2014 #InfluenceConf: Showing Up & Shedding Fear

Processing something like the amazing weekend that just happened is beyond me. I came home rejuvenated and emotionally exhausted in the best way.

While I am not sure I can do a recap justice, I can process what went on this weekend.

People Showed Up

Not just at registration (of course you showed up then) but before. People showed up with arms open to give hugs for the first time ever in person. People showed up to help. They stuffed swag bags, filled balloons, cut and tied tassels, potted succulents. Oh the succulents! A huge THANK YOU! to everyone who showed up to help, and stayed up late on Saturday helping even more.

People showed up ready to listen and they taught me how to listen better. One of my goals for this conference was meaningful conversations. I think it was my best year yet.

Jesus Showed Up

Speakers showed up and poured out their hearts. They pointed us to Jesus at every turn -- not to their own blogs or books or success, but how walking with Christ has radically changed them. Here are some of the words that are still bouncing around my head.

-- When you wake up in the morning you are already loved. -- Char, Mocha Club

-- Striving is crap. You are already accepted in Christ -- Hayley, The Tiny Twig

-- We need to preach the Gospel to ourselves often enough to remember it. -- Hayley, The Tiny Twig

-- Our God is a God of exchanges. -- Brooke Boon, Holy Yoga, reminded to me by Rach Kincaid

-- My identity does not hinge on anything I've done or haven't done." -- Jamie Ivey

-- Our idea of enough comes from looking around. The "enough" is a lie. These are fictitious voices. People are too into themselves to be judging you. Get over it. -- Jessica Honeggar, Noonday

-- God doesn't want a better life from you, he wants a better life FOR you. -- Jess Connolly

-- We fall into the lie, if we just get it right we will be free -- Ellen, Sweetwater


Fear was Shed

I overcame some serious fear. I dealt with issues that had been cropping up. Lara Casey, Jamie Ivie, Ellen Parker -- power house women got real, they got quiet, and they spoke truth. I cried a lot. I prayed more. And I overcame a few fears and insecurities in just a few short days. The chance to stand up to them rocked me in the best way. (emotionally exhausted)

Hugs were Shared

When emotions get raw, when fears are exposed, there are tears. At least for me. I cried so much I could no longer wear my contacts. The crying was cathartic, but oh the hugs! I hugged every one you see above and so many more. I am so thankful for the hugs. And this is coming from a serious non-hugger. But it was good.

I am over calling this a blogger conference.

You do not need to blog to come to the Influence Conference. It is about loving women, encouraging women, and helping them share the Gospel through their every day influence. Read the recaps by other conference attendees below.

An InLinkz Link-up

A New Bio

Every year our family photos are taken at the beach by the incredibly talented Pam & Jensen Bell.

It seems our bios change as life evolves. One would think it would be the same, but then we move, have more kids, start drinking coffee, quit drinking coffee, consider starting on coffee again (its been that sort of year...). As relationships ripen, knowledge grows, and interests change, so naturally do our biographies. But what about those autobiographies we read? What would their lives look like at snapshot intervals? Mild mannered, extremely spirited, a quiet listener, can over the course of a lifetime someone hold all of these traits, given different stages and circumstances?

This is the thought process over the summer as I have slowly worked on a new bio. I am not sure I can ever call it finished, but for now lets just say published, it seems both permanent while being not yet final, there are always revised editions, no?

My imperfect bio:

I'm Shannon, married to best friend Mark. Together we are navigating the crazy world of parenting two boys. We call ourselves accidental urbanites, never having imagined we would be raising our family in the heart of a city. Our sons, Behr and Hudson love to be loud and on the go, just like most of Washington, DC. They fit right in. 

I have a list of ever evolving passions, most recently creating a healthier home, eating local, reducing the use of chemicals, and fostering positive conversations. I aim to wake up first, do some yoga and read my bible. This is a goal, not yet a committed practice. This past year I quit coffee, started and ebook (coming soon!), learned to bake and began painting again. I never quite know how to foster my creative outlets, but I love to help others foster theirs.

This little blog began after a big move away from friends and family.  It started as a place to journal, keep up to date with friends afar, and store my inspirations (before pinterest!).  Today, this blog is all that and more, becoming an incredible community of friends across the world. I blog about the bits of life that inspire me and I hope inspire you as well.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you'll say hello and stay a while!

