Declare

Do you feel like a twit when it comes to Twitter?

I remember first getting on Twitter, struggling to connect with other people. It seemed a tweet was synonymous with yelling 140 characters into a crowded room and getting no response.

Then I had an online friend walk me through a couple steps/tips to help me get connected. It’s amazing how many friendships started on Twitter (what an odd concept I know). 

Today’s podcast guest, Crystal Stine, is a Twitter community guru. She is sweet enough to help walk us through some tips on how to develop authentic community in our online spaces. (FYI. . .she is also teaching lab on graphics. Informing attendees on where to find images, what online tools to use to edit those images, etc.)

With Crystal’s full time job at (in)courage as their Editorial and Marketing Manager, this gal has lots of great experience to share with us on how to best present our information.

What we chat about:

* The cuteness of Crystal’s toddler, how I might steal her and how traveling doesn’t bring out her best side.

* Crystal’s search for the perfect Cowboy boots (and possibly a hat).

* How having a self-named blog has allowed her freedom to write on a variety of topics & grow with her.

* What she is planning to share with those who sign up for the graphics lab (on the Thurs afternoon before conference officially begins).

* The need to share things that are true AND pretty.

* How to build authentic community online.

* Crystal shares her 3 tips for creating community on Twitter

* How to appropriately respond to other’s tweets which include your handle.

* Great apps/sites for joining Twitter parties–slowing down the speed, etc.

* Crystal offers to answer questions on Twitter, just ask her @CrystalStine

If you are a blogger who would much rather keep your fingers on a keyboard than wrapped around a mic, then do we have a treat for you.

Today’s podcast guest, Shaun Groves, will be speaking to those who’d rather type than talk. His goal is to help us all be brave and better verbal communicators.

In this episode we also spend some time chatting about how he became a Compassion International Ambassador. And he shares a few tips on how to invite others along on your journey (whatever it may be), to offer messages of hope instead of guilt.

Oh, and be prepared to cry (kleenex alert) and laugh (bathroom alert).

What we chat about:

* Shaun’s family, including the adoption of his son from India and the additional motivation to care for the poor.

* How Shaun got involved with Compassion International and how many cities he visits a year.

* How he accidentally started blogging in 2005, and was perhaps the first Christian artist to do so, against his labels wishes.

* How blogging allows a writer to bring a reader along on a journey–whatever it may be.

* Writing about a cause without losing readers, allowing it to naturally intersect your life.

* How return trips to underdeveloped countries allows you to see slow positive change.

* Cynicism & guilt do not motivate us. Our God has wired us to hope. Hope motivates and inspires us to join.

* How to turn the written word into the spoken word–help for those who would rather type then talk.

* Writers are trying to persuade through speaking–how to do so effectively

* Most importantly, we answer the question: Will you be force to do a spontaneous speech if you attend his session?

Connect with Shaun:

Blog :: Twitter  ::  Facebook  ::  Instagram

Show Notes:

* Compassion International

* Compassion Bloggers

* Allume

How to Listen to the Declare Conference Podcast:

1. Listen on the blog. Go to DeclareConference.com and click the play button at the beginning of this post (on your computer. . .doesn’t work on smartphones).

2. Listen on your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch – There are a lot of great podcasting apps. Apple has a free one in the app store, there is also one called Downcast. It allows you to search for shows, subscribe to them and even speed up the audio.

3. Subscribe to the Podcast – access the podcast in iTunes (click here). You can also search for it on your smartphone app (like the ones listed above) and subscribe.

If reading via email click here (blog) or here (iTunes) to listen to this podcast episode.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been to a writing session at a conference and hoped you would walk away a better writer?

Wishing that perhaps the speaker would hand you the elusive rainbow unicorn you have been in search of? That you would finally figure out what is meant by “find your writing voice”?

Well, today’s podcast guest, Denise Hughes, a professor of Freshman composition at Azusa Pacific University and Declare Conference speaker, is offering her words of advice to conference attendees. Her goal is to help us benefit from her writing session offered at Declare.

Thank goodness.

More specifically, we chat about:

* Denise’s first blog–like stones of remembrance; the journey to calling herself a ‘blogger’

* What Denise loves about blogging conferences

* How to get the most out of a writing session at a conference

* The fallacy of feedback & writing to your strengths

* Aristotle & Plato’s thoughts and how they apply to writing quality content

* Story Telling based on John 1:14  (“Jesus came from the Father full of grace and truth”)

* Denise’s practical tips for writing out your story, without offending others.

* Comparing an autobiography to a memoir and how it directs your content.

