Storytellers Conference: Day 2

Building your Brand with Flourish Writers

The first session today was supposed to be Deep and Simple Writing, but the speaker cancelled at the last minute, so the host stepped in with the building your brand presentation! I am ashamed to say I missed the name of the actual presenter (I think it might have been Jenny?). I technically did some research on branding last…well, throughout the last year, and was pleased to see that I had implemented much of the advice given (or at least am in the process of implementing it), but there were still some highlights:

1. We are not selling a product. We are selling the transformation that results from the product we are selling. For example: “Confirm God’s Call to Write” (attend this workshop)
2. It’s okay to update your brand as it matures. How it looks now is not how it always has to look.
3. Create 3-4 consistent taglines that communicate your brand.

From Me to We: Using Your Story to Create Community with Crystal Stine

1. Stop making your social media posts about you.
2. Stop saving your engagement for influences – focus on the people who are choosing to be a part of your story.
3. Stop waiting for someone to give you permission to tell your own story. Just start sharing, invite others to walk alongside you.

Leapfrog Your Success: How to Publish a Bestselling Children’s Book

Okay, I am going to be honest. I only half paid attention to this because…well, it wasn’t at all relevant. I let it play in the background in case anything caught my attention as applicable, but the only thing I really came away with that I think is great advice, no matter your genre was:

1. Don’t chase the money. Let your message attract [people].

Identifying New Endings to the Broken Storylines of Our Lives with Tiffany Bluhm

1. Sometimes the next hard thing can be the next right thing.
2. The tragedies of our lives make us resilient–they make us who we are. We are shaped by our obstacles and molded by our tensions.
3. It is not our job to be who others want us to be. It is our job to be who God wants us to be.
4. Honorable mention: In every season, assess what does and doesn’t work. A habit or practice that may have worked well in one season may now be sucking us dry.