Love Where You Live: A Location Link-Up

It's time to go local, ladies!

Take a few minutes on your own blog to share a bit about your hometown roots, and where you're living currently. Don't forget to include that photo... we want to put a name with a face - and now, a city! Be sure to check out a few other submissions. Who knows? Maybe the network's newest member lives just a few streets over!

Being Intentional with Social Media

Have you wondered what might be the most beneficial social media outlet for your blog or business?  Well, we think all of the outlets we use to share The Influence Network are great resources, but each tends to serve a slightly different purpose.

To help you find different ways to connect with our community, and possibly help you find more ways to utilize outlets for your own endeavors, we've laid out the purpose and intention of every Influence Network social media resource just for you:

Facebook: Intended to keep our community updated on what we're doing as a community. Here, you'll find updates on new Influence blog posts, announcements, upcoming classes, events, conference news, and discussion happening in forums. 

Twitter: Intended to show who we are as a community. We'll keep you updated on new Influence blog posts, upcoming classes, events, conference news, and discussion happening in forums, but we'll go even deeper than that. Blog posts from writers in and outside of our community are also shared throughout the day, as well as daily scripture, and questions to stir conversation.

Pinterest: Intended to show how we, as a community, are acting out and using our voices to make much of Jesus. This is a place for our community to find encouraging reads for life, business and strategy, spiritual resources, and helpful tools to improve our blog, business, or ministry. 

Instagram: A fun way to connect more personally with our community by showing sneak peaks of what our community is doing in our classes, exciting behind-the-scenes details of our conference, and inspiration from our conference speakers.

So, what's your favorite way to follow The Influence Network? Do you follow more than one social media outlet? Feel free to click the links above to easily connect in more ways than one if you weren't already!

When Online Life DOESN'T Mean Something

“Happy families are all alike;” begins Anna Karenina, “every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

 Can the same be said of the blogosphere?

 Women who are making their online life mean something are all walking that out in incredibly different ways, but they share the same fundamentals. Women who are screwing up their online lives are all doing it in their own way, but I've noticed that there are some common patterns they fall into.

What does it look like when our online life doesn't mean something? Here are some common ways:

1. Our online life is harmful to our inner circle. If our online life is hurting the ones we love, we're doing it wrong.

"I'm so glad there was no internet when I was a 20-something mom," writes blogger Elizabeth Foss: "I'm so glad I wasn't tempted to preserve in words my every whine .... I'm glad my husband wasn't forced to see grumbling in print every time he logged on hoping to see sweet pictures of his kids .... I'm so glad my complaining doesn't still stand as a testimony for my children to read."

2. Our online life is hurtful to our audience. If we're using the internet to complaint about others, stir up controversy, just be a jerk, we're doing it wrong. Nobody needs to read that stuff.

3. Our online life is disruptive to the shape of our lives. If our time online is crowding out good stuff that needs our attention--and this can look a million different ways--then it's time for a change.

4. Our online life is bad for the soul. Our online life can’t mean anything if we make it the only thing. If we want our online lives to mean something, we've got to keep the main thing the main thing. And the main thing is not the internet.

 What am I missing? What else belongs on this list?

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Anne Bogel loves strong coffee, long books, and big ideas. She puts a timely spin on timeless women’s issues at her blog Modern Mrs Darcy.

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14 Favorite Free Fonts

Using unique fonts makes a dramatic difference online.  Fonts help express your personality, creativity, and voice.  With the rise of Pinterest, they can also attract readers to your pinned images and content.  Be sure to pick fonts that match your personality!  There are so many beautiful fonts out there, so we're sharing our current favorites (plus, they're all FREE).

Amatic SC  ...  Avenir Black  ...  Buffet Script

Castro Script  ...  Didot  ...  Indy Pimp  ...  Meddon

Mossy  ...  Mountain Retreat  ...  Oswald Light

Pecita  ...  Quicksand Light ...  Sudestada  ...  UglyQua

The Benefits of a Mastermind Group

One of the ways I've benefited most from this community of women is having the opportunity to join a mastermind group. Ever heard of one? I've got to admit, the first time I heard of a "mastermind group" I couldn't help but think of Pinky and the Brain, those mice who were always scheming to take over the world... but, it's not that. Promise.

I first heard of the concept from Jessi and Hayley before The Influence Network even existed. They were both involved with a group of women that met on a weekly basis over Google Chat to discuss each other's goals related to blogging, business, and life. It was a way for them to stay accountable with their on and offline lives, to throw strategic ideas around with a group of like-minded women, and to have a safe place to lay out prayer requests with one another. Once The Influence Network was created, a discussion was started in the forums for members to form their own mastermind groups and connect on an even more personal level with women from our community. It was incredible to watch strangers in a new place reaching out and getting excited to form their own group with 4 to 6 other women.

Now, I'm going to be honest here. At first, the idea of committing to a group for blog accountability scared me. It sounded like a big step to take in order to be more responsible with my online space, to ask for help with finding my voice, and strive to be intentional with my blog during a season of slacking and feeling burnt out.

Being intentional, accountable, and responsible - all great things for someone looking to use their voice for God, right? Well, it scared me.

But, relationship-building? I could do that. That sounded much easier. I could totally see myself meeting with a group of women several times a month to talk life, provide prayer, and encourage each other. So, I decided to take a risk and join a group of women who were looking to use their blogs and businesses as a tool to spread the Gospel. I figured their creativity and fresh ideas could possibly rub off on me.

