The unconference for people who create and work with digital content
April 21, 2018
Your Voice. Find it. Give it. Launch it.
Your story is there. We all have one. But how can your story start a movement, build a tribe and bring about the positive change you wish to see in the world? Alaina Shearer tells the story of her journey as a content marketer and change agent guiding her audience through the moments leading up […]
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Voice Your Value
In order to be recognized for your contributions, you must clearly articulate your value. Nothing is more depressing than working hard on a project that no one seems to appreciate. But the truth is no one can value your work more than you do. How well do you communicate your value? The signal starts with […]
The Creative Industry’s Identity Crisis
Are you holding your identity as a creator too tightly? Creatives especially can become too invested in their labels and forget that their worth isn’t in the day or month’s events. Sure, it’s great that a client loved your work, but we tend to be a little sensitive when they don’t. Every part of ourselves […]
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An Authentic Voice Breeds Intimacy
Not everyone is going to like you. Some people will LOVE you. Some people will think you’re OK. If you are producing quality content, don’t change your style or message to quiet the single loudest creator. Session Hashtag: #CCN18authentic
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The Pitch: Gain Authority in Your Industry
In 2011, I went on over 100 interviews in pursuit of a career in public relations. I was embarrassed that I struggled to gain entry into Corporate America after graduating college. Therefore, I hid my struggles, didn’t ask for help, internalized the rejection and tried to pretend to be something that I’m not. I got […]
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Repurpose Your Words
You have something to say – find your unique voice for your words and then develop creative and powerful ways to put your words to work: Simple ideas for finding your voice Quick Tips for getting the words down Turn scripts/blogs into ebooks Turn ebooks into print books Turn blogs into to memes Turn podcasts […]
Daily Routine Discovery Workshop: Share Your Voice & Ideas
Daily Routines can assist us in becoming more centered, healthy, and creative. They can be used as a tool to help us achieve our goals. They can be used to help us stop habits or create new ones. They can be very important and effective at helping us focus, gain clarity and take action in […]
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Ignite Your Passion
Voice, vulnerability, and bravery — They are all connected. My #CCN18 session is all about encouraging Nashville’s community to identify and ignite their passion. I will share what has inspired me along my journey, and the things that I have found to be helpful in pursuing my passions. Step 1: Silence & Meditation. Drown out […]
The Green Pen Strategy to Find Your Voice and Amplify Your Success
I will discuss a content strategy that focuses on identifying strengths in your work in order to hone and amplify your voice as a content creator. This strategy applies to everyone creating content who wants to spend more time doing what they were born to do while minimizing or eliminating everything else. Session Hashtag: #CCN18GreenPen
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Your Message On Purpose
You have it. You know it better than anything else. But are you using it fully and to your marketing advantage? Your life purpose and unique personal story give you one of the most powerful tools to authentic engagement for the people who need you most. No one can be you because no one has […]
Giving Women a Voice in Your Marketing
Women make 85% of consumer purchases but feel that 90% of marketers don’t understand them. Give women a voice in your content by responding to their wants and needs. True engagement begins with understanding your audience and then building a responsible marketing program that truly reaches women. We will cover off on how to build […]
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Perspectives from Black Panther: A Compendium of Voices from Wakanda
As we live in a world increasing in terms of economic globalization, the speed of technology, and diversity, what lessons can we in the West learn from the rest? In the middle of a policing crisis, issues of injustice, and extreme poverty, a movie can help set the stage for new levels of dialogue and […]
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Digitize Your Clients with Facebook People-to-People Targeting
It is easier and less costly to get in front of your ideal clients today than ever before in history because of social media. Sixty-three percent (63%) of companies say that generating traffic and leads is their top marketing challenge. Seventy-four percent (74%) say that they use Facebook for professional purposes. The number one reason […]
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8 Incredibly Simple Ways to Get More People to Read Your Content
You’ve slaved over your content, carefully crafting each phrase. You finally hit “publish,” and what happens? Nobody reads it. No comments, no tweets, no sharing on Facebook. The solution may be a lot easier than you expect! Discover how to attract and hold attention when you write less and spend a few extra minutes styling […]
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How Real Should Your Voice Be?
