The Creative Connection

Panelist-Creating an event

Jyl Johnson Pattee is the founder of Mom It Forward, a successful and influential online community of women. She is also the co-founder of the popular Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter parties, and the co-organizer of the evo Conference. Currently, she sits on the Mom Advisory Council for ONE.org and was named one of Parent Magazine’s Top 10 Power Moms. Through her Mom It Forward company, Jyl provides unique media opportunities to companies and organizations that want to reach influential moms online. She also consults regularly about using social media to extend brand reach to moms and women. Her current client roster includes brands such as Aveda, Microsoft, Universal Orlando Resort and many more. In a past life, she was an award-winning copywriter and designer of corporate training programs for Fortune 100 companies. Offline, Jyl is married to @TroyPattee; a mom to two boys; loves large amounts of cheese, dancing, and traveling; and lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

Contact:
Web: momitforward.com
Facebook: facebook.com/MomItForward
Twitter: @jylmomIF

Panelist – Self Publishing

Amy Powers decided to create her very own online magazine, Inspired Ideas, on a bit of a whim. She always adored magazines and when she didn’t find anything on the newsstands that particularly inspired her, she decided to publish her own virtual one. With a background in magazine design (she was once art director for a very boring engineering magazine), she dusted off her ancient computer programs and got to work. She called upon her crafty friends for project ideas and published her first issue in Autumn of last year. It was met with a small happy reception. Her goal is for readers to feel inspired to create at least one project from each issue. “I’d love for the magazine to be page after page of inspiration. I always feel a magazine is worth the price if I’m inspired to create something after I read it.” Amy lives with her charming husband, Rich, and their adorable son Alfredo in their home in the DC Suburbs. She writes of her sweet life on her blog, Inspire Co.

Panelist-The Nuts & Bolts of Launching a Business

Linda Ellis started writing poems as a child, a talent inherited from her Irish grandmother. She spent years working in the corporate world, but made the decision to leave it behind and pursue her dream of becoming a writer. Her writing has been featured in bestselling books and magazines such as Family Circle, US News and World Report, Leatherneck, WOW Magazine and other major publications, as well as hundreds of television and radio programs.

“I read of a man who stood to speak, at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone, from the beginning to the end. He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.” In 1996, an announcer read Linda’s Ellis’ poem, “The Dash” aloud on a syndicated radio program — and, to her surprise and delight, it became an instant, meteoric success. Calls and email came in from people around the world eager to tell Linda how her words had touched their hearts. That was the beginning of an enduring phenomenon. Linda’s books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies and her latest work, Live Your Dash captures and expands upon the theme of the original poem: It’s not your birth or death that matters most, but how you spend each passing year. Linda shares her message of joy, hope, and positive energy through uplifting stories, essays, and poetry, along with tales of people who have been “touched by the dash,” including Senator Bob Dole, legendary football coach Lou Holtz, and American Idol winner David Cook. Live Your Dash is an inspiring look at life based on her fantastically successful poem.

Contact:
Web: http://lindaellis.net/

Panelist-Working with a Sponsor: What does it mean and how do you find one?

Laurie Turk is a creative soul who has a passion for embellishing life. She lives in Dallas, is a mom to 3 boys, cruise director for her family, and all around girly-girl. Her focus is to create moments that matter for herself, her man, and her children.

Laurie’s mission is to promote creative women through their fabulous ideas and products with Tip Junkie that features the best tips and tricks from everyday women. Also, to meet the need of affordable advertising for Mom-prenuers she co-founded Chic Chick Media and Buy Mom Made.com.

Panelist-Creating Community through e-Commerce

Sarah Jane Wright, textile designer, children’s book illustrator and artist behind Sarah Jane Studios, started off her career as a one woman ETSY shop and had no idea how her business would grow in just a few short years. Sarah’s earliest memories involve pencil and paper, and from a very young age she knew she would spend her life as an artist. Unsure how to get her name out there, she started a blog, and opened her ETSY shop with a collection of prints, and has since become a childrens’s book illustrator with Harper Collins Children’s Books, a fabric designer for Michael Miller Fabrics, and is now the 10th highest seller of art on ETSY. Sarah also loves to embroider, and this year she has launched some best selling embroidery patterns which feature her whimsical and classic illustrations. This October she celebrates 4 years of running her design business from home. Sarah’s artwork has been featured in Parent’s Magazine, Romantic Homes Magazine and newest picture book, A Christmas Goodnight written by Nola Buck, debuts this fall. Sarah lives in Utah with her amazing husband (who is the backbone behind this creative at-home operation) and their three young children.

Contact:
Website: www.sarahjanestudios.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sarahjanestudio
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Jane-Studios/114922461924017

VIP Breakfast Panel – Women Entrepreneurs

Panelist-Agents, Publicists and Brand Consultants: Who are they and what can they do for you?

