Hello and Happy New Year! First, let’s all just take a big, deep breath….ahhh. If you are like me, you are happy to have survived the holiday season. I work in retail marketing, so I’m just coming off our busiest time of the year and I’m ready to slow it down for a little while.
I’m so happy to be the blogger of the month for January; I’m hoping it will give me fresh motivation to accomplish some big things on my blog and in my home. And, of course, I’ll share it with you right here!
Let me tell a little bit about myself. I grew up in Wynne, on the east side of the state. I came to Northwest Arkansas for college in the early 90s, and just decided to stay! I’ve had a career in public relations/event planning/marketing for the nearly 20 years since then. The most fun job I had was my first one–I spent almost 10 years working for a radio station, which led me to meet tons of country singers and celebrities. Catch me sometime and I can share some pretty good stories with you.
I have been married to my husband, Lee, for 10 years. We are parents to our seven-year-old daughter and a couple of rowdy four-year-old twins (boy and girl). I started blogging in 2007 as a way to keep a virtual scrapbook for our family far away. I just couldn’t handle the incessant bellowing for more baby pictures, so I set up the blog. I never really intended for anyone other than my mom to read it, though. Alas, seven years later, here I am.
My blogging hasn’t changed much over the years; it’s still a collection of family memories. But, just like everyone else, sometimes I slack off. I’ve learned that my kids will always provide me with material that I want to capture. I want to remember all the cute, funny and annoying things they do and say to each other. I also want them to look back on it when they are adults and not accuse me of over-sharing with the internet. Ahh, the pressure!
If you want to check out my blog, it’s Bramell, Party of Five. I’m currently working on a total blog makeover, to be revealed in the next few weeks. My other social media links are below:
When I first began to think about this last post as Miss December, I thought about just general ways to welcome in the New Year; and that could be fun. After thinking about it a little more, though, I thought it’d be even better to put a blogging spin on the New Year. So, without further adieu, here are 5 ways to welcome in the New Year as a blogger:
1) Step away from your computer (and other oh so handy electronics). Put down the mouse, take out the ear buds, shut it all down. Take some time to really enjoy this last part of the holiday season with the ones you love.
2) Take time to re-evaluate where you’re going and what you’re doing. Get a fresh perspective on things. Step away long enough to get a grasp on where you’re headed with your blog in 2015. Think about what you want to accomplish and how you want to grow. What is most important to you? What is most important to your readers? What are you most passionate about? What are you doing right now that you would drop in a heartbeat, and what would you replace it with, if anything? If given the opportunity, what’s the one thing you would like to accomplish in 2015? What do you want to learn, and how can you learn it? Can you take a course, attend a conference, network? Write it all down…this is where you pick up pen and paper and write it all out the old-fashioned way.
3) Begin to formulate a plan. Once you’ve written everything down, begin to create a plan that is both doable and actionable. Whether you set goals, resolutions, or just take baby steps…set your sights on the plan before you and don’t waver. Small steps lead to big successes in life. Taking enough time to take those steps, and not hurry through just to get to your end goal, leads to more quality work, more quality relationships. As a wise woman once said at AWBU (Alli Worthington), “Learn to say no, so you can say yes.”
4) It may seem cliché, but get organized. Organize your blog and business just as you would any other professional entity. If you want to be taken seriously, as a professional, then you have to be professional. Get your finances in order and create documents to help you stay on top of accounting, client work, payments due, writing assignments, and more. Google Drive is FREE(https://www.google.com/drive/), as is Wave(https://www.waveapps.com/) for finances. I’m also loving the Shake app for contracts. These are just a few options within the multitude of options available. Looking for a planner? I recommend Plum Paper; I heart my planner!
5) Take time to take care of you. I get it…as a busy mom who homeschools and works at home, there’s barely enough time in the day to figure out which end is going which some days. Get up a few minutes earlier, and enjoy a cup of coffee before the kids are awake. If you’re not an early riser (the older I get, the more of a night owl I’m becoming), take advantage of that time after the kids go to bed. Or maybe it’s just stopping at your local coffee shop for a treat…or starting a good book (and finishing it, even if it takes a month or two)… Take time to take care of you because you are so worth it, my friend. Doing something you enjoy, even if just a few minutes a day, makes a world of difference in how you feel, how you respond, how you live.
Happy New Year to you and yours! May 2015 be a beautiful, wonderful year!
On Saturday, April 28, bloggers will take over the universe!
Well, not really. But at least Arkansas. Sort of.
On that day, Arkansas Women Bloggers will hold their Spring Meetup at Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock. At the exact same time, bloggers across the United States will be taking part in the third annual Food Blogger Bake Sale, benefiting Share Our Strength in their fight against childhood hunger.
Christie Ison of Fancy Pants Foodie is chairing the event for Arkansas, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 6th and Main Streets in North Little Rock, adjacent to the Argenta Certified Arkansas Farmers Market.
Organized in 2010 by Gaby Dalkin of WhatsGabyCooking.com, the national Food Blogger Bake Sale features food bloggers from across the country who unite to support the cause by holding bake sales in their states on the same day.