I've now been meeting twice a month with some lovely Influence Network members: Lindsey, Kim, Jessi, and Lindsay. I now look back at the fear I once had about joining an influential group of gals and wonder why we didn't start it sooner. Being connected and sharing life with these women has been one of the highlights of my year. It's been a blessing to know that twice a month, while my children are napping, I'm able to sit on my couch and chat with some beautiful souls for an hour. The conversation is different every time we chat, but we're always left feeling clear-headed and motivated about our passions and goals when our meeting is over. There will be occasions where we only discuss life and times where we structure our chat more around our online spaces. We've come to meetings with a list of questions to answer about being strategic with our voices and times where we've met with nothing to talk about in particular other than babies.

During our chats, we've been able to discuss topics like healthy blog growth, share wisdom on how to create a community within our own blogs, and provide ideas on how to better serve our blog sponsors. We've critiqued each other's handmade shops, thought of blog posts to write during dull seasons, and have shared ideas on managing our time well. It's refreshing knowing that during those chats, I can throw out questions, burdens, and encouragement with a group of women who understand and support who I am as a mom, wife, friend, blogger, and business owner.

Are you part of a mastermind group? If so, what has been the most beneficial aspect of meeting intentionally with your group of women?

If you are not part of a mastermind group, but would love to join one, throw out your name and information on in The Influence Network forums. Other women are in your shoes and currently looking to connect even more personally within our community. This could be the perfect opportunity to make your online life mean something.

Use our voices.

Facebook rants.
Devastating news reports.
Ouchy comments at playdates.
Wars. Famine. Sex trafficking.
Arguments over precious family holidays.

Monday our nation experienced yet another seriously hard blow by way of catastrophe. Whether it's an explosion, a shooting, a political event or a natural one - hard words and horrible events seem to be getting closer together by the day.

This is a crazy, broken fallen world we live in and we have an almost constant choice to respond. When you see the offensive article, the uninformed comment, hear the hurtful statement or receive the harsh email - how will you respond? As you watch the news on the heart breaking day or sit across from the friend in a completely broken state - how will you respond?

I suggest we speak life. Be life. Grieve for those who grieve and mourn with those who mourn.
Then stand ready to give hope. To be women of influence, we may need to occasionally lay down our rights to fight back in a fallen way and instead just love back hard.

We're sincerely grieving and mourning the loss of life and the pain caused in Boston this week as a community of women. Join us in praying for the runners of the Boston Marathon, the families + friends who have lost, and the leaders who help us make sense and move forward. We also invite you to join our community as we beg the Lord for direction and vision about how He wants to use us to bring light and life to dark places.

Father, use our voices. 
Help us not to waste our words or stories or influence as the world around us seems to need them increasingly more and more.

Six Little Questions

So you want to be an influential woman? 

Well, you know what we'd say? You already are.

No matter what you do, what stage of life you're in, if you're single and working in a coffee shop or you have four kids and you're working from home. If you're writing your second best-seller or you're still dreaming of what you want to be. We believe you have influence. Right where you are. Part of living out your influential life is stewarding it well. We all only have 24 hours, two hands, and God's grace to work with. We know you want to make the most of your days and we're right there with you. None of us want these days to pass only to find that we did too much or too little or the wrong things altogether. To combat this, we've come up with six questions that feel super helpful in ordering our days. We pray they'll assist you too as you recognize just how valuable your time, talents, and plans are.

 1. Up first: What is already scheduled for your day?  Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Where have you committed to be? Who have you committed to be there for? What are the normal rhythms that come for you on these days? It sounds like a simple question, but many of us jump ahead in our scheduling to what we want to do and what we feel burdened to do before we handle what we've already committed to.

 2. What is late and/or stealing your peace?  That project left unfinished, the email you should have written two weeks ago, the promise you made to your son last night to read that book. The dishes that are making you sick to walk past or the permission forms that you should have turned in last Thursday. You don't need to beat yourself up about the things undone and you should feel comfortable with the pace God has given you, BUT if there is something left unfinished and the thought of not completing it is eating up your emotional energy - get it done TODAY. Most of us are going to have ongoing projects without a start or end date: parenting, mentoring someone, writing a blog, etc - so if there something that we can totally cross off our lists that will bring us peace, especially if we're late in doing it, don't delay any further.

 3. What actionable step can you complete that will make you feel like you've moved forward?  In all our different types of tasks, there are usually a few things on our list that will make us feel, if just for a moment, that we're winning - just a little. It's ok to mix those in with the responsible tasks so that at the end of the day you've done the right things and the life-giving things. The crucial thing is finding the right balance. Only you can answer this question for yourself, but make sure you don't leave it off your list.

 4. How can you love others better than yourself today? If you're super servant-hearted, this might not be hard for you  - but for the rest of us, we need to pause and think on this a second before moving on. Don't just go forward with your day, week, or month in a routine manner assuming the people around you will feel taken care of. Stop, pray, and consider how you can put the needs + hearts of those around you first before yourself. For me, this might mean taking 30 minutes to ask my daughter what I can play with her, emailing a friend to tell her I'm proud of something I've seen in her, taking on a task for one of my business team members when I see them overwhelmed, or doing that chore my husband normally does to treat him. For you - it might look totally different.

 5. How will you find refreshment today? Again, we should never just assume this will happen. How does the Lord re-create you and what does He use to make you feel like a new woman? Lean into those things and set aside regular time for them, even if it's just a few minutes a day. Reading the Word, watching a quick show when the kids fall asleep, going on a run, listening to music while you make dinner, or spending 30 minutes on pinterest during your lunch break. Don't think of it as indulgent, think of it as a deposit into your refreshment tank. Remember not to give and give without drinking from the Living Water.

 6. What will you NOT do today? An influential woman knows her limits and she knows that she isn't an island. If you're powering through the day believing that you're the only one who can do ALL THE THINGS then you're not walking in the fullness of the Gospel and you're not utilizing the gift of community. What can you delegate? What can you or should you take off  your plate? What will you not say "no" to, because you've already said "yes" enough? Again, ask your Father for guidance and then stand strong in your decision. You'll thank yourself in the long run for doing the right things well rather than doing a million things half-way.

