Last weekend, I was thrilled to attend my very first Create & Cultivate conference! Have you heard of it? It’s a one-day networking conference for female creatives and entrepreneurs that pops up in a few cities across the country – and last weekend, it was in Chicago! This incredible event draws hundreds of amazing #girlbosses together to learn, interact and get inspired to both create AND cultivate the career/company/life of their dreams.  JCPenney was a presenting sponsor of Create & Cultivate Chicago and I was honored that they invited me to join them for the day!

It was empowering and inspirational to be surrounded by such an amazing crowd of female entrepreneurs! JCPenney was a perfect partner for this event since they have so much to offer busy, professional women.  First – they have a wonderful selection of stylish plus size clothes perfect for the office or your office-of-the-day. In a time where many retailers are still not including/catering to the plus size market, this is HUGE. Creative entrepreneurs and businesswomen come in all shapes and sizes, and JCPenney has something for all of us!

I wanted a simple, chic summer dress to wear to the event, so I chose this MSK 3/4 Sleeve Beaded Shift Dress. I loved the pearl details on the ruched/gathered sleeves! Also, the neckline can be worn up or off the shoulder. It was SO HOT that day! I wanted to be comfortable and there was no way I was going to wear a strapless bra to this event, so I opted to wear the dress up!

This event was an Instagrammer’s heaven. There were so many inspirational quotes and cute activations throughout the whole space. It was at the House of Vans on the west side of Chicago. I mean, look at these installations!

And of course, one of my favorite booths was JCPenney’s. Not only is their home decor seriously covetable (I mean, this office setup at their Create and Cultivate booth was straight out of my dreams!), but they also offered salon services at the InStyle Salon and did some much-needed makeup touch-ups at the Sephora Inside JCP counter. Did you know that these services are also offered INSIDE JCPenney locations around the country?!

And I haven’t even mentioned the Create & Cultivate PANELS. Y’all – I was so inspired and fired up listening to these incredible women share their origin stories and their perspectives on modern entrepreneurship.

Some of my favorite memories/quotes from the Create & Cultivate Chicago event:

“To be an entrepreneur in 2018 you need hustle, passion, and no fear.” – Shay Mitchell

“Behind every great woman, are great women.” – Jaclyn Johnson

“I’m not too expensive. You just can’t afford me yet” – Blake Von D

“Outsource the stuff that does not bring you joy.” – Chinae Alexander

***Thank you so much to JCPenney for inviting me to experience the day and sponsoring this post.