Leigh Standley is the artist, writer and owner of Curly Girl Design, Inc. In it’s seven years, Curly Girl Design and Leigh’s line of clever and colorful greeting cards and gift items have taken the industry by delightful storm. Focused on the magic of the small moments, her product peeks into the corners of life and taps into the hearts of all.Founded in 2003, the company began with just 12 greeting cards and grew steadily. Now with seven amazing full-time employees, it sells to more than 2300 shops nationwide and distributes to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. In 2008 Leigh began the process of licensing her art. Carefully choosing some of the most renowned and artist-driven companies to work with, her brand has expanded to include calendars, napkins, larger giftware items and a full line of holiday decor.
In 2005, Leigh was the recipient of her first LOUIE award for greeting card excellence and is nominated for 3 more in 2010. Her work and studio have been featured in creative publications like Where Women Create, Stationery Trends, Boho Magazine
Leigh believes firmly in the power of a creative community and the power of that community to unlock our truest selves. She is proudly “Living imperfectly with great delight.”
For more about Leigh and Curly Girl Design visit www.curlygirldesign.com

Moderator-Creating Community through e-Commerce

Liv Lane uses her creative superpowers to illuminate and celebrate the good in every day. Her Choosing Beauty blog, originally created as a personal healing project in 2006, quickly gained a global following, generating enough opportunities and creative adrenaline to catapult Liv out of her comfy corporate gig and into the full-time, soul-stirring adventure of crafting an artful life – working as a blogger, speaker, mixed media artist, radio host and creative consultant for a crazy-cool clients ranging from blossoming bloggers to behemoth brands. Liv co-hosts Get Real, a popular and uplifting weekly radio show on myTalk 107.1 in Minneapolis and online, with guests ranging from Deepak Chopra to SARK. She launched her first e-course this summer – How To Build a Blog You Truly Love – and is working on her first book. Liv lives in Minnesota with her husband Brad, their two young boys, one crazy dog and an army of invisible angels.

Panelist-Working with a Sponsor: What does it mean and how do you find one?

Jessica Rau is currently Manager of External Communications with McDonald’s USA. In this role, Rau works on developing innovative public relations programs and strategies that support McDonald’s marketing campaigns and new product launches. She also uses new communication channels, such as Twitter, to help promote and build brand trust. She is the official “tweeter” for McDonald’s @McCafeyourday and tweets weekly for @McDonalds. Previously, Rau was Supervisor of Corporate Media Relations with McDonald’s Corporation. She was responsible for promoting and protecting brand McDonald’s by managing proactive and reactive media-based issues, and implementing strategic media relations plans, including McDonald’s International Media Days program. Rau began her career at McDonald’s in February 2004 as Coordinator for the Corporate Media Relations department. She was promoted to Media Relations Specialist in 2005, Supervisor of Corporate Media Relations in December 2006, and assumed her current position as Manager of External Communications with McDonald’s USA in March 2009. Just prior to joining McDonald’s, Rau worked in Advertising Sales for American Marketing and Publishing out of DeKalb, Illinois.

Rau is a founding member and co-chair of McDonald’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) which provides professional development and networking skills to McDonald’s future leaders. She is also a member of McDonald’s Women’s Leadership Network, and actively participates in Junior Achievement which is dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness and entrepreneurship.

Rau was the recipient of McDonald’s prestigious President’s Award in 2007, as well as McDonald’s Circle of Excellence Award in 2005 and again in 2007. In 2008, she received the Early Career Achievement Award from Illinois State University’s College of Business. Rau also received McDonald’s 2009 Outstanding National Marketing Team Award for McDonald’s U.S. Communications Team, and McDonald’s 2010 Bill Lamar Marketing Excellence Award for the McCafe Real Fruit Smoothie/Frappe Beverage team. Rau has a Bachelors Degree in Marketing from Illinois State University.

Panelist-Working with a Sponsor: What does it mean and how do you find one?

Jenny Lauck leaped headlong into blogosphere in 2004, and never looked back. She is currently the Director of the BlogHer Publishing Network, and heads up the community side of BlogHer’s popular BlogHer Reviewers programs. Jenny has been a featured speaker and moderator at several BlogHer conferences, as well as at the 2011 Reviewer’s Retreat. She has blogged professionally for BlogHer and ClubMom, and has been featured in The LA Times, Life Magazine, San Francisco Magazine and several regional parenting publications. Jenny’s posts have been published in the anthology Sleep is for the Weak. Jenny’s personal blog, Three Kid Circus, is the go-to spot for other parents who want to feel superior about their parenting. Jenny is @mizzjenny on Twitter.

Panelist-Agents, Publicists and Brand Consultants: Who are they and what can they do for you?

President and Chief Creative Officer, DeVries Public Relations.

Ten-year DeVries veteran Stephanie Smirnov oversees the agency’s Strategic and Creative Services team, which includes strategic planning and social media programming. She has over two decades of consumer public relations experience, including leadership roles both on the agency and client sides of the business. Stephanie speaks regularly about effective brand-blogger relationships, women entrepreneurship and cause marketing and has appeared at conferences such as Mom 2.0, BlissDom, TypeA Mom, EVO, BlogHer and the Cause Marketing Forum. She is also an avid writer and chronicles the ups and downs of bi-cultural marriage at her personal blog LikeTheVodka.com. You can connect with her there or on Twitter (@ssmirnov.)