Wow! I am not entirely sure how to explain what we experienced at ‘Appy Camp. I don’t have many words; simply a lot of emotions. When I was invited to take part in attending this retreat, I did not know whether to cry, laugh, or scream. It was a very emotional moment for me that filled my heart with happiness. I was simply invited, and had not even experienced it yet. From the day I was invited to the day I got there, my stomach was filled with butterflies.

Photo courtesy of Heather Satterley

I was very nervous to attend, as I am new to this journey and a lot of the friendly faces I was meeting there had years of experience as mentors and educators. Before attending, I felt I was going to be so out of place that I considered not going. I wanted to stay in my room and hide. When I got there, however, I was welcomed with open arms, everyone was so friendly, and you could see that it was a family and supportive community who looks out for one another. I lost all fear—thanks to the reception I received. Many of the individuals I admire were there. I was a fan of them, and to my surprise, they knew my name!

The next days were even more emotional for me, and the dream of Heather Satterley and Liz Scott making the indomitable community of educators come together for three days had manifested itself. Ian Vacin of Karbon presented a topic that I had actually been practicing for some time now, and now I knew how to apply it to my business. He touched on the topic of discovery calls and onboarding. After a morning full of great tips and education, they had us participate in activities that took us to our limits, which really brought out the kid in me. Some rose to new heights and conquered their fears, while others loved the fear itself. Painting activities were relaxing. I believe this taught us that we can face our trials and tribulations head on, and find a place of peace and serenity when we have conquered what we so badly wanted to.

The mornings were full of learning from each other, having the chance to step into each other’s shoes and open our eyes to different perspectives. We learned how our shared experiences affected us in business and our personal lives. I learned to not be so timid, and although it is difficult, many of us have very similar fears. This was comforting, and it taught us that we all have a voice and only we can be the ones to project it to the world.

Not only were we there to be educated, but also to give our opinion on what types of programs that we find help our own clients work more efficiently. We then felt it was important to share our opinions with the creators of these programs, since we are the users, we know what works best, and we know what changes may help bring the best outcomes for everyone involved.

Heather and Liz really did think of absolutely everything when they planned the retreat. In the mountains where Dirty Dancing was filmed, there were beautiful places to walk, and enjoy mornings and nights. When they thought of everything, I mean they thought of everything! However, this could have been a fluke, as there was no cell reception! This helped us focus on the “now” and on us. It was perfect!

I thank Heather and Liz so much for the invite, and for the opportunity to spend the time with such incredible individuals and leaders. I truly feel I speak for the group in saying that this experience gave us strength and courage to continue growing, evolving, and working hard.