Events

Jane About Town: May Days

There are so many things going on this month that women writers, bloggers, and entrepreneurs in Birmingham shouldn’t miss.

Brahmin Birmingham Grand Opening
5-8 p.m., Thursday, May 7

Birmingham_Invitation-481x1024

Join See Jane Write member and local blogger Heather Brown today from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Brahmin Birmingham Grand Opening. The Summit is continuing to expand and Brahmin Birmingham, a handbag collection known for its exotic prints, is the latest addition. Heather will be hosting tonight’s grand opening celebration, which will feature free food, drinks, and giveaways. Attendees can also receive 20 percent off their purchase and a portion of the proceeds will go to benefit Pathways of Birmingham, a United Way agency that serves homeless women and children. Visit Heather’s blog for more details.

3-D Poetry Exhibit Opening Reception
6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Friday, May 8 

asfa 3d poetry

Students from the Alabama School of Fine Arts Creative Writing department will be displaying works of three-dimensional poetry at the Desert Island Supply Co (DISCO), located at 5500 1st Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35212. The work will be on display from May 8 – 22, 2015. (Please call 205-201-0826 for hours.) There will be an opening reception May 8, 2015 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at DISCO. The event is free and open to the public. For more information contact Kwoya Fagin Maples at kmaples@asfa.k12.al.us.

There are TWO business seminars for women taking place Saturday, May 16!

I Am Fabulous Business Seminar
12 – 4 p.m., Saturday, May 16


Local fashion blogger and business coach Trisha Morisette is hosting a seminar for female entrepreneurs who want their businesses and their lives to be fabulous. The seminar will help you take your style and your health to a higher level so you can take your business to a higher level, too. Get tickets and more information here.

Women Winning Seminar
9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Saturday, May 16

women winning
The Women Winning Seminar will provide practical business strategies to help you build and grow a sustainable business. Topics include marketing, funding, technology, networking, and branding. Get tickets and more information here.

Your Blog Is Your Business
5:30 – 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 19

The next See Jane Write event has been set! It’s time to make the leap from lady blogger to boss lady! Learn how to blog like a boss at our next workshop.

Wade Kwon, director of the Y’all Connect social media conference, will offer tips on how to turn your blog into a business without relying on ads.

What does success look like? What rewards are better than money? Who is your A-Team? We’ll cover all this and more! Plus, there will be a surprise for attendees. Get tickets and more information here.

Auto No More: A Manual Photography Workshop
2:30 – 5 p.m., Saturday, May 30

Have a camera but don’t know how to use it? Join Rachel Johnson of Stupid Good Rachel for an introductory manual photography workshop, plus sips and sweets! Get tickets and more information here.

Don’t Forget: I’m still accepting appointments for 15-minute strategy sessions for anyone interested in learning more about the See Jane Write Mastermind program. Click here to make your appointment today.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pens Returns!

every woman

Tuesday night I hosted the first See Jane Write Roundtable. A small group of women gathered at Revelator Coffee Company to discuss one thing: “What is your biggest frustration right now with regard to writing, blogging, or entrepreneurship?” But this was no pity party. The goal was for each woman to leave with at least one action step to help her overcome the obstacle in her way. And after getting feedback from the participants I realized they left with an action plan and so much more.

“Gathering with a group of women, many whom I did not know, I had no idea that I would walk away feeling so inspired on my own writing journey, but also so excited for the creativity coming out of See Jane Write,” says Jennifer Dome King of the blog Stellar Fashion and Fitness. “Everyone is so enthusiastic and focused on the dreams they shared, if sometimes a bit timid as to whether we can actually accomplish what we desire. But the encouragement and advice I received at the Roundtable made it clear that with the work and dedication, we really can see these dreams come true. It’s so great to have powerful, supportive women like this to turn to!”

Brie Cash of the blog I Am Woman declared, “I even made a new friend!”

One participant said the See Jane Write Roundtable was a “spiritual experience.”

Meagan Saia of the blog Life of Owen, called it “magical.”

“What was most impressive to me about these women writers is how different we all were, and yet so similar,” Meagan wrote in her recap of the event. “Not only were our outward appearances different but age and jobs and more. So many differences. And yet we were all there for the same reason: to continue to ignite our passion and tell our story.”

