See Jane Scope

SeeJaneScope

I am a purpose-driven blogger.

I’ve realized that if I don’t have a specific objective or goal in mind I just can’t motivate myself to find the time to blog.

My relationship with social media is no different. Without purpose, I don’t post. My philosophy is simple: Be intentional or be quiet.

So I’ve struggled to be consistent with the latest social media craze Periscope, an app that allows you to livestream video from your phone or tablet. Your fans and followers can tune in and watch live and even interact with you and other folks watching your broadcast. People use Periscope to show snippets of everything from concerts and conferences to vacations and the silly things their kids do. Because I’m a nerd, however, I tend to like broadcasts that are like informal webinars.

When I first signed up for Periscope I was obsessed with watching informative and inspiring broadcasts by my favorite bloggers and female entrepreneurs. And I was eager to start doing some Scoping of my own. I’ve done broadcasts on why bloggers should use Periscope (it’s a great way to connect with readers), how to land your first TV appearance to promote your blog, book or business and how to do a good job on that first TV appearance. I also one day randomly did a Scope on spiritual practices. And my Periscope practices have been just that — random.

When it comes to blogging and social media, my greatest sense of purpose comes from See Jane Write. If I’m producing content for the women of See Jane Write I can stick with it! And so I bring to you #SeeJaneScope: Periscope broadcasts designed for the women of See Jane Write.

The first #SeeJaneScope broadcast will be tonight at 7 p.m. CT and it will be a goal setting and planning workshop for writers and bloggers. I hope you’ll join me!

Please note I signed up for Periscope with my personal Twitter account, not my See Jane Write account, so you’ll need to find and follow me at @writeousbabe.

Once you follow me you’ll get an alert whenever I go live on Periscope. You can decide to watch then or catch the replay within 24 hours (Periscope automatically deletes replays in 24 hours). You’ll definitely want to catch this live if you can because I’ll be helping viewers plan their goals for August and taking any other blogging and writing questions you may have.

See you tonight!

Member of the Month: Christina Renteria

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Fashion and beauty blogger Christina Renteria hasn’t been a member of See Jane Write long, but I believe she deserves to be the Member of the Month for August for one simple reason: This girl has gumption!

I met Christina at a party hosted by Birmingham Bloggers. She told me about her blog PinkLuxpl. We started talking about her goals and aspirations for her blog and I could see a fire in her eyes and hear passion in her voice. I knew this young woman was about business!

I gave her tips on how to land an appearance on ABC 33/40’s Talk of Alabama. A few weeks later she emailed me to tell me she’d been booked for a segment. This is just one of many examples I could give that show Christina is the kind of woman who goes after what she wants. I hope that learning more about her will encourage all the ladies of See Jane Write to do the same.

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What’s your blog’s focus and mission and how do you hope to see it grow in the future? 

PinkLuxpl is a not only a beauty and fashion blog but a community where all women can learn and get inspired. The focus and mission of PinkLuxpl consist of helping women gain confidence to be their true beautiful and stylish self. I strive to inspire women to step out of their comfort zone whether it’s trying a new lipstick color or trying the color blocking trend. I hope to see PinkLuxpl in the future not only become the “IT” blog for beauty and fashion but also a business.

Can you give us five tips on how to dress like a fashion blogger even if we’re not one? 

  1. Find your style.
  2. Make sure you are wearing the correct size. Seeing a size7 may feel better than a size 9 but not being able to breathe is not a great feeling.
  3. Break the rules. Wear multiple colors, prints, and have fun.
  4. Always accessorize. A black t-shirt and jeans looks 10 times better with a statement necklace.
  5. Always be confident in your clothes!

You recently hosted your first Twitter chat. How did it go and how did you get the idea to try this? 

It was amazing! It was so great to chat with my supporters. The idea of having twitter chat started because I wanted to interact with my readers. However, I had no clue it was called a “twitter chat.” The same day the idea popped in my head I received an email alert that a fellow blogger had a blog post discussing how to host a twitter chat.

I advise all bloggers to host a twitter chat. It is a smart thing for bloggers to try because it helps you to determine your ideal reader, build your community and read the view points of your supporters. Choose a topic you love, set a time and date, post about it on social media. Treat it as a girls night in!

 
What have you enjoyed most about being a part of See Jane Write? What has been most helpful to you as a blogger?

