Happy Friday! Normally I would want start the weekend off by sharing the latest sales or my weekend shopping list, but today I decided to change it up a bit. With everything going on in the world around us – especially these past few days – it’s so important to the take time to remember that there is still good in our world.
Yesterday night, I was lucky enough to witness a group of individuals totally in their element, sharing their passions at the opening reception of Glappitnova at Google Chicago.This is one of my favorite things to watch, passionate people sharing their stories to empower others; whether it’s passion for their job, for the impact they make on their community, or an overall passion for life. It’s people like this that make you want to wake up every morning and simply do more.
Last week if you asked me what Glappitnova was, my first thought might have been a new dance craze {clearly I need to work on my knowledge of pop culture}, so when I received an invitation to attend from Nick Brown, founder & CEO of Glappit, I was intrigued. Glappitnova is a movement that brings millennials across all industries together: first in Chicago – and now, three years after its inception – in four cities around the globe. As a millennial, it’s incredible to see and feel the sense of community that is created when we are all welcomed into one space to network, collaborate and listen.
The panel included millennials across all industries, including: Jimmy Odom, a serial entrepreneur; Emerson Spartz, the CEO of Dose; Hillary Sawchuk, the founder, producer & host of ADrinkWith; Aaron Nace, the CEO & founder of Phlearn; and Aja Evans, 2014 Olympic Bronze Medalist for bobsledding. A group of individuals so different and so similar at the same time, willing to share their successes and failures – all with one trait in common, passion. Aja Evans {btw she is seriously so cool} described it perfectly, passion is just something you feel in your heart.
Given the time in my life – Gilded Gal just launching and all – this conversation was especially important for me to hear. In an over saturated market, {hello, style blogging} it is so easy to feel lost in the shuffle, to feel like your message will not be strong enough to reach the people that you are trying to speak with, or to really feel like you can make a difference. So, why did I start this blog and decide to share snippets of my life on the Internet? Passion.
I love style. I love getting dressed every morning, and leaving the house feeling like the best, most confident version of myself, and I want that for you, too. Style is an extension of who we are, something that we should be proud of, and something we shouldn’t have to spend a ton of money to attain. I did this because I believe that you can have gold standards on a bronze budget.
So heck, maybe this is an over saturated market, but it’s also a huge part of my life, and I am passionate about sharing it with you. To the people of Glappitnova, thank you for further proving to me that no passion is too trivial or silly to follow. To my readers and subscribers, even if you don’t know what your passion is, I encourage you to keep looking for it in your everyday life. It is inside you just waiting to be unveiled to the world, whether it’s through your art, your writing, or even your style.
Thank you for being a part of Gilded Gal for these past five weeks. I appreciate your support and hope you stick around for many weeks, months and years to come. Happy weekend, friends!
xAlex
P.S. If you’re interested in attending a Glappitnova event, there is still time to buy tickets to The Big Night Chicago Showcases on July 13 & 14! Buy your tickets here.