If you are attracting a client base through your personal brand, you have probably wondered how “real” and transparent you can be in your content. Can your voice be both totally authentic and completely professional? Maybe. The balance is unique for each personal brand, and content creators can be deliberate in their choice between how […]
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Taming the Audio Tiger
With increasing demand for video and podcast content these days, there’s more need than ever for quality audio that ensures your voice is heard loud and clear. As a pro voiceover actor for the last eleven years, I’ve had to record in all sorts of strange places to keep my clients happy when I’m out […]
Be the Voice of Your Own Story
Girls, ladies, sisters … It’s time. We can’t change how we’ve competed and compared in the past, but it’s up to us to change how we roll from here. You see another girl who is good at something … celebrate her. You see someone with similar strengths … join her. You know that girl is […]
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Cultivate Your Mindset to Establish Your Voice
To cultivate is to nurture and to help grow. Farmers cultivate crops, entertainers cultivate their images and leaders, authors and entrepreneurs must cultivate their minds. “Cultivate Your Mindset to Establish Your Voice” provides practical systems and strategies to align mindset development and purpose renewal; which are both necessary to establish, support and strengthen your voice. Session Hashtag: #CCN18NailedIt
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How to Use Data to Find Your Company’s Voice (Sooner Than Later)
Data has become an unavoidable part of doing business online. There are plenty of gurus, experts, and data geeks out there who are talking about what you need to be doing with your data to help your business grow. But what if you don’t HAVE any data yet? Or maybe you have some data, but […]
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Give Your Podcast The Voice of Authority
Record and produce quality interviews with your smartphone and learn the 10 Hacks which add muscle to your interviews. Session Hashtag: #CCN18interviews
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Growing A Niche Blog From Zero to $20K a Month In 5 Easy Steps
Monetizing your blog is a snap … until you realize you’ll have to wait 10 months before seeing a single dime from Google Adsense. Have you ever waited patiently hoping a check for $10 lands in your mailbox? And then faceplant in your bed when those checks don’t even pay your hosting fees? Most likely, […]
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Embrace Your Uniqueness
We were all created differently. We’ve heard it thousands of times, but why don’t we believe it? Instead of conforming to a particular hairstyle, career path or music genre. Be you. Own what sets your soul on fire. Let’s dive into 3 ways you can embrace your uniqueness to confidently conquer the world because there […]
People Like Us: Creating Tension To Make Change
Every company, product, and interaction exists to make change happen. The past two decades have been filled with change. Everything from technology, to politics, to social awareness is changing around us. The tension this change creates, along with our own internal narrative, or voice, influences how we adapt. In People Like Us: Creating Tension To […]
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How to Make AI and Marketing Work in Tandem
Does AI have a voice in marketing? What things should AI be able to do for me in marketing? Marketing and Artificial Intelligence … how do they mesh? Begin thinking smart when it comes to marketing. Using AI to reduce the amount of time you spend doing the monotonous stuff allowing your creative side to […]
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Improve with Improv
Improv will help you close a sale, keep your spouse happy, get a job, and avoid bombing on stage (usually). Expect lots of laughs and “yes and” moments. Improve with Improv includes three key ways you will improve your life and find your voice with skills from improv. Fun fact: I’m a graduate of Second City in […]
Creating Video Content in 2018
I believe anyone can share their voice through video these days. The barriers that once existed (equipment, cost, and distribution) have all been torn down by the latest smartphones and technology accessible to everyone in 2018. This session will discuss the increasing importance of video content for small businesses and brands using the most recent […]
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How to Talk About Products That Nobody Wants To Talk About
If people already love the product or service you offer, it’s arguably easier to market to them. But what can you do when the opposite is true? How do you talk about a brand that people tend to shy away from—even if they can directly benefit from it? Discover some tried-and-true strategies to get people […]
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Establishing Your Voice Through Building Your Personal Brand
In the buzzy world of the Internet with many voices, how do you establish your own voice whilst creating a digital footprint that is unique to you? In this session you will learn how to take the brand that is YOU to the next level. Learn the strategies and tactics that will assist you in […]
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Raise Your Words
I believe once you’ve found your voice you have an obligation to use that voice to empower others. To do so you must raise your words. Raise your words to reflect a higher caliber of humanity. Raise them to a tone that pierces through judgment on self and others, and instead honors the story. Raise […]
