’s success chips away at the ceiling; CHEER THEM ON! THEY ARE NOT COMPETITION!
• Elephants: In the wild when a mama elephant is giving birth or injured, all other elephants back up around her as fierce bodyguards in protection. When the baby is born, they kick dirt on its skin for protection and start trumpeting, celebrating new life and sisterhood. HAVE YOUR SISTERS BACKS!

This moment was really an Ah Ha moment for a lot of us ladies.

Activity:

Stand up for your Sister-

This activity I have heard about from the ‘Rachel Hollis Presents: Made for More’ movie back in 2019. I thought I was prepared for it, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. This activity required each of us to look at 24 different items on a piece of paper and check those that pertain to us. This included the below:

꙱ I have suffered anxiety

꙱ I have suffered from depression

꙱ I have abused alcohol as a way to cope

꙱ I have a disability or chronic illness

꙱ I have lost a partner

꙱ I have intentionally cut or harmed myself

꙱ I have been physically abused

꙱ I have been verbally or emotionally abused

꙱ I have had sex with someone I didn’t love as a way to feel loved

꙱ I have been raped

꙱ I have battled or am battling infertility

꙱ I have abused food as a way to cope

꙱ I am struggling financially

꙱ I hate the way I look

꙱ I am raising a child with a disability or chronic illness

꙱ I have lost a child

꙱ I have abused prescription pills as a way to cope

꙱ I have been cheated on by a partner

꙱ I have been sexually abused

꙱ I have had an eating disorder

꙱ I have lost a parent

꙱ I have considered suicide

꙱ I have kept these issues and struggles to myself because I was afraid of being judged

꙱ I have felt or feel alone because of these issues

We were given a few minutes to really sit in this, to feel each of these and take ownership of those that pertain to us as individuals. Then, Rachel had us do something most people didn’t expect. We were to tear that paper out of our notebooks and fold it… then fold it again and again. Then we passed the folded pieces of paper holding our stories to strangers… then passed them again…and again.. and again.. and again.. and again. We passed them so that no one knew who had their paper. Once we were settled back in, we were to open the paper of one of our fellow sisters and take ownership for hers. Rachel began reading each of the above items, one at a time. If the paper we held in our hands had that item checked off, we were to stand. We were to stand for our fellow sisters. When you looked around the room at the amount of women who have lost a child or a spouse or who had been raped or who contemplated suicide, the emotions were palpable and overwhelming. It truly is indescribable seeing that we are not alone, seeing that someone else is standing up for us and we, in turn, are standing up for them. Out of almost 4,000 women, I don’t think there was a dry eye in that auditorium. For a woman who checked off 17 of those items, it was undeniable the amount of support, camaraderie and reassurance that was felt in those moments. I’m sure I didn’t give this activity the true justice it deserves, but it is one that I will take with me for a long time.. and still carry that sister’s paper with me always.

A letter from your persistence-

This was an opportunity to write a letter to yourself from your persistence, the part of you that never gave up. It’s what you would want your persistence to tell you, to remind you and to encourage you. You don’t have time to think, only write so once all is said and done, you end up a bit surprised by the outcome.

This day at the conference was, for me, the most emotional of the 3. It really helped break down walls you didn’t realize you had built then really unpack some of that baggage you’ve been carrying around. While it’s not always easy to dive into our past, it’s essential to take ownership of it rather than letting it own you. It was unbelievably powerful…. and draining.. and exhausting. But I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Day 2: OWN YOUR PRESENT

“The goal for today is to understand that being in great health is not about the way you look, being in great health is about the way you feel. You will learn what it means to become physically and mentally strong.”

• Illness Wellness Continuum: this is a graph that depicts the concept that you’re either developing wellness or developing disease. The manner in which this was broken down between the 5 categories was very matter of fact and turned a complicated concept into something attainable and relatable. Although my jenky graph below does not do it justice, you get the gist.

