If you have ever been a guest at The Narrative Loft (and if you haven’t, you must come visit us), you may have seen some pretty eclectic decor. There is a surfboard in the office, colorful poufs straight from Morocco, desks that have been sourced, sanded, painted and up-cycled, plants of various species and sizes and of course, Miss Mai’a Papaya, a puppy brought to us by an incredible couple who knew that she’d be the perfect fit as our Director of Barketing.
A mecca for creatives, The Narrative Loft is filled with people and elements to inspire, create and share. But, where does all the stuff (and creative energy) come from, you may ask?
The answer to that question is always, “adventures”.
Cue the Loft team’s recent trip to the World Domination Summit (WDS) in Portland, Oregon to soak in more good vibes from really cool people.
One WDS Keynote Speaker, Scott Harrison spoke about his journey from Rolex-touting, hard partying NightClub promoter to Environmental Activist.
Scott Harrison now runs charity: water, a nonprofit organization that provides money to local charities that drill wells and install water-filtration systems in the developing world. Harrison’s business is telling stories that pull at people’s heartstrings and then their purse strings. He is very good at it: Since he founded charity: water in 2007, he has raised more than $100 million for the cause.
Adding to the list impressive speakers was Vanessa Van Edwards, a behavioral investigator and published author. She runs a human behavior research lab where she uncovers the hidden forces that drive our behavior called the Science of People. She encouraged the audience to face fears and to also realize that Rome wasn’t built in a day, as some Social Media profiles would like you to believe. Her path to a successful career was preceded by years of trial and error and failed projects. Vanessa is charismatic, raw and incredibly entertaining.
Attendee, Jan Keck added that, “Vanessa’s talk was exactly what I needed to hear right now! So many times we scroll through Facebook, comparing ourselves to all the perfect lives of our friends and thought leaders and it makes me feel like I'm not enough, I'm not doing enough, why haven't I gotten there yet. But it's only half of the story. We only see what's above the surface.”
The impressive list of speakers also included Agapi Stassinopolous. Attendee, Cyndi Lee loved her message. “The minute she walked onto the stage, before she even began speaking, you could feel her positive energy flowing out and filling the room. Some memorable thoughts: You're not supposed to blend in--you're supposed to stand out”.
When we asked attendee David Ryan to pick his favorite speaker, he replied, “Wow! That’s not easy to answer! They covered so many different topics, it’s hard to compare them to one another.” There definitely is something for everyone at WDS!
We were also lucky to see amazing talks from Benny Lewis, Charles Hunt, Firuzeh Mahmoudi, Harris Zafar, Jolie Guillebeau, Mohammed Faris & Rich Roll. All of these wonderful people had incredibly moving and inspiring messages to share.
WDS has everything from Drag Queens passing snacks to masterpiece-building meet ups and everything in between. We were thrilled to be in attendance this year and look forward to bringing the positive, creative mojo back to the Loft.
AND if WDS sounds like it’s right up your alley, get on the waiting list here and join the party next year!