 Take a minute and ask yourself these questions! Your time, your heart, your schedule, and your days are so incredibly valuable and worth considering the best way to execute them. We'd love to hear any questions you ask yourself daily as well!

 Are you looking to make your online life more valuable? Find resources + community within The Influence Network and we'll do this thing together.

A Balanced Life

I've been on a health kick. For over a year. Okay, actually it's more of a lifestyle. It's not a diet. Not a fad. There isn't a name and I'm not perfect at the whole thing. But it's working for me. I'll cut straight to the point and give you an idea of what my life was like until I started focusing on my health:

• I gained 20 pounds after I got married.
• I ate fast food almost daily.
• After having graduated from college and getting married all within a month, I was stressed out.
• I got a prescription of a low dosage anti-depressant.
• I was constantly bloated, getting migraines, feeling exhausted and I was constantly sick.

Lovely, huh? I start to accept these symptoms as normal! Fast forward three more years. It's February 2012 and I'm at my wits end. As much as I was counting my calories and working out - I wasn't see any changes to my weight, mood or illness(es). I was tired of going to the doctor and buying all new clothes. I was visiting my sister (who at the time was 14) and she challenged me to go gluten-free for 2 weeks. She has celiac and thyroiditis and had to make major adjustments to her diet when she turned 12. After doing so, her eczema and other skin conditions disappeared. So I decided to do it too. And guess what?

  I started cooking at home (no more fast food). I got my energy back. I stopped getting sinus infections. No more migraines. 

 I was jumping for joy. The weight still wasn't coming off but I was so ecstatic about everything else.

Six months after going gluten-free and after months of research - I decided to go grain and sugar free for six weeks. All the weight that I had gained over the past 2.5 years flew off and I literally felt like a different person.

 So what's the point of that story? To convince you to take on the diet that works best for me? Not at all. That is my specific story and we aren't "one size fits all" when it comes to our health. We should all be investigating, experimenting and trying new things. Especially when it comes to the foods that we eat, the medicine that we take and the way we move our bodies.

 To better focus on your health - I thought I would share my favorite tools that I use daily to stay balanced while running my small business, traveling and blogging:

Diet

Obviously there are A LOT of foodie blogs. I could spend every day reading and browsing them all but there is only one that I probably visit multiple times a day. Elana's Pantry is my #1 most favorite blog ever (can you tell?) She has so many recipes that she has meticulously worked on until they are perfect. She has gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, paleo, egg-free, diary-free and never bakes with refined sugar. Because of her I am able to make scones, chicken parm AND dessert while sticking to the diet that works best for me.

Exercise

I'm not athletic or competitive so I try to stick with a workout routine that works best for me. If I'm not at the gym doing a quick, intense circuit (I use Seconds as my time interval iPhone app and just do a set of high intensity workouts for 30 seconds and then I rest for 30 seconds) then I'll use Workout Trainer on my iPad at home. It creates a workout according to your preferred intensity or time restriction. And it's free!

Spiritual

I am so blessed to have someone like Mary in my life! Last month I was feeling so overwhelmed and attacked. She suggested that I start a devotional on my YouVersion Bible app called Business Matters: A Francis Kong Devotional. It's only 7 days but I've been so encouraged by it all. Apart of business, being content and thankful for the life that God has given me is enough to encourage my health journey.

Mind

Three things keep my mind pretty alert and awake during the entire day:

1. SLEEP.
2. Eating vegetables.
3. Sudoku.

I truly believe that nutritional health is real. But we must take the first step and learn what that means for each one of us. Because of this journey, Mary and I actually launched our own health blog, Considering You. We'd love for you to stop by! What do you do to stay healthy? Are there any tips that have helped you while maintaining a busy life and schedule? 

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Allie Lehman is a small business owner who solves problems through design and works with her clients to unify their brand. You can find her blogging over at Be Up & Doing where her goal is to create a community around ideas, faith and honesty. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her handsome husband and cutie pie cockapoo.

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The Best Books for Your Work and Life

I'm a bookworm, and though I hate to choose favorites, I'm breaking that rule today and sharing the best books that have profoundly helped me grow in my personal life and in my work. Let me know what you think of my picks, and get ready to share your own favorites in comments!

Best book to get you thinking about your business:

The E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber. This little book will show you why most small businesses don't work, and what to do about it.

Best book for writers: 

On Writing Well, William Zinsser. This classic will help anyone write better nonfiction. If you liked The Elements of Style, you'll love Zinsser.

Best book for creatives who need to get organized:

Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder, Susan Pinsky. If you're a dreamy artist type who can be a little scattered or a lot messy, raise your hand. And then go get this book.

Best escapist fiction: 

Trick question. Pick whatever you want, just make sure you read some every once in a while. Personally, I loved Rules of Civility and The Likeness (big language warning for both). Just find something you like and dive in.

Best book for figuring out what to do with your life:

Please Understand Me II, David Keirsey. Before you know what you are called to do, sometimes you have to figure out who you are. This book is for Myers-Brigg geeks (like me) and anyone else who wants to understand themselves better so they can understand how to move forward.

Best book for figuring out how to write about your life: 

The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith. Everybody has a story to tell, but not everybody can tell an interesting story. Smith tackles how to write honestly and engagingly about your own life, whether the events are ordinary or monumental, whether you're writing a book or a blog post.