Also, I really hope to get a chance to chat with those of you who are going to The Influence Conference. I am very excited to hear Ellen speak and wouldn't ever consider leaving the house without multiple pens in various colors. I process by writing things down. At the moment, these are my favorite.

If you are going to Influence this year, will you link up with us?

Disclaimer: compensated affiliate links may be used in this post.

The Beauty of Community

I am naturally an extrovert.
But letting people in, get close, is not easy.
My tendency is to put up walls, go it alone.
I was mercilessly teased in elementary school, and middle school.
And high school.
I was awkward and didn't know where to fit in.

And then a red-headed girl with cutoff jeans sat across from me. Stared with an intensity that bordered uncomfortable. And said, Jesus loves you.

Fast forward ten plus years of God speaking truth to me through this friend. I found myself in adulthood, blogging, and still not really building community. What does it look like? How does it start? Why am I still so awkward?

That same red-headed friend, still rocking her cut off jean shorts said, "Hey have you read this blog? Heard about this conference? Let's go!" And so we did. We drove from the East Coast to Indiana. We arrived, excited, maybe already exhausted, but definitely ready to soak it all in. And we did. The extrovert in me had a million mini conversations and I left thinking all the thoughts.

It was an incredible experience. I knew I wanted to do it again. But did I make friends? Why did I talk to so many people instead of having great conversations with a few people? Would anyone actually remember me?

The weeks and months that followed the first Influence Conference were a huge learning experience for me. I saw an amazing community of women. Women who cared about one another, poured into one another. Who truly believed in community because that is how Christ calls us to live -- in fellowship.

Community is a two way street paved with grace and prayer. 

You pray for one another, you offer grace, you are prayed for, you receive grace. With that comes encouragement, truth, and the deepening of relationships. Its less about making friends, more about loving God's people. In the last two years, my focus and attention towards community have radically changed.

I want to meet you. I want to encourage you. I want to hold your cheeks in my hands, look you square in the eyes and say, Jesus loves you, just as you are. You are enough. And I am glad you are here.

A group of us are serving as Community Leaders for the 2014 Influence Conference. We are here today because we want to share our stories. But we also want to hear from you. Share your story of community on your blog and come back to link up here. And if you don’t have a blog, we want you to come back, read, and be encouraged.

An Influence Network Case Study

Did you know that I am a member of The Influence Network?

Did you know that I am an Umbassador?

Throughout my time blogging, I have become involved with a few online endeavors that I am passionate about, these being leading examples. Today you get an opportunity to take a glance at two at the same time. Hop on over to The Influence Blog to check out my case study interview.

Disclaimer: compensated affiliate links may be used in this post.

An Influence Giveaway

Will you join me at The Influence Conference this year? We are less than 4 months away from gathering in Indianapolis to encourage and inspire one another. Its a weekend filled with incredible women -- yes, you are incredible -- brining stories, hopes, even fears, and finding ways to connect across our common thread, a desire to live authentic lives marked by Christ.

I ramble on about why I love this conference and am thrilled to be a part of it year after year. But ladies, I am a skeptic. In 2012, when I starting hearing about this conference, I thought, that isn't for me. I told myself lies about why I wasn't good enough. I put it out of my mind. And then a dear friend called me and asked me to go with her. Please, please, please Shannon! I couldn't say no to a girls weekend with a faraway friend. Conversations from that first weekend are still impacting my life.

So here I am, your friend, asking you. Will you join me this year? Can we chat in person instead of over the internet? And to make it all a bit more feasible, a giveaway. A group of Influence ladies have teamed up to give you the opportunity to win the weekend, well, almost, that's what it feels like with over $1000 in prizes! And we want YOU to enter.

We are giving away over $1000 in prizes:
An Influence Conference Ticket ($250 value)
$250 Airline Voucher
2 nights at the Westin Hotel ($300 value)
$50 Sashes Market Gift Voucher
10 Class Pack ($100 Value)
Lifetime Membership to The Influence Network ($200)

Giveaway ends Thursday, June 5th at midnight!

