Last weekend I was at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront for the 2015 Blogalicious Conference. Believe it or not, I’m still on cloud 9 from meeting all the lovely, kind and helpful fellow bloggers/creatives. The conference, themed Build Your Own Empire (#BYOE15), was once again life changing and re-confirming.

This is my 2nd year attending and of course I had to be in the number. After all the event was held in my hometown, Baltimore!  I can go on and on talking about how the meals/snacks were DELICIOUS and plentiful, or how hanging with Vivi, Deanna, Nae, Dionna and our other #DMV BLM Girls was EVERYTHING, but instead I’ll share 5 takeaway from #BYOE15. There’s also a short video below with a few highlights.

1. Live with Intention & Be Consistent. Mattie James, thee Live the Life you Love advocate behind Mattieologie, stressed importance of building a legacy and staying consistent. In life we should all strive to make a living doing what you love, while remaining consistent and intentional about serving others. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Mattie session and appreciated her message, which was perfectly tailored for future creative entrepreneurs like myself.

2. Don’t Be Boring.  Blogging colorfully is what keeps your readers coming back for more. Ty Alexander, known to most as the lovely Gorgeous in Grey, was on point with her Create Colorful Content  session. It was actually the first one I signed up for. Oiginal content, strong headlines, and writing short and to the point content is where it’s at! (That’s something I’m working on, LOL). One thing that stuck out the most was to write something every day. You have to practice your craft daily if you want to become an expert. There’s simply no way around it.

3. Pitch, Pray & Do the Work. I’ve followed and watched Nicole Walters, the #MonetizeThyself and “Pitch & Pray” Queen, around the Internet for months. She has grown into an incredible force to be reckoned with! Simply put, the girl knows her stuff. She’s passionate about teaching others how to monetize their lives and the tips she provided were extremely helpful. The main takeaways from her session were (1) act like a business, (2) live in the state of expectancy, and (3) strive to make face-to-face connections with key influencers.

4. Diversify Your Coins.  For most people the ultimate goal is to make a living doing something you love, while making coins along the way. But who says there’s only one way to make money? Arsha Jones of Tees in the Trap gave exceptional tips on how to diversify your income. We should all have multiple streams of income. A few things to remember; (1) follow your passion, (2) define and know your audience, and (3) leverage up and collaborate with like-minded influencers in your niche.

5. Strive to be Credible. If you’re not credible and your reputation is questionable, it’s going to be tough to build a reliable brand! Blogging veteran Marie Denee (The Curvy Fashionista) delivered a great message on reputations, relationships, and returns. Building a credible online reputation takes time, but it is possible. Marie reminded us to separate the personal from the professional, build a tribe, and don’t focus on “what’s in it for me” (WIIFM). Lastly, always be willing to give more than you receive.

 So tell me, what’s your favorite takeaway mentioned above? Were you able to experience Blogalicious this year? Let me know!

I honestly found myself  a bit overwhelmed with all the useful information I received, but it’s a good thing. I needed to immerse myself with all things blog and business related. I’ve been hungry all summer to learn and do more, and this conference was a great indicator that I’m on the right path. If you want to know how a few others felt about the conference check out the detailed recaps from Heart, Print &  Style and Bernetta Style; two of my blogger buddies who I enjoyed seeing in Bmore! Until next time, be blessed and stay safe…XO!

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