Let your expectations GO! I bought my Rachel Hollis RISE Weekend ticket without really knowing what was in store. My first personal development conference was one for the books.
I love Rachel Hollis, she’s motivating as a coach, her writing, her speaking, etc. RISE Weekend is a women’s only personal development conference put on by The Hollis Co. 2019 was their third year putting on the two day conference and Minneapolis was the first time they added “Health & Wellness Day” aka Own Your Present.
As an early 30th birthday gift to ourselves my best friend Kathryn and I dropped some dough to be at RISExMinn. Tickets sold out in 13 minutes and I was very fortunate to be on the computer ready to go. We planned to go all in and bought the VIP level which were over $1,800 for each ticket. It included Health & Wellness day (an add on 3rd day), a VIP party / meet and greet, the two day conference with priority seating and dance party. Other items included a higher level goodie bag, $50 merch voucher, a VIP entrance, food vouchers and 3 months of group life coaching. That was the highest you could go, they also sold just the 2 day conference for $200 per ticket.
We bought the tickets… then the panic sets in…
I bought tickets, joined the RISExMinneapolis group on facebook and watched the questions and terror come in from women all over the country (and some other parts of the world). Wondering if they should sell their ticket, if they’re ready, what Health & Wellness day would be like, what to wear, etc. I’ll go through these here because NO NEED TO PANIC PEOPLE! It was so freeing going into it with no expectations, but for many you need a little extra assurances that it’s going to all be fine.
Total side note, the Made For More Documentary on Amazon Prime is a great place to start if you want a peak behind the curtain.
What If I Am Going to RISE Weekend Alone?
Get it girl! There were a TON of people going alone. Many women planned meet ups and found girls from their state or with similar interests to have meals with. They start each day of the conference out by solidifying “no one sits alone.” It was very apparent and I saw many instances of women by themselves being pulled into a nearby group and invited in. I chatted with the people sitting next to me each day. If you’re going alone use it as a growth opportunity! Honestly, you don’t have to be lifelong friends with a stranger you met that weekend. It is nice to have someone to sit and eat lunch with though and everyone was all there for the same reason, personal growth.
What is Health & Wellness Day? Is it worth the extra cost/day?
*Update for RISE 2020 and beyond – Health & Wellness Day is officially part of the new 3 day conference format. I’m super glad they did that!*
Own Your Present aka Health & Wellness Day was a completely necessary addition. They should make it apart of the entire conference in the future. The crux is, if you don’t prioritize your health, you have nothing. You can’t have all of these goals and dreams but then not take care of your body. They had a very stunning visual that caught me off guard. On the Illness and Wellness Continuum, “5” or “Neutral” with no symptoms is the “Comfort Zone”. That’s also called “False Wellness” which is SHOCKING. You’re not on the path to good or even optimal health if you’re sitting in your comfort zone.
There were amazing speakers talking about body image, habits and triggers, physical and emotional health. Alex Ortner talked and gave us a demonstration of The Tapping Solution. Tangible resources to get us all on a track of wellness. Add on Health & Wellness Day, no questions about it.
I’m a stay at home mom OR career woman OR I don’t know what goals I want to set for myself. Is RISE Weekend right for me?
YES! Don’t overthink it. Women from ALL phases of life were here. Young and older, professionals and stay at home, military, retired, etc. Everyone can have goals and dreams! If you don’t already have a clear idea on what your future holds, the great part of day 3 “Own Your Future” is that they spend the whole day talking about possibilities. Rachel did a guided meditation and if you love her Start Today journal process, or don’t know what that is, it is all walked through! You should come if you want your heart set on fire, tangible items to take home and have a desire to be your best self.
What do I wear?
This was probably one of the most common questions in the group beforehand. For Health & Wellness Day most everyone wore some type of workout clothes or at least comfortable. There were no workouts per say, we did move around a LOT. Scratch that, we did do a workout in our seat area but it wasn’t super nuts.
As for the other days, cute and comfy. I wore jeans every day and a top. Bring a jacket because inside those massive rooms they keep the air frigid. Do NOT wear heels and I would highly advise against wedges. Keep it to flats or sandals or sneakers. There are plenty of photo ops, just go into it feeling like your best self! For me that meant I wore makeup each day and put some effort into my hair haha.
What else can I expect? Help me feel more at ease!
The caliber of speakers is AMAZING. Jen Hatmaker, Trent Shelton, Dave and Rachel just to name a few. There is a LOT of music and dancing, be prepared to be out of your seat quite often. DJ Ahsohn is awesome and kept the energy up the entire 3 days and at the dance party. Overall just relax and go with the flow, majority of women there are all new to it as well! Soak it all up!
What level ticket should I buy?
Whatever feels comfortable to you. Don’t go broke over a ticket, I realize dropping almost a $2k on just the ticket seems crazy to most. The price range varies greatly with tickets offered. The people in the terrace seats had just as much of an amazing time as I did down in front. Remember you’ll still need a hotel room and to eat when you’re there. Flights depending on the city and where you live. I will guarantee if you go into it with an open mind and heart your life will be changed and it will be 1000% worth it.
I will say that I LOVED the VIP experience, the private entrance, registration, it was all a breeze. The checkout lines for merch were super long all the days and they opened up a VIP line for checkout of the pop up shop. The VIP event and meet and greet with all of the speakers was super fun and they fed you and gave you some free drinks. If you can swing it, go all out. You won’t regret it. That’s my motto in all of life though.
Dance Party?! Seriously?
Come onnnnn have some fun!! It was beautifully decorated, music was incredible (they even played Hamilton), it was fun personally to dress up. Don’t overthink it though, if it’s not your scene then skip it! Many people didn’t dress up, a ton of people went all out and they were having the time of their lives! If you are going to skip it, don’t make a scene out of it! This is a general rule of thumb, if you’re going to have a negative attitude about something just keep it to yourself! Plenty of people had a blast, it’s either something you’re really into or not. To each their own!
To learn more about RISE Weekend and other conferences and events put on by The Hollis Co visit their website! They have a male and female RISExBusiness conference coming up in November 2019 in North Charleston that I’m still debating on buying a ticket for. Highly recommend looking into it as the speaker list is blowing me away!
