PANGEA DREAMS ALUMNI BLOG
WITH AMANDA SCHIAVONE
BALI EDITION – FEB 2017 &
NICARAGUA EDITION – JUNE 2017
Why did you decide to join us on a retreat? What excited you most about the retreat?
Well I decided to join a retreat twice! Each time was for a different reason. When I signed up for Bali, I was very new to Instagram. I knew that people were doing incredible things and making their travel dreams come true, but I had no idea how to do it. I was just reaching out to people and signing up for anything that I could to just learn. So I was excited to just be around like-minded people and learn from the leaders that were already making it happen.
When Nicaragua came around, I knew I had to go again. I had learned so much from Bali, but now I needed to learn in a different way. My perspective had changed from “okay… how do I start?” To “I’ve grown my audience to over 10,000 followers, now how do I take the next steps?” I also wanted to share my story and give back to the amazing teachers I had and maybe even inspire woman who might have just been starting out, just as I was in Bali.
What top 3 things did you learn while on the retreat?
1. Content matters and how to craft the perfect Instagram post
2. How to work with brands and hotels
3. Photography… both taking pictures (Bali) and editing (Nicaragua)
Would you recommend the retreat to a friend or someone who is interested in joining us on a retreat?
Absolutely! I have had lots of people ask me about the retreat and I am always happy to share my experience. What’s even better, is the benefits of the retreat speak for itself when my friends, family and followers see the growth and the overall change in my content and posts.
What was a highlight from your trip?
In Bali, we did this sunrise hike up mount Batur. We started at 3 am and it was one of the toughest hikes, but getting to the top made it all worth it. What made it better was watching everyone else in my group also push themselves and we made it to the top together!
We did some photo shoots at the top and then we stopped at a lookout point after to see the massive volcano we had just hiked and to also take pictures. So the highlight was accomplishing the hike together, getting photos of the experience and then being able to share it all with our followers.
Did Pangea dreams set you up for success? What skills did you take away from the retreat?
It definitely did set me up for success. Not only did I learn the steps that I needed to take, but I got to witness how those steps are used in practice. The retreat leaders were there to answer questions at any time and I used my time at the 2nd retreat to send emails to brands. It was awesome having the leaders here to proofread and provide commentary and guide me through the process.
When I got back home, I had handouts, notes and memories to help further the growth of my personal brand and I refer back to those items regularly!
How did it feel to be surrounded by other likeminded women? How did that motivate you?
This is probably the best part. The retreat brought together women from across the world, women who i probably never would have met in real life if it wasn’t for the retreats. Everyone’s journey is different and hearing why these women are doing what they’re doing was so motivational. Seeing others who were successful and hearing why they were doing it, helped me to sharpen my focus and feel confident in sharing my story.