Last year, the Arkansas team raised over $1,000 with our first sale ever, and every dime went to support awesome Share Our Strength programs such as No Kid Hungry and Cooking Matters.
“Oh, no,” you say, “I’ll be at the AWB conference all morning and can’t participate.”
Au contraire, I say! You can double your blogger prowess that day by doing one or more of the following:
Bring some baked goods (smaller, individually-wrapped items work best) to the conference. We’ll have a runner bring them to the sale. No, a runner in a car, silly. Contact me (christie@fancypantsfoodie.com) first so I can add you to the list and give you some tips on labeling and such.
Stop by after the conference and buy some goodies. You can take the Blue Line River Rail trolley from the museum ($1 if under 65, 50 cents if over) and get off at Stop #1 in the Argenta area of North Little Rock. Have lunch at Argenta Market or Starving Artist Cafe, then come by and see us.
Post something on your blog about the Food Blogger Bake Sale. I can provide copy and/or badges to help you promote this important event.
You don’t have to be a food blogger to participate. If I get your food donation confirmed by April 2, your blog name will be included in news releases about the event.
Thanks so much, and happy world-ruling on April 28!
Donation Packaging Instructions:
Donations need to be individually wrapped, preferably smallish things like cookies or cupcakes, or smaller cakes. Full size cakes are OK but don’t sell as well, and are harder to wrap. Packaging should be clear and ready to go with the buyer.
Pretty tags, labels, ribbons, etc. are encouraged. We may even do a get-together sometime before to make pretties.
Computer labels are the easiest. Label needs to have what it is, who made it, and any blog address. It can link to the recipe if it’s on the blog.
Additionally, there is no need to price your items. They will take care of that for you!
Since November we have been hinting to you about a gathering this spring. Well the time has arrived!
We want to extend a formal invitation to all of you to join us at the Historic Arkansas Museum in downtown Little Rock for an official Arkansas Women Bloggers meetup! Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 28th and don’t forget to bring all your bloggy friends! Here’s our agenda for the day:
9:00am – We’ll break into small groups lead by the ARWB Gals to discuss the blogging topics most important to you! Help and be Helped by your fellow Arkansas Women Bloggers!
10:00am – Learn a little more about the Historic Arkansas Museum, which has graciously stepped up to host our meetup.
10:30am – Time for refreshments, networking (that means chatting), and exploring the museum.
12:00noon – grab your ARWB friends, new and old, and head out to lunch in the downtown area. There’s something for everyone within easy walking distance. Then, save room for dessert and head across the bridge to the Argenta Market in North Little Rock and hit the Foodie Bloggers Charity Bake Sale (watch our website for more info on this event)!
We’ll also be giving away an attendance spot for our ARWB Conference scheduled for June 1-3 at the Ozark Natural Science Center! We’ve got some other goodies and fun in store too. In support of the Food Bloggers Bake Sale, anyone who brings baked goods for the sale to the meetup (we will transport them to the sale for you) will get an extra entry into the conference giveaway!
The Historic Arkansas Museum has reserved parking, so save your meter/garage parking money for the Museum’s fun gift shop, which is full of fantastic wares made right here in Arkansas. You can go here to RSVP for the meetup on Facebook, or you can leave a comment to let us know that you’ll be attending.
There’s a scene in the 80’s classic movie, Beaches, where a fledgling theater company opens a show and has a post-show party. Mid-party, someone runs into the theater with a pile of newspapers, just hot off the presses, and everyone devours the reviews. Lines from the reviews are quoted, and they include lofty philosophical posturing and big words designed to make eloquent cultural statements. The reviews are good, so everyone is happy, and the star actress goes on to a successful career on Broadway.
When I entered the arts administration world a few (ok, 11) years ago, the tradition of the theatrical review was still more common than not. The Beaches scene wasn’t actually that far from the truth. A show opened a multiple week run, and on opening night, a reviewer or critic came to the show and wrote a review that was published the next day. If it was good, sales went up, and if it was bad, the marketers buckled down and designed a plan to convince everyone that the critic/reviewer was wrong.
Much has changed since then. In most places, including Northwest Arkansas, where I live and work, reviews in the newspaper are a thing of the past. Our dogged arts reporters try to keep the tradition alive by posting online reviews and blog entries, but they certainly don’t have the influence of vaunted arts critics like Ben Brantley of the NY Times or Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, and even those legendary reviewers are becoming less important in the average consumer’s decision to attend an arts event.
Opinions vary on if this is a good thing or not. Here’s an emotional article from someone who believes the latter, but many believe that in the age of facebook and instant (and often anonymous) comments, audience feedback is the most powerful tool marketers can harness (here’s an example of what I’d call “extreme patron reviews”).
The debate about the demise of the theatrical review will likely continue, but what does this mean for the average blogger? It actually means great things, because marketing types like me are always searching for new ways to connect to our potential customers, and popular blogs can be an excellent way to meet this goal. At Walton Arts Center, we’ve enjoyed some fun partnerships with blogs and bloggers over the past few years, to the point where creating a promotional giveaway for certain very high traffic blogs is just a regular part of our marketing efforts.
