Design Crush + Great.ly

I’ve been playing the middle man between creators and my readers here on Design Crush for almost seven years. SEVEN YEARS! And oh my gosh do I love it. I could write the longest post in the world on how lucky I feel to do what I do every day and still not convey just how happy my work makes me.

It’s one thing to share all of this incredible work but it’s another to be a part of it, which is why I’m so thrilled to let you know that beginning in mid-May I’ll be one of 50 tastemakers opening a boutique on GREAT.LY!

So what is GREAT.LY, you ask? Good question. GREAT.LY is an invitation-only marketplace for makers and tastemakers. The tastemakers have the shops and do the selling, so that the makers only need worry about what they do best – making! I already spend my days finding fantastic things to share with you all, so it’s a natural fit. Here’s the breakdown of how GREAT.LY shakes out…

GREAT.LY is also looking for talented makers to set up their studios – nearly every creation is welcome! If you’d like to become a part of what is sure to be amazing you can fill out this form. I’m so looking forward to sharing my shop with you all once it opens next month!

Blogging 201: The Business of Blogging

PHOTO: Brooke Dennis

In January I had a conversation about blogging as a profession, and it went something like this. “If you’re only having fun, you’re not really a blogger.” Because really, blogging its work. It’s a job. And if I’m being honest I don’t like all aspects of it – invoicing, analytics, weird hours.

But here’s the thing. I wouldn’t trade my job for any other profession, because I love it that much. If you feel the same as I do and want to take the next step, join me and a slew of other pros who know what they’re talking about. The Business of Blogging is Alt Channel’s day-long schedule of online classes Thursday, March 20th full of ten hours of knowledge dropping. I’ll be talking about growing your readership, and you can check out the schedule in its entirety right here. Hope to see you in my class on the 20th!

Design Crush + Chirps & Cheers

I’m excited to share that I’m teaming up with one of my favorite Oklahoma City shops! Come to Chirps & Cheers Saturday, March 8th at 2pm as we kick off their REAL PEOPLE series. The premise behind it all is that in today’s internet-addled world it’s easy to know people without really knowing them. I’ll be talking about how Design Crush got started, sharing some secrets, and answering your questions. It’s free to attend and no doubt the socializing will be top-notch. So if you’re in the OKC area please stop by, I’d love to meet you!

Join Me at Craftcation 2014!

Four days at the beach learning and creating with industry professionals – sounds good, right? And it’s not just me daydreaming, it actually exists in the form of Craftcation! This year the conference is being held April 3-6 in Ventura, CA and I’ll be in attendance speaking on two different panels – Advanced Social Media and Keeping Track. The goal of it all being to ignite your entrepreneurial spirit, strengthen your skills, and build relationships within the handmade community – all things I wholeheartedly support. If this all sounds tailor-made for you, sign up for Craftcation registration right here (if you do so before February 15th you can take advantage of the Early Bird Special). Hope to see you in Ventura this April!

Alt For Everyone + Design Crush

You all know how I feel about Alt Design Summit. It’s through this yearly conference that I’ve met some of my best friends, grown as a business, and networked my butt off. It’s given me a lot. But the masterminds behind it all realize that you might not be able to get to Salt Lake City every January, or to their one-day conferences in NYC or San Francisco. And that’s why they’ve created an amazing 3-day online conference – Alt For Everyone! I attended the first one a few months ago (virtually, of course) and have to say that I took away TONS of great information. Maybe even more than when I’m in SLC because I was much more focused with it being just me and my laptop.

The first iteration of Alt For Everyone did so well that another one is taking place at the end of September, and I’m happy to share that I’ll be teaching a case study on Design Crush! My class will be taking place Friday, September 27th at 10:45am PST. You can see the full September 2013 schedule and register with a few clicks.

In my class I’ll be sharing what I did to take Design Crush to the next level. The easy action steps you can take that add up, as well as the failures I’ve experienced on this six year journey. If there’s anything you’re extra curious about I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Hope to see you there!

Expanding Your Audience

Thats right folks, I’ll be teaching my Expanding Your Audience class for a second time come August 13th at 11am PST! Learn tips and tricks for increasing your readership and growing your blog’s community for only $15. Sign up right here before it sells out, and check out the rest of August’s Alt Channel classes too!