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9 Must-Read Blog Posts (and the AMAZING email I got this week)

- April 23, 2014 | by April -

9 Must-Read Blog Posts via Blacksburg Belle

I’ve learned a lot about myself from preparing a live three-day workshop focused on building a successful, creative blog.

1. I’m really good at coming up with reasons why I need things like this amazing camera bag when I travel.

2. Putting together 12 keynote presentations drives me a tad bit crazy.

Actual conversation in my house yesterday while I’m working and my husband is chopping veggies for dinner: Me: “I’m talking to myself aren’t I?” My husband: “Uh, yeah.” Me: “Sorry, I’m no longer capable of thinking inside my head today.” My husband: “I was wondering what was going on over there.”

3. I push myself to create my best work when on tight deadlines.

A month ago, as I was working on the voice section of the workshop, I tried out some of my ideas via a blog post: How to Develop Your Blogging Voice.

This week I received the kind of email that motivates me to keep finessing my material until it’s just right:

“I wanted to thank you again for the info you shared about finding your blogging voice as it helped me really create an awesome post. That was not only my most popular post, but it was also featured on the BlogHer homepage last Thursday! Here’s the actual post.” –Jennifer Kennedy from Create Amazing Online Courses 

That’s pretty awesome, right? Using my advice, this post became her most popular and got featured on BlogHer!

And, that’s just a small piece of my blogging workshop.

I truly can’t wait to see what students create after attending or viewing the three-day course (RSVP here!). I hope to make this kind of difference for EVERY SINGLE PERSON who gives me their time.

Lastly, I reconfirmed something I already knew about blogging while creating this workshop: relationships matter more than anything else.

Finding “your” people online, nurturing those relationships and getting their support can mean the difference between success and failure. Often, it does.

I reached out to bloggers who I admire, get inspired by regularly, and couldn’t imagine my online world without and asked them to participate in a “blog tour” leading up to my workshop.

The idea is to get as many creative entrepreneurs as possible to watch the course live, so they get FREE access.

Luckily, my friends said they would love to help me spread the word.

Over the next week, this out-of-this-world group of bloggers will be posting about their experiences with blogging. I couldn’t think of a better way to get you pumped about improving your own blogs.

Here’s the lineup:

Posting on April 24th:

Lisa Lehmann (jewelry designer, super mom of four kiddos and two adorable golden retrievers–you should hit up her Etsy shop for Mother’s Day gifts)

Sage Grayson (life editor who constantly amazes me with the thoughtful comments she leaves on Blacksburg Belle and a super blogger herself!)

Coral Lee (crazy talented artist–you should see her art journal pages, beautiful and unique!)

Posting on April 25th:

Michelle Ward (the one and only When I Grow Up Coach who’s booked through October she’s so in demand–oh yeah) will be interviewing me live at 11am EST for Grown Up Gigs

Mayi Carles (the BEST partner a girl could ask for, a super talented artist and soon to be cookbook author with Life is Messy Kitchen)

Kimberly Palmer (author of the helpful, engaging and totally awesome book, The Economy of You–this is must-read for entrepreneurs)

Ashlee Thurlow (sweet-as-pie multi-passionate entrepreneur who puts together simple business bundles each month)

Posting on April 28th:

Laura Clempson (amazing illustrator and super cute wrapping paper designer and seriously awesome at Facebook marketing without sounding sales-y–like her page, you won’t be sorry)

Posting on April 29th:

Emily Thompson (coded our beautiful Connecting the Gaps site, helps those of less design-savvy create websites to be proud of at Indieshopography, and creator of delicious cocktails like this one–yum!)

May 1st:

Michelle Ward will be posting the interview from the 25th on her blog if you can’t make it live

Make you sure you LIKE my Facebook page and follow me on Twitter, because I’ll be sending out links to their posts as they’re published.

If you’re looking to reignite your love with blogging, follow along this blog tour.

I’m highly anticipating each and every one of these posts.

Please help us spread the word:

Click to Tweet: This all-star lineup of bloggers will reignite your love for blogging. Join the blog tour here!

Click to Tweet: Don’t miss this blog tour with @WhenIGroUpCoach @claraandmacy @SageGrayson1 @mayicarles @alphaconsumer and more!

