216 | People-First Community Building and Breaking Industry Norms with Laylee Emadi

So Laylee, you and I actually met in 2017 at a Caitlin James workshop when you were still doing photography at the time.

And I remember the first thing that I remember about you is you came to Caitlin James' house with some hand- with some, like, handmade food from your mom, I think, because you were like, "My mom taught me to not show up to someone's house without bringing something." And I was like, "Oh my gosh, that is amazing." [laughs]

Yeah, that was so fun.

I, um, we, I brought, uh, Hello Dollies, which are, like, the most delicious dessert.

If you've never had them, like, Google them.

They're so good.

And my mom made them for Caitlin and her family, um, we, because they lived close by, and that's why I would go to all these, like, Virginia-based small retreats and conferences and workshops and things like that because my parents were on the East Coast at the time.

But yeah, that was so fun, and it feels like, it kind of feels like a lifetime ago, but also yesterday in some ways, so it's, we go way back.

I know, and I have vivid memories of that time because it was a couple months before my wedding, so there was a lot of things changing-

Yes

...

in my life, and I was, like, newly engaged, and I was like, "I'm here at the wedding experience with Caitlin James." And it was so fun to meet you.

And at the time, you were doing conferences and workshops in your own community, but you hadn't yet founded the Creative Educators Conference.

So I'm actually curious in going back to when I first met you and hearing all of the journey behind how the Creative Educator Conference came to be because that has to be such a huge dream of yours realized, and this podcast series is all about your biggest dreams, your bold dreams, dreaming big and actually make them happen.

So can you give us a little bit more background on where you were 10 years ago and how the journey had, um, of the Creative Educator Conference kind of came to be? Like, I'm really interested in how you went from your smaller workshops.

I mean, you, they weren't small.

Like, you were doing stuff.

So tell us kind of what you were doing at that time and then, um, and then when you were like, "Hey, I think I wanna do a big conference."

So Laylee, you and I actually met in 2017 at a Caitlin James workshop when you were still doing photography at the time.

And I remember the first thing that I remember about you is you came to Caitlin James' house with some hand- with some, like, handmade food from your mom, I think, because you were like, "My mom taught me to not show up to someone's house without bringing something." And I was like, "Oh my gosh, that is amazing." [laughs]

Yeah, that was so fun.

I, um, we, I brought, uh, Hello Dollies, which are, like, the most delicious dessert.

If you've never had them, like, Google them.

They're so good.

And my mom made them for Caitlin and her family, um, we, because they lived close by, and that's why I would go to all these, like, Virginia-based small retreats and conferences and workshops and things like that because my parents were on the East Coast at the time.

But yeah, that was so fun, and it feels like, it kind of feels like a lifetime ago, but also yesterday in some ways, so it's, we go way back.

I know, and I have vivid memories of that time because it was a couple months before my wedding, so there was a lot of things changing-

Yes

...

in my life, and I was, like, newly engaged, and I was like, "I'm here at the wedding experience with Caitlin James." And it was so fun to meet you.

And at the time, you were doing conferences and workshops in your own community, but you hadn't yet founded the Creative Educators Conference.

So I'm actually curious in going back to when I first met you and hearing all of the journey behind how the Creative Educator Conference came to be because that has to be such a huge dream of yours realized, and this podcast series is all about your biggest dreams, your bold dreams, dreaming big and actually make them happen.

So can you give us a little bit more background on where you were 10 years ago and how the journey had, um, of the Creative Educator Conference kind of came to be? Like, I'm really interested in how you went from your smaller workshops.

I mean, you, they weren't small.

Like, you were doing stuff.

So tell us kind of what you were doing at that time and then, um, and then when you were like, "Hey, I think I wanna do a big conference."