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We received some tremendous feedback from the 2017 Reset Conference held earlier this month in Indianapolis. We wanted to share some photos from the event, highlight some testimonials from attendees, and give an overview of the speakers and their topics.
First, we have been praying hard and thinking of the Haynes family as Latasha recovers from her illness. They called from the airport two days before Reset to say they were heading to the hospital with returning symptoms from a hospitalization just a few days before. They were intended to be our keynote speakers on Day 1, but true to the underlying theme of Reset, we know that health and family come first!! (At the time of publishing, we’ve now learned that Tash had another hospitalization, but has made a full recovery and is back at home! Yay!!) If you’d like to support Ike & Tash and their medical expenses, you can do so here.
After a brief intro by Kellie & Rebekah on Saturday, Davey & Krista Jones from Annapolis, Maryland stepped in as keynote speakers for the first session and did a great job speaking on creating your brand. Davey & Krista run a branding and coaching business and also have a design shop.
Then it was onto breakout sessions for the remainder of the morning, followed by the lunch break and the much-anticipated opening of the vendor expo.
“Bre Thurston, Natalie Franke Hayes, and Megan Kuethen all grabbed ahold of my heart and changed me in ways that I could never thank them enough!” said Kim Kedinger from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. “Heck, I’m still crying over here!” This was a common theme we’ve heard many times throughout and since the conclusion of Reset.
Some people had more tangible takeaways from the conference. “I have made the huge leap in narrowing what I shoot this week,” said Courtney Venable from Indianapolis. “I knew I needed to do it, but Reset gave me the courage to do it.”
Throughout the weekend there were also shootouts scheduled with various speakers. The shootouts ranged from newborns to families to seniors to weddings, plus one-on-one coaching and mentoring sessions.
On Sunday morning, the day opened with an optional worship service, followed by keynote speaker Jeff Rojas, a fashion and portrait photographer from New York City. Jeff talked about photographing people, but focused specifically on photographing men. He kept the attendees laughing and shared some very insightful info.
The breakout sessions were again widely varied and we know many people had a hard time choosing which ones to attend!
“This was my first year attending,” said Kristi Powell from Indianapolis. “I was blown away that you somehow establish this ‘community over competition’ vibe from start to finish.” She said she gathered so much inspiration, raw emotion, laughter, tears, and knowledge from the best of the best.
“It was an incredible weekend,” said Sarah Lu from Westfield, Indiana. “I am filled with such a deep gratitude for the privilege of witnessing so many artists share their passion, both on stage and in the audience.” Sarah said her biggest takeaways were that we are the lucky ones, and our work is important.
The speakers also had very positive things to say about Reset. St. Louis newborn photographer Stephanie Cotta said, “Your desire for continued education in a career you are so passionate about, your ability to laugh and have fun, and your willingness to open your arms and embrace this community will never cease to amaze me!”
At the closing session, Kellie & Rebekah announced a new addition to the Reset Conference for 2017 — Reset retreats & workshops. Stay tuned for more info on those as they are scheduled and released! We are very excited about this new addition to the Reset lineup!!
To round things out, we wanted to share one of our most heartfelt testimonials that really gets to the core of the “why” and vision behind The Reset Conference. This message comes from Tiffany Warmoski from Jacksonville, Illinois. “I was reflecting on Reset compared to other conferences I’ve attended.” (She add that she’s speaking in some general terms. These do not reflect ALL men or ALL women, just her experience.)
“It seems to me that other conferences are often organized mainly by men,” Tiffany says. “And I think some men have a different definition of success than some women. The speakers I’ve heard at those conferences are financially successful and very talented photographers.”
Tiffany goes on to add, “By contrast, the speakers I’ve heard at Reset are also financially successful and make incredible images, but it seems that their goals and definitions of success tend to revolve around family/work/life balance, giving back to the community and spiritual/emotional health. It is clear these are also the goals of Rebekah & Kellie.”
“It’s beautiful,” Tiffany says. “And I am grateful.” And there you have it — the heart of the Reset Conference. WE are grateful that the mission of the conference is evident and that so many attendees have been transparent in sharing their experiences with us. <3
(photos by staff photographer Ashley Richardson)
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