Kickin' It: Rising Affluent Conference

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 1st Annual Rising Affluent conference in NYC. If you follow me on Twitter or if you saw my Confessions of a Shopaholic: Business-Savvy Chic post, you know I've been raving about attending the conference for a while now. What an amazing time! I was so inspired by the entrepreneurs and successful folks who came out to give their gems of advice. I was overwhelmed by the amazing group of peers that came out to learn and grow. And of course I snapped street style pics! Below find some of my favorite quotes, and some of my fave looks.

There's never going to be a time when you're 100% ready to be an entrepreneur. Just follow your gut & take baby steps. - Jamilah Payne, Entrepreneur, National Association of Sustainable Fashion Designers.

Ebony T. Jones, PR Consultant

 Loved this diva's lace dress and pop of turquoise. The color made it pretty hard not to notice her. Important when you attend conferences where there are tons of people, to have something that sets you apart.

Isata Yansaneh, Account Coordinator & Sandrine Charles, Publicist

These brown bombshells made a statement with shift dresses and standout accessories. Professional and chic.

There are so many revenue streams. Break out of the cycle of thinking that a 9-5 is the only way. - Jeff Rincon, Entrepreneur, Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America.

Ayanna Wilks, PR Assistant & Chanel Auguste, Executive Assistant

 Go for patterns and soft-flowing tiers for maximum impact. Loved Ayanna's DVF ruffle-front dress and Chanel's striped vintage top was an obvious standout piece.

Education is not necessarily learned in the classroom. Every successful person, educated or not, takes time to hone their craft. - Michael Robsinson, Associate Director Admissions, Columbia Business School.

Demetria Lucas, Essence Relationships Editor & Blogger, ABelleinBK

This southern belle showed off her girlish charm in an empire-waist dress, a cardigan and bow-front peeptoe heels. Sweeter than sweet tea - love it!

"Haters" aren't always haters. Sometimes they're giving constructive criticism. -Demetria Lucas, Essence Magazine & A Belle in BK.

Jared Lowe, Lowefactor.com & Me

 Never underestimate the power of a statement accessory! Both myself and Lowefactor founder Jared Lowe went for neutral outfits and statement accessories. Jared's known for carrying a statement bag. I guess I'm known for my shoes. I opted for the Julian Louie for Aldo wedges to give my outfit some edge.

Chastity Saunders, Model & Entreprenuer, Jessica Matos, Executive Assistant

There's power in your peers. Connect with others so you can grow together. - Chastity Saunders, Model & Plus Size Editor, Jones Magazine.

For a full list of the amazing and inspiring sound bytes from the conference, check out the @RisingAffluent Twitter page. On it, you'll find a full recap of some of the amazing panelists' words of wisdom. You can also search Twitter for the #risingaffluent hashtag to see what people had to say about the conference. Hope to see you all at the next one!