The Voice of Old Media: Legal Lessons from Old Media for New
Despite the differences in old media and new media, the legal issues faced by both are essentially the same. During this talk, I will explore the basic legal issues that publishers across technologies face with a particular focus on defamation. In addition, the session will include a mock pre-publication review exercise to get the audience […]
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You Don’t Need More Followers, You Need To Be Nicer
Some say traditional marketing tactics have been completely obliterated by social media. Have analytics and algorithms really replaced product, price, placement, and promotion? Maybe so, maybe not. The real questions we should be asking is what are our customers, followers, or consumers leaving with after they encounter us? What voice have we amplified by touching one […]
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Expand Your Personal Brand: Publish a Book
Everyone has a story to tell. One of the best ways to tell that story is to publish a book. Currently 4 out of 5 people desire to write a book but many just don’t know the step-by-step process on how to write, market and publish a book. Some people have a fascinating life story […]
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Brand Stories to Make Clients Cry: Writing with Emotion
Crafting a single paragraph to reflect a brand can often be the most daunting experience for a marketing expert. Explore ways to translate client stammerings into beautiful works of marketing collateral. Session Hashtag: #CCN18WordsWithEmotion
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Gamification: Level Up Your Marketing Engagement
Ask anyone who’s played World of Warcraft or a similar game for a while, and you’ll usually hear the same thing: “I’m hooked!” WoW has been around for nearly 12 years, and other games online garner similar sized – and just as fanatical – fanbases. How is it that a game – with “imaginary” achievements […]
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Collective Voices: The Value of a Mastermind Group
Being a solo content creator can be a lonely business. It’s easy to assume that your voice is as loud as it’s going to get. To break out of that mindset, your voice needs to become a chorus of voices. And a mastermind group can give you that. I’ll share my 17 month (and counting) […]
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Permission Granted: Go from Stressed, Depressed & Stuck to Focused & On Fire
This is not your average rah rah, “you can do it,” positive thinking pile of crapola. No B.S. No fluff n’ stuff … just simple, straightforward strategies for moving from stressed and stuck to fired up, fiercely confident and oh so fabulous! This session is geared toward strong, powerful women who deeply desire to shift […]
The Promise
Meribah, the reporter and producer of The Promise podcast and reporter for WPLN, will share some of the work that goes into making the podcast one of the most talked-about audio pieces in Nashville. Session Hashtag: #CCN18Promise
The Secret to Building Your Brand
With all of the fluff advice about building a brand whirling around the Internet, it is easy to get overwhelmed or to even misstep in your marketing. Differentiating yourself from your competition, and building trust with your customers and potential customers, can be wildly frustrating without the right road map. In this interactive session, Amber […]
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From Blogger to Podcaster: What I Learned in a Year
The dos and don’ts of going from blogging to podcasting. The two are alike but not the same. Learn some of different tools and skills you need for both. Session Hashtag: #CCN18BlogtoPodcast
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The Power of the Learner’s Voice
Sponsors, approvers, subject matter experts, content developers – there are so many voices of authority throughout the process of developing an online or in-person learning experience. Most of them focus on all the “stuff” they feel learners need to know and do. However, where are the voices of the learners, and how significant are they? […]
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Cultivating Culture: How to Build a Happy Business
In this digital world, it has never been more important to create a positive company culture that reaches “outside of the office.” Whether you work on your own, or manage a team of people, how your company appreciates its customers, partners, and employees can be the key to your success. You’ll learn: What truly defines […]
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Why No Is The Most Important Word You Can Use
How to deal with clients, potential clients and existing clients. Session Hashtag: #CCN18NoMatters
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You Don’t Need Permission: Feminist Implications in VR / 360
The VR/360 medium is taking off, but is everyone along for the ride? If we assume that VR/360 storytelling will go the way of the male-dominated field of gaming and game design, are Women/POC/LGBT/PWD at risk of becoming co-opted, misrepresented and under-represented in yet another area of our media culture? This presentation takes a look […]
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Creative Tools and Tips to Calm the Noise of the World and Woo Your Voice Out
Pulled in a million different directions on a daily basis? As content creators, marketers and educators, we consume so much information and data each day, when do we get to hear our own voice? How do we tune those distractions out? In this session we’ll explore some fun ways to calm the outside noise and […]
If I Can Do It, You Can Too!
