Jacque approached me shortly after we started our DIY blog and told me about Haven, a DIY conference being put on down in Atlanta. She expressed an interest in going and wanted to see what I thought. I told her it would be a great idea and would love to see her take advantage of a conference so close to us here in Knoxville. So we bought Jacque a ticket for Haven earlier this year. I agreed to make the trek down to Atlanta with her, but my plan was to explore the city, and to test out my new camera.
You can imagine my surprise when four days before the conference, she asked if I would attend the conference with her. I had never been opposed to participating, I just thought that she wanted to experience that without me. Well, one thing I’ve come to realize about my wife is that she’ll never turn down an opportunity to share an experience with me. Makes me a pretty lucky guy. So we managed to secure a last minute ticket and suddenly my plans had taken a drastic change! I knew going in that as a man, I would be grossly outnumbered, but I couldn’t help but be excited and curious as to what the Haven Conference had in store for me!
You can imagine my surprise when four days before the conference, she asked if I would attend the conference with her. I had never been opposed to participating, I just thought that she wanted to experience that without me. Well, one thing I’ve come to realize about my wife is that she’ll never turn down an opportunity to share an experience with me. Makes me a pretty lucky guy. So we managed to secure a last minute ticket and suddenly my plans had taken a drastic change! I knew going in that as a man, I would be grossly outnumbered, but I couldn’t help but be excited and curious as to what the Haven Conference had in store for me!
I’ve got to admit, I was pretty nervous about what to expect, after all I’d only had 4 days of mentally prepare for this experience. As we left the safety our of hotel room and made our way to the first floor to register, even though I was with Jacque, I felt like I was being escorted to the principal’s office to find out what punishment I’d been given for my bad behavior. The butterflies were tying knots in the knots inside my stomach. I literally had felt less nervous about going into burning buildings than I was feeling at that moment. We stepped off of the elevator and followed the sign that read “Haven Mavens”… I joked with Jacque that I didn’t feel like I quite fit the description. As we turned the corner and entered the registration area, we were met by most of the Haven Team. These ladies greeted us with warm welcomes and smiles that had me feeling a bit more at ease. I think it helped that I was actually familiar with their blogs and felt like it wasn’t really the first time I was meeting them. Obviously, a far cry from the principal’s office, but in all fairness, I was flying blind so to speak!
With “Swag Bag” in hand, we headed out to the lounge to meet some of the other “Mavens” As we sat in the lounge, it was easy to identify when someone’s favorite blogger had arrived, as it wasn’t uncommon to hear a gasp, then possibly a shriek, followed by a group of gals sprinting to see who would get the first hug! I generally keep my shrieks to myself, so I just hung out at the table taking all the excitement in. I wasn’t sure how these ladies would take a man “invading” such a female powered event, so I tried to lay low and fly under the radar. That however wasn’t everyone else’s plan for me. I found myself right in the middle of hugs, handshakes, introductions, and business card swapping within the first five minutes of being in the lounge. I was actually taken aback with how many people I had met within such a short period of time. My nervousness about being accepted quickly died out and was replaced with a nervousness of “How am I going to remember all of these people?” All I could think about was how ridiculous I’d look introducing myself to someone I had met only minutes earlier.
When the welcome party started shortly thereafter, I let that worry die down as I finally came to the realization that I wasn’t the only one having these silly thoughts, after all this was the first Haven Conference, there were tons of people feeling the same way. It wasn’t until the party that I actually ran into some of my male counterparts. We exchanged a few manly grunts and groans and all was right with the world again. As the night went on the more I forgot about this being such a female dominated event and just enjoyed the camaraderie that seemed to come along with our areas of interest. Oddly enough, the connections that I was making struck a strong resemblance to that of the “brotherhood” that I’ve grown so accustomed to at the firehouse.