I have enjoyed attending the educational seminars, events, and constant motivation to be not only a blogger but a business woman. When I get an email from See Jane Write I have a celebratory scream because I know it will be filled with motivation and a new lesson. The educational events and Q&A posts in the Facebook group have been the most helpful to be as a blogger.

Christina

In addition to fashion, you focus a lot on confidence. Where do you get your confidence and what advice would you give to women struggling in this area?

I love to discuss confidence with women of all ages because I never want them to go through life feeling like they can’t — can’t wear a bathing suit, can’t go after that job title, can’t be on TV.

I gained all of my confidence from being bullied. I know you are probably wondering how. I went through a deep depression after graduating high school because I was terribly bullied. I was called words no one should ever hear on a daily basis. I turned that negative life experience into a positive and was determined to help girls and women always feel confident.

My advice to women struggling with confidence: stop listening to those criticizing you, step out on faith, and complete a goal. I stopped letting those hurtful words determine my worth and my destiny. I stepped out on faith and completed a goal when I started PinkLuxpl and by doing so I found my passion.

 

Would you like to be the next See Jane Write member of the month or do you know someone who would? Send your nominations to javacia@seejanewritebham.com. 

Why You Need a Logo for Your Website or Blog

you need a logo

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Laura Vincent Printing & Design, presenting sponsor for the 2015 Bloganista Mini-Con, but all opinions are my own.

At last year’s Bloganista Mini-Con afternoon keynote speaker Megan LaRussa Chenoweth said that getting a new logo for her blog was one of the game changers that helped take her business to the next level.

Could this one day be your story, too?

When Dionne Love of Laura Vincent Print and Design signed on to be the presenting sponsor for this year’s Bloganista Mini-Con I was so excited. I knew her talent and knowledge about designing logos would be invaluable to the women of See Jane Write.

“A logo will help your business become more recognizable, but it also establishes credibility with potential customers,” Dionne says. “It is the fundamental component of branding and marketing that reflects your personality, your values and principles.”

And this doesn’t just apply to big-name businesses like Nike or Apple. As Megan’s story shows, this applies to bloggers, too.

LAURA VINCENT NEW LOGO CIRCLE

 

Here are five things Dionne recommends you keep when mind when creating a logo for your blog or personal brand — whether you’re working with a company like Laura Vincent or designing the logo yourself:

1. Keep it simple. Consider again logos like that of Nike or Apple, or even McDonald’s. They are some of the most popular logos around but yet also the simplest.

2. Make an impression. “The ultimate goal of all businesses is to have their logo image imprinted in your memory and to make a lasting impression,” Dionne says. So be sure your logo is memorable.

3. Find a font. “Selecting the right fonts is one of the most important steps in logo creation,” Dionne says. Choose a font that’s easy to read but distinctive. Also, Dionne says you shouldn’t use more than two different fonts in your logo.

4. Get color coordinated. When choosing colors for your logo remember that color can create an emotional response, Dionne says. Also keep in mind all the different places you’ll need to display the logo such as across your various social media networks.

5. Be versatile. Remember that your logo will not only be used on your website or blog and social media accounts but also on stationery and business cards. You may even decide to sell merchandise with your logo. Be sure that your logo looks great on any medium.

“So invest the time in developing a great logo,” Dionne says. “You and your business will reap the rewards!”

Dionne Love of Laura Vincent Printing and Design will be available at the Bloganista Mini-Con to chat with attendees about logo design and more. She’ll also be giving a discount on her logo design services to one lucky attendee. 

3 Reasons You Need to Get a Massage

self care

 

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by LightWorks Chair Massage, but all opinions are my own.

If you’re like me, you’re a juggling your blogging and writing pursuits with a full-time job plus responsibilities to family and friends and community commitments. This leaves very little time to just take care of yourself, and so you don’t. But it’s time to change that and you can start Saturday by simply getting a free chair massage at the Bloganista Mini-Con presented by Laura Vincent Printing and Design. LightWorks Chair Massage will be on site offering free massages to us bloganistas.

Here are three reasons you need to get a massage Saturday and beyond.

  1. You need to be more productive.

Because we women writers and bloggers are so busy working our day jobs and taking care of our families, we usually have very little time to actually work on our writing. So when we do we need to be as productive as possible. Jo Anderson of LightWorks Chair Massage says that research shows that chair massage in the workplace significantly reduces stress and increases focus and productivity.

“Our corporate clients tell us that their 15-minute sessions have made a big impact on employee morale and sick days,” Anderson said.

