Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!
Guess where I am going in a few weeks?
BlogHer 13, the world’s largest women’s blogging conference.

My focus for this year’s conference is to learn about lifestyle blogging and branding so I can improve my Ananda@16thand U: Lifestylista in Love with DC blog and expand my new media business and the Digital Sisterhood Network. To that end, I am planning to attend the Style Mini-Conference track on July 26 (right after I complete my talk on social media leadership). Check out the Style Mini-Conference session descriptions below. They feature some of my favorite bloggers and virtual mentors like “Afrobella” Patrice Yursik, Christina Brown, and Stacy Morrison.


- The Business of Blogging: Style bloggers are building rich, full careers, leveraging their online platform, but not relying solely on it. Patrice Yursik from Afrobella, Gabi Gregg from Gabifresh, and Natalia Simmons from Ma Nouvelle Mode are branching out and leveling up their game. Lesley Pinckney moderates this discussion.

- Rocking Your Otherness; Your Niche as a Platform, Not a Trap: Style bloggers are using niches to carve out a new, exciting, meaningful, and monetizable space in the blogging community. CeCe Olisa from The Big Girl Blog, Sabrina Enyatulla from Slice of Lemon, Leila Noelliste from Black Girl Long Hair, and Christina Brown from Love Brown Sugar are owning their space, and making the most of it.

- The List (and how to get on it): If there is one question we hear from bloggers covering this image- and access-conscious industry, it’s “How do I get on *the* list?”. We’re bringing publishing, PR and brand perspectives to the table to give you an inside look at how it works. BlogHer editor-in-chief (and longtime women’s magazine leader) Stacy Morrison moderates the insightful advice from Adrianna Guilliani from Devries Public Relations, Cristy Turner from Digital Brand Architects, and Genevieve Ascencio from Factory PR.

Before I attend the Style Mini Conference sessions, I plan to participate in “Justice Fergie” Stacey Ferguson’s Summer Brand-O-Rama, a FREE four-week email workshop that will provide critical tips on how to cultivate brand partnerships that begins on July 5. Click here to sign up. My goal is to learn how to build brand partnerships that support my blogs and the Digital Sisterhood Network.

Stacey is the queen of branding and empire building in my book! She is one of my virtual and IRL “Empirista” mentors.

If you are planning to attend BlogHer 13, check out the questions below.
- What are your top three to five conference goals?
- What sessions are you planning to attend? And why?
- What are you doing to prepare for BlogHer 13?


PS: I will be speaking about social media leadership on July 26 (10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.) and July 27 (11:30 a.m. – 12 noon), and co-hosting the Multi-Culti party on July 26 with two amazing digital sisters, Pauline Campos and Dwana De La Cerna. I hope you will be able to join us at the conference and the Multi-Culti party. Click here to register.