If you’ve been following my Instagram stories the past few weeks, you know I was in Sea Island, GA at The Cloister with The Southern C to promote the Taylor Reese jewelry line + new Crystal Coast collection. I haven’t been able to stop talking about it!! 🙂 I originally planned on doing a highlight reel on insta because it was the fastest and easiest way to dump the photos + videos I took throughout the week. Once I got my feet on the ground and back into my routine, I realized there were far too many fashion moments, nuggets of wisdom, business takeaways, new brands + business owners I LOVE, and memories made to share in a :30 reel. I am going to try and tackle each question I got over the week I was gone + detail the experience in chronological order as it happened (i.e. go through the schedule) but may get side-tracked here and there.

Full transparency: I promise this post will be long, but I also promise that you won’t want to miss a single minute of it. Read on for details about everything I wore + learned at The Southern C Summit.

What is The Southern C?

I first learned about The Southern C in a meeting with my editor/ publisher at Scoop Charlotte. I had just had Wally and we were chatting and brainstorming some ideas for the year and which articles I would start back with. In that conversation, I mentioned that the south needed some type of gathering that connected southern women and creatives with each other and that I was going to start something. She let me describe my idea a little further and when I was done she said, “you know that exists right? It’s called the Southern C.” Needless to say I spent a lot of time going down the TSC rabbit hole researching everything I could about it.

The Southern C is… “a vibrant community for women in business – a resource for passionate female entrepreneurs in the south….we move you further faster with a dose of fun” and a cocktail. Okay, I added that last part but it has been said.

A little while after my chat with my editor, I decided to join the TSC as a member but wasn’t quite ready to attend a summit. This year (2023), after a series of pregnancies and sweet newborn babies, I was not only prepared to attend but to sell and share my business with the community I have loved for so long.

What I Wore to The Southern C Summit

Night 1: Member Welcome Party

The first night was the member kick-off party hosted by the talented + fabulous Elizabeth Carmichael in her gorgeous home. Shopping newness in January is nearly impossible as retailers use that month to clear out fall and holiday to make room for spring merchandise that typically lands early to mid-February. I had very little luck finding the colorful items I envisioned taking so I shopped my closet! I love fashion and clothing so it’s hard for me to resist that new, new. I tell all my Always the Host clients to shop their stash first then work out to family members before buying anything new. I’m working hard at taking my own advice a little more. It worked well for this trip because I had the best time discovering pieces that hadn’t fit during the pregnancy years and styling them in new ways.

This colorful Staud maxi dress is a vibrant stunner and photos never do it justice. I often change out the accessories to make the dress feel fresh and exciting. For the kick-off party, I paired it with a Shop Taylor Reese chunky turquoise + gold geode statement necklace and my fave yellow YSL bag adorned with a graphic and equally colorful CB Grey mini scarf. To finish it off, I paired my fave white stud wedges to add a neutral color + a pinch of edge. I knew I would be on my feet A LOT this trip so I packed comfy shoes that I knew wouldn’t hurt me too badly. I’m almost positive that this was the only night I wore heels. Every other outfit was styled with platform sneaks or fun flats.

recreate my colorful look

Day 1 of Summit

The day one schedule was jam-packed full of events and amazing speakers. I found this Target gingham top while going through my spring things and fell in love with it all over again. I remembered wearing it for Easter Sunday one year and really loved it. I paired it with my fave J. Crew x Liberty maxi skirt and updated it with my glitter flats, bright yellow bag, and my fave summer belt. Fun fact: the buckle on this belt is so large! Depending on the type of chair, sometimes I have to lean back when I sit. Every day I had on Shop TR jewelry which was most often a full stack of bracelets and shell or pearl earrings from the new spring collection.

re-create my mixed print look

Night 2: Books & Bubbles

Night 2 was so fun as the entire Summit group came together on the terrace of The Cloister for bubbles & books – two of my favorite things. What I loved most about this maximalist neon look is how affordable the whole thing is. My H&M top was a lucky, lucky find that I loved at first sight paired with these killer bubblegum wide-leg pants I found at Target right before I left. I shopped the accessories I already owned and found my go-to silver belt, the same studded wedges from night 1, and my matching neon Garland Bags clutch. New things included the brand new Pecten Shell Bag and shell drop earrings from the Shop Taylor Reese spring collection.

shop neon separates

Day 2 + Night 3: Silent Disco

Day 2 and night 3 were full of Summit sessions + the Sip & Shop where I held down the Shop TR booth and shared the brand story. It was still February in the south but Sea Island was warmer so I went with a hot/cold look to account for the change of temps throughout the day. A hot pink crop sweater and this fun 3D floral swingy skirt with some funky platform sneakers were just the ticket. I felt comfy and put together all day. So comfy, I danced my little flowers off at the silent disco that night. I completed the look with Amazonite drop earrings and a fab small sky blue leather Meanwhile Back at the Farm crossbody bag.

colorful statement pieces

Day 3: Final Summit Session

The last day was quick but wonderful and I finished off the trip with the blue gingham wrap dress and my fave quilted jacket from Hunter Bell and the most amazing bow flat sandals. It was very cold and rainy that morning so I was beyond grateful I had my layers that day. In addition to the final sessions, I spent the am snapping photos with all the amazing women I met + reconnected with since Round Top last year.

primary print mixing + layers

Key Takeaways from the Speakers

Sip & Shop – Shop Taylor Reese Jewelry

I had the best time taking the jewelry line on the road to Summit in Sea Island, GA. Whether I’m selling or shopping myself, a sip and shop is one of my favorite activities. I always love any opportunity to chat with customers and get to know people while telling the brand story. The Southern C is an even better experience because of all the great women there. Everyone is so supportive and even if they aren’t purchasing, almost everyone stops by to say hello, chat, or take a look around. This was the first event with the new Crystal Coast collection and a full display of 14 of the best-selling teams. I came home with a ton of ideas and a full heart.

Making the Most of the TSC (or any) Summit + Conference

Prior to the Summit, I logged into the attendee/ sponsor app TSC provided and began reading about and researching brands that stood out to me or I felt personally connected. In an effort to start the first day a little ahead of the game and with a few familiar faces in my arsenal, I started contacting those business owners to introduce myself via social media and email to tell them something I loved about their brand or something that stood out to me. There were over 250 attendees + presenters at this event so I by no means go to everyone that I wanted to. However, doing this gave me a better foundation and a more natural initial conversation with some of the women at Summit. Instead of introducing myself and starting a “cold conversation”, we picked up the conversation where we left off online and had a working knowledge of what each other’s companies were about.

Overall, I found the vast majority of attendees to be very welcoming to new people, and conversations and were genuinely interested in what others did and had to say. It’s not your typical female culture – this group of women is supportive, kind, hospitable, willing to teach + help, and overall great cheerleaders for everyone in attendance. While you could feel totally comfortable going up to any stranger on day one, I felt confident knowing I had a foundation + new friends to fall back on.

New to Me { Woman Owned } Brands I Discovered

Now What?

Summit is over and for the most part, everything is settled and back to normal. As you can probably tell, this trip had a big impact on me personally and professionally. I came back with a great week of sales, increased brand awareness, new friends, new partnerships, and new contacts. This post is getting published a lot later than I wanted but it was important for me to have the follow-up conversations I talked about and reach out to the people I met. I cannot wait to see how these relationships grow over the next year and am already counting the days til Summit 2024. If you’re in the Charlotte area and want to come to our next chapter meet-up, be sure to follow me on social or drop me an email. I’d love to see you and share the experience of women truly supporting women in their entrepreneurial endeavors.