There are people in this world who have some ideas, and there are people in this world who can make the ideas actual things, rather than just floaty bits of thought hovering in your brain ether. I fall directly into the “have ideas” camp, though I’m trying to change that. (It’s hard. I mean, because I have the idea to change it, but like…what happens then? As stated, I have the idea. I don’t make them happen.)

My friend, Stephanie, is definitely a “have idea and make it happen” sort of person. She and I head up the Oklahoma Women Bloggers (a group you should totally join if you happen to be an Oklahoma woman who also blogs) and we got to thinking round about October that it might be cool to put on a blog conference for OKWB. While I was content to leave it at the idea phase (“Wow, Stephanie, that’s a great idea. Too bad you can’t actually make ideas happen…” is probably a thing I said during one of our meetings), Stephanie totally ran with it. Through pretty much all her and Mari’s hard work, OKWB Mini Con 2016 was born! So, if you didn’t have plans for the weekend of February 26 and 27, you totally do now.

Not only is this conference super cheap ($85 for food, lodging, swag bag, and the conference itself!) but it’s my goal to make into a slumber party where we might also learn a little something about blogging. Now, if only I could unearth my Caboodle full of Wet n Wild nail polish and Lip Smackers gloss, we could really have the slumber party of my dreams.

Aside from the slumber party, there is a lot of stuff that will be going on at the conference. Here’s a look at the speakers we’ll have!

Keynote Speech – Stephanie Buckley

Stephanie Buckley, a.k.a The Park Wife, is the creator and owner of The Women Bloggers where she empowers women bloggers across 5 states (and growing) by helping them grow their online influence and find connection and community.

 

–

Branding your Blog – Jacqueline Wolven

Looking to set yourself apart from the competition? Need to solidify your presence on and offline? Ready to compete with the big kids? Let’s look at every aspect of your blog from your mission to to your creative elements to build the blog that best represents you and what you have to share.

Jacqueline Wolven provides consulting for small businesses nationwide providing hands-on marketing solutions to grow their business. Her personal motto is that “Life is short; live simply and work smarter.” With that she speaks nationwide on brand development, community organization, personal and professional development, amplifying your story and tips and tools to make your way along the journey.

–

10 Reasons I Stopped Reading Your Blog  – Marisa Mohi

Learn the top 10 mistakes bloggers make to turn readers away without even knowing it and how you can fix it.

Marisa Mohi teaches Business Writing at the University of Oklahoma and is one half of the editing team at Dominion House. She’s a sporadically blogs at MarisaMohi.com and is a contributing blogger for The Lost Ogle. When not ruling the blogging and academic worlds, she’s kind of busy tweeting way too much to get any real work done.

–

Letting Go Of Blog Envy – Stephanie Clinton

Every blogger experiences blog envy every now and then. Learn the top 5 lies that fear and envy tell us about our selves and blogs that hold us back from being the bloggers we want to be and how to overcome them.

Stephanie Clinton is a writer, blogger and professional procrastinator. In addition to being a Community Manager for Oklahoma Women Bloggers, she also writes about parenting, humor and all sorts of shenanigans at her own blog, Hugs, Kisses and Snot.

 

–

Yes, You Are a Writer – Mari Farthing

Blogging is more than just putting up pictures with captions. Readers want to connect with bloggers on a personal level yet still expect professional writing. Learn how to avoid improper writing technique and be the best writer you can be.

Mari Farthing is a freelance writer and editor who blogs at MariFarthing.com. When she’s not breaking it down in the kitchen during a dance party with her kids (who, as a tween and young teen, will deny participation in said dance parties) she is busy being the producer of the wildly successful event Listen To Your Mother OKC.

 

–

The Business of Blogging – Allison Griffith

A step-by-step guide to turning your blog into a business. Learn what it takes to file an LLC, set up a tax id, tax information and more.

Allison Griffith is a banker turned DIY business owner. In additional to blogging at Refunk My Junk,  she also runs her studio, The Paint Bar, where she teaches classes, help clients with their projects, and hosts a monthly warehouse sale called Lost & Foundry.

 

–

And if all that ain’t enough to satisfy you, if you sign up, you’re going to get one of these sweet locally designed shirts!

If you are interested in attending the conference, you should definitely sign up! We’ve already had 20 people sign up, and we don’t have much more room. So, it’s definitely in your best interests to get on the good foot and sign up soon! If you’d like to attend OKWB Mini Con 2016, you can sign up here!