Sophia Rose and Breast Cancer Survivor Conferences
What a month! April was one of our busiest months in the Sophia Rose office. We say offices, because Adelene is currently based in Boston, and Carolyn is in London. Building a business together while living in different cities has some challenges and benefits. So does working with your sister, which we recently addressed in this About.com article. When it comes down to it, we’re business partners second, and sisters first. That’s why we were so excited for this month’s opportunity to get together before going off to some big events around the USA!
We met up in Boston before going off separately. On the same day, Adelene ventured to Denver for the Day of Caring Conference, while Carolyn traveled to Birmingham for the Young Breast Cancer Survivorship Network’s Annual Young Breast Cancer Survivor Workshop. If that wasn’t enough, the very next weekend, Adelene was in Philadelphia for the Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s Thriving Together: 2016 Conference on Metastatic Breast Cancer. Phew!
As a new brand, we had a lot to share and a lot to learn. It was really great meeting all the various conference participants in person, and talk to them about what they are looking for in a bra, and hear their encouragement for what Sophia Rose Intimates is doing and our mission. Being on the road was tiring but it was fun to check out other cities. Here are some highlights from the events.
What we saw and did: We each had our own display table filled with our bras and panties, plus gifts for the women we met. For those who signed up for our newsletter, they went home with a Sophia Rose candle and a limited edition, inspirational mini poster. Adelene even hand made wooden blocks to display our table information, and the artwork. In addition to meeting the wonderful attendees, we also watched presentations on other topics related to breast cancer survivors. It was very informative. At the Denver event, there was a fashion show! It was really fun, and the models were all breast cancer survivors and had really inspiring stories.
What surprised us: We knew we’d meet great women who were looking for support during or after breast cancer, but we didn’t realize we’d meet fellow organizations that we could potentially collaborate with. How exciting! We were also surprised how difficult it was to be switched on for such long days, and to talk about our story and product for hours. Though we love spreading the word about Sophia Rose, it was mentally more exhausting than we had realized it would be.
Our favorite thing: Getting to hear the positive response from conference participants – how beautiful the bra was, how different it was from other current options, and how it is exactly what they were looking for – completely blew us away. We’ve worked for years to create our first line of lingerie for breast cancer survivors, and now we know it was all worth it. Everyone was great, super positive, and REALLY KIND. And more importantly, we met women from all walks of life. It really hit home that breast cancer can affect anyone, and it inspires us to keep working hard.
We had a great time at these events and we would definitely do one again. It was as a great way to get our brand out there and in front of people, and to meet the Sophia Roses of the world.
Have you ever been to an event like this? We are always looking for more opportunities to share Sophia Rose. Let us know the conferences you like to attend so we can go, too!
Signing off with a picture of the Rocky Mountains (in the background)!
xx
Adelene & Carolyn