Best book for convincing yourself to get to work: 

The War of Art, Steven Pressfield. According to Pressfield, Resistance is what stands between the life we live and the unlived life within us. The War of Art makes you feel like you must overcome this resistance--which basically means putting your butt in the chair and getting to work. Pick this up whenever you need a good kick in the pants. What books have helped you grow--as a person and in your work? Share the titles in comments so we can all find some new favorites! 

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Anne Bogel loves strong coffee, long books, and big ideas. She puts a timely spin on timeless women’s issues at her blog Modern Mrs Darcy.

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Do you have peace?

We're almost done with the first quarter of 2013! It's incredible the way time flies...don't you remember the long and lazy days of a childhood summer? I remember days so long it felt like a week, but not in the bad way that days feel long as an adult. Those days didn't feel long because they were frustrating or tiresome or hard, but because the wonder they held was endless. From the first morning swim to catching lightning bugs at night while your parents' voices floated through the backyard. Peace. Long days felt like wonder-filled peace.

I don't want to look back on 2013 as a blur, well, as much as I have control over that. I want to live it with purpose and passion. I want it filled with fewer things and more memories. I want to be bored and I want to have at least a few wonder-filled, endless days.

To do that, I have to look at what is working in my life and what is, more to the point, not working. Being a quarter into the year gives me a good look back, but tons of time left. It's the perfect time for reevaluating and realigning my goals, expectations, and also look at the patterns I may have fallen into unintentionally.

So, for a quarter year check-up...let's ask some questions.

1. What has been life-giving to you so far this year?
2. What has drained you?
3. Do you feel like the rhythm of your weeks is working for you?
4. Could you cut anything out that is unnecessary?
5. Are you making time for the Lord? For really listening to the still.small.voice? That may look different for different people. How does that look for you?
6. Do you see any commonalities when you look at what has brought you great joy and a lot of life so far in 2013? Can you add more like that?
7. When you look at what drains you, can you stop doing it or at least change the way you do it? If you hate doing email, could you check it when you're most energized? Or check it less frequently? If you hate bringing snacks to Sunday School, could you see if you could give money to a friend and have them do it (only if THEY love that sort of thing!).
8. How can you bring a healthy and hopeful rhythm to your week?

Planning for Inspiration

I hear this a lot: many bloggers choose not to plan posts in advance. They want their voice to remain authentic, and therefore choose to only write when they feel like they have something to say. Planning in advance, scheduling content--these are the enemies of authenticity. But are they? I appreciate their desire to remain authentic. But it’s also true that planning is not the enemy of authentic improvisation. Planning can actually foster it.

"That's not how creativity works!"

I love the Canadian duet Whitehorse. They were in my town a few months ago, and I got to attend the show and catch an interview with them. They were asked something like, “I just love the second track on your new album. It’s so different and fresh and creative: did you build the album around that song?” They laughed, and said something like, “That’s not how creativity works! The most creative songs never come at the beginning of the process. The real magic happens at the end of the album-creating process, when we know we already have enough material and we’re not under any pressure to make something amazing.” When you blog whenever you feel like it, there’s no pressure. But paradoxically, planning content in advance can also take the pressure off (with the added advantage that your readers won't ever have to wonder if you quit without telling them because you haven’t posted in 3 months). You can wait for inspiration, or you can plan for it. Bloggers can plan for it with an editorial calendar.

An editorial calendar lets you:

1. evenly distribute blog content. For instance, on my blog I like to space posts on my different categories--like books and reading, beauty and style, relationships and family--fairly evenly. My editorial calendar helps me distribute my content.
2. have time to think things over. I’m a slow processor; I need lots of time to turn issues over and over in my head. If I decide days or weeks in advance what I’m writing about, I have lots of time to process--and my writing will be better as a result.
3. make the most of your writing time. I love to write, but my life is full. When I have an hour to write, I need to focus on the writing--not on deciding what to write.

When inspiration strikes, you can change your calendar. There are times when you’ll want to blog about something right this second. You can still do that! The editorial calendar is your servant, not your master. Improvise freely, but make a plan. And prepare to get creative.

Do you plan your content in advance?

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Anne Bogel loves strong coffee, long books, and big ideas. She puts a timely spin on timeless women’s issues at her blog Modern Mrs Darcy.

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Small Business Tools

Whether you're trying to make some extra money blogging or working for yourself full-time, there are a lot of tools that can help. Over time, I've allowed myself to invest and upgrade these tools but for awhile - you don't need to spend a lot to stay organized!  

Finances, Taxes and Bookkeeping:

I can hardly add anything without a calculator but there are some amazing tools that will help you do things like bookkeeping and filing taxes:

1. CurdBee: I used this the first two years of freelancing part-time. It allows you to create customized invoices and keep track of all clients! It only costs $5 a month and you can customize the template.
2. Freshbooks: Extremely easy to use for invoicing and bookkeeping. I used the $30/mo package and it worked really well. It gets much more detailed with reporting too.
3. Pancake: I've heard really amazing things about this app (but haven't used it personally). It looks like it's just a one time fee of $49.
4. Lemon Wallet: A GREAT way to keep track of receipts, rewards or coupons. It also lets you take secure photos of your debit/credit cards so you can use the information for payment. I love the security features...sometimes I don't even need my wallet if I'm at a coffee shop that uses Square.
5. Square: I use this to accept payments via card (swiping or manually) and their fee is lower than Paypal's! It's free to get a reader and can connect to your iPhone and iPad.
6. Paypal: An obvious answer but I would encourage anyone who's making a side income to open a business Paypal account so you can keep your personal expenses separate.
7. Upsourced Accounting: I currently use this account firm to do all of my taxes, bookkeeping and invoicing. We use Xero to log information and I love being able to pick up the phone and call them when I have a question. If you're getting to the point where it's WORTH paying someone - just do it. You'll never look back.