So, if you’re a blogger with a pretty good following (ie, more than just your parents and close friends), and you have a love of the arts, you might consider blogging about the art that you see and experience. Depending on the philosophy and marketing tactics of the arts organization, you might find yourself with opportunities to get free tickets or early access to shows, or have your blog featured on the social media platforms of those organizations.
Here are some tips about how to form a partnership with an arts organization:
1. Don’t be afraid to call us or email us; we’re pretty busy, and it might take a time or two for us to be convinced you’re the real deal (see #2), but if you are, we’ll definitely get back to you.
2. Know your statistics, and who’s reading your blog, and try to determine if they match the organization’s target demographic
3. Offer to blog about a show, or host a giveaway, in advance of the performance date
4. If it’s a show with multiple nights, offer to come on “press night” and post a “review” the following day
5. Put a link to the organization’s main site, and their blog site, on your blog (simple, but valuable!)
If you do decide to do a “review”, you’ll endear yourself to the arts organization if you:
1. Do your homework; know the kinds of shows you like and can talk intelligently about, and read reviews from other critics
2. Be professional in both your praise and your criticism, and don’t make it personal if you disagree or dislike something you see or experience
3. Try to say more than “I liked it,” or “I hated it.” Try to reflect on the audience and the context in which the performance happens (ie, did the audience seem to engage with the content, did it speak to larger issues in the community and society?)
4. Ask lots of questions of the marketing staff; we love to talk to you and brainstorm with you.
Most of all, have fun and be open to new ideas. Marketers are really interested in the audiences you are speaking to, especially if you’re a trusted voice in your readers/subscribers lives.
Jodi is a former actress/producer turned arts administrator who looks to blogging as a creative outlet since she’s no longer on or backstage. Originally from New England, she came to Arkansas by way of Wisconsin, collecting a master’s degree in business (and an appreciation for mild winters) along the way. She currently lives in Fayetteville with her shelter dog, Sadie. She spends her days as Vice President of the communications department at Walton Arts Center in downtown Fayetteville. You can hear Jodi Thursdays during the noon edition of Ozarks at Large on KUAF 91.3FM and can check out her personal blog at http://carominus.blogspot.com/.
Arkansas Women Bloggers has been at its new home for three weeks and what a whirlwind it has been. We have been giving prizes and hoping to entice the 400+ members of our old site to head on over and join us here. If you have not taken the time to join us yet, we hope you will soon! There is power in numbers and we have several deals in the works that will be sweeter, the more members we have. If you have joined us, THANK YOU! We hope you will continue to encourage all your bloggy friends to join us as well.
We want to take a moment to congratulate all of our recent winners and to sincerely thank all of the sponsors of the great giveaways that we have had so far. We will be having many more giveaways and exciting events in the near future.
Recent Winners on ARWB
Jackie W. won the Cooks Illustrated – Best Make-Ahead Recipe from Lyndi of NWA Foodie.
The Pinterest Challenge Wreath Giveaway, sponsored by Gina of Desperately Seeking {Gina}, is still in progress. Please click here for more information on how you can enter to win.
Please help us to show appreciation to our sponsors by taking a moment to visit their websites and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and other social media.
The Arkansas Women Bloggers Leadership Teamhas been eagerly anticipating this moment: the debut of our new site! We have grown up and moved over to WordPress, mercy, help us now girls, we are loving it and learning something new constantly.
While the Arkansas Women Bloggers launch year, 2009, was not that long ago, it is amazing to realize how much we have grown and evolved. With 430 women bloggers throughout the state of Arkansas hopping on board, a fantastic conference held at the Ozark Natural Science Center this past June, and a wonderful meet-up in Little Rock under our belt, we wanted to have a site that will help all our members to have a place to Gather, Grow, and Connect in this bloggity world.
We cherish every one of you who has been with us along the way! We are excited to meet any newbie bloggers and those who were not fortunate enough to have heard about our amazing group of women before. Please invite all your bloggy friends to hop on board! Everyone needs to sign up (or re-sign up for all our existing member gals). It is free!
Hop over here and fill out our form and voilà, welcome to the gathering place to make friends with other Arkansas women bloggers, share stories and experiences and be inspired! Oh yes, there is more, The Pioneer Woman generously donated one copy of her cookbook and one copy of Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, yes, both signed by her (Ree), for a giveaway. Go join the NEW ARWB and you will be entered.
Our MISSION: To be an Arkansas-based blogger community dedicated to growing women by gathering them into a common space with common objectives and by connecting and empowering them for the greater good.
In summary: Gather. Grow. Connect.
Our VISION: -Gather: provide a gathering place, a sense of community and sisterhood and connections that yield results. -Grow: offer education, tools, resources and connections delivered in a balanced manner to allow every woman to grow her blog and her voice. -Connect: supply opportunities, professional connections, platforms and networking to help our bloggers build their personal brands.
Remember gals, go sign up now! Don’t delay, you need Ree’s cookbook to plan your holiday meals.