Click to Tweet: Don’t miss this blog tour with @EmilyM_Thompson @AshleeThurlow @CWBusiness @StudioJewel @mayicarles and more!

17 Comments · Filed Under: Blogging Advice, Creative Business Development

Comments

  1. Sage Grayson says

    April 23, 2014 at 11:04 am

    Wow, this is a fabulous lineup, April. And not just because I’m on it. 🙂 I’m going to be reading all the posts on the blog tour because learning why and how other people blog helps me become a better blogger and entrepreneur.

    Thank you for sharing your expertise and being so supportive of other bloggers. Can’t wait to see you LIVE in San Francisco next week!

    Reply
    • Amanda Sue says

      April 26, 2014 at 10:49 am

      I loved your post!!!! I’m so glad I know about you, thanks to April. 🙂

      Reply
    • April says

      April 26, 2014 at 12:59 pm

      Thanks Sage! I choose every single person because I thought she’d be a great fit for this blog tour–including you! 🙂

      We’re gonna have fuuuuuuuuun!

      Reply
  2. Jennifer Kennedy says

    April 23, 2014 at 12:03 pm

    Yay! It’s always great to receive fab comments about your work! I’m happy to have done that. Such a major help!!

    Thank you for sharing, and I’m looking forward to reading the posts AND the CreativeLive Workshop!!

    Reply
    • April says

      April 26, 2014 at 1:02 pm

      You made my day with that email. It’s really the best when you’re doing the work day after day after day and you get something that says, “Hey! This worked really really really well for me.”

      We get to meet so soon! I’m really excited that you’ll be in the studio audience!

      Reply
  3. Jennifer Visscher says

    April 24, 2014 at 3:16 pm

    Thank you for this!

    I blogged and made art of an apple every day for a year and then struggled and struggled to get back to blogging. It ended up I needed a completely new place to blog and showcase my art & JenniferVisscher.com was finally born (very very recently)!

    I’m thrilled to be finding my voice again and sharing what feels good and right for me!

    Jenna

    Reply
    • April says

      April 26, 2014 at 1:03 pm

      That’s such an interesting idea, Jennifer! I love an apple a day.

      I wish you all the best with your new blog. Congrats!

      Reply
  4. Coral says

    April 24, 2014 at 7:26 pm

    So excited to be a part of this blog hop. Can’t wait to see what the other ‘hoppers’ share. Funny how much pressure I felt when you asked me to come play.

    How do you put into words all the beautiful, challenging, unexpected things that happen when you throw your heart out into the world through blogging? How do you explain to people why it’s worth getting up at 4.30am just to write? How do you explain the paths you get to follow, the kindred hearts you meet and how much you grow as a person when you go on this adventure?

    I re-wrote and tweaked and edited my post till I had to put the brakes on and just have the courage to hit publish. So many fabulous, smart, awesome girls sharing their blogging adventure through you. Thank you for inviting us along as you head off to teach your workshop. Everyone will learn so so much from you and will fall in love with blogging like us because they are learning from someone awesome like you. xo

    Reply
    • Amanda Sue says

      April 26, 2014 at 10:50 am

      I’m glad I met you through April….and now we’re Instagram buddies, lol! I can’t wait to discover more of your posts/pictures. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Marie-France says

    April 25, 2014 at 11:43 am

    Hi April! Thank you so much for this post. I love to write and share my story and insight with others, but I also know that there is always room for growth and improvement. I’m excited to be following your blog tour to see what others’ experiences have been with blogging. Thank you for doing this.

    Reply
  6. Amanda Sue says

    April 26, 2014 at 10:53 am

    April, I read the 24th round, and watched your Grown Up Gig yesterday! This blog tour is super fun, and it’s getting me even more excited for your CreativeLive gig. I’ve been signed up to CL for a while, but I never manage to make it to the stuff that’s airing (awkward times for me, or something comes up). So yours will be the first one I’ve ever seen! I’m excited!!!!!

    Reply
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Trackbacks

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    […] post is part of a blog hop hosted by April from Blacksburg Belle (love her!) all about the joy of blogging – yes it can […]

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    May 7, 2014 at 9:28 pm

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