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Have you ever had to read an email 10 times before you fully grasped what it meant? That’s what happened to me when I found out that I was being sent to Los Angeles with an all-access pass to the Rally to be the social correspondent for T-Mobile.

Though I knew of Sophia from social media and watching her Netflix series last year, when I found out I was going to the event I fell down a podcast rabbit hole and read every page on the Rally website. It became a matter of patiently (or maybe not so patiently) waiting for the schedule to post. When it went up, I couldn’t wait to see Lizzie Velasquez speak. I’ve followed her story for years and been inspired by her ability to not allow the hate aimed towards her to defeat her and instead to use it for good.

When the rally weekend finally arrived, I flew in from Chicago and headed to the venue to explore. As I moved between the Ballerroom, Hustle Hall and the Startup Studio, I loved how each setup and room was unique. Everything from the lighting to the quotes on the wall—“Every day is the beginning of your career” was my favorite—was on point and Instagram-ready. And, let me tell you, having the staff pass was definitely a bonus. I was able to be front and center at all the sessions and that allowed me to capture some great pictures and videos.

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“Everything from the lighting to the quotes on the wall—“Every day is the beginning of your career” was my favorite—was on point and Instagram-ready.”

If I had to choose, I’d say Hustle Hall was my favorite. It was intimate and I was very relaxed while in there. That could have been because I arrived during the meditation and sound bath. I, like many women, tend to get consumed by work and it feels like I’m constantly going. Sometimes I don’t realize that I need to take time for myself. I really connected with the speakers in Hustle Hall who spoke about taking time to recharge and focus on improving your body and mind.

There was inspiration to be found everywhere at the rally. Listening to Gwyneth Paltrow speak about being agile and finding a mentor really connected with me. She said, “Don’t build a network, build relationships, ” and I’ve been thinking about that ever since. I also really enjoyed the “Wired, Inspired” panel and have been working on using the takeaways from the four tech-world leaders— embrace the twist and turns of your career/business, be open to risk, don’t be afraid to share your ideas—in my day to day life.

Inspiring Takeaways For Retailers From The Girlboss Rally

Then there were the people. Right from the start, the energy from the attendees was incredible. Not only could I see that everyone was having an amazing time by the smiles I saw on their faces, I could feel it, too. I met bold, friendly women from all over the country (I even met one from Puerto Rico) in all types of industries. Some were there with friends, some like me were there alone, but everyone left with new friends.

One of my favorite things about working for T-Mobile is their commitment to diversity and female leadership, so I loved getting to hear from the women on the “What Does ‘Equal’ Actually Look Like” panel. I was especially proud that T-Mobile’s own Executive Vice President of Customer Care, Callie Field, was part of that panel and shared the things that happened in her own life to empower her, and what she’s done to empower those around her. I really look up to Callie.

Callie wasn’t the only part of T-Mobile and ’s partnership that made me feel immense pride, though. I loved that T-Mobile was a part of the Game Changer Scholarship. The fact that these amazing women, who otherwise couldn’t afford tickets, have been able to attend the rally and were given the opportunity to come, meet, and learn from so many other amazing women feels amazing.

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I absolutely loved that my company was a part of this and that so many of the messages at the Rally were similar to those that I hear at Women’s Leadership events that I attend at T-Mobile every quarter. From the importance of work/life integration to creating a more diverse and inclusive environment, it was great to see we’re all on the same page and to know that T-Mobile is filled with amazing #es.

As I headed home to Chicago I had so many friends reach out, asking me how it went. I told them it was an incredible experience that opened my eyes to how I view myself and my career, and that they all needed to come. In fact, my mom and sisters are already talking about coming to the New York Rally in November.

I feel so inspired and ready to use my voice. Something that was said over and over again throughout the day was the importance of sharing our ideas and not being afraid of using your voice or taking risks. As Sophia said, “I would constantly underestimate myself but look at where I’m at now.”A few weeks ago, I was in New York to attend my first Girlboss Rally,  an empowering 2-day conference for women who aspire to take their careers, side hustles, and small businesses to the next level. The weekend was jam-packed with a impressive lineup of honest conversations and impactful panel discussions with some of the biggest powerhouses, female founders, executives, and groundbreakers across multiple industries. Some of the most significant takeaways for me were discussions about finances (

The Girlboss Rally Taught Me To Embrace Failure

One of the most inspiring and exciting moments of the weekend, however, was seeing Uber's Pitch Program come to life at the Girlboss Rally. Several weeks ahead of the conference, Uber announced a new program where female entrepreneurs could submit their big idea for a chance to win more than $200, 000 in prize money, mentorship and resources to take their start-ups to the next level. The program was created in reaction to a staggering statistic: last year female founders received only 2-3% of venture capitalist dollars. WTF, right? It was time to rethink the ratio. So after thousands of badass girlbosses sent in their applications to Uber, 5 finalists were chosen to pitch their business models in front of an advisory committee that included Away founder Jen Rubio, Dry Bar founder Ali Webb and venture capitalist Ita Ekpoudom. The next day, the top three winners were announced . . .

Grand Prize: Ashley Lamb-Sinclair, Founder & CEO of Curio Learning. As a longtime English teacher and high school instructional coach, Ashley felt frustrated at the fact that teachers just don't receive enough quality professional development that can help them grow as educators. So she decided to break that barrier by creating an online space and app, where K-12 educators and administrators could develop lesson plans and development strategies and share them with each other, no matter where you are in the world.

Second Prize: Bilyana Freye, Co-Founder & CEO,  Hoppin. Bilyana will never forget a culminating moment in her career. After accepting her first job working in risk management, she quickly realized she took on a position that just wasn't for her. So she mustered up the courage to ask to shadow someone in a completely different department and after sitting in on client pitch in a wealth management meeting, she knew

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Is where she belonged. The private banking department hired her. Fast forward 10 years and Bilyana has launched Hoppin, a platform that allows you to browse, list and book job shadowing opportunities, irrespective of your background. Her goal is to help inspire people to find a career they love.

Runner Up: Jamela Acheampong, Founder,  Kahmune. As a dark skinned woman, Jamela was frustrated that she could not find a nude shoe that matched her skin tone. In fact, she created her first nude pair by buying a pair of white shoes and painting them to match the color of her skin. This was the inspiration behind Kahmune, a luxury footwear label that provides 10 skin tone hues soIn case you’re looking for some practical, but still-inspiring advice from accomplished women, look no further than the Rally. It’s where we gather the best women in a variety of creative fields who successfully freelance, own their own businesses, and basically just kick ass in whatever they do. Consider it your shortcut to the insider-knowledge from some of the best women who’ve been there, know how to get through it and have plenty of advice on how to craft your dream career and lifestyle.

Lucky for you, we’ve gathered some of the best Rally advice from our most recent rally in Los Angeles. The following bits of advice come from women entrepreneurs, side hustlers and freelancers who know how to get things done.

I Went To The Girlboss Rally . . .

Think: Advice on branding yourself, moving through tough times, and how to not lose sight of your ultimate goals. (Because that can happen when tough times hit!)

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