* The biggest challenge every storyteller faces

* Comparison of early 20th century novels and today’s generation of readers

* What makes good literature timeless, and the danger of pop culture references

One of my favorite quotes from the show:

“A properly placed comma never transformed anyone’s life.”-Denise Hughes

Connect with Denise:

Blog :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Pinterest :: Instagram

Show Notes:

* Azusa Pacific University

* Ann Voskamp

* John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

 What do you hope to learn about writing in Denise’s session?

How to Listen to the Declare Conference Podcast:

1. Listen on the blog. Go to DeclareConference.com and click the play button at the beginning of this post (on your computer. . .doesn’t work on smartphones).

2. Listen on your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch – There are a lot of great podcasting apps. Apple has a free one in the app store, there is also one called Downcast. It allows you to search for shows, subscribe to them and even speed up the audio.

3. Subscribe to the Podcast – access the podcast in 

*if you are reading via email, click here (iTunes) or here (blog) to listen to the podcast.

Our words have power.

And online those words travel far and into busy lives.

With that power comes responsibility.

The responsibility to be succinct and to share Truth.

Today’s podcast guest, Lara Williams chats about both. Lara is a master word crafter. (She may even do a little slam poetry in this episode. . . ).

(There may also be a little blooper/outtake portion you don’t want to miss. I’m mean my 6 & 8 year old were entertained. . .).

What we chat about:

* Lara’s blog-naming advice

* Lara’s blog writing schedule in the midst of homeschooling and with a fire fighter husband.

* Lara’s Declare session–guiding us on how to write succinctly, to give the reader one thing for the day.

* Lara’s word magician skills. . . as a rapper, aka “slam poet” . . .yes, she shares one on the podcast.

* Rediscovering your “why” of writing.

* Writing from the overflow of what God is doing in us and through us–time with God in the morning or locked in the bathroom escaping your children–using it all in your writing.

* The transition from blog writing to book writing. . .lengthy process of continual heart checks, staying connected with God.

* Having a prayer/review team in place while writing a book.

* Before posting/writing anything read it and ask God to show you anything that doesn’t align with Truth.

* Lara’s favorite parts of Declare Conference last year.

* The outtakes. . .hee hee.

Connect with Lara:

Blog :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Instagram

Show Notes:

* Get the 2013 Declare Conference session recordings–$20 for the Keynotes (Bonus: 16 breakout sessions for free!).

* LaraWilliams.org

*

Lara’s books . . .including “To Walk or Stay”

* Million Praying Women

*

Kat Lee & Hellomornings

* Stacy Buck

How to Listen to the Declare Conference Podcast:

1. Listen on the blog. Go to DeclareConference.com and click the play button at the beginning of this post (on your computer. . .doesn’t work on smartphones).

2. Listen on your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch – There are a lot of great podcasting apps. Apple has a free one in the app store, there is also one called 

We’ve all felt the frustration.

After working hard to gather a few Facebook fans, we discovered only a fraction of those fans saw posts we just shared or questions we asked. Pretty soon “some” people quit posting on Facebook all together.

Today’s podcast guest, Holly Homer, offers a word of hope for our attendees. Since October of 2013, her Facebook page has grown from 13,000 to 500,000 fans. Incredible.

Holly shares 3 tips for growing your Facebook presence. Do. not. miss. this. episode.

What we chat about:

* How Holly purchased another blog and re-branded it as Kids Activities Blog.

* How her Facebook page grew from 13,000 fans in Oct. 2013 to 500,000 this week when most people had given up on this platform

* How to move from being angry at Facebook to learning to play the game by Facebook’s rules.

* How bloggers are in a unique position to deliver viral content to Facebook’s users (which in turn helps FB compete against Pinterest and Twitter).

* How you can learn from Holly about social media for hours at her Lab, August 7th–bring your computer and your questions.

* Holly’s tips for growing your social media platform: 1) Focus on one project or platform at a time  2) Look at the available analytics (FB Insights) –post accordingly 3) There is no downside to being generous–share other blogger’s content on your pae 4) Don’t do this by yourself — no reason for you not to join forces, a friend to support you

* How you should approach other bloggers you meet at Declare, looking for like minded bloggers, a potential support group

* How Holly is an open book and is willing to share all she has learned through 7 years of blogging.

Connect with Holly:

Blog :: Business2Blogger :: Google+ :: Twitter

Show Notes:

* 101 Kids Activities that are the Bestest, Funnest Ever

*

Business 2 Blogger –matching businesses to bloggers

*

Declare Labs–$75 for 3 hours in a small group with Holly learning about social media

*

The Humbled Homemaker–Erin Odom

* Voxer

How to Listen to the Declare Conference Podcast:

1. Listen on the blog. Go to DeclareConference.com and click the play button at the beginning of this post (on your computer. . .doesn’t work on smartphones).