Disease	Poor Health	Comfort Zone	Good Health	Optimal Health
Multiple Medications Poor quality of life Potential becomes limited Body has limited function	Symptoms Drug Therapy Surgery Losing normal functions	No Symptoms Nutrition inconsistent Exercise sporadic Health not a high priority	Regular Exercise Good nutrition Wellness educated Minimal nerve interference	100% Function Continuous Development Active participation Wellness lifestyle

• You cannot shame yourself well; you cannot hate yourself better
• When you move your body, you change your mind
• Emotional issues show up as physical issues
• You’ll never get a good night rest if you know you’ll hate tomorrow; you need light at the end of the tunnel
• Just because you can ‘live with it’, doesn’t mean you’re actually living
• I’m worth the work!
• Drink the stupid water!; don’t forget to drink ½ of your body weight in ounces EVERY.SINGLE.Day!
• Being healthy is about being balanced; well-rounded with good choices, not in just one area
• Best bedtime routines include:
  • Shut off screens
  • Start getting ready for bed 2 hours before
  • Sleep in a chilly, dark room
  • Have a chamomile tea
• How you start your day matters!–> https://starttoday.com/pages/blog
• The 10 BOD Commandments: While I’d love to review these in depth, I know similar topics will be covered in Rachel’s next book so I would hate to spoil the goods 😉
• One of my favorite sayings of Rachel’s has been “You can’t pour from an empty pitcher”; she said this along with an empty cup numerous times!
• Creating (healthy) habits are the key to creating a healthy life
• Love yourself enough to take care of yourself
• Never break a promise to yourself!

Speakers:

Amy Porterfield- @amyporterfield

I had never personally heard of Amy prior to the conference but found she is a true gem. She is known for her marketing expertise, her best-selling online courses and hosting her top-ranked business podcast. She even had experience working for Tony Robbins before becoming an entrepreneur herself. What I found interesting was she wasn’t speaking, but since her and Rachel are real-life friends, Rachel decided to make this into a casual interview. The conversation was just like they were letting us in on their real-life relationship and conversations, like we had a window into a brief moment into their lives. While I fell in love with Amy and her genuine and sincere spirit, I was left wanting to know more. If it were up to me, I would say have Amy actually speak for a bit prior to the interview as I feel like she would be able to provide some truth nuggets and anecdotes we could’ve benefited from.

• If you totally accept yourself as you are, you will naturally become healthier
• Weight loss is a biproduct of healthy habits

Trent Shelton- @trentshelton

I heard of Trent Shelton when following Rachel on Instagram a year or so back. He is a former NFL wide receiver and is now known for his unique style of motivational speaking. He currently is the host of his new Straight Up podcast and he comes with some of the best one-liners from the conference. While I appreciate his candor and directness that resonated with me, he also brought the only moment from the conference that I did not agree with. He stated that he told his wife that every day before 11am is his time and his time only. Keep in mind, this man is a father of 3 young children. While I get his sentiment that self-care is necessary and putting yourself first must be a priority, being a mama myself, if my husband would’ve said that to me, hand to the sky, I would’ve turned into the next Lorena Bobbitt. From the looks on the other ladies faces around me, I wasn’t the only one this struck a cord with. However, all in all, he is a powerful and no-holds-bar motivator and I was glad to hear him share his points of view.

• Take full responsibility; outside of your comfort zone is where real change takes place
• When you know yourself, you become empowered; when you own yourself, you become invincible
• Value yourself, not things you can buy
• Unwrap the gift inside you
• Application creates transformation
• The only impossibilities that exist are the ones you create
• The only ones who gave me their opinions were those who never did it
• 4 things to STOP doing:
  • Stop talking yourself out of greatness
  • Stop giving others the permission to put limitations on you
  • Stop accepting the no’s
  • Stop letting perception affect your life (give the world something great to judge); since they’re going to judge anyway
• If you want to walk through the door of fear, change what’s on the other side
• God gave YOU the vision, why do you expect anyone else to see it?
• Don’t treat your dream like a hobby or you’ll keep getting hobby results
• You deserve exactly what you settle for
• You were given your worth at birth
• Be careful with what you identify yourself with (i.e. Job, relationships, etc.)
• Bad pasts can create futures!
• BC mindset= Blame & Complain
• AC Mindset= Accept & Change
• 3 Questions to ask yourself:
  • What standards do I have to live in order to create the life I want to live?
  • What have I been giving life to that hasn’t been giving life back to me?
  • What’s going to be the reason I will choose not to settle anymore?
• If you can be consistent with the things you don’t want to do (like work, doc appointments, etc.), why can’t you be consistent with the thing you call your dream?
• You don’t know what it is costing you for NOT showing up for your dream
• You don’t have a consistency problem, you have a commitment problem
• Protecting your peace (self-care) is necessary
• Sometimes you must make decisions that will hurt your heart but heal your soul
• Consistency never lies
• What can I subtract from my life that will add to it?
• You’re a choice away from a new beginning, and a commitment away from a new life
• Sometimes your greatest disappointments (rock bottom) can be your greatest rescue, your lifeline, catalyst in change