With “Swag Bag” in hand, we headed out to the lounge to meet some of the other “Mavens” As we sat in the lounge, it was easy to identify when someone’s favorite blogger had arrived, as it wasn’t uncommon to hear a gasp, then possibly a shriek, followed by a group of gals sprinting to see who would get the first hug! I generally keep my shrieks to myself, so I just hung out at the table taking all the excitement in. I wasn’t sure how these ladies would take a man “invading” such a female powered event, so I tried to lay low and fly under the radar. That however wasn’t everyone else’s plan for me. I found myself right in the middle of hugs, handshakes, introductions, and business card swapping within the first five minutes of being in the lounge. I was actually taken aback with how many people I had met within such a short period of time. My nervousness about being accepted quickly died out and was replaced with a nervousness of “How am I going to remember all of these people?” All I could think about was how ridiculous I’d look introducing myself to someone I had met only minutes earlier.
When the welcome party started shortly thereafter, I let that worry die down as I finally came to the realization that I wasn’t the only one having these silly thoughts, after all this was the first Haven Conference, there were tons of people feeling the same way. It wasn’t until the party that I actually ran into some of my male counterparts. We exchanged a few manly grunts and groans and all was right with the world again. As the night went on the more I forgot about this being such a female dominated event and just enjoyed the camaraderie that seemed to come along with our areas of interest. Oddly enough, the connections that I was making struck a strong resemblance to that of the “brotherhood” that I’ve grown so accustomed to at the firehouse.
The next morning began with the keynote speech given by John and Sherry of Young House Love. I could have stayed there all day and listened to their stories. I’m glad to have had a chance to hear another “family” perspective on the trials and tribulations of DIY blogging. I think they were just the right touch to set the tone for the conference.
Next came the classes…Jacque and I had discussed on our drive down, which classes we’d be interested in taking. This was a tough decision to make, as I really didn’t want to miss out on any of them. I’m lucky the trip from Knoxville was only three hours, otherwise, I would have really had time to over think it! I chose DIY-Blog-Design, Blogging PR, Basic Photography/Photo Styling, I Love Thrifting, Advanced Painting, and All About Advertising. I went into these classes with an open mind and found them to be top notch and their instructors to be the All-Stars of their trades! I don’t want to give away too much about the classes, so I’ll suffice it to say, I was in Haven Heaven!
Advanced Painting
All About Advertising
The flip side to the conference was the time in between class sessions to chat with sponsors. I was glad to have the time set aside to focus on all the different brands and their products. Both days, we were given ample time to really invest in making connections. I never felt like I had to rush, which gave us an opportunity to really get to know the names and faces behind the businesses. And I wanted to especially thank the Homes.com ladies for breaking me even further out of my shell, somehow managing to convince me to pose for this lovely picture…Don’t Judge!
Although this conference and a lot of the blogs that were represented, cater more to the female demographic, I was welcomed and accepted with open arms. I had expected to get the occasional “Who is this guy and why is he here” look, but honestly, I can’t remember a time in my life where so many people engaged me in such great conversation. And what I really enjoyed was that the camaraderie didn’t stop when the classes were done for the day. Jacque and I both were invited every night to go out with the “gals”, which surprised me. I had figured that we’d get done with class and that Jacque and the gals would break away for some girl time and I’d fly solo, but I was flattered and excited to be included.
Mr. Goodwill Hunting giving me some tips on thrifting!
I’m really glad that Jacque convinced me to come along with her for this experience. My worries from the first day of the conference were a far cry from how I felt at the end. Thanks to all of the ladies and the few men that were there to make this such a memorable experience for me. I left feeling empowered, motivated, and best of all accepted! Let the countdown for Haven 2013 begin!
Beth of Home Stories A to Z, Myself, and Rhoda of Southern Hospitality
(These were two of many ladies who made Haven possible)
What a fantastic recap of your experience at Haven. It was such an honor meeting both of you and we are thrilled that you chose to come! You are a true Haven Maven Matt!
Thanks Beth! The honor was all ours! Next year, we'd be happy to help out anyway we can, especially since we are a little closer than some! We'll keep in touch!
Hey Matt!! Great post! 🙂
I'm happy I got to meet you and Jacque at Haven 2012! I think it's great that you scored that last minute ticket and got to attend!
gail
Thanks Gail! I was stoked to meet you and will definitely be bugging you for advice often!
