Create + Cultivate: Chicago

If you haven’t heard, this past weekend was the Create & Cultivate Conference here in Chicago. If you’re not familiar with Create & Cultivate, it’s “an online community and conference for women looking to create & cultivate the career of their dreams.”

I had the distinct pleasure of being invited as both a panelist and a mentor this year. On my panel, I was able to sit—and along with several other amazing women—discuss the Art of Negotiation. I was super nervous, but the one thing I wasn’t nervous about was what I would wear!

I partnered with JCPenney and for this year’s conference. So, the first thing I did when I arrived was head over to their style station to get a look at all of the goodies.

The styling and decor was so cute and very me! I had so many people message me to say that it looks a bit like my home office and it’s true. (Well, what it would look like if it were complete.) I couldn’t resist the urge to kick my feet up and make myself at home.

And, of course, I was also wearing JCPenney! I knew I wanted to be comfortable throughout the day and so I opted for a look that was more a “casual Friday at the office” vibe. A houndstooth blazer (that totally matched the JCPenney style station decor and was completely unplanned) along with a white button up, black wide leg pants and sneakers.

It was all very lightweight and breathable…which is a good thing because summer was in full swing that day!

After a long day of soaking up so much information and inspiration, JCPenney made sure we were able to cool off with a really cute happy hour just in time for Jennifer Hudson to arrive and end the day with a bang!

I’m so grateful to both Create & Cultivate and JCPenney for giving me the opportunity to share my experiences and knowledge with so many amazing women…and for making sure that I looked good while I did it!

Don’t forget to head over the C+C blog to read their recap of the panel I was a part of! You don’t want to miss my shining moment as the most quoted person from the conference.

SHOP MY LOOK:

Blazer: Almost Famous c/o JCPenney | Pants: Onyx Nites c/o JCPenney | Sneakers:  Adidas Cloudfoams

DISCLAIMER: The post was in partnership with JCPenney for which I was compensated. However, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands who help make blakevond.com possible.