Activity:

A letter of insecurities- Similar to the letter we wrote ourselves the previous day, we are to write a letter from our worst self. This letter is to list all of our insecurities, the worst of what the ‘negative Nancy’ in our heads say to us. For me, the challenge wasn’t figuring out exactly what ‘negative Nancy’ would say as I’ve heard the negative narrative all my life. The difficulty was writing fast enough to get all of the insecurities down while aggressively crying. Have you ever tried to write in a notebook on your lap while tears are shooting out of your eye? My notepaper is still bubbled up from the tear marks.

Once we were done, we were to find a sister we didn’t know in the audience to share our letters with. Just as we stood up for our sisters the day before, we were to hold these insecurities for her, to actually hear what she was saying and to acknowledge. There was no patronizing or dismissing of our doubts but to really hold that space with her without trying to make it better.

Day 3: OWN YOUR FUTURE

“The intention for today is to create the road map that will take you from where you are to where you want to go. Today we’ll get fired up, inspired and talk about the tactical ways you can pursue your version of more. Today we dream big!”

• Dream + Plan= GOAL
• Ask better questions of yourself
• Do not fall under the ‘you get what you get and you don’t pitch a fit’ scenario
• Big dreams shouldn’t have an expiration date
• Working on yourself isn’t always easy but it’s important to understand that changes don’t happen overnight. But working towards your goals is something you must do every day.
• A leader blazes a trail and then turns around to hold up a light for the women coming behind her
• Comparison is the death of joy
• Other people’s opinions of you ARE NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS
• Be prepared that you’re going to think it’s taking too long; there are no shortcuts in the long game
• How dare you sit in the cheap seats & judge me
• People in cheap seats don’t get expensive opinions
• What they want for you isn’t what you want for you
• Bullseye board of trust-
  • If they hurt you, they’re off the board (until they earn the trust back)
• You’re not supposed to stay & die in the valley (referring to Psalms); you gotta go through it & RISE

Speakers:

Dave Hollis- @mrdavehollis

If you know Rachel, you know who Dave is. If you’re living under a rock, Dave is Rachel’s husband and business partner. For me, I’ve been following Rachel for years and rarely was Dave at the forefront of her media. From the outside looking in, he really didn’t join in until after the success of ‘Girl, Wash your Face’. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but it seemed that while he did have a very VERY successful career on his own with Disney (among many others), that he chose to hop onto Rach’s coattails to create the Hollis co. For some reason, and I can’t put my finger on why, this kind of annoyed me. But then he spoke…Holy crap on a cracker. I don’t like to admit when I’m wrong, but ladies.. I was WRONG about Dave. While yes, he chose to come into the motivational space soon after Rachel, his impact is definitely felt. His male perspective is not only refreshing but witty and welcomed. I’ve never been happier to be wrong about someone, so much so that the day his new book came out (Get Out Of Your Own Way), I bought it! While his keynote was flawless, I found I actually am getting more from his book. He is providing poignant insight on the male perspective that translates into my own personal relationship, which I had not anticipated or expected.

• What will get in your way of achieving your dreams after RISE?
  • A voice of authority, someone you love or crave love from will get in your way. They’re not worried about you being at RISE, they’re worried about when you come back. You want someone else to show up for their life? SHOW UP FOR YOURS. If they’re not ok with the new you, you’re already in an unexceptional relationship; don’t yield to their discomfort
  • Opinions of other people; stand firm among push back
  • Fear; your fear, their fear
  • How you think about yourself; you will get in your own way
• Media- You are what you consume, audit the noise
• Friends- Encouraging people encourage; negative people foster negativity. You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with
• Calendar- are you running your life or is your calendar? Does it reflect the life you want to lead? (Sundays are for planning for the week; don’t hope for a good week, plan for it)
• If it’s not a ‘hell yeah, it’s a no’
• Food/Exercise- Health is #1, create the foundation; move your body, change your mind!
• Crabs don’t escape a bucket if there is more than 1 in it, they pull you down. Mediocrity loves company
• Don’t play it safe
• Hope isn’t a strategy
• Kids- mom guilt, what expense of my journey will affect our children? BE THE EXAMPLE of how you want them to live as adults. BE THE ROLE MODEL
• Yourself- life happens for you, not to you. You believing you deserve all the things affects you actually making them happen
• The cost of the life you want is the life you currently have
• Growth doesn’t happen in your comfort zone= comfort is a casualty of growth
• Questions-
  • What is the story you tell yourself?
  • What character do you need to consistently play?
• Les Brown- “hope in the future, you have power in the present”
• Your past perfectly prepared you for your future
• Central experiences= Anchor & define who we think we should be. Can you assign positivity to these experiences; use those for you, not as limitations
• Circumstantial experiences= they happened to have happened; they don’t define who you are
• You get to decide if they’re central or circumstantial
• A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for