Well now I'm kicking myself for not having a chance to meet you two. Loved hearing about the conference from the guy's point of view. I was really impressed by the husbands that attended.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post Sarah! I think we could have used a few more days just to meet everyone!
well, heck, where was my hug!!!! I feel gypped!!! No seriously , other than the red Sox hat (sorry – Boston Gorl but Yanks fan) I am happy for such a fresh perspective on such a unique experience.Your blog is great and you inspire me to get my Hubby involved!!! thanks!
Lesli, if you're ever close to Knoxville, let us know, I'll have a hug waiting for you! (Just don't tell the rest of Red Sox Nation that I'm hugging a Yankees fan!) And thank you for the feedback, we love to work together on projects!
Hey, Matt, so glad I at least got to meet you 2, even if it was close to the end. I loved, loved your recap, great perspective from a guy. I love it that there were a few husband and wife teams there. We are still flying high from our Haven experience & so happy to read all this positive press. We hope next year will be even better. Glad you snagged that last minute ticket!
I am too! Thank you for your help sorting out all of the ticket transfers! Haven really was amazing, you and the rest of the Haven team did an amazing job. If Jacque and I can ever be of any help Haven related or otherwise, please let us know, we're always up for a day trip to Atlanta!
Hi Matt! It was so great to meet you & I still feel the need to apologize for having to cut DIY your blog design short that first day! 🙁 It's all up on that page I gave you in class so please go read/download to get the 'full' experience 😉 SO happy you came & can't wait to see what you and Jacque do with all the info you learned! See you next year!
-Kristi
@Creative Kristi
Kristi, You are the BEST! we'll keep in touch!
Matt, this was such a great recap of your experience at the conference. My husband was one of the grunting males that you may have bumped into. You can read his post about the conference here.
http://cottageatthecrossroads.com/a-male-haven-maven
Jane, I'm on my way over there right now! I did meet Leo in the PR class and was GLAD to see him!
Sorry I didn't have a chance to meet you at Haven! I look forward to exploring your blog!
-Erin @ DIY On the Cheap
Erin, I just got down reading part one of your recap and loved it! Looking forward to the rest! I saw you all over the place and should have taken the opportunity to say hi! Next time I will! Alright, off to comment on your post now! Take care!
That Homes.com pic is hilarious. Loved meeting you guys and hanging out!
Sandra, I have no shame, what can I say! It was awesome to finally meet you and I'm sure I'll see you before Haven 2013! Thank you for letting us be a part of all the fun!
Great recap! I know I saw the two of you hanging around And bummed I didn't have a chance to truly meet and talk! There's always next year! 😉
We'll be looking forward to meeting you Roeshel! We will definitely be there!
This is the second male recap I've read — love them! So glad you could join us and found it worthwhile. 🙂
Sarah, thank you so much for taking the time to read my recap! I was hoping to catch up with you after the advertising class to tell you how glad I was to have the chance to hear you three speak! It was one of the most informative classes of the conference! So thanks for sharing!
What a great recap…it was so nice to meet you!
Cindy, it was really nice to meet you too! Thanks for putting up with me at dinner!
It was so nice to finally meet you two on the last day and head out for Mexican with you all! Matt's perspective made me laugh and he really fit in with the entire Haven Maven group with ease! I look forward to reading more of your blog!
Kim @ Sand & Sisal
Kim, we're glad to have met you too! Jacque and I were talking about your bead board bathroom on our drive home, we LOVE it! We are really looking forward to finding more inspirations from your work!
Y'all are so fun! It was great to meet you!
See you next year!
Kerry at HouseTalkN
Kerry, thanks for saying so! We're really glad to have gotten to meet you too!
I just loved talking to you two on Wednesday night in the corner of the lounge! Perfect way to start my conference 🙂 Love the blog, really loved the both of you!
Angie, it was so great to meet you! You're pictures from the conference are hilarious! Thank you for not being afraid to approach us corner dwellers!
It was really great meeting you and Jacque at the conference. So glad you decided to brave the female infested waters of Haven!
Brittany, thanks for putting up with me! Like I told you, your blog was one of the first DIY blogs I had discovered and it was an absolute treat to get to hang out with you last week! I'll try and be a less hidden follower from here on out!
Hi Matt and Jacque –
What a fun post! It was a great conference. Matt, I originally thought you were the “Offical” Haven Photographer until I met you in the van going to dinner Friday night and learned otherwise. Wish I had more time to hang out with the two of you.
