• Home
  • Laurentide
    • Farm
    • Cool Women
    • Family
    • Interiors
    • Lessons
    • Procrastination
    • Reviews
    • Travel
    • Vintage Finds
  • Videos
  • Resources
    • Message Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • Subscribe
  • Search
  • Archive
Menu

The Bubble Joy

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
"In folly's cup still laughs the bubble joy." Alexander Pope

Your Custom Text Here

The Bubble Joy

  • Home
  • Laurentide
  • Blog
    • Farm
    • Cool Women
    • Family
    • Interiors
    • Lessons
    • Procrastination
    • Reviews
    • Travel
    • Vintage Finds
  • Videos
  • Resources
  • Contact
    • Message Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • Subscribe
  • Search
  • Archive

It is Okay to Be a Beginner: Lessons Learned at Alt Summit

July 5, 2014 mithra ballesteros
Me, rushing to learn. Photo by Justin Hackworth.

Me, rushing to learn. Photo by Justin Hackworth.

This post is about Alt Summit and I'm filing it under 'Mistakes' because I made another big one. I am not comfortable in the role of beginner and before launching my shop, I believed that with enough preparation and education, I could skip beginner status altogether. 

However, I'm three months in and there is minimal traffic to the store, my Google page rank is zero, Photoshop kicks my butt no matter how many tutorials I do, and each day ends with a longer list of things I need to learn. I cannot skip to the next grade.

Enter Alt Summit, a conference for bloggers and small creative businesses who are starting out. They embrace the novice. And when I snagged a discount ticket, I jumped at the chance to attend. I'd meet other beginners and learn from the experts. But deep down, I wanted to gauge the gulf between those two -- and figure out how to build my bridge to the other side. Because did I mention how I hate being a beginner?

And there is the mistake. It only took one morning at Alt and the persuasive voice of Ira Glass for me to see it. In this clip, he talks about what he wished someone had told him when he was starting out.

The Entrepreneur Who Crashed the Party

Not only do the organizers of Alt celebrate the newbies, they provide a breeding ground for the newbies to nurture each other. One of my favorite speakers was Garrett Gee, who officially talked about how to launch a product -- in his case an app called Scan. But the unspoken message he relayed was even more compelling to me.

Garrett Gee, presenting at Alt Summit, in nearly the same outfit he wore sneaking into Alt Summit four years earlier. Photo by Brooke Dennis.

Garrett Gee, presenting at Alt Summit, in nearly the same outfit he wore sneaking into Alt Summit four years earlier. Photo by Brooke Dennis.

Because four years earlier, as a college student at Brigham Young University, Garrett Gee snuck into Alt Summit, looking for potential clients for his fledgling graphic design business. (The audience loved the photo he flashed of that day, circa 2010, Garrett the college student in the back row of the conference room, decked out in backwards baseball cap and t-shirt. Kudos to the Alt person who dug that up! For that matter, kudos to Alt for inviting this interloper back as a presenter!)

Anyway, this ballsy kid noticed an open table in the hall where sponsors set up booths, and he sat himself down and began handing out his card. Next to him twiddling his thumbs due to lack of interest in his product sat a young man named Ben Silbermann. He was pitching his prototype for a web platform called Pinterest.

Both of these men had beginnings. Messy beginnings. Scary beginnings. 

Funny Ass Couple Who Should Have Their Own Show

These two, below, also, inspired me with the story of their beginning. 

Matthew and Robbi, successful business owners, "if success means not losing money," says Matthew. Photo by Brooke Dennis.

Matthew and Robbi, successful business owners, "if success means not losing money," says Matthew. Photo by Brooke Dennis.

They are Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr, writer and illustrator, respectively, at Bobbledy Books, their homegrown publishing house. As husband and wife, they are collaborators extraordinaire but their early days included sleeping in cars (Robbi) and being rejected by six different grad schools (Matthew). Actually seven, if you count Univ. of Minnesota which sent Matthew two rejection letters. The implied message, he joked, was this: "In case we weren't sure we didn't want you last week, we know that this week, we still don't want you."

They started out writing and illustrating odd, commercially non-viable picture books for adults. (Their words, not mine.) Like this one: Babies Ruin Everything. It resonates, doesn't it?  

Instead of attempting to publish, they sold a subscription to their books within their own circle of family and friends. With cash in hand, they were able to buy materials and make only as many copies as they had already sold. They wrote, illustrated, printed, bound, shipped books several times a year. And each year, more and more people subscribed.

Their unconventional business model meant an absence of debt. Which equates to artistic freedom. Did you hear that people? There is always a way.

Matthew and Robbi believe in collaboration, have studied it at great length, and gave a brilliant Ted Talk on the subject which you can watch here.

And they mentioned Laura Ingalls Wilder when they talked about sacrifice and doggedness. (I'm obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder. Read more here.) They taught me a lot and my admiration is verging on inappropriate.

Matthew and Robbi, author and illustrator of quirky, wry books like "The Baby is Disappointing." Photo by Brooke Dennis.

Matthew and Robbi, author and illustrator of quirky, wry books like "The Baby is Disappointing." Photo by Brooke Dennis.

So, to sum up, I left Salt Lake City with a healthy acceptance of my novice standing. I will attend again and next year, I will be more honest about who I am and what I need. One of my favorite quotes of the weekend was this one:

“Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.”

You Might Also Like:

In Lessons Tags Alt Summit, beginnings, Bobbledy Books, Garrett Gee, Matthew Swanson, Robbi Behr
← Count Time by Heart ThrobsThe Flowers at Alt Summit →

Mithra B096 copy.jpg

Welcome! I'm Mithra (pronounced Mee-thra). I'm an interior stylist and a writer. I'm also a vintage and antiques lover. I have an online shop, Finder Not Keeper, where I sell my best finds. (That's a white lie. I keep the best finds.) Read more about me and the blog here. 


