Congregation of Inspiration

But all was not lost. Holly posted on her Instagram page the chance to enter a draw for two free golden tickets to the Congregation. We duly entered and never in a million years imagined that we would be the lucky winners selected - you could probably hear the thud as we metaphorically fell to the floor a few days later when indeed For The Love Of The North was selected. It was our "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" moment. After doing a happy dance we hastily booked train tickets and accommodation.
Our hotel could not have been closer to the venue within the grounds of Syon Park in West London.
A blaze of colour greeted all attendees as we followed the path to the Garden Room within the park.

As you entered you could not fail to notice the huge words upon the stage which resonated throughout the day. DO WHAT YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO. Upon each chair was a bag from Holly & Co. containing various goodies and the all important Small Business Bible a great companion to the day and to help with the future. If we weren't already feeling in happy spirits then this was assured by the wonderful surprise of a group of amazing singers launching into an brilliant cover of "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. To say we were warmed up now is the understatement of the century.

Andy Poplar of Vinegar & Brown Paper @mendyourhead . Andy is someone we have admired for quite sometime and are the proud owners a fair few pieces of his of brilliant etching work. He is so modest of his talents and the story of what led him to do what he does makes you admire him even more.
Natalie Lee of Style Me Sunday @stylemesunday Natalie is founder of the #WarriorWomenProject and an advocate for 'real' women eschewing the false photo shopped perfection in today's world. Natalie was totally frank about the pressures of setting up your own business and whether there can be a work/life balance when undertaking such a venture.

And of course the woman herself - Holly Tucker. She is genuinely (and yes going to use that word again) an inspiration. She inspires and gives confidence to all and we came away with a totally different perspective on how we look at various areas of our business and tips to put into practice to help us grow and develop. So much had went into bringing this day together and it was rounded off as it began with song and how more perfect and fitting than with our fabulous singers performing "This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman.
Before we left there was time to enjoy some wonderful cocktails, say farewell to new friends we had made and the icing on the cake - to meet Holly herself. We wanted to thank her personally for the golden tickets and for a truly, truly inspiring day. Thank you Holly x
Just for info - we were incredibly privileged to win tickets to the Congregation of Inspiration (with no mention of a blog post in the mix) but were so inspired we couldn't help but write this blog about the event. As ever all opinions are our own.