My Disney Experience: #NicheParent14 Recap

Last week I returned from “the most magical place on earth” Disneyworld! It was five days of fun, adventure, inspiration, networking and professional development in sunny South Florida all thanks to the Niche Parent Network. As I mentioned in my last blog  I was a speaker for the 3rd Annual Niche Parent 2014 conference, an opportunity for digital influencers and brands to come together to learn, network and grow while experiencing some family fun!

Just last year I was attending my first blogging & social media conference and now to have the opportunity to speak plus take another trip to Disney World was truly a blessing and made the trip all the more meaningful!  

I want to share some of the major takeaways from the #NicheParent14 conference and some travel tips and information for those interested in exploring the magic of DisneyWorld in the near future.

#NicheParent14 Highlights

Social Media Expert and Influencer Kim Garst kicked off the conference and shared tips on “How To Build and Award Winning Blog” :

• Know Your Unique Value   
• Know Who You Serve
• Know Your Competition
• Create awesome and useful content
• Promote Your Content
• Consistency is Key
• Build Profitable Relationships

“Our blog is how we showcase how we serve our customers” ~ Kim Garst

Our #NicheParent14 presentation went great! We had an awesome discussion on collaborating, networking, branding and engaging your community! My co panelists rocked it! It was a great opportunity to share some of the same information I share with my clients that sometimes connecting with others can help you achieve goals and “Real Women Don’t Compete, They Collaborate”

Nadia Jones and her team had a fun filled weekend planned for us in the midst of power packed sessions and keynotes. Safari ride and dinner at Animal Kingdom was perfect thanks to a visit and photo op from Mickey and Minnie!

What's in my Bag? Travel Chic Essentials: Conference Edition

Happy October

Hope you had an amazing summer! I’m excited because my favorite season, FALL IS HERE!  

October is a busy month for me! I just returned from Atlanta for Bishop T.D. Jakes Woman Thou Art Loosed Conference #WTAL where my spirit was revived and I was encouraged to dream bigger than I have ever have before. Next week I am looking forward to traveling to Walt Disney World for the #NicheParent14 conference Oct. 16 - 18. There will be empowering keynote sessions and hands-on workshops on entrepreneurship, social media, branding, blogging and more. I will be speaking at the #NicheParent14 conference on the topic of : “Collaborating within your network to create a signature brand” on a panel with my Boardroom Beauties co founder Renee B and Sonia Kang of Mixed Up Clothing.

In this post I will be putting a twist on my  "What's in my Bag?" series and sharing the MUST HAVE travel essentials you need when attending conferences, whether for business or personal.

Portable Chargers

There is nothing worse than running out of juice on your cell phone while you are busy tweeting and instagramming moments from the conference. Since most conferences have limited breaks throughout the day you need to have a charger with you. Wall outlets aren't always plentiful and you don’t want to be that person sitting against the wall waiting on her phone to charge, so portable is the way to go. For my iPhone I have a Mophie Juice Pack, an extended battery and case all in one! LOVE IT! 

Photo courtesy Verizon Wireless

You charge the Mophie Juice Pack and slide it on your phone as a case. When your battery starts running low, you just flip a switch on the Mophie case and the charge kicks in. It is a very bulky case but it beats having to tote your charger around searching for plug outlets! If you have an android device there are other portable chargers that work on the go,

I have a tablet that runs on the Android system, so when I know I will be using my iPhone and tablet I bring my other portable charger that has USB hookups for over 5 different devices, including my bluetooth!

Check out these 5 Best Portable Battery Chargers

Top 3 Perks of Business Travel

In my career as a Midwest territory sales manager, I spent 70% of my time traveling for conferences and client meetings. Business travel can be exciting, when you have a four day conference in Vegas but can be exhausting when you end up on a plant tour in the “middle of nowhere” South Dakota. After six years in the sales world along the way I discovered there are personal perks to be gained that can work to your advantage.

Here are three tips to help you turn business travel into a “company paid” getaway:

1.     Loyalty Points

Make sure you are signed up for every loyalty program available via airlines, hotels and rental cars.

The best way to make this work for you is to consistently book with a preferred partner.  When I travel for work 90% of the time I fly American, rent from National Rental Car and stay at Hilton branded hotels. This is to ensure I maximize my earning potential on points, credits and miles. While these expenses are charged to your corporate account your loyalty points belong to YOU! Unless stipulated in your company travel policy they do NOT have to be used for business travel. 

Source:Travelsort.com

If you use your own personal card for expenses reimbursed at a later date, make sure that card is earning you some points too! Switch to a credit card associated with your preferred airline or hotel partner so all charges will be converted to points/miles!

My current loyalty perks annually earn me: 2 FREE checked bags, priority boarding, automatic first class upgrades, average of 3 free rental car days, two free hotel stays and enough miles for at least 1 roundtrip ticket.

2.     Weekend Stays

Extend your business trip over the weekend

Travel Smart Tips: Staying productive while you #travel

Delayed flight and stuck at an airport for 5 hours?
Bored in a hotel room alone?
Can't sleep on an airplane?     

                                 


The delays and downtime of traveling can be annoying but can also be an advantage. 

Check out these three quick tips to remain productive while you travel:

1. Catch up on reading - When you are delayed at an airport for hours or sitting in a hotel room you have to find something to do to avoid boredom! Getting a chance to catch up on reading is becoming my favorite part of traveling. When you are home and caught up in the daily tasks of work, family and managing life, the simple pleasures such as the joy of reading can take a backseat. Instead of playing on social media while you sit at the airport you can use this time to read the latest edition of your favorite magazine or book your friend keeps recommending. 

Here are two books that I read on my most recent trip to Florida. Both are great personal and professional development books that I recommend:)

 31 Amazing Life Lessons by Mel Roberson and You Lost Me at Hello by Donna Smith Bellinger      
     
                       


*Smarter Tip: Be even more productive by listening to an audiobook. The Audible  app is my new best friend! My latest download? The Love Playbook: Rules for Love, Sex, and Happiness by LaLa Anthony


2. Clean up email - Like most people my email inbox is always insane! Between personal, work, blogging and event planning I have 6 email accounts that I am trying to manage on a daily basis. I'm always overwhelmed trying to sift through unwanted newsletters, coupons and invites. So when I'm sitting at an airport gate or in-flight I use this time to clean out my emails. Make the most use of this down time by getting organized. Trust me you will feel accomplished when the unread items in your email read: ZERO :-)

*Smarter Tip: Don't connect to Wi-Fi. Delete emails from your tablet or Outlook mailbox in the offline mode to avoid the distraction of incoming mail.

3. Clear out clutter - Similar to my email I also find my purse, wallet, work/travel bag, notebook also cluttered and unorganized. During the downtime you have during travel it's a good time to start cleaning this stuff out. Sometimes I will sit in the hotel and go through all my receipts and random papers in my purse and clear them out. 
Just dump everything out on the bed and go for it! 

How do you stay productive while you travel?

What's in my bag? My Business Travel Essentials

I’m on the road or in the air quite often for business trips. In my 9 to 5 gig as a Midwest territory sales manager, 60% – 70% of my time is spent in rental cars, airports and Hilton brand hotels. I want to share with you five of my business travel essentials that are a “MUST" when packing for a trip on my checklist: 

Tote Bag
I try to have as few items of luggage as possible when traveling for business. Moving quickly in and out of vehicles, planes and offices leaves plenty of opportunities to leave items behind.