2. Listen on your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch – There are a lot of great podcasting apps. Apple has a 

What happens when a blogger discovers she was made to share what she loves?

She becomes an affiliate marketer. That’s what!

In today’s podcast episode, listen to Declare Conference Speaker, Erin Mohring‘s story of becoming an affiliate marketer.

She’s been blogging for 6 years and her knowledge base is super helpful for any attendees looking to use their blog to help support their family. Or even to fund a ministry of some kind (adoption/mission trip/child sponsorship program).

She also shares great tips about being sponsored to attend a conference (that means all-expenses paid. aka, “free”) and how to promote that company (creatively & appropriately) during the conference.

What we chat about:

* How Erin loves to share what she loves with others.

* Her boldness in connecting with companies to promote them.

* How she used an affiliate connection to go to a conference for free.

* Creative ways to promote a company during the conference, knowing a conference’s sponsorship guidelines, & honoring the conference’s sponsors.

* How Erin learned her strengths (strength finder) and it helped define how she moved from ads to affiliate marketing.

* How affiliate marketing works and which company she started with.

* How to notify your readers that you are affiliate and why.

* How an online connection led to starting a contributor site for boy moms

* Lastly. . .a disclaimer about hearing Erin’s voice in the Marriott hotel hallways from the ballroom.

30 years of marriage. 27 years of motherhood. 15 years of boot-strapping. 8 years blogging.

Today’s podcast guest & Declare Conference speaker, Rachel Anne Ridge, has been waiting for her book writing dream to come true. This spring of 2015, her first book, “Flash the Donkey” will be published by Tyndale. 

I love the message Rachel has for our Declare Community. A message of hope and encouragement during the season of “waiting”.

God is not as big a hurry as I think He should be. . . but since waiting is part of God’s plan, then in the waiting, I am in the center of His will. -Rachel Anne Ridge

Good stuff.

Rachel also shares 3 tips with our home-based business attendees, how to use blogging & social media to promote your business.  

During this podcast we chat about:

* Rachel’s story of patience and faith in the waiting.

* Her newest book project. . .”Flash the Donkey” (and why I’m not interested in owning a donkey at this time).

* Reasons why God had her wait for her book dream to come true

* How  “you can wish away your days for better ones ahead. But you should look for the good things while waiting. God is there.”

* 3 tips for using blogging & social media to support your home-based business

* Realizing people buy from people they like and they know.

* Finding the platform you feel most comfortable connecting with others.

* Share your life not just your art/product.

* Decorating a gigantic hotel conference space with well-placed vignettes.

* Lastly, will Flash the Donkey make an appearance at Declare? (hee hee)

Connect with Rachel:

Blog :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Pinterest :: Instagram

Show Notes:

* One of Rachel’s viral posts: “Dear Lonely Mom of Older Kids” 

* Flash the Donkey’s Twitter Account

How to Listen to the Declare Conference Podcast:

1. Listen on the blog. Go to DeclareConference.com and click the play button at the beginning of this post (on your computer. . .doesn’t work on smartphones).

2. Listen on your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch – There are a lot of great podcasting apps. Apple has a free one in the app store, there is also one called Downcast. It allows you to search for shows, subscribe to them and even speed up the audio.

3. Subscribe to the Podcast – access the podcast in iTunes (click here). You can also search for it on your smartphone app (like the ones listed above) and subscribe.

I’m a big fan of today’s podcast guest, Jessi Connolly.

Yes, she is one busy lady, but it was her Instagram feed that first caught my attention. The way she communicates Truth through written word and visually appealing pics is inspiring.

Lucky for us, Jessi is the opening keynote for the Declare Conference and teaching a breakout session on creating graphics.

Today she is sharing tips for crafting a cohesive Instagram feed. And it’s GOOD STUFF. For reals. (in case you were curious, I snagged this from her feed as Exhibit A):

In this episode we chat about:

* “The Funnel”–finding your niche in the world wide web

* Three tips for creating a cohesive Instagram feed

* Creating a mood board

* Moving forward without fear, sticking to what you feel is beautiful

* Scheduling/planning Instagram posts

* Deciding what you want your Instagram feed to be about & then balancing those things

* Losing the guilt over “latergrams”–using them as another way to live in the present moment

* Choosing filters and a few tips for taking great pictures

Connect with Jessi:

Blog :: Shop :: Twitter :: Instagram

Show Notes:

* Naptime Diaries Print Shop

* Influence Conference

* Influence Network

* Kat Lee’s How They Blog Podcast

* Lara Casey’s Power Sheets

**How to listen to the Declare Conference podcast:**

1. Listen on the blog. Go to DeclareConference.com and click the play button at the beginning of this post (on your computer. . .haven’t found this method to work on smartphones).

