PANGEA DREAMS ALUMNI BLOG
WITH KIM GASCOIGNE
TULUM EDITION – Nov 2017
Why did you decide to join us on a retreat? What excited you most about the retreat?
I decided to join this retreat because I wanted to meet some like-minded, strong and kick-ass women, as well as learning how to be more confident in front of the camera and in my photo editing. I decided that at 31, I wasn’t too old to take a leap and do something like this that was outside my comfort zone! With only 80 followers, I wasn’t sure if I would be accepted to this program, but I was happy to learn that a small following didn’t matter! This is for women of all levels and all backgrounds, we were all the same. I also applied because I knew we would be learning from some social media experts like Lisa Homsy and Pangea Dreams leader Tracy Komlos; two ladies I had been following for a couple years.
HOW DID YOUR LIFE CHANGE AFTER THE RETREAT?
After the retreat my frame of mind changed about many things! My confidence in front of the camera increased, what I wanted from my Instagram changed, and I learned the benefits of working with other women. I have shied away from the female social media entrepreneur scene in Kingston because of a lack of self confidence, but I’m now very eager to meet and work with them! I’m excited to be thinking about what content I want to create and who in my city I can team up with to take dynamic photos. I’m also thinking long term about the winter and what content I want to publish. Since arriving home I have contacted several brands I want to work with (a big thing for only having 130 followers) and I have been thinking about a blog which is something I didn’t expect! It’s hard to believe that people out there might want to listen to your story, but I have learned from these women that we all have stories and they can help and inspire others. If my story and what I’m working towards can help 1 person, that’s worth it! I feel quite a difference in myself a week after this retreat.
Did the retreat live up to your expectations?
I would call Pangea Dreams less of a retreat and more of a bootcamp! After looking at the promo videos, I didn’t expect such a jam-packed schedule. I thought we would go to the beach, hang by the pool and do a few great workshops and collaboration sessions. I did not expect session after session of photos, workshops and work. This might make the retreat sound hectic, which is was, but it’s full of valuable content! It is full of the things you want to learn from how to pose in front of the camera to how to create a media kit. You are learning from experts, and you are learning along side other great women. Trust me, you don’t want the downtime! You want to absorb as much as possible if you want to be a success in this business. This retreat was more than expected in how much they crammed into 1 week