Tools to Communicate:

Networking, emailing and meetings are a huge part of owning your own business. I use the following tools to make those experiences better:

1. GoTo Meeting: It's $50/mo but is really, really dependable. When I "meet" with people out of the state or country, I need it to be dependable. I also love that I can invite up to about 25 people for webinars or classes.
2. Contactually: It reminds me to contact a handful of people daily. You can categorize contacts, decide how often you want to communicate with those categories and essentially tracks your online networking. It is SO important when you rely on new business and referrals to keep you afloat.
3. A Meeting Notebook: Best $9.00 I've ever spent! Each page is designed for a meeting so I can write down the date, topic, who attended, notes and actionable steps. After years of using multiple notebooks, I could never remember WHERE I wrote down WHAT. This solves that problem in a really simple way.

Productivity and Organization:

We all love to stay organized but sometimes too many tips can overwhelm so I'll try to keep this simple:

1. Toggl for Desktop: I don't always track my time but sometimes it keeps me on task and I work faster if I know a stopwatch is running. This is super simple to use (and free)!
2. Action Pad: I don't tend to gravitate towards digital list-making but I do love the Action Method concept. I ordered these pads and love that it limits myself to a certain number of tasks but then (since it's a tear off notepad) encourages me to throw it away at the end of the day and start fresh the next morning.
3. Allow yourself to goof around: I take time out of my day to look through Twitter, Instagram or watch way too many YouTube videos. Let your mind take a break. Sometimes those breaks work as inspiration and while your brain takes a break...new ideas floats in.
4. Eat Clean: When I keep my diet clean and stick to whole foods - my productivity increases exponentially. It's so worth. I encourage you to try Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar eBook and download my gluten-free meal plan. It's probably the best investment of your time when it comes to health!

What tips, tools or apps would you recommend?

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Allie Lehman is a small business owner who solves problems through design and works with her clients to unify their brand. You can find her blogging over at Be Up & Doing where her goal is to create a community around ideas, faith and honesty. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her handsome husband and cutie pie cockapoo.

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Strategic Tools

If we're going to make the most of our lives online, it's not just going to happen. We need to be smart about it. Be strategic about how you manage your online life--your blog, your brand, your shop, whatever it is you do--with the right tools. Finding the right tools for you is a process. Here are some ideas to get your started.

These are the tools I rely on:

A legal pad and a good pen.

Don't forget about these old-fashioned tools. I adore my laptop, but the ideas seem to flow faster when I have an actual pen in my hand.

A few good plug-ins.

I’m a Wordpress girl, and I rely on a few good plugins to keep my blog humming along. I love Comment Reply Notification to foster conversation and community, Akismet for blocking spam, and Backup Buddy for my own peace of mind.

The right apps

A good app can keep you organized, capture inspiration, or hold you accountable. Find the ones you need to track your to-do list, moderate your blog comments, or track your goal progress, and learn how to use them.

The right lists.

What do you need to stay on top of? Keep a running list of post ideas, photos to stage, products to experiment with, projects that might be fun or profitable, collaborations to pursue, bloggers to chat with. Commit these lists to paper or digital memory.

A good brainstorming session.

I'm busy, so are you. I get that. But don't let the doing crowd out the dreaming. Set aside some regular time to sit and think--and make sure you're ready to capture your ideas.

A way to see the big picture.

I think best when I can see the big picture, so I made a bulletin board that holds my editorial calendar, my goals I'm working on, my most important lists, and other snippets of information and inspiration. This tool lets me see the big picture with a glance, which helps me to prioritize, stay organized, and be realistic about my schedule.

Whatever you need.

Strategic tools are highly variable: figure out what works for you and stick with it. What strategic tools do you rely on?

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Anne Bogel loves strong coffee, long books, and big ideas. She puts a timely spin on timeless women’s issues at her blog Modern Mrs Darcy.

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Keeping it Liquid

Disclaimer: I'm not a financial planner.  So first take my warning to not apply any of this to your wallet.   With that said...  

When I was growing up in high school, college, and even as a young adult, one thing my dad always advised me when making decisions about money and investments was to "Keep it Liquid."  Meaning, don't get your money tied up somewhere where you can't pull it out in an emergency or change your mind. 

For me, as someone who enjoys blogging as a hobby, something extracurricular to my life, I want to keep my blog liquid.  I want to be able to walk away from it. 

Now hold up, I know that sounds odd and maybe a little off putting.  I don't want to walk away and I don't mean to disvalue the relationships I've made through blogging.  Those, I wouldn't just walk away from.  Here's what I mean though --  I know that for me, I have a tendency to get sucked into the blogosphere.  I have a sinful inclination to let it become an idol.  To keep adding more and doing more and saying yes more and offering more.  When I give more to my blog, in most cases (not all) I'm giving less somewhere else. 

There was a time in my past "blogging life," that I couldn't walk away (read more about that in my previous influence blog post here).  I was committed to too many different online things and had literally sold my services to different partners.  I had responsibilities to upkeep as an obligation to my word.  I was tied into something that was not rest giving.  eeeks.  no bueno. So two questions you might ask: How do I make my blog liquid? and Why do I want it to be so? 

How do I keep my blog liquid?:

• I quit pursuing giveaways and sponsorships (I still do them, I just don't spend my extra energies on them).
• I only offer short term sponsorships and am very upfront about what is offered/not included.
• I never promise a specific amount of posts per week.
• If I participate in or host a series, I take time to evaluate the time investment.
• I don't invest money into my blog (designs/html coding/spending $ on blog ads)

Why do I want to keep my blog liquid?   