2. Listen on your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch – There are a lot of great podcasting apps. Apple has a free one in the app store, there is also one called Downcast. It allows you to search for shows, subscribe to them and even speed up the audio.

3. Subscribe to the Podcast – access the podcast in iTunes (click here). You can also search for it on your smartphone app (like the ones listed above) and subscribe.

 Do you have a plan for your Instagram feed? What are your goals in posting pictures? Would love to hear them!

I meet a lot of godly women through this whole Christian devotional blogging thing. But I have to tell y’all, Francie Winslow rises to the top in my opinion.

Francie’s heart for authentic relationship with her Savior is unmistakably pure. Her desire to set women free from all that entraps them is undeniably powerful.

Francie received her Masters in Evangelism & Leadership from Wheaton College. And her thesis was entitled, “Blogging as Discipleship”. Through interviews and surveys she researched if stay-at-home moms were seeking God online.

She discovered people were “Googling for God.” 

In today’s episode Francie shares truth in regards to experiencing God in our day-to-day busy lives. In fact she has written an ebook on the topic, “The God Experience”.

“God wants us to reveal His heart in the midst of our real life.” -Francie Winslow

Believe it or not, your connection with God overflows into how you approach the work you do online. Francie refers to this concept as: “approaching life from a place of internal rest.” If we know Whose we are and what He has planned for us, we can approach Twitter and Pinterest with peace instead of comparison and stress.

What we talk about in this episode:

* What steps led her to rebrand her blog to her proper name.

* Which company she used to help transfer her site to self-hosted

* The ebook she has written to help readers connect with her heart

* “The God Experience” Summer 10-week book study–starting next Thursday, June 19th

* How to seek God and find a place of internal rest before approaching our blogs & social media

* (pst…and we mention how Francie is due “any day”…well that day came between our recording and today. Announcing the birth of Francie’s 4th baby…Mary Frances! And she’ll be at Declare too! Get your baby holding arms ready.)

Connect with Francie:

Blog :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Instagram

Show Notes:

*

John & Deb Esling- UBU Enterprises (branding & site design)

*

Contemplate Design -Ted Barnett

* The God Experience: A 10 Week Guide to Feed your Busy Soul

 

**How to listen to the Declare Conference podcast:**

1. Listen on the blog. Go to DeclareConference.com and click the play button at the beginning of this post (on your computer. . .haven’t found this method to work on smartphones).

2. Listen on your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch – There are a lot of great podcasting apps. Apple has a free one in the app store, there is also one called Downcast. It allows you to search for shows, subscribe to them and even speed up the audio.

3. Subscribe to the Podcast – access the podcast in 

Life isn’t always butterflies & roses. Sometimes it’s just plain hard. You can feel pretty empty and unable to share much of yourself to anyone.

How do these seasons impact our ability  to “wildly obey”?

In today’s podcast I interview Stacey Thacker (29LincolnAvenue.com) about her personal struggles. And her decision to obey even if she felt “fresh out of amazing”. She shares how when she followed the next spark, God led her to a place she never imagined possible.

“God uses ALL of it. Even when you feel like you’ve hit a brick wall.” -Stacey Thacker

We also chat about a small book in the Bible, Habbakuk, which provides encouragement and truth on this topic. In Stacey’s session at Declare she’ll share what she has learned from “Hab” or “Habs” (as we decided to call him). You can watch a little video she made about her Declare session here.

Do you find yourself in a challenging season? Is God calling you to write down what He is teaching you? Will you choose to obey? It may be as simple as writing prayers in a journal.

Connect with Stacey:

Blog :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Pinterest :: Instagram

Show Notes:

* Mothers of Daughters

* September McCarthy

* Raising Generations Today Conference

* “Steve Jobs, Me, & Being Fresh out of Amazing” post

*

Brooke McGothlin :: MOB Society

* Hope for the Weary Mom

* Harvest House Publishers

**How to listen to the podcast:**

1. Listen on the blog. Go to DeclareConference.com and click the play button at the beginning of this post (on your computer. . .haven’t found this method to work on smartphones).

2. Listen on your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch – There are a lot of great podcasting apps. Apple has a free one in the app store, there is also one called Downcast. It allows you to search for shows, subscribe to them and even speed up the audio.

3. Subscribe to the Podcast – access the podcast in iTunes (click here).