Do you ever feel like there’s just not enough time in the day to do everything you want to accomplish? Ever feel too worn out to get anything done & wonder how much coffee you’ll have to drink to get through the day? I feel your pain! As a mom of 7 with muscular dystrophy, […]
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All Content is Visual: Dress the Part
Your content is visual. It doesn’t matter that you have a podcast or that you’re a professional gamer. In this day of Google, social media, and insane amounts of information at our fingertips, we see you. Without you saying a word, we will have an immediate impression of you. Your clothing communicates your preferences, your […]
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Developing Your Personal and Brand Voice as a Female Entrepreneur
Women business owners and entrepreneurs have a unique and growing role in today’s content marketing landscape. This session will help female entrepreneurs, creatives, and content professionals learn how to discover and develop their personal voice and their company or brand’s voice, while also learning how to differentiate the two and manage them in the online […]
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Influencer Marketing: From Building a Personal Brand to Being a Brand Ambassador
The rise of social media is creating a new world of powerful online voices who actively engage with large communities of like-minded fans and followers. Whether they focus on fashion, food, fitness, parenting, pets or positive thinking, these online influencers have become valuable assets for brands and business looking to reach new or specific audiences. […]
Nurturing Nashville’s Growing Freelance Economy
Let’s face it. The gig economy is here to stay! While freelance is not for everyone, for those who can make it work, it offers tremendous freedom and financial reward. For employers, it offers flexible access to part-time, often senior-level, expertise without the ongoing overhead associated with full-time employees. The key to making is work […]
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Emotional Mainframe
Connection. It’s something we are all crave. No matter your audience, your readers want to feel heard and understood. They want to feel an emotional connection to your product, cause, industry, brand, etc. What if the formula for creating that digital connection was as simple as incorporating Emotional Intelligence (EI) into your content strategy? During […]
Nine Messages You Need to Know Before Publishing Your Content
There are nine messages that we got as kids that motivate how our generation makes decisions. Our generation lives off of purpose and belonging. But in order to create belonging, we must build connection first. As marketers and content creators, the dilemma strikes when we don’t know what motivates our audience in the first place. […]
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Mindful Communication
Sometimes it’s not what you say that is impactful, but what you don’t say can be even more. How many times have you had a conversation with someone and they were telling a story and you start talking with them or over them to get your point across? Maybe you felt like you might forget […]
How To Map Potential Revenue From Your Organic Keywords
Watching numbers shift upward in Search Console is not nearly as exciting as seeing numbers shift upward in your bank account. This is because SEO is full of metrics and analytics data that are not connected to the actual business revenue and goals of a website. We’ll explore how to view keyword research from a […]
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Story + Value = Engagement (Minus the Ring)
How did a person with no film or marketing experience get a huge client/mentor and start working with a marketing firm? The answer is I told stories that were 93% true and read books that challenged my way of thought as well as provided value up front to most that would listen for free. I […]
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Honing Your Live Video Voice
Live video is much more than a marketing play because it shrinks the distance between people by humanizing your brand and business. Live video can not only be a creative expression of yourself, but help build your business and brand. Erik Fisher and Jeff Sieh have been doing live video for Social Media Examiner on […]
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Wrap Up: Hang Up and Listen
After spending the entire day thinking about the idea of voice, what are our takeaways? What are our next steps? Let’s chat about our day and keep the conversation going during this wrap-up session … and then celebrate at the after party!