So chances are massage — whether you get an hour-long full body massage or just a quick chair massage from the folks at LightWorks — will help you be more productive when working on your own projects as well.

  1. You’re sick and tired of being sick and tired. 

“There is no doubt that in order to be healthy we have to keep our stress levels low,” Anderson said. “That’s not always an easy task, but knowing that stress increases the risk of heart disease 40 percent and stroke 50 percent can be a great motivator.”

Anderson added that massage improves sleep, soothes anxiety and depression, boosts immunity and relieves headaches.

“Those are huge health benefits since at least 60 percent of all disease is stress related,” Anderson said.

If getting an hour-long massage is just out of the question with your budget right now, try convincing your boss to invite LightWorks Chair Massage to your workplace.

“Many people think they have to get an hour massage to reap the benefits but that isn’t so,” Anderson said. “Even a 10-15 minute massage contributes markedly to one’s health and well being, making it a good fit for the business community.”

  1. You’re breaking your New Year’s Resolution. 

At the start of the year I made a resolution to get a massage every month. We’re now at the end of July and you know how many massages I’ve had — NONE! Self-care is an area in which I constantly come up short and chances are you probably struggle with this too. Chances are you too vowed to take better care of yourself this year and yet you keep pushing self-care to the side for work or the needs of others.

If you’re coming to the Bloganista Mini-Con Saturday I hope you will take advantage of a free chair massage. And I hope that on August 1, the start of a new month and thus a new chance to get things right,  we all will vow again to take better care of ourselves and remember that self-care is not a luxury.

 

Do you have a vision for your blogging or writing career?

What's your vision

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by True North Business Development, but all opinions are my own.

For several months I’ve been wrestling over many questions regarding the future of See Jane Write and my future as a writer and blogger.

Should I make See Jane Write a national organization?

What should I do with my personal brand Writeous Babe? 

Can I grow my writing career and build a business? 

Should I relaunch my magazine? 

How can I and how should I make See Jane Write bigger and better? 

Every night before bed I’d make up my mind about what’s next for me and See Jane Write and every morning I’d change my mind after getting inspired with a new idea.

I asked everybody from my husband and my lawyer to almost complete strangers what I should do. I asked my intern and my closest friends. I asked business coaches and brand strategists. I asked God.

My hope was that everyone would suggest I do the same thing. But, of course, everyone gave different, often conflicting advice. Then one day my intern said to me, “At the end of the day only you can make the decision.” Out of the mouths of babes…

She was right. So then I was faced with a new question: Why on earth couldn’t I make a decision?!

Enter Lois Weinblatt of True North Business Development.

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Lois Weinblatt of True North Business Development

Lois specializes in helping entrepreneurs and organizations define a clear vision for their business and their lives. Last month I attended one of Lois’ workshop and had an epiphany: I HAVE NO VISION FOR SEE JANE WRITE!

I sure thought I did. But what I really had was a mission and that’s not the same thing. Lois explained the difference: A mission is aspirational. It’s why you do what you do but it’s work that will never be done. My mission is to empower women and girls through the written word. That’s why I write, that’s why I encourage other women to write, and that’s why I started See Jane Write. But this is work that will never be over. I will never wake up one day and declare that all women and girls have been sufficiently empowered!

A vision, on the other hand, is “a definition of success at a specific point in the future,” Lois explained. Where do you want to go? When do you want to get there? What does it look like?

“The question isn’t which road do you take, it’s where are you going,” Lois said.

I realized I’d been asking all these people for directions and had no idea where I was trying to go!

Lois explained that once you’ve defined your vision, decision making is easy. If something doesn’t get you closer to your vision, you don’t do it. Plain and simple. And I know this. I preach this to my clients who struggle with time management. But what I didn’t know was that I didn’t have a vision in the first place.

Do you have a vision for your business, blog, or writing career? Do you have a clear definition of success at a specific point in the future? Do you know where do you want to go, when you want to get there and what it will look like when you arrive?

Lois is a sponsor for this year’s Bloganista Mini-Con presented by Laura Vincent Printing & Design and will be at the event to chat with you about the importance of having a vision and the process of defining one for yourself. But, I’ll be honest with you. I would have written about her and this experience even if she weren’t a sponsor. Lois’ workshop made me a true believer in the power of knowing your “True North.” Two weeks after that workshop I hired her to help me with See Jane Write. With Lois’ help I am going to define a clear vision for See Jane Write and for my writing career and I am confident that after that I will be unstoppable!

What’s your vision for your blogging or writing career?