This time last month I was packing my bags for Well Summit 2018 in Brooklyn and was filled with excitement for the epic speaker lineup. After attending the event and taking the time to process some of the takeaways, I finally feel like I can distill the weekend down into a few of my favorite parts. It was difficult to choose, but here you are, the very Best of W.E.L.L. Summit 2018.

First of all, here’s a little reminder in case you’ve stumbled here completely unfamiliar with the W.E.L.L. Summit.

W.E.L.L. Stands for Wellness. Empowerment. Learning. Luxury.

It’s a weekend-long event designed to explore and immerse yourself in all aspects of wellness. This event truly brings industry experts from all disciplines of wellness to help inform and empower the attendees to live their best lives. At the W.E.L.L. summit, you’ll find experts in clean eating, sustainable living, green beauty, and philanthropic badasses, all taking the same stage. Basically, if you’re in the wellness space, recreationally or professionally; the W.E.L.L. Summit is for you.

Leading up to the W.E.L.L. Summit I shared what events I was geeking out over, but the gist is this: I was drawn to this event because I was seeking to have my creative cup filled. I wanted to attend an event that would inspire me both creatively and personally, and it did not disappoint.

The Best of W.E.L.L. Summit 2018

This Panel

This panel was called The Art of the Healthy Hustle, and these women were major boss babes. This topic is so important and is woefully under-discussed. So frequently we get caught up in the world of hustle and create, and we forget to take care of ourselves. It’s why I’ve made it a top priority to talk self-care and to include it in my regular routines. It’s why you should, too.

As the age old saying goes, “we cannot fill others from an empty cup.”  Liz Plosser, editor-in-chief of Women’s Health magazine posed a lot of hard questions to the ladies on this panel about preventing burnout. The two points that resonated the most were: a) find your baseline and b) examine your false beliefs.

Find your baseline

This tip, offered by Dr. Robin Berzin of Parsley Health, is about establishing non-negotiables and consulting it often. She points out that this list of the things that don’t get sacrificed is essential. This exercise is one of the essential things I’ll be doing as we end 2018. I plan to make this list a part of all of my planning for 2019.

Examine your beliefs

Another tip, also from Dr. Berzin, is about taking time to examine whether you are personally holding on to what she deemed “fixed false beliefs.” Essentially, what false narratives are you telling yourself that may be holding you back from being the best, most productive, version of yourself? Figure those out, and then step out of those beliefs.

I know that I’ll be taking all sorts of gems from this session into 2019.

This #blackgirlmagic

This keynote was a conversation on “Owning Your Glow” facilitated by the Fashion & Beauty Director at Essence, Julee Wilson with Latham Thomas,  THE Glow Maven, founder of Mama Glow, and Author, and it was pure #blackgirlmagic. I laughed, I cried a little, and then I got the tea so that I could go forth and grow in the path that the Universe has set out for me.

Call it what you want, serendipity, God, the Goddess, the Universe, but the messages that were pouring out of these ladies’ mouths felt like they were designed specifically for me. And by the looks of all the heads nodding around me, I’d say this might just be the effect that these powerful, dynamic women, have on a crowd. They talked about diversity in the wellness space and how brands are leaving money ON the table, by not creating products for THE largest growing market– African American women. (TOLD YA!), and they talked about respecting the path– sometimes the path you’re on is vastly different from the one you imagined, and sometimes that is so much better.

Message Received.

This Breakout Session

Ashlee Piper is an eco-lifestyle journalist and author of the book “Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet,” and her session Sustainability as a Mindfulness Practice was a breath of fresh air. The thing about Ashlee is that she wasn’t saying anything I didn’t already know. There were no “ah-ha” moments (for me). Frankly, the thing that made her session so powerful, IMO, was the fact that it was really basic sh*t. But at the end of the day if you don’t DO anything, does it really matter that you know that you should?

Ashlee offered actionable tips that can tip the scale from just knowing you should do better, and actually doing better. Her new book is a blueprint.

Here’s what Ashlee wants you to know:

“Individually, we all have the power to make small shifts that roll up to a positive, collective impactfor the planet, other people and animals. And that living in a more mindful, eco-friendly way will save you money, sanity, time and help you get further in alignment with living your values and approaching every day with the satisfaction of knowing you’re part of the solution.”

So basically get out there and do it. Read her book to help you get started.

These Keynotes

Scott Harrison, Founder of Charity: Water

This is a man after my own heart. His personal story was so touching and not so unlike my own, and the work that he’s done in the last decade has been beyond impressive. Charity: Water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. You might think, “how is this different from many other charities?” and the answer to that would be Transparency. Honestly, the initiatives this organization has gone through to be transparent are both innovative and refreshing.

With Charity: Water 100% of public donations go directly to fund clean water projects. They use private donors and key brand partners to support all of their operating expenses and have extensive independent audits (publically available) to keep them honest, and you in the know. Additionally, they track every dollar raised and showed the projects the public helps fund with photos and GPS.

It’s a brand you can trust, to fix a problem that is important. Dirty water is a public health crisis, a women’s health crisis, and one that is easily fixed. I was so fired up I immediately donated and added them to the philanthropies my family will continue to support. Want to help? DONATE HERE. 

Elisa Camahort Page

Elisa is an all-around Boss. The co-founder and COO of Blogher, Inc, this woman does it all. She’s an entrepreneur, consultant, and writer. Her debut book, “Road Map for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Activism, and Advocacy for All” was the basis for the final keynote at the W.E.L.L., and it was so perfectly timely. As someone who has been on both ends of the activism spectrum (in all types of political climates) her tips on protecting your own energy so that you can practice activism in a sustainable way really resonated with me. It was a great conversation on setting priorities and figuring out how you can show up in the stage of life that you currently are.

As someone who used to be a “chain-myself-to-my-friends-and-get-arrested” protestor and advocate, it has been a bit of an adjustment remaining active with three children when I no longer have any desire to go to jail… because that’s not really my style of #momlife. Talking with Elisa (and snagging a signed copy of her book: Road Map for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Activism, and Advocacy for All) really helped put some perspective on re-evaluating what type of advocacy I want to practice. I’ll be sure to write a review once I’ve finished the book.

And of Course, the community

I feel like the thing that goes without saying, and one of the most significant benefits of such an event is the opportunity to connect within a community of like-minded people. I enjoyed interacting with other attendees who, like me, were there to fill their cups; and I enjoyed having deep conversations about the wellness industry with Brands I’ve been following for a while. But most importantly, I enjoyed just being Fe’Lix; not mama or wifey; in my element, networking, brainstorming, and thinking about how I’m going to take all those juicy bits and turn them into action.

Save the Date: October 18-19 2019-Brooklyn Expo Center

All in all, it was a great weekend. I mean, it was really hard narrowing it down, but this is the best of the best of W.E.L.L. summit 2018, and I’m truly looking forward to next year. Are you stoked to attend W.E.L.L. Summit 2019? Mark your calendars! I can’t wait to see you there!

Xo, Kimberly Fe'Lix