The Influence Blog has moved!

The Influence Network blog has moved to a new site at TheInfluenceNetwork.com! 

Visit us there for new and exciting content!

Site Relaunch and #InfluenceNet Twitter Party!

This weekend.  It's big for Influence.  The new site is almost ready!


HERE ARE THE BIG THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

1.  The network site will be down and unavailable from Friday through Sunday.  Behind the scenes, we'll be hard at work getting the rebranded, streamlined, knock-your-socks-off new design added.


2.  During this time, check in on social media for sneak peeks at the new site and all the secret things we've been working on for members!  Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook all weekend.


3.  You're invited to our TWITTER PARTY on Sunday night, 9-10 pm EST.  Follow the #InfluenceNet hashtag that night and whenever you tweet be sure to include that hashtag at the end.  You'll get to chat with the Influence team and lots of members (and there might even be a surprise in store)!


4.  The Influence Network site will relaunch on Monday morning, and you'll want to be sure to check out the upgrades early!  We can't wait for you to explore this new online playground and find even better ways to connect as a community.


AND...


5. The Influence Blog will be incorporated onto the network homepage.  You won't have to hop around to as many places, and we'll keep bringing you timely, cutting-edge content and all the news about network and conference happenings.  On Monday morning, you'll want to check there for a post about all the brand new things we have for waiting for you!

Go To Influence GIVEAWAY!

The Influence girls have decided to offer one lucky lady a chance for a FREE Influence Experience.  We've got you covered from top to bottom in a giveaway worth over $1000.  

Conference Ticket?  Check. 

Hotel stay? Check. 

Airfare?  Check. 

Shopping money?  Check. 

Cute bag to carry around the conference?  Check. 

AND....

Influence Network lifetime online membership???  Check. 

We cannot wait for the conference this year and the chance to meet hundreds of gospel-minded, creative women in real life.  We have amazing speakers, events, and surprises planned for the conference - all with the purpose of blessing and inspiring you to make your life, online and off, mean something.  During the rest of the year, you can use the Network to engage with a community of lovely, wise women online.  

And we don't want you to miss any of it!  

1. an Influence Conference ticket ($225 value)
2. a lifetime membership to the network
3. a $50 gift voucher to spend in the Sashes Market at Influence
4. a $250 airline voucher
5. TWO NIGHTS at the Westin hotel where we're having the conference
6. a Better Life Bags Brynnda bag ($165 value)


There are multiple options to win below! 
Even if you don't win - you'll win big by being at the conference so snag your ticket to Influence ASAP and we'll see you in September! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Big Changes Coming to The Influence Network

You may have already heard through the grape vine that The Influence Network is currently working on a beautiful rebrand/site revamp that includes a gorgeous new logo, new tools and links that make our site easier to navigate, as well as new ways to cultivate community, continued learning, and networking with our women online and offline. 

Our heart for the Influence Network has always been for it to be a place for like-minded women to connect, grow in their gifts and knowledge of the plans God has for them, and serve others in the name of Jesus. The big changes coming to the Influence Network will help continue to make this possible.

One exciting change to our network site is having one place to find all things Influence-related, specifically the blog, classes, member site (including forums, magazine, downloads, and other member perks), social media links, FAQ page, and conference info.

For members we're working hard to deliver even better content even more regularly. Each week, members will receive a new perk or resource. 

• Worship: A download of a song, a piece of art, or something else that will move your heart.
• Interview: Hear from women leading the way in ministry, writing, small business, and more.
• Live call: Get YOUR questions answered in live calls with the Influence team and guests.
• Case study: Learn some of the best practices as we highlight women who are doing it right.

Our premium members will be invited to take part in discipleship groups and pursuit groups to deepen their community. Both forms of groups will take place in a private forum with exclusive access to just the people in the group. Discipleship groups will focus on Christian growth and pursuit groups will gather around a common interest (like business, fitness, writing, etc.). We'll have an intake process for each group and will help you navigate joining and growing within these two exciting new community features.

We want to make sure everything is polished and ready for you before we press the "go button" on the new changes, so stay tuned for more details in the next few weeks via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the Influence Newsletter. 

Simulcast + Step by Step

We had a totally awesome simulcast on Monday where we shared our hearts for you women, our hearts for the conference and a lot of awesome details. We took questions from social media under the hashtag #influenceconf and answered them as best we could. If you missed out, never fear! You can scroll through the hashtag on twitter and you can watch the simulcast below! If you want to skip ahead we begin talking about conference stuff at the 10:50 mark.

 

Most of the questions were how tos for the conference, and we want to help you out. Think of this as your own personal concierge. We've said it before and we'll say it again: the best place to connect is the conference section of the forums. But some people like lists and step by step instructions... and so, we've got you covered!

• GET THE FUNDS- Jessi wrote an awesome post on why we can afford anything God calls us to. And Hayley has wrote an awesome post last year on how to get a blog conference sponsorship
• BUY YOUR TICKET- You can purchase your ticket HERE
• SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER- We are currently accepting volunteers to help with set up/ break down/ and other little things throughout the conference. If you're interested feel free to fill out our volunteer form  
• ADD A BUTTON- We've made buttons to help y'all connect with one another and let your friends know where you'll be in September. You can grab a button for your blog on the main conference page
• CONNECT BEFOREHAND- You can find the speakers and workshops + community leaders here. Reach out and tell them you are coming to the #influenceconf ! They would love to connect with you!! 
• FIND ROOMMATES- The best place to find a roommate is under the roommate thread on the forums. You can also send out a tweet under #influenceconf or even leave a comment below on this post. Seriously ladies, we suggest doing rooms of 4 gals if you can. It is so much more fun and, of course, less expensive that way.
• BOOK YOUR ROOM- We have a special conference rate at the Westin. You can book directly through our Hotel+Travel conference page.
• GET TO THE HOTEL- We've set up a place for you to hitch-a-ride with other women through the forums. Or if you are interested in picking people up from the airport you can post it there as well. We've also set up a special price for a shared shuttle ride. You can book it directly through our Hotel+Travel conference page.
• CONNECT IN INDY- Whether you want to plan a dinner, a coffee date, or a dance party... The best place to do that is through our It's A Date forum page. Or just quickly tweet out "Starbucks in the lobby in 5 #influenceconf" This conference is going to be what you make it!!

