6 Awesome Tips (& Motivation) for Beginning Bloggers!

I attended this year's Go Blog Social Conference here in Kansas City this past Friday and Saturday, and lemme tell ya...what a motivator! I will admit that I was super awkward about approaching people and introducing myself, which is something I know I have to work on. But! I still somehow ended up making some great connections with some fellow bloggers and business owners, which is all really exciting! And not to mention, we had some really amazing speakers at the conference this year, and I learned so much from them!
So hey, maybe you weren't there and you'd like to hear some of my favorite, most inspirational things I learned. Well, good news! I've got ya covered!

Here are 6 things I learned from the Go Blog Social Conference 2015 OR 6 Awesome Tips for Blogging Beginners (because I'm kind of a beginner too! So, let's learn together!):

1. Tell your story, be real, be raw, be honest,  be vulnerable, be authentic, be transparent. 

If there was an overall theme of this conference, it was definitely "authenticity". These guys could not stress it enough. Be aware of your voice, values, and purpose. Be thinking about what separates you from everyone else. Your blog should be a reflection of you and not of others, because what works for someone else, may not work for you. Find what works for you (or doesn't) and own it. 

Take it a step further and be open with your readers about your weaknesses and failures. These things make you human and will allow people in similar situations or with similar feelings to relate to you, which will build much stronger relationships and readership than just trying to do what you think is popular and what you think people want to read.

 "By being yourself, you put something wonderful into the world that wasn't there before." -Mandy Beyeler, Sugar Bee Crafts 

2. "Foster community over competition." - Kelly & Andra, With Grace & Gold

Don't compare yourself to other bloggers or judge what they're doing. If you think they need help and you can offer it, then give them a hand up! Supporting and sharing with other bloggers is a big part of blogging, and developing the strong connections with others will help in the long run. Or even just when your family asks you over and over, "Wait, what's blogging again?" Having that group of friends to support and relate to is going to help a lot.

3. Be engaging.

Comment, comment, comment! Social media and blogging isn't just about putting your stuff out there. While that's a big part of it, what is even more important is engaging with your readers, followers, and people you love and support as well. This means being genuine in your responses to others and leaving thoughtful comments. If you are genuine in how you interact with others on your blog and social media, people will know and they'll at worst, really appreciate the support, and at best, want to know more about you!

4. Figure you out before reaching out to brands and companies.

When it comes time to try and make that connection, make sure you know where you're coming from first! Because if you don't know, then how are they supposed to be confident that you're the right, most passionate person for the job?

5. Get out of your comfort zone.

This is one that I've been working through a lot lately, and I think it can be applied to many aspects of life. Whether it's meeting new people, traveling to new places, or taking on more challenging opportunities, tackling that big, scary thing in your life can be summed up with this mindset.

Here are some great quotes from the conference speakers that fall into this category:

"If something isn't uncomfortable, then you're not growing." 

"Often times our fears hold us back from doing what we were built to do." -Alissa Circle, Diary of an Addict

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." 

"When you get outside your comfort zone, you're not asking 'what if' anymore, because you're doing it." -Mandy Beyeler, Sugar Bee Crafts 

6. "Take fear by the balls, and make your dreams happen." -Alissa Circle, Diary of an Addict

Guys, sometimes you just have to get out there and do it. Because whether you take action or not, life is still passing by. No one is going to wait for you to make up your mind. So, if not now, when?

What are some of your favorite blogging tips? What's a big struggle for you when it comes to blogging?

Put Thoughtful Work Into the World: Go Blog Social Recap

Instagram faves from Sunday.

I attended my very first blog workshop with Go Blog Social this past Sunday, and let me tell you, it was incredibly inspiring! I learned so much that I really had to take a recovery day to reflect on everything. What a dream! 

I wanted to share with you all some of the biggest lessons I took away from the event and from the speakers themselves. Their wisdom really resonated with me in a lot of ways and changed my perspective on where I've been since I began blogging last year.
So, here are some of the most motivational lessons I received from the Go Blog Social Workshop.

Make yourself an expert. -Tobe Reed of Because It's Awesome

This resonated with me simply because I have so many interests, so I often struggle to stick with one thing. I worry sometimes that I'll end up being the 'jack of all trades' so to speak, when I'd much rather be very good with a handful of things. That being said, I don't think it's impossible to become in expert in many things, and when Tobe said this, it really set in that it's up to me to become an expert at what I love, that it is something I control. 

Own it. Own your crazy. // You do you. -Tobe Reed and Morgan & Carrie of Ampersand Design Studio

This was a recurring theme through the day. "You do you.", "Be real." "Be authentic. "Be genuine and unique." "Do what you want to see." "Own it." I think it's so easy in the blogging world to get caught up trying to please others and do what others want to see, that we forget that our own voice is what sets us apart and draws people in. This is something I've been dealing with a lot lately. I struggle to create content that I feel needs to be shared while also making sure that is something people actually want to read. But I think it helps to remember that if you believe you have something to offer the world, whether that be your perspective, a product or service, or whatever, then own it. Be proud.

Align yourself with what you want. // Stay positive. - Tobe Reed and Emily Reinhardt of The Object Enthusiast

One of my other struggles these days is learning how to stay positive when things in my personal life may not be. I really like the thought that Tobe put out there that said you must "align yourself with what you want." I interpreted her message as, rising to the occasion of what you want out of life, and I believe this works anywhere. If there is something you want, it won't happen overnight. It takes work and dedication, but before any of that, there must be an alignment or centering of yourself with that goal. You have to be ready in all the right ways before you can begin. This perspective really changed the way I look at my blog and where I want to go in my life. Things won't just happen on their own, and if you don't put yourself in a place that can handle the trials of working towards something, you will become burnt out or at the very least, you'll make it much harder on yourself.

Put good, thoughtful work into the world. -Emily Reinhardt

When Emily said this, it really hit me hard. This quote wasn't a direction or even advice, as she was just saying that it was something she thinks about with her work, but I absolutely think it is something everyone, especially myself, could use in their lives. I think there is a lot of garbage and negativity and just plain carelessness put out into the world, so the idea of aligning your view of your work or anything you do with whether or not it is thoughtful is so refreshing. I know this concept of being "intentional" is not new, in fact it is very popular right now, but it is something that I hadn't quite grasped until now. 

Don't worry about what is happening 'now'. Do the best you can and everything will evolve naturally. -Ampersand Studio

This wasn't a quote, it was more of a general feeling and thought I received from the lovely Ampersand Studio ladies. Their stories of failure were such an inspiration because it is something that's been going through my head these days. I often feel as though my success in blogging is based entirely off of how often I don't fail. But considering I fail quite a bit, I tend to feel not so good about myself and my direction and efforts. However, these girls really turned it around for me. So much so that after the event, I went over and spoke with Carrie and shared with her my frustrations about being twenty-two and really feeling pressured to make these early years "count". She was so gracious and uplifting. She assured me definitely that I was on the right path and that as long as I continue to learn and be better, it will be fine. And her big advice was to not wait so long to start like they did...

"If not now, when?" -Ampersand Studio

Which brings me to this beautiful quote. I've heard it before, but this was one of Carrie and Morgan's overall messages. Don't wait to begin! They reminded everyone that we only have one life to live and we waste it by not pursuing what we care about and what we want. So if not now, when?

Here are some awesome giveaways and goodie bag items we received! I really had such a wonderful time and I really look forward to the two-day conference in April. If you're in the Midwest and would like to attend the Go Blog Social Conference event, visit goblogsocial.com