The evening reminded me of See Jane Write’s very first event, a gathering of only about a dozen women crowded around a table at a local Mexican restaurant discussing writing and what we would want out of a writing group. See Jane Write has come a long way since those humble beginnings and has grown from a small writing group into a thriving network of hundreds of women. To sustain See Jane Write I’ve had to transform this venture of mine from a hobby into a business, but my vision and mission remain the same: I believe every woman has a story worth sharing. I also believe in sisterhood and I believe that sometimes it takes sisterhood to give a woman the courage to share the story she carries in her heart.  

roundtable

I left the event wondering what I could do to foster and facilitate more “magical” and “spiritual” experiences for women writers, but also an experience that would help them accomplish significant professional and personal goals. I have an idea, but it’s HUGE and, therefore, scary. I plan to announce the details soon but today I want to announce that Sisterhood of the Traveling Pens is coming back!

If you’re new to See Jane Write you have no idea what I’m talking about, so let me explain. I believe we all need support to accomplish our goals and so I started helping women find writing partners. My pal Erin Shaw Street jokingly said, “It’s like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pens!” I took that name and ran with it.

At Tuesday’s event most of the women there said they felt they needed a writing or accountability partner. Through the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pens I will help you find a writing, blogging or business buddy. This can be someone you meet with regularly simply to sit in your favorite coffee shop and write for a few hours, whether you’re working on your blog or your next book. This could be someone who keeps you accountable to make sure you’re building your business as you should be. Or maybe you’re working on a memoir or novel and you need someone to give you an honest critique of your work. You and your writing, blogging, or business buddy will determine the purpose of your partnership, how often you’ll meet, etc. My job is just to help you find each other.

If you are interested in finding a writing, blogging, or business buddy email me at javacia@seejanewritebham.com and I will send you a list of questions I need you to answer so I find the best partner for you.

Please note that this service is only open to See Jane Write members. If you’re not sure if your membership has expired, email me. If you know you’re not a member and would like to join you may do so here.

I’m ready to play match maker so let’s do this!

The See Jane Write Roundtable

sjw roundtable
Original Image by mcveja via Flickr/Creative Commons
I’m always brainstorming ways I can help the women of See Jane Write and recently a new idea came to me — the See Jane Write Roundtable.

The See Jane Write Roundtable will be a series of small group discussions on topics related to blogging, writing, or entrepreneurship and is an inexpensive alternative for those who need some one-on-one help, but can’t afford Java with Javacia consultations or Blogging Boot Camp.

The cost of these sessions is only $25, which is just to help cover the cost of the venue.

The first See Jane Write Roundtable will be held Tuesday, April 21 at 5:30 p.m. at Revelator Coffee Company. We’ll have the whole place to ourselves!

The topic: What is your biggest frustration regarding blogging, writing, or entrepreneurship?

My hope is that you will leave with an action plan to help you overcome that obstacle once and for all.

Roundtable discussions are great because they are meant to be a collaborative effort. Yes, I’ll be there facilitating the discussion and adding my insight, but with a roundtable discussion there is intentionally no head of the table. Everyone will contribute which means you’ll have a variety of perspectives from which to learn and glean wisdom and information.

Only 10 spots are available so get your tickets today by following the link below:

See Jane Write Roundtable
5:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 21
Revelator Coffee Company
1826 3rd Ave N Unit 101, Birmingham, AL 35203

Exciting News for Style Bloggers and Aspiring Fashionistas

Megan LaRussa Chenoweth

With the weather getting warmer I have spring fashion trends on my mind and chances are so do you. Do you wish you had more confidence when browsing through stores, attending events, or just in your day-to-day life? Or maybe you just wish that you had a big “Easy Button” that you could hit when it comes to getting dressed every day and feeling your best?

Check out style coach Megan LaRussa’s FREE video series guaranteed to help you feel effortlessly chic in no time flat! And stay tuned, as she is revealing her exciting new project soon that is sure to benefit YOU!

If you attended last year’s Bloganista Mini-Con you heard Megan give us all great tips on how to be stylish bloggers and savvy businesswomen. Now here’s your chance to get tips from Megan on how to make your wardrobe look as good as your website.

Get access to Megan’s FREE video series at

http://www.southernfemme.com/freesycvideoseries.

Gus Mayer Girls Night Out

Gus Mayer GNO Social Share

Gus Mayer’s Girls Night Out is Thursday, April 9 from 4 to 8 p.m. This year’s event is celebrating StyleBlueprint’s Faces of Birmingham and the spring’s hottest fashion trends. Enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres,and TAX FREE shopping. While you’re there check out Gus Mayer’s Trend Bar for spring fashions and Gus Mayer’s Color Lab for beauty tips. Fashionable prizes will be given away throughout the night, so come early to shop and stay late to win!