Stacey Flowers- @staceyflowers

Just like with Amy, I hadn’t heard of Stacey prior to RISE. However, I can say that she was the biggest surprise for me. While she is known for being the #1 of the Top 10 Female Motivational Speakers, I was personally enamored with her presence. Her aura is authentic and unique while her beauty and fashion sense is to be envied. This woman, legit, took my breath away. Having no clue who she was prior, within an hour I was following her on all of her platforms being totally inspired and yearning for more. Her refreshing take on situations in her life and her down-to-earth delivery was such that everyone could relate to her. I highly recommend Stacey be a keynote speaker at all future RISE events!

• If I can just control things, I’ll be happy when…
• Surrender control & find your power/ If I let go of control, I can pick up power
• Have enough courage to be yourself; show up
• The 5 POWER Principles:
  • Pà People: you are the average of the 5 people you hand out with the most. Cheerleader, mentor, coach, friend, peer
  • Oà Obstacles: They’re a part of the journey; each is an opportunity to think differently. You need to embrace them
  • Wà Why: What is your personal why? When you know why, everything seems to make more sense “if your why doesn’t make you cry, it’s not your why!”. You can endure the how’s & what’s if you have a why
  • Eà Expectations: Seeds of your standards; they are for you, NOT other people. Like a vegan going to a steakhouse, most women don’t like to wait and will settle for the chicken. SEND THE DAMN CHICKEN BACK (if it’s not what you ordered)!
  • Rà Results: Focus on results, NOT outcomes. You can control results, not the outcomes. Everything you have right now is enough.

Mally Roncal-@mallyroncal

I didn’t know of Mally prior to RISE nor did I see her in any of the literature. I’m not sure if she was a planned presenter or not, but during her keynote, we found out she was a longtime makeup artist for Beyoncé and founder of Mally Beauty Cosmetics. While in any other setting, I feel I would’ve loved to hear her story. However, due to such high caliber presenters and speakers who had already gone prior, I feel like this one fell a little flat. The advise was pretty high-level and sometimes cliché in comparison to the rest of the lineup. Now, if she didn’t have much notice and was filling in for someone else, that would be a completely different story! Bottom line is, she is someone who is definitely on my radar but not someone who blew me away.

• Trust your whisper/gut
• Be ready so you don’t have to get ready
• Learn everyone’s name & call them by it!

Activity:

Choose One Dream- Choose one dream and go all in. The only way to completely own your future is to know where you want to go. So let’s take this time to visualize who you want to be in 10 years. Write down as many things, no matter how crazy you think they are

Creating a Roadmap for your Biggest Dream- We were to break down our dream into three segments or ‘mile markers’. This allows us to make our dreams more easily attainable.

Roaring 20’s After Party- This truly was the best way to end the RISE weekend. It was a themed Roaring 20’s dance party and it provide the perfect excuse for a majority of the ladies to get all decked out and get their groove-thang on!

I, personally, had something quite memorable happen in the loo of the dance of all places. So, being that COVID-19 was just sprouting, we knew to be cognizant of hygiene. While I was in the restroom, I felt it was necessary to put my long black gloves in my mouth since there was no where to lay them. All was going well until I had to pull up the Amazon tights and caught a snag. I was thankful it was on my upper thigh and that no one would see, but then I couldn’t get the back of my dress out as the sequences got stuck in the dang fishnets. After a few minutes of wrestling with my attire, I turn around to flush the toilet and at the same time, apparently forgot I had my gloves in my mouth. Within an instant, I saw both of them swirling …. swirling.. swirling.. then to never be seen again, at least by me. Lesson of the day is don’t keep gloves in your mouth, folks 😊