FIND ME IN YOUR INBOX


CATEGORIES

Cool-Women_png.png
Family_png.png
Interiors_png.png
Procrastinate_png.png
Reviews_png.png
Travel_png.png
Vintage_png.png
Lessons_png.png

Instagram posts

A few days back in the ‘Quon. All of February is the price I’m willing to fork over for one week in September.
A few days back in the ‘Quon. All of February is the price I’m willing to fork over for one week in September.
Latest blog post about our new outdoor shower and the differences of opinion between this guy and his mother (me) on how it should be used. #linkinbio
Latest blog post about our new outdoor shower and the differences of opinion between this guy and his mother (me) on how it should be used. #linkinbio
Brainy, brave, kind, genuine, indefatigable, funny, patriotic, fair, hard working, gentle, strong, iconic.
Brainy, brave, kind, genuine, indefatigable, funny, patriotic, fair, hard working, gentle, strong, iconic.
Those aren’t my hands forming baguettes. But I took the pic. @heat_her_all_a_man has it down  and I’m ready with my salted butter and honey. What do you eat with baguettes?
Those aren’t my hands forming baguettes. But I took the pic. @heat_her_all_a_man has it down and I’m ready with my salted butter and honey. What do you eat with baguettes?
Surveying the herb garden after a good weeding session. Basil took a hit the last couple weeks but everything else is flourishing like summer lasts forever.
Surveying the herb garden after a good weeding session. Basil took a hit the last couple weeks but everything else is flourishing like summer lasts forever.
First restaurant account for @littlelaurentide! Also first time eating out since the snow was flying. Really really fun night. (Not to mention that building’s white with black trim paint color scheme is 💯)
First restaurant account for @littlelaurentide! Also first time eating out since the snow was flying. Really really fun night. (Not to mention that building’s white with black trim paint color scheme is 💯)
Surprise lilies, also known as naked ladies, fit in well here at the farm for reasons we will let you ponder.
Surprise lilies, also known as naked ladies, fit in well here at the farm for reasons we will let you ponder.
This is son #2, the farmer. Walter is working hard to turn this place into a sustainable organic farm. Follow us @littlelaurentide for the latest on how mother and son align, clash, argue, hug.
This is son #2, the farmer. Walter is working hard to turn this place into a sustainable organic farm. Follow us @littlelaurentide for the latest on how mother and son align, clash, argue, hug.
On the blog today, the newest bachelor at Little Laurentide. Will he draw viewers or is he a train wreck along the lines of Juan Pablo Galavis? Read the latest blog post to find out! Link in bio.
On the blog today, the newest bachelor at Little Laurentide. Will he draw viewers or is he a train wreck along the lines of Juan Pablo Galavis? Read the latest blog post to find out! Link in bio.
On the blog today: a tour of the best places on the farm to sit for a spell. And I write a bit about what it’s like to cohabit with a son who used to give me every kind of gray hair. He could teach a polar bear how to be grumpy and I could teac
On the blog today: a tour of the best places on the farm to sit for a spell. And I write a bit about what it’s like to cohabit with a son who used to give me every kind of gray hair. He could teach a polar bear how to be grumpy and I could teach a grizzly bear how to be grumpy. It’s a new world for the two of us, farming together, and can you guess how it’s going??

OLD POSTS

Archive
  • October 2021 1
  • July 2021 1
  • June 2021 1
  • May 2021 2
  • April 2021 3
  • March 2021 1
  • February 2021 2
  • January 2021 2
  • December 2020 2
  • November 2020 1
  • October 2020 2
  • September 2020 1
  • August 2020 5
  • July 2020 7
  • June 2020 6
  • May 2020 9
  • April 2020 8
  • March 2020 4
  • February 2020 3
  • January 2020 5
  • December 2019 1
  • November 2019 4
  • October 2019 3
  • September 2019 3
  • August 2019 4
  • July 2019 7
  • June 2019 5
  • May 2019 8
  • April 2019 8
  • March 2019 8
  • February 2019 7
  • January 2019 7
  • December 2018 8
  • November 2018 9
  • October 2018 8
  • September 2018 7
  • August 2018 9
  • July 2018 6
  • June 2018 7
  • May 2018 7
  • April 2018 5
  • March 2018 4
  • February 2018 4
  • January 2018 4
  • December 2017 1
  • November 2017 3
  • October 2017 3
  • September 2017 4
  • August 2017 4
  • July 2017 4
  • June 2017 5
  • May 2017 3
  • April 2017 5
  • March 2017 3
  • February 2017 2
  • January 2017 4
  • December 2016 5
  • November 2016 4
  • October 2016 3
  • September 2016 5
  • August 2016 4
  • July 2016 5
  • June 2016 4
  • May 2016 4
  • April 2016 4
  • March 2016 5
  • February 2016 8
  • January 2016 8
  • December 2015 6
  • November 2015 9
  • October 2015 9
  • September 2015 8
  • August 2015 8
  • July 2015 5
  • June 2015 4
  • May 2015 5
  • April 2015 4
  • March 2015 4
  • February 2015 4
  • January 2015 5
  • December 2014 4
  • November 2014 4
  • October 2014 6
  • September 2014 2
  • August 2014 3
  • July 2014 5
  • June 2014 3
  • May 2014 3
  • April 2014 4
  • March 2014 6
  • February 2014 5
  • January 2014 4

Powered by Squarespace

Contact: mithra@thebubblejoy.com