Many of you who are reading this are looking to grow a business out of your blog or use your blog to add needed income for your family.  Some of you aren't looking for either of those things but life looks differently for you -- to all of you, know that I'm not saying any of this is wrong.  It's not wrong to invest of yourself and resources into something that you are passionate about and adds both joy and rest to your life. 

But, if you are like me, someone who needs accountability to keep things prioritized, keeping your blog liquid provides that.  Being liquid doesn't mean that you aren't committed to your blog or readership, but to me it means that I can let my blog just be a blog, not a identity definer and most definitely not a life line. 

If you have questions -- about how I keep my blog liquid, how I go about sponsorships without over committing myself or resources,  about my struggles of letting my blog become an idol, or just anything in general, I'd love to hear from you.  Please feel free to shoot me an email.

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Blair McLeod has a passion for equipping others to find their voice and serve others. She is the mother of one, married to an artist, works full time as a middle school youth director, and loves Nashville, which she calls home. Blair has loved the relationships and doors that blogging has opened for her. One thing in particular she is super proud to be a part of is The Purpose Project -- that allows bloggers to use their own personal story and social media platforms to make a change in the lives of people in Africa. You can follow Blair's lifestyle and fashion blog at Wild & Precious.

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Set Goals that Matter

In blogging and in life, I’m a big fan of goal setting. The saying goes, if you don’t know where you’re going, any path will get you there. The process of setting goals defines where you’re headed--and shows you the path to getting there.

 Goals helps you to focus, to prioritize, to channel your energy. That’s why it’s crucial that you set the right goals, so you can devote your resources to the right things. To make the most of your life online, make sure you set goals that matter.

 What are you aiming for? Maybe ultimately you want a million pageviews a month, or to have a page rank of 5, or to be on The Today Show.  (Those aren’t the kind of goals I’m talking about.)

 So many women in the online space blog because they want to be heard. Because they have words to share. Because they want to connect with others. If you want to build relationships online, make a plan that reflects this desire: set relational goals for yourself.

 Need some ideas to get started? Try these:

• comment on 5 blogs a day.
• Leave 10 comments in the Influence forums per week.
• Ping friends or want-to-be-friends on twitter daily.
• Email a blogger you admire each week just to say you enjoy their work.

Relationships develop organically over time, sure. But they have to start somewhere. Challenge yourself to show up, to reach out, to connect.

 Set specific, measurable, actionable goals that--if carried out--will connect with you others.

 I’ve been amazed at the richness of relationships I’ve found online, but they didn't just happen overnight. Like all things worth building, relationships take work. So work at it. Set some goals. Find your people online. If you're just getting started, this is a great place to look.

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Anne Bogel loves strong coffee, long books, and big ideas. She puts a timely spin on timeless women’s issues at her blog Modern Mrs Darcy.

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First Steps: When Your Passion Becomes Your Business

"When should I make the jump?"

 I hear this question being asked constantly. Sometimes it's from my clients, on Twitter or at networking events. The answer is in high demand - and you'll probably get 100 different responses. I started my business (legally) in 2009 but I didn't quit my 9-5 until August of 2012. I spent almost three full years growing my network, clientele and experience while working at my stable (and boring) day job. In a way, I never made the jump. I just took step after step after step after step...until I was at the edge. Once you're at the edge, you have no choice but to jump. After six months of doing this on my own, I can now say that I make 6-7 times MORE than the amount I made at my last job. I know that that's not always the case for some people but it's possible. The job that you're holding onto so tightly could actually be hindering you from making more and giving more.

 Obviously all of that is quite vague so let's get into some specifics. I'm going to share 6 steps that you should take starting today:

1. Make an effort to network once a week. This could be as simple as getting coffee with a peer, attending an event or emailing someone who is well connected. This helps build your customer/client base. I probably get 90% of my clients from word of mouth and referrals!
2. Start blogging or guest blogging. Consistently blogging has been a great resource for me. Not only can I connect with potential clients but it's allowed me to meet other designers/developers which has led to amazing collaborations. If you're already blogging, start guest posting on other blogs! Getting your name out there and in peoples' minds will help bring in business down the road.
3. Figure out how much you NEED to take home financially. It's time to budget! Figure out how much you spend monthly, how much you'd like to save monthly and how much it costs to actually run your business. Once we saw what we were spending our money on every month, it was easy to adjust. We paid off our debt while I had a stable job and it eased the blow once I made the jump.
4. Take that number from #3 and multiply it by 3. I decided to have 3 months' worth of income saved up before I quit my job. This number can obviously change depending on your situation. We don't have children so I felt that 3 was the lucky number for us. It gives you time to figure everything out without the fear of bringing in constant business at the beginning.
5. Figure out what risks you want to take. If you don't want to make that financial risk right now, maybe it's time to take other risks. If you're a creative - maybe it's the perfect time to reach out to that perfect client and offer your services at a discounted rate. If you're selling a product - maybe it's the perfect time to donate items to a high-profile event.
6. Pray. Need I say more?

Have you already made "the jump?" What advice do you have for others here? Maybe you're someone who is still trying to figure out when it's time to make the transition. Any questions? I love interacting through the comment section!

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Allie Lehman is a small business owner who solves problems through design and works with her clients to unify their brand. You can find her blogging over at Be Up & Doing where her goal is to create a community around ideas, faith and honesty. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her handsome husband and cutie pie cockapoo.

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Ask.

“Connection is why we’re here. We are hardwired to connect with others, it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.” - Brene Brown, Daring Greatly

 In 2012, I finally got comfortable with asking for help.

 Ladies, we don't do this enough. We all need help--in numerous areas of our lives. We know people who want to help us. And yet so many of us continue to struggle--needlessly--on our own, simply because we do not ask.  Help comes in many forms: sometimes we just need a little information, a tip or trick or shortcut. Sometimes we need encouragement, or understanding. Sometimes what we really need is a good kick in the pants.

