Photography by: Aimee, Diamond Oak Photography
Be sure to check out these ladies and their blogs!!!
Roselyn - The Style_Lynn Kind
Brittany - Hello Honey
Erin - Style Spies
Margret - Style the Girl
Sara - Haute and Humid
Dede - Dress Up Buttercup
Shelbi - It's All Chic to Me
Dawn - Dawn P. Darnell
I can't believe its already been almost two weeks since Thrive! Thrive is a blog conference that is held in the Woodlands, Tx at the Embassy Suites (it was beautiful!). I arrived on Friday & immediately changed and got ready to take pictures with these ladies above! I hadn't ever met any of them except Dede from Dress Up Buttercup, but I followed most of them on Insta. I was soo nervous (hello type A personality) but they were all soo sweet & so welcoming! After the pictures we attended the cocktail party, they had a dj, drinks, vendors, macaroons, more macaroons, the most delicious spinach dip ever, it was perfect! To be honest when I walked in I was amazed at how many Houston bloggers there were, and I was only following a small number. I clearly didn't do my research before haha! We mingled and met new friends then went back to the hotel to rest for the next day.
Photos from Meg Cady
Okay first off, how precious were all the decorations?!? I need that pink couch like right now, and I want Francescas to come decorate my room!
We started our morning out listening to Alissa Circle speak. It was a perfect way to start out our morning, she discussed how to find your voice, creating balance, & pursuing passion. What stood out the most to me during Alissa's speech was "know your why".. I have all these goals but I am not writing them down. I came home and immediately wrote down goals for myself, not only for this blog, but for my life. I actually crossed one off the other day & it felt amazing.
Our next speaker was Kristina Braly, she is a blogger and also has a Youtube channel. I started a Youtube channel but I have neglected it because I am not sure what to post! She was very inspiring. I want to film a vlog now thanks to her! If you have a free minute watch her 'My Husband Does My Makeup Tag' its hilarious!!
After a break, a few cups of coffee and some more macaroons, we were on to our next speakers, Jessica & Sarah from Pretty Providence. They spoke about working with sponsors, media kits & the best way to talk to brands. To be honest when I saw what the speakers were speaking about I was really pumped to hear about this subject. As a blogger, I am approached multiple times a day from brands wanting me to work with them. They provided great insight on how to tell companies yes or no, rates, and how to create media kits. There were a few things from their speech that really resonated with me, "Ask directly for what you want & state what you can offer in return", there is no reason to beat around the bush, tell the companies what you want and if they can't provide that, move on to the next! Another thing I found fascinating was that Twitter is the best way to talk to brands. I tweeted a company last summer and they immediately wrote back but I thought it was a fluke! I really need to start using my twitter more!
Before lunch we listened to Ashley Rose from Sugar & Cloth. First things first, check out her blog, Instagram, & Pinterest, she is insanely talented. She provided great insight on how to grow your following through Instagram & Pinterest. Ashley shared her favorite apps, how to properly use hashtags, and how to join Pinterest groups.
After lunch we learned all about Google Analytics thanks to Mallory Whitfield. I have used Google Analytics since I started this blog but I was always so confused. Mallory provided step by step instructions on how to work Google Analytics. We learned all about where our traffic is coming from, what info we should care about, and what the term 'bounce rate' means. I came home and immediately looked at all my analytics, it was nice to finally understand what those numbers meant.
We learned all about photography from Megan Weaver. My favorite part was learning how to create a DIY Lightbox & how to take 'flat lay' pictures. A flat lay is when you lay a few products/items on the ground and shoot above it. I have taken a bunch of 'flat lay' pics since her session! yay! She is crazy talented, and if you ever need a photographer in the Dallas area, hire her!
Kristen Merkly, the Pinterest guru, spoke about, Pinterest! I actually just signed up for a Pinterest about a month ago, I am really late to the game! I can't stop pinning haha... She had the best info about how to post, when to post, what to post, etc. Seriously, go to her Pinterest you will be amazed!
Lastly, Skye Mclain spoke all about Media Kits. If you don't know what a media kit is, its basically a PDF you send to companies when you want to tell them more about yourself, your blog, your rates, your analytics, etc. I am in the process of putting the final touches on my media kit. While I currently work with companies and haven't had to provide one yet I want it on file when the time comes.
Overall the weekend was a blast. Never in a million years did I think I would learn as many things as I did! Great things are already happening behind the scenes thanks to Thrive! If you ever have the chance to attend a blog conference I would recommend it 100%.
Special thanks to Breanna Pair & Whitney Hough for such an amazing weekend!
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