2013 Conference Workshops

One part of Influence we are so excited about are our Workshops. This year the workshops are all being taught by Community Leaders and we couldn't be more thrilled. The Workshops will be on Friday evening, during the 8-9pm hour and the 9-10pm hour. We envision these Workshops as being the time during the conference where you find “your people”–the kindreds, the future contacts, the people you can collaborate with. You can purchase your Influence Conference Tickets HERE!

As believers, everything we do should be for the glory of God. Right? Even our small businesses? Whether you own a freelance company, photography business, or make handmade goods during naptime to sell on ETSY - this workshop is for you. Learn how to bring God into the equation of planning, production, and profits. We will take the approach of looking at our businesses with three sets of glasses: profits, social good, and Kingdom impact.

Being a mom is one of the most difficult and wonderful jobs a woman will ever have. In the world of blogging there can be true community and true encouragement through the incredible and tough seasons of motherhood. You are not just a "mommy blogger". You have a voice and a chance to share Jesus and make a major impact for His kingdom. In this workshop we will help you find and strengthen your voice as a mom+blogger. We will discuss practical things such as how to balance life with family and maintaining a blog. How to protect your kids and husband while sharing (and sometimes oversharing) about your life. And most importantly, how your voice as a mom can make a major difference in the lives of so many.

During the adoption journey, many find support and community to be the biggest blessing- here you can find that community. This workshop is for anyone who has a heart for adoption, regardless of where they are on the journey! If you have adopted already, are in the process, or are just in the early steps of considering things, this is the workshop for you. Megan is an open book and would love to share what she's learned or experienced on fundraising, travel, international adoption with her daughter, and her story of being domestically adopted. This will be a time to ask questions, receive support, and connect with women who share a heart for adoption.

A heart to heart talk on the struggles, joys and opportunities of singleness. This workshop will be encouraging, empowering and honest- sharing the journey of walking with God as a single woman and making the most of the season! This workshop is for women in the season of waiting and singleness: drawing upon experiences and discussing heartaches involved in singleness, as well as talking about topics like: loneliness, trusting God, dating & frustrations in finding “Mr. Right”, practical opportunities we have as singles to serve God and do exciting things we could not do as married women, and really finding an encouraging community of women to embrace this season. This is a time for heart to heart conversation – where women can share what their specific struggles are, how they’ve conquered fears, healed from heartaches, and walk through this season with a joyful perspective – looking for the good in singleness. Ultimately, you will leave really encouraged and inspired to draw close to God, who is the ultimate lover of our souls, knowing that He is our ultimate fulfillment – whether the blessings of marriage and children come into our lives in the future or not.

Maybe you write to blog. Maybe you blog to write. Maybe you use a worn pencil to scribble words in your favorite pink notebook with the yellow flowers on the cover. However you got here, you write. In this workshop, we'll discuss all the ins and outs of writing. How do you uncover your voice? What do you do when the words won't come? When is the best time to write? How do you develop more discipline? We'll pull up a chair and open our hearts as we explore how to use our words well and with intention. All are welcome here. Business bloggers. Writer blogger types. Notebook writer types. Scared to call yourself a writer types. Bring yourself, your laptop or notebook and some vulnerability. We'll chat. We'll write. We'll share.

With the amount of time we spend working on and interacting in our online spaces, it is always a bonus when we can manage to monetize our blogs. Wanting to make money from your blog isn't ((always)) selfish. If the Lord opens this door and chooses to bless you financially through your blog, let's be ready to do that well, time efficiently, and non-selfishly. In this workshop, we will strategize ways to make money that makes the most sense for your online space, all the while, gaining insight from each other on what works, doesn't work, and how we can do things from more of a gospel-focused lens. How can I create a community for my sponsors & promote them genuinely to make it a worthwhile investment? Is my blog too small for sidebar ads? I am not crafty - can I still work with handmade shops? Will making money from ads put me in a box & make me less likely to share the Gospel? As a newbie with questions, an expert with insight, or an old-timer wanting a fresh way of monetizing - come to this workshop with a humble heart willing to ask yourself hard questions and strategize with like-minded women!

This workshop will empower new and seasoned bloggers alike to focus on the importance of blogging with intention. Together we will tackle hard questions like, "Is it okay to be worried about numbers?" "How do I set attainable and meaningful goals?" and "Why is it so hard not to compare my blog growth to the growth of others?" We'll brainstorm together to come up with inspiring and actionable steps to take to get you started (or restarted!) with solid content, community-building practices, and God-honoring goals.

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 Can we add whatever you wear to this verse? We really think we can. It's easy to put God in a box but the more we learn about Christ, the more we know that He is in everything -- even fashion. Many women love fashion, love putting outfits together and love being creative with their closet but as follower of Christ, how do you share both Him and style? This workshop will talk about what it means to love fashion and love God -- to encourage women to feel good about what they wear, to be creative with their clothing and to have fun with style. We'll discuss developing a style, being creative in what we wear, encouraging other women to feel good about what they wear, as well as being good stewards of our closets and our wallets. Having good style or loving fashion does not mean we need to go out and "get the latest thing." Let's talk about encouraging style, NOT consumerism. And of course, having fun with those awkward "what I wore" photos!

This workshop on photography will be more like a coffee-date- very laid back! The photographs that are used on a blog (or website) make a huge impact on the atheistic of a blog. Photos can make readers want to pull up a chair and stay a while, or make them click away if they are uninterested. Photos don't have to be perfect, and you can still share your real life in a real way through beautiful photos. We will be sharing different ideas on how to use photography to improve your blog, simple and easy editing techniques, as well as Q&A time. The workshop will be aimed towards both amateurs and non-amateurs. We will be going over different tips such as how to get the best lighting for your photos, etc.