  You need help from your peers: Ask for it. We need the knowledge and encouragement that women walking our same road can offer. Call upon your friends in your neighborhood; call upon your blog friends. (Don’t have friends to call upon? You’ve landed at a good place to make some.)

  The forums are a great place to find help--especially because an online ask is easier than a face-to-face ask! Have you spent some time over there yet? Ladies are already asking each other for all sorts of things--for prayer and for budgeting advice, for blog critiques and button swaps, for promotional help and scheduling tips. So much help is available.  

 What do you need us to help you with? Ask us. 

  You need help from people who’ve been there, too. You need a mentor--or better yet, several of them. If you have a mentoring relationship in place, awesome. (Remember to utilize it: your mentor wants to help you.) If you don’t have a mentor yet (and you’re not alone--most of you don’t), think about who you’d like to mentor you. Then, you’ll need to ask. Yes, asking is awkward but it’s so very worth it in the long run. Getting a mentor in your life is well worth one uncomfortable conversation. 

Maybe you’re not even sure what kind of help you need, or from whom--maybe you know so little you don’t even know what you don’t know! Sister, we’ve all been there. This is a safe place to learn, to grow, to interact, and to figure all this stuff out. And when you figure out what it is you need, ask us. We’re here to help.

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Anne Bogel loves strong coffee, long books, and big ideas. She puts a timely spin on timeless women’s issues at her blog Modern Mrs Darcy.

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When Blogging Hurts

While there may not be a "right" way to blog, there is definitely a wrong way.  I've done a lot of "wrong way" blogging.  Blogging that hurts.  Blogging that hurts my relationships, my full time job, and even my character.  While the right way can be hard to navigate, the wrong way is far too easy to fall into.  Like many of you, my blog began as a place for my mom and my neighbor to visit (when I reminded them and sent them the link for the 200th time).  It was fun and easy.  Somewhere along the line it began to grow.  And that was fun too.  But what I didn't know then is that you can never be too careful when growing your blog.  If you want to grow your audience and expand your voice, you must first fortify your boundaries and secure your purpose.  I did neither of those two.  My "wrong way blogging" looked something like this:

Spend a handful of hours at the office building tomorrow's post (instead of taking initiative in my job and seeking out  more responsibility).  Posts were more often then not "wish lists" from Anthropologie or people's wedding photos.  This was before pinterest -- I more or less treated my posts like a board.  A lot of stuff I liked, but didn't necessarily represent me.  A lot of Anthro posts from a girl who wears target and occasionally gets lucky at the j.crew sale rack.  After prepping a post I'd set out to comment on as many blogs as possible.  Perhaps not evening reading them, just finding something that caught my eye and then making some sort of generic comment.  Commenting for the sake of getting others to return the "favor."  On top of that I was pursuing giveaways -- at least a new giveaway every week.  Sometimes more.  After work (or blogging at work), I'd come home and do some more of all of that.

I let myself think that I could still be a quality employee.  After all, I was getting all my work done -- but I was dishonest in my silence that I had time to do more.  I let myself think that I was engaging my husband in a quality relationship when I was home -- but sincerity in listening and eye contact was sparse when my face was glued to a computer screen.  I let myself think that only doing things like cooking a new recipe or a home project should be done if you can stop every 5 seconds to take a picture of the process.  Technology was in my way.  Blogging was hurting.  I was hurting and hurting others.  I continually felt like I was lying to my boss.  I was consistently playing bitter defense when my husband questioned my time stewardship. I cringe at the disrespect I payed people for the sake of my blog.  And for what purpose?

The problem from the beginning was that I never set out with a why.  Why was I blogging?  I didn't have any reason to grow my blog outside of competition and challenge.  I was very rarely using my voice.  I wasn't building genuine relationships.  My purpose was 100% self gratification.  Nothing was natural about my growth.  It. Was. Exhausting.  For me, my husband, and I'm sure some others would admit the same.

Pregnancy finally was the grace that slowed me down.  I finally listened.  Took note of my pride and competition issues.  My laziness.  My idols.  My skewed hierarchy of responsibilities and priorities.  My lack of respect for not just others, but also myself.  I realized that although I had gone about it all wrong, I now had built a powerful platform.  I had an audience, now what was I going to do with them?  Things had to change.  I had to change.

Blogging for me looks different now.  For me, blogging is a hobby.  It's a network.  It's about relationships and inspiration.  It's about vulnerability and encouragement and even conviction.  It is a tool to explore myself and the depths of who God made me to be.  Sometimes my blog is a tool that reveals my sin.  At other times it wells up within me springs of joy and living water.

If I blog a few times a week.  That's wonderful.  If I get a couple comments.  Terrific! But I am on constant guard to not have my worth dictated by numbers and statistics.  I want blogging to be a way I enjoy freedom, not chains.  A way to give help and healing, not hurt.  Although I face temptations to fall into old patterns I work daily to fortify the cracks in my boundaries.  I don't live my life for my blog, and I don't blog for my life.

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Blair McLeod has a passion for equipping others to find their voice and serve others. She is the mother of one, married to an artist, works full time as a middle school youth director, and loves Nashville, which she calls home. Blair has loved the relationships and doors that blogging has opened for her. One thing in particular she is super proud to be a part of is The Purpose Project -- that allows bloggers to use their own personal story and social media platforms to make a change in the lives of people in Africa. You can follow Blair's lifestyle and fashion blog at Wild & Precious.