My best- Diane
Diane, I only wish I was a good enough photographer to be the “official” anything photographer! Maybe that's something I can work toward! Jacque and I both absolutely LOVE the work you've done on your blog and we will definitely be looking forward to seeing more!
I had an absolute blast hanging out with you and Jacque. I'm so glad you came too! I can't thank you enough for finding my ticket for me even after the conference was completely sold out. I don't think I would be anywhere as confident in my blogging possibilities if it weren't for Haven and originally you and Jacque getting me to go! I love the shot with the princess cap (Sorry I didn't take more of them!) You two are awesome and I can't wait to meet up again. Big hugs!
XOXO,
Rachel
Rachel, I can't tell you how glad I was to finally meet you! You and Jacque were cracking me up before the conference with al the texting back and forth! If I didn't know, I'd swear you too were life long friends! I'm really glad that the ticket stuff worked out so well, I can't take too much credit, Twitter and Facebook are really the one's responsible! If you and Doug ever make it up this way, you've got a place to stay! We may have to make an impromptu trip down to Alabama! ThriftyInspirations.net is totally inspiring and I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with next!
I didn't know you guys were from Knoxville!! I'm originally from Knoxville..now living in Nashville!
So glad you were brave enough to come Matt!
P.S. I failed to take hardly any pictures the entire time I was there. There are a few pictures in this post with the back of my head. Do you mind if I use them for my recap {of course giving credit} to prove I did in fact attend the conference to my readers? 🙂
Megan, glad to discover another Tennessee blogger that was at Haven! We would absolutely love for you to use any of the pics. I'll take a look and see if I have any more!
I love the recap!! You got some great pictures… that one in the homes.com booth is so fun. hahaha
So happy to have had the chance to meet you guys at the VERY end. 🙂
Thanks Karah, We were really glad to meet you too! We're excited to follow your blog! We'll keep in touch!
I think that so far, the men's recaps of the event have been my favorite!! I honestly didn't expect to see a single guy there but I was pleased (and quite touched) to see husband and wife teams! Could you teach a course on how to get more hubbies on board with DIY home projects? I think my hubby could use one!!
Skye, I would LOVE to see more Husband/Wife DIY teams blogging! Coming to Haven with Jacque has really given me a renewed vision for my input on our projects. Maybe you could convince yours to come with you to Haven!
You two are so much fun! Love the recap, and I loved seeing you in person! Great photos! I can tell you took Kevin and Josh's photo class 😉
Hugs,
Debbie
Debbie, I can't tell you how fantastic it was to get to meet you! We are both bigs fans of reFresh Restyle! Thanks for the compliment on our pics and you're 100% correct, I'm a product of shootflyshoot.com photography 101!
I LOVED meeting you two! You are adorable and after telling my husband all about our chat he thinks he needs to come to the next one 😛 Great recap!
Stacy, thank you so much! Meeting you and having a chance to talk was one of the highlights of my Haven experience! I hope that I get a chance to meet your husband at some point! We love notjustahousewife! We'll be in touch!
Love your fun recap! That picture of you and Mr. Goodwill Hunting is sweet! I attended Haven by myself and not knowing any of the bloggers attending and I came back with new friends. It was an amazing experience and I so look forward to next year!
Donna, thanks for saying so! Thrifting 101 was such a great class, I had to snap a pic! We'll see you at Haven 2013!
Sorry I didn't get to meet the two of you at the conference, but I enjoyed reading your post and I'm a new follower to your blog so I am excited to see more from the two of you! Danielle
Danielle, we're sorry we missed you too! I can't believe how many people we didn't get to meet! We love your blog, it's a unique take on DIY, we'll be visiting often!
When I first heard about haven, I wanted to attend. However, I decided not to because I thought it was a conference just for the women. Reading your recap let's me know that I could have attended. Of course, I am beating myself up about it. But, maybe next year. Great recap!!!
What a great post about your time in Atlanta! Glad you are man enough to attend an event where you were definitely outnumbered! I always love checking out your site and hearing and seeing what you two are up to! Keep your blog going and sharing all the great knowledge and projects