Get Your Press Pass to Birmingham Fashion Week

bfw logo
Birmingham Fashion Week is about a month away and press registration is now open. If you would like the opportunity to join the BFW 2015 press team, you can apply for a press pass here. The application will close on Friday, April 24.
Event Details: 
What: Birmingham Fashion Week 2015
When: May 7, 8 & 9
Where: Pepper Place located in downtown Birmingham, Alabama
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Do you have news you would like included in our Jane About Town feature? Send details to javacia@seejanewritebham.com.

 

 

Four Lessons I’ve Learned About Social Media

social media tips for writers

Social media can offer wonderful ways to build buzz for your blog, book, or brand. And that’s why See Jane Write hosted a social media workshop for writers and bloggers on Saturday, March 21.

The workshop kicked off with Bertha Hidalgo of the fashion blog Chic In Academia sharing her tips on how to grow your Instagram following. Bertha has over 14,000 followers on Instagram and has been very successful at using this platform to build her brand. In fact, she was recently invited to speak at a conference in Los Angeles because of her Instagram popularity. Visit Bertha’s blog for a recap of the tips she shared Saturday.

Next, Heather Brown of the popular lifestyle blog My Life Well Loved shared tips on how to use Pinterest and Facebook to build your blog’s readership. Heather has over 13,000 Facebook fans and nearly 27,000 followers on Pinterest. Yesterday, Heather started at series on social media tips on her blog. Visit My Life Well Loved today to check out her tips on how bloggers can get the most out of Facebook.

I ended the workshop by offering attendees four lessons I’ve learned about social media as a writer, blogger, and entrepreneur.

  1. You don’t have to be everywhere all the time.

Pinterest is not my jam. Twitter might not be yours and that’s OK. Instead of trying to be everywhere all the time, choose two or three social media platforms and crush ‘em! How do you choose? Pick the platforms your ideal reader frequents and the platforms you actually enjoy. It’s OK to have an account on all platforms, but you only need to focus on a few and you can use the other platforms to direct people to where you spend most of your time. For example, Hilary Rushford, the style and business coach behind DeanStreetSociety.com is an Instagram guru. And so her Twitter bio includes this statement: “My party is on Instagram @HilaryRushford.” And her Twitter feed has a pinned tweet that reads: “Twitter, you’re nice. But I go steady with Instagram. Come join the daily party: Instagram.com/hilaryrushford.”

That said, I do urge writers to not be afraid of image-focused platforms. You can easily turn your favorite quotes or even words of wisdom from your own writing into an image for Instagram or Pinterest. Use tools like Canva, Pinterest, or Word Swag to create beautiful backdrops for your words.

Take for example BossBabe Inc., an online network for millennial businesswomen. BossBabe’s Instagram account only shares snarky, witty and inspiring sayings for girlbosses and has a over 81,000 followers.

BossBabe

  1. Get into the group thing.

Participating in Facebook groups is a great way to network with potential readers and even find friends who understand the creative work that you do. The Southern Girl Blog Building Group is a good one to join as is, of course, the See Jane Write Birmingham Facebook group. Starting a group of your own could be a great way to build your brand. Interest in See Jane Write grew exponentially after I started the Facebook group. One way to cultivate community is by offering the group a challenge. When I launched the annual #bloglikecrazy challenge group members were eager to share their daily posts in the group and read the posts of others. And they used the Facebook forum as a space to cheer on their fellow Janes and even form friendships.

  1. You can tweet your way to your next writing gig.

I landed a paid freelance gig with one of my favorite online publications through Twitter. Twitter is a great place to build relationships with editors or agents you want to work with. But be genuine. The first communication you have with them shouldn’t be asking for information or a favor. Chat about common interests and build a rapport. When the time is right for you to bring up business, you’ll know.

  1. Writers need to get “LinkedIn.”

I’ve been fortunate enough to have many editors approach me about freelance writing opportunities and, believe it or not, most of those editors have found me through LinkedIn. The first time this happened I was shocked. Back then I posted updates on LinkedIn so infrequently I’d forgotten I had an account! But once an editor said she had learned of my work through that platform I began to wonder how many editors had stumbled upon my LinkedIn account and decided – due to my lame profile – that I wasn’t the right woman for the job. I then decided to make sure that my profile was current, complete, and fresh. I also try to post updates more. All users can now post articles to the LinkedIn network as well. For more on LinkedIn check out the post You Need to Get “LinkedIn.”

Do you need one-on-one help with social media, blogging, freelance writing or building a brand? Then you need Java with Javacia — a one hour session with me, See Jane Write founder Javacia Harris Bowser. Email me at javacia@seejanewritebham.com for more details.