Best of luck, and we hope to see you there! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We are going to #InfluenceConf

This year, I will have a side kick with me at Influence Conference. Hudson is coming along and honestly, it terrifies me! It is the only way I could come to the conference, but I have so many questions! What if he wakes up my roommates? (hi Kim and Nadine!), Roommates I didn't have until the past few weeks because I thought no one would want to room with crazy me and my 5 month old. What if my arms get tired? I mean do you see that chunk? This kid is huge. What if he spits up all over ever single one of my outfits and I smell like baby vomit every single day? Basically, if you have ever brought a kid to a conference, help me out with your best advice.

I am bringing: 
My favorite pieces from StitchFix even if they might be worn under an ergo for most of the conference, they are the most stylish clothes I own.

My iPhone instead of my big camera. This makes me sad, but Hudson is taking up enough space already, and I would rather have hands to hug people instead of hold a camera.

Hudson is bringing:
His favorite teething toy and lots of burp cloths!

I am looking forward to:
I am most excited that all three of my roommates from last year (Melody, Lena, and Julie) will be back this year through the Lord's working and although we totally love each other to pieces and would have roomed together again, God is doing something bigger and better. I don't know what it is yet, but I am stoked. He is pulling us out of our comfort zones, and that usually means He is working.

Digging deep with a few folks I have been connecting with online since January. Last year I ran around like a teenager and wore myself out. I look forward to conversations this year.

Hudson is looking forward to:
Not having to fend for his life since big brother Behr is staying home.
Meeting his lady friends, Miss Phoebe and Miss Claire (and probably some other rocking babies too!)

We are both super excited to meet you all!

I am linking up with The Influence Conference.

Disclaimer: compensated affiliate links may be used in this post.

An Influence Meet Up + a bit about me

My mom snapped some photos while we were out and about this weekend. They might be the best maternity photos I have from this pregnancy. Plus, I was super excited because my non-maternity stitchfix top actually fit!

I am super excited about today's post - a chance for the women of The Influence Network to meet up and get to know one another better! If you haven't heard about it, read more here.  We would love to have you be part of our meet up/link up. Here are the rules:

1. you must be (or become!) a member of the Influence Network. 
2. one you link up, visit the person before you and share the love in their comment section (and a few others while you are at it!)
3.  in your post, include the following things: A photo of yourself that you love. Three get-to-know-me things. One valuable thing you've gained from The Influence Network. 

Here it goes...

Three things about me:

// I am 37.5 weeks pregnant and oh, so ready to welcome my second son into our itty bitty DC apartment. My family will literally be living on top of each other but we wouldn't have it any other way. We are so grateful that God has blessed us with two boys. Now we just can't wait to get to meet the little guy!

// I am an organized hoarder. I like everything meticulously sorted and yet I cringe when considering throwing things away. I have photos from high school and middle school in our closet, every christmas card we've received since 2006, and all of Behr's art projects from daycare. Each of these items is organized by date or size accordingly.

// When it comes to food I have an identity crisis. I visit markets, have participated in a CSA for years, and try my best to eat fresh and local. But I love the greasy beef tacos my work cafeteria sells, keep chocolate stashed away, and favorite condiment is sour cream. And yet, I research where my beef grazed, eat all of the crazy veggies that most people shy away from, and prefer to make food from scratch to avoid processed ingredients. For as healthy as I eat, I also spent most of my first pregnancy (with Behr) noshing on microwavable ez-mac. Question for the more experienced moms out there, how do you eat cookies without your kids catching you? :)

The most favorite thing I have learned on the influence network: 

// When you start a tweet with @twittername only people who follow you and that person see the tweet. This is just a tiny tip in the grand scheme of strategy points I have learned about twitter, pinterest, and ebooks along the way. And yet, it has liberated my tweets a bit. So now a few people get to see tweets between me and my sisters like this:

Yes, this seems crazy trivial. But the point is, I likely would have never figured out this small bit of info about twitter that changes the way I use the social media platform. Every time I turn around, The Influence Network is chock full of more tidbits that potential game changers. Now...go sign up and join the fun! I'd love to know you more through this link up! (psst...you can see all of the hosts of the link up on The Influence Blog)