My Overall RISE takeaways:

• The individual events of the weekend may not have been life-changing, but it was the culmination of them all in the order in which they were presented that will leave its everlasting mark
• The best way to explain the work we did was it was like 3 years of therapy in 3 days
• I was emotionally raw and exhausted; they started chipping away at all of our ‘stuff’, at the walls we created around ourselves. Then, without warning, they turn into Miley Cyrus on her wrecking ball and totally obliterate whatever pieces of the walls that are remaining…. And that is only on day one, folks.
• I see why some people would choose to go and experience this alone. However, for me, I feel I got much more out of it with my tribe. Those who I went with made this journey for me as we were able to deconstruct and analyze the deep events and our separate points of view. In the evenings, we were able to further dive in with each other and process more of where each day took us. Additionally, having a tribe with you also means you can rely on them to support you if you fall back into bad habits. Our group has continued since RISE to text each other every single day of 5 things we’re grateful for. In the times of COVID-19, this blessing couldn’t have come at a better time!

• Rachel and the team did this thing where they count backwards (similar to Mel Robbins’ 5 second rule) and our job was to get up and DANCE. We did this so often throughout the conference that by the end, I found myself dancing in the hotel, the airport, on the train and even in bed. I loved how this proved it was easy to start a healthy habit AND it kept us from getting the sleepies throughout the weekend! For an example, check out this video around the 4:40 mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxq0qhu4oKk
• For any newbie, I would recommend tissues every single day. You never know what is going to strike a chord with you and turn the faucet of tears on. What I also found was that if we didn’t have the breakthroughs that we did, in the order that we did, I wouldn’t have been as emotional. The Hollis Company really knows what they’re doing!
• I realized that a lot of my personality traits were tied to my childhood. One of which is I hate being late and have little patience for those who don’t know directions (I’m so sorry Michelle, Sierra and Nichole!)
• As an ad hoc to the above, I think it’s commendable to want to cease taking medications that aren’t life dependent. However, I highly recommend weening off of them and not stopping cold turkey like I did. I also found that not taking my Lexapro was NOT a good decision for myself or those around me during the COVID-19 quarantine. #lessonlearned
• I’m disappointed that Rachel nor Dave showed up to the dance party, especially since that was the only time for us folks in the cheap seats to see them. However, I totally get it and am eternally grateful for the opportunity to dress up and dance the night away after the rollercoaster that is RISE

• There was a lot of repetition from Rachel’s books, podcasts, videos, movie, etc. that was used in the conference, but the manner in which it was used was powerful and SO worth it
• I would absolutely go again but would need time to implement what I’ve learned. I also think it would be beneficial to see what sticks and what I still need more work on
• I would like if they allowed for more time during the writing exercises for us to actually write. As I previously mentioned, they usually make you cry and it’s really hard to get everything down while you’re trying to see through what I liken to a ship’s port hole in a storm.
• Actually OWNING your past, present & future aren’t just words, but meaningful, strategic and conscious actions of taking responsibility, taking control and identifying the correlations between them all
• You truly get out of it what you put in it. I didn’t see many, if any, not giving their all… but if they weren’t, I wouldn’t know. The Hollis Company really makes you feel like they’re talking to just you, directly to you and not to the 4000+ other women in the auditorium
• Throughout this experience, the solidarity between all of us women was truly palpable and something I’ve never experienced before in my life
• Almost a month out and I find myself repeating “move your body, change your mind”, “not everything happens for a reason but you can find meaning in everything” & “5,4,3,2,1! (dance)” to my son on a regular basis.

As a side note, Toronto has some of the best eateries known to man. If you ever get the opportunity to go visit this jewel of a place that has passages like an underground city, I HIGHLY recommend ALL of the below places for food:

• Drake 150
• Cantina Mercatto
• CN Tower 360
• Oliver & Bonacini
• Kit Kat

If ANY of this speaks to you, I HIGHLY recommend you go straight over to https://thehollisco.com/ and check out Rachel and Dave’s Next 90 Day Challenge! It just started last week and it is FREE OF CHARGE (as in, costs you NOTHING)! So far, I’ve watched the videos on perspective and Joy and it’s similar to the golden nuggets they provide you at RISE yet with a more relatable twist to coincide with our current COVID-19 situation. You have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain, all you cool cats and kittens!

 #NEXT90CHALLENGE hollisco.com