We are so very excited about this year's conference. Our prayer is it will be a blessing to you and your online life and that you will leave feeling refreshed. So make sure to get your ticket today!

we can afford anything.

The other night my husband and I sat down to go over our budget and I made a few jokes about how stress-inducing it was. Maybe that sounds familiar to you, but the truth is - talking about money really ISN'T so stressful for us these days. It's not because we're rolling in dough and it's not because the numbers always add up just so, it's because we've learned one seriously valuable lesson in the last few years.

We can afford anything.

Before you get the wrong idea or try to hit us up for cash, I should back up just a little. Our family has absolutely known poverty. I mean, real financial poverty. We've had seasons of very, very little and the economic downturn hit us hard a few years ago. Right now we're in a season of seriously needing to trust the Lord with our finances - as part of our income comes from fundraising because my husband is a church planter and the other part comes from our online business. So how we can afford anything? Well, what I really mean is...

We can afford anything the Lord wants us to.
And you can too.

I'm not getting all prosperity gospel on you and telling you that you can envision a million bucks and have it the next day. I AM telling you that if you love and serve Jesus, your Heavenly Father owns everything in this big, huge world and He can choose to resource you with WHATEVER He chooses for you to have, regardless of your bank account or credit score. What we can afford isn't a matter of how much money we have, it's really a matter of what the Lord wants us to have and how we're willing to make it work to have it.

For us, we're not willing to go into debt to have things we want, but we absolutely ARE willing to work a little extra or cut back in other areas for something that feels right for our family. So when we approach our budget, you'll rarely hear us telling one another "Oh, we can't afford that" and we try not to speak that over our children either. We don't want them to trust our bank account for provision, but our heavenly Father. Because if we're all seeking first His Kingdom anyhow, the chances are - our desires are lined up with what He wants us to have.

I pray that as women of Influence - we'd all have this mentality. Not a false gospel that says "if you work hard, good things will happen and you'll have all the things" but rather a gospel-centered view of money that says, "I seek God's will for my life and know that nothing is off limits to my Father. He wants good for me and He will absolutely provide and make a way for me".

Some verses to dwell on here:
Psalm 50:10-12
Matthew 6:26
Matthew 6:33

Are you wanting to attend The Influence Conference, but you're worried about money? 

Here are a few tips: 

1. Pray! If the Lord wants you there, it could cost a billion dollars and you could still afford it.

2.  Think about where you can redistribute money from in your budget to make this investment for yourself/ your business/ your blog/ your family. Maybe cutting out Starbucks trips or fast food with the kids for a few months is the very investment you need to make.

3. Think through ways to earn money to go towards your ticket/expenses and brainstorm with other gals in the network. Hop on the forums if you're a network member or us the #InfluenceConf hashtag on twitter/facebook/instagram to brainstorm your way there.

One more thought: 
We wouldn't be surprised if the Lord isn't prompting some of the women in our community to hold their hands open and be generous and sponsor some other gals for their conference tickets. Maybe some of pray and ask the Lord what we can afford, he answers with - we can afford to be generous.  If this is you - email us at conference@theinfluencenetwork.com. 

The First Ever FREE Influence Class

All you need is yourself, a computer, and good internet connection*. 

The class will be hosted online - June 20th at 9pm EST by Lisa Surratt. 

THIS IS A FREE CLASS - BUT SPOTS WILL FILL UP.

Reserve your seat now!

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Lisa Surratt is the East Coast director for The A21 Campaign, a non-profit organization dedicated to abolishing injustice in the 21st century, in the form of modern day slavery – human trafficking. Like most abolitionists, fighting human trafficking was not part of the career plan Lisa had set for herself. However, when confronted with the horrors of the reality of human trafficking, she chose to set her career in medicine aside and join the fight.

 Lisa has a master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from the Medical University of South Carolina and has practiced Emergency Medicine for the past 6 years. After witnessing a potential victim of human trafficking come through the ER, Lisa felt crippled to respond. This circumstance has set forward motion to a focus on how to effectively equip the medical community with a protocol to respond. This, among many other projects The A21 Campaign has worked to develop, are designed to create tools for the community to take a stand against human trafficking. She serves as a member of the SC Human Trafficking Task Force, with a focus on education, awareness and victim assistance.

 Lisa is married to her husband, Josh Surratt, who is the Associate Pastor at Seacoast Church in Mt. Pleasant, SC. They have 2 children, Miles (5) and Greta Kate (3) and a third child due in July.

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* You will receive an email at the account you use for this purchase from classes@theinfluencenetwork.com one hour prior to the class start time with a link to attend the class.

* You will not be able to purchase access to classes after 6pm EST the day the class is scheduled. 

*Please email classes@theinfluencenetwork.com with any questions or concerns.

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VIEW ALL JUNE CLASSES IN THE INFLUENCE SHOP.