The Influence Network

It’s crazy to me that the first quarter of 2014 has already come and gone. Sometimes running a handmade shop just makes everything a whirlwind – and before you know it it’s spring and summer is just around the corner and you have to start thinking about Fall. Sorry, if I just stressed you out. ;) To me, it’s part of the joy of running a business that has to be on top of current trends. If I wait until November to think about my Holiday line, then other shops can swoop in and meet my customer’s needs before I can.

But I’m getting ahead of myself…

Have you ever wanted to “test” some products on a group of stylish ladies before a season is in full swing? That’s how I looked at participating in the Sashes Market at The Influence Conference last year. I brought my Autumn collection and also made a few exclusive prints available to the ladies there. A couple of fabrics that I thought would be a hit, weren’t, and I pulled them from my Autumn collection before I launched them online – I think it worked better as a whole after that.  I had a couple of beautiful, exclusive prints that I sold in a set that I was worried would be too expensive. They weren’t. Gals loved them and it gave me the confidence to keep that price in my online shop when I launched them the next week.  The Sashes Market, as a whole, gave me an abundance  of confidence last year. I can’t explain the joy it brought me to see gals in their headbands throughout the weekend. It gave me confidence that I was producing headbands that ladies, and not just myself, loved.

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On top of that, there were ladies there that had always wanted some of my headbands, but wanted to try them on first. The Sashes Market gave them the opportunity to touch and feel the fabrics, to see if they matched their favorite top, to prove to themselves that they “could pull it off.” They have become some of my most loyal customers since then. For instance, I had one gal that only bought one headband at The Sashes Market, but ended up emailing me to set up a custom order of 10+ headbands for Christmas gifts.

What I love about The Sashes Market is that it makes the Influence Network a tangible customer base for me…but these gals are more than that, they’re my community. Product testers, sale promoters, walking “advertisers,” loyal customers…they’re the girls that help push my products year around. They’re the girls that go from fans to friends. I ask them for feedback and know I’ll get an honest response.  Not only that, but the gals who sold in the market alongside me are some of my biggest cheerleaders. They’ll retweet my sales, e-mail me with encouragement, answer questions when I’m having paypal or shipping issues and help me choose colors for fabrics when I’m indecisive…and that community is priceless to me.

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The ladies that attend The Influence Conference are obviously more than customers who will help you pay off your conference ticket and help with expenses. The Sashes Market is one of the only markets where the gals who sell their products  right beside you are not competition. This whole thing? It’s all about community to me. It’s about like-minded women who love to create and/or love to buy handmade. When we sell at the market, we usually end up buying something or trading product from someone else’s shop.  We, then, all become supporters and ambassadors of one another’s brands. It’s a beautiful thing when it’s not about exclusivity, but all around support.

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All that to say, The Sashes Market isn’t just a one-stop-shop. It’s about building a customer base and gaining awareness about your brand. If you have a handmade shop, I’d urge you to apply. We have limited spots, but you never know if you don’t try. Who knows, you could be the one niche of the handmade marketplace that we are waiting for. As the Sashes Market Director, I can assure you that we are expending much thought and deliberation into curating a beautiful market – from the vendors to the fixtures to the overall feel of the market. I’d love to have you be a part of it. Apply here today! You only have until May 1st! Hope to see you there!

Would you like to advertise in the spring issue of The Influence Magazine?  This exciting issue is all about refreshment and creative inspiration.  It will be published in early May.  We have a network of amazing female members, who regularly shop online; and our rates are set with bloggers and small businesses in mind.

Our last issue had over 25,000 impressions, and the response continues to grow with each issue!

Quarter page ads are available for $100.

Half page ads are available to small business owners and handmade shops for $200. 

Please email me at lindseykubly (at) gmail (dot) com by April 18th.  I look forward to working with you!

Our community leaders are the driving force of community at the conference. This year we have leaders leading a prayer room, leaders organizing volunteers and leaders teaching workshops and we couldn’t be more thrilled. The prayer room schedule is in the works but its something we are really excited about. If you would like to volunteer, we would LOVE that! Fill out the form HERE. The Workshops will be on Friday evening, during the 8-9pm hour and the 9-10pm hour. We envision these Workshops as being the time during the conference where you find “your people”–the kindreds, the future contacts, the people you can collaborate with. You can purchase your Influence Conference Tickets HERE! 

Prayer Suite Jessi//Jessi Cross

Because your weekend will be about hearing from women (and men) who will inspire and challenge you, but who ultimately want you to hear from Him. And because your weekend is about meeting and connecting with friends, but when the online becomes real life, this is our chance to go deeper. And because your weekend is about gaining a greater vision for your life and the only vision worth chasing is a vision from the Lord.