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We Need Community

I am a small, new blogger. Five years ago, I wrote a blog as a newlywed in a new city, documenting our weekend outings and online wish list. There wasn’t much substance, since I was not brave enough to reveal my heart and struggles. The internet can be an intimidating place when you go it alone. I loved the idea of recording our story to see how God was shaping my family – yet I was blogging in isolation, and it was neither profitable nor fun. So I stopped.

 In October, my twitter feed exploded with two hundred women sharing about a conference that was taking place twenty minutes from my home. I kicked myself for not being there, because God showed up and knit women’s hearts together. Since then, the blogosphere has not been the same. I have seen women writing authentic posts about life. Women have been supporting one another, strategizing about how to grow their online businesses, and encouraging others through life. Women were connected, reading the Word together and spurring one another towards love and good deeds. And they influenced me.

 In November I launched a new blog, with a different focus and clarity. Before I published a single post, I scoured the web for advice and studied up. I pinpointed my brand and began defining my unique voice. I spent time crafting a unified design and learning about HTML coding. I asked close friends about my strengths and how to portray my personality online. Then I began writing our story.

 Even with all these strategic changes, the most significant difference in my online life was joining this community. I woke up early the morning after the conference, to invest in an early-supporter ticket for next year’s Influence conference. It became my motivation to move beyond fear. Instead of writing in isolation, I reached out to women within the Influence community. As a stay-at-home new mom, friendships became my goal. With a baby, I couldn't always make it out of the house for a few hours of girl-time or even connect with work colleagues, like I used to. But I could read posts, comment, email, and jump into conversation on twitter during my daughter's nap time. And so, I found women like me, with struggles and dreams, willing to let Jesus shine in their life. They have been consistently kind, encouraging, and real. I hope I have been that for them.

 You may be a brand new blogger. Maybe you were one of those 200 women at the Influence Conference. Maybe you have been hard at work, but need people to bolster you up. Join in, and I believe you will experience what I did.

It’s ok to be new. It’s ok to start small. It’s ok to ask for help. It’s ok to join in, even when you feel on the outside.

 We can resource you with tools and encouragement and community for your endeavors, collected into one space online. Don’t go it alone. Find your people and let’s walk forward together into what God has called each of us.

What is your strategy?

On my personal blog and in my real life, I'm all about having "more passion and less fuss". It's the tagline of my blog and it's the way I live every day. It's all about finding little pointers and "work-arounds" that free up my time and my spirit to do the things I love most. I don't want to spend my hours doing things that don't bring life to me, my family, or the people I'm called to invest in.

To put it simply, these things are my strategy. I have strategies for most everything I do. I don't live by lots of rules or red tape or should do's or guilt. But, I do work to know what works for me, what doesn't work for me, and what gives or takes life. I want to practically roll around in the abundant life God promises us, making the things that aren't life-giving less and less a hassle. To me, that's freedom.

I don't do it all. I don't even do a lot that people would expect me to do. I don't even do a lot that I "should"do. But, I do make sure to move in the way the Lord nudges. I try to make sure that I'm not overdone and frazzled and up to my eyeballs in stress because I'm working and living in ways that aren't fruitful for my family or my mental/physical/spiritual health. I want to be sure to be available when He says "move".

I think of the holidays, about how important it is to build in time to stop and really see the beauty of what God did. I think of how, if we let it, the tiny things become the BIG THINGS. The presents, and the busy, and the parties, and the stress, and the running around become the focus and burden of the season. We have to actively work at making sure the first thing is the first thing.

And that is how I see strategy, too. We already know our first thing, to make much of the Lord. But, what is your second thing? What is your third thing? What are the things that give you life instead of steal it?

Your strategy, then, would be to minimize the life-stealers (maybe that's Twitter, or packing lunches, or having a high upkeep wardrobe) in order to focus on the life-givers (maybe that's writing your heart out, or making sure you're home to see your kid get off the bus, or traveling overseas).

You can have a grocery shopping strategy that saves your hard earned cash, doesn't take you 3 days, and allows you to shop with your kids in tow (I have such a strategy). You can have a budget strategy that allows you to be debt free and adopt a heartful of kids. You can have a laundry strategy that keeps your dirty pile of clothes from running your life and causing massive guilt (I do NOT have such a strategy).

All that to say, strategy doesn't have to be about making money or keeping up with other people online or even having an online presence at all. Having a strategy is just a way to get from Point A to Point B with the least amount of friction...so you save that energy for the BIG THINGS.

Say, you feel the Lord tugging on your heart to move to an urban area. Well, you may want a plan--a strategy. Maybe you save money for the move by selling one of your cars, since more things will be within walking distance. Maybe you'll be involved in an urban gardening initiative to stave off longings for your own plot of land. Maybe you'll intentionally move into a neighborhood to work out what it means to live in community.

Say your husband feels led to leave his job and head to seminary? Maybe you'll both work part-time to make ends meet. Maybe you'll save for a year before he leaves his stable job. Maybe you'll move closer to family in order to have support.

We're about seeing you succeed in the things God has put in your heart to succeed in. We would hate for you to look back on this time and feel like you've frittered it away. We also know that the Lord isn't leading everyone in the same way, and we would never dream that success looks like a cookie cutter. In the Network, we aim to help you recognize what looks like success to you in this season. And then we hope to resource you to find that success.

Success may look like managing to stay sane with 4 kids (I'll let you know how that goes for me!). Success may look like finally finding a like-minded community. Success may look like making a dent in a social need in your community. Success may be documenting your family's moments and stories. Success may mean working to support your family for a season. 

Ultimately, where the Lord directs you will be sweet success. We just aim to come alongside you and make the ride a bit smoother, if we can. We want you to bask in freedom that can come from maximizing what the Lord is already doing in your life and minimizing the small things that can distract.

We are so honored by the women who are joining this community, and invite you to jump in with a monthly or lifetime membership.