This year at The Influence Conference there is going to be a prayer suite set aside as a place to meet with Jesus, connect with women who want to pray over you and with you and as a place be still to let it all sink in. My prayer is for the prayer suite to be a place for you to come and feel known while swimming in a sea of new faces. I pray it’s a place where all of the voices you are hearing lead you to the stillness of His voice. And I pray it’s a place where you feel safe to come undone as He moves and messes you up in the best and sweetest way.

Volunteer Coordinator Shannon//The Scribble Pad

One of the most beautiful parts of The Influence Network has been seeing this community of women roll up their sleeves and get into real life with one another. Whether you have been to one of the past conferences or not, you have undoubtably seen this community help one another online – everything from promoting ebooks, to recommending car seats, to responding to requests for prayer. At the conference, you see this on a new level — people blessing the mess out of each other. I am excited to know and encourage those of you who will be volunteering at the conference. I cannot wait to learn of your God-given gifts and help us all serve one another better.

“Singleness: Real + Free + Joyful”  Erin// Sweetness Itself
Encouraging women to embrace and honor God in the joys, freedom, opportunities, heartache and blessings of the season of singleness and waiting.

A heart to heart, honest + inspiring chat between sisters about the challenges and joys of waiting. I’m passionate about encouraging the women who attend this workshop to embrace the season they’re in with faithfulness, joy + excitement. I’ll share my heart and story/journey of waiting and the struggles that come. My prayer is that the single ladies will feel loved on, not so alone, and inspired to embrace and trust The Lord in waiting!

“Hello, my name is…” Kara-Kae//The Mom Diggity

How often as a mom do you feel like your name is “juice-getter, nose-wiper, food-maker or shoe-tier”? It’s so easy to lose the identify of who you are in the everyday, non-stop business of being a mom. There’s a pitfall of comparison and jealousy raging from social media, self-doubt settling into our hearts and we so easily forget who we are.

God calls us by name. He knew us and called us before we were even born. To Him we are more than someone covered in fingerpaint and spit up, we are His treasured possessions and he SEES us. In this workshop you will be encouraged in community with other moms and reminded that you are a daughter of the King. We will discuss areas we battle with as moms, how our identity comes from Him alone and who He says we are.

We will also eat chocolate without having to share with little humans.

“Honest Adoption”  Megan//She Does Justice

I want to come together as a community and talk about the things that aren’t easily or readily talked about in the adoption world. Who is called to adopt? What is your biggest fear regarding adoption? What was the hardest part of your process? How can we trust even when things seem too hard to overcome? Sharing our stories and our truth can bring so much light into the spaces where we feel lonely or afraid or hurt. Community has been the biggest gift to me regarding the adoption of my daughter and I want to continue to grow that family with you! Let’s talk, share, and encourage each other as women with a heart for adoption.

“Small Acts of Love” Carrie// Chasing Big Dreams

We live in a time where are more connected than ever. However, too often we let comparison and pride rob us from both joy and true community and fellowship. This workshop will be talking about using our platforms for good to spread love, grace, and kindness to make much of His Kingdom. We will discuss what it looks like to celebrate the successes of others, carry one anothers’ burdens, and serve one another effectively. God is using each of us to write a love letter to the world, so we will flesh out what that looks like in different seasons of life whether single, married, life with kids, or empty nest. Lastly, we will talk about why small acts of love matter and how they can have a major rippling effect on a watching world.

“Anatomy of a Blog” Erin//Blue Eyed Bride

Maybe you finally want to start that blog, or maybe you want to explore more of the things you’ve heard at the Influence Conference to grow your blog. In this workshop, we’ll discuss building a blog, monetization, time management, boundaries, finding your voice, building and cultivating community, and other pieces to complete the blogging puzzle. We’ll share very specific resources for monetizing via ad networks, affiliate programs, and partnerships with brands as well as tips to share content and cultivate a loyal community. Bring your laptop because we’re going to dive right in!

“Fashion Blogging & The Armor of God” Blair//Wild & Precious

Creating fashion posts focused on outfits can sometimes feel like the opposite of what we as Christian women want to portray as women who have our hearts and minds set on things eternal.  Let’s get together as women, perfectly created by God, who love expressing ourselves on our blogs through outfit and beauty stylings and talk about the hard stuff — vanity, integrity, modesty (just to name a few).

“Speaking 101: How to Inspire Change” Heather//Heather Boersma