Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Not that we’re name dropping, but…

With the agenda finalized, we are ready to start sharing a few more details about the conference…Up first? Details and speakers for each of the breakout sessions.

Really excited today to provide you with some of the details for our first breakout session:
Inside the Creative Business: How four women turned a hobby into a thriving business

Shealynn Benner (SheyB), Erin Edwards (The Vintage Pearl), Ashley Hackshaw (Lil Blue Boo) and Kim Stoegbauer  (TomKat Studio) operate four of the most well-known brands in the blogosphere. Though they come from varied backgrounds, each has channeled their creative talent to develop a thriving business on the web.

Shey, Erin, Ashley and Kim will share their story, along with providing valuable insight into the ins and outs of operating a successful creative business.

Read more about them here:

Shey-1 Shealynn Benner – SheyB
Shealynn, Shey or The Camera Strap Girl lives in Arizona and is married to her dream of a husband, Mike. They have 2 beautiful girls, Angelina (8 years) and Zoe Rae (4 years). 

In 2008, Shealynn started *Shey*[B] on a whim after struggling with her uncomfortable camera strap during long photo shoots. She needed a solution - and, that solution would lead to what *Shey*[B] is today. Her business has grown leaps and bounds since then - and she's excited to continue to add fresh, new designs and products to her ever growing line.

She's Shey. The camera-strap-girl...transforming DSLR camera straps from blah to beautiful. 

Shealynn's business has been featured in InStyle Magazine (Germany), and Australia's hottest fashion magazine, Frankie. She has also been featured on many of the web's hottest blogs.

Blog: www.shealynnbenner.com
Camera Strap Shop: www.sheyb.bigcartel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shealynn
Twitter: sheyb

erinb&w272-2 Erin Edwards – The Vintage Pearl
Erin Edwards started her business, The Vintage Pearl, in 2007 as a creative outlet while staying at home with her kids. Over the course of the three years since she began her business, demand has increased to the point that she recently opened a store front in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Erin has used The Vintage Pearl as a way to give back to the community and bless others. She works closely with several non profits, including international ministries and orphanages.

Erin lives in Oklahoma with her high school sweetheart Ryan, and their children Caleb, Jonah, Tess and Eden.

The Vintage Pearl has been feautred all over the web on blogs like The Pioneer Woman and Nie Nie Dialogues. Erin’s work has also been featured in Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living and Rachel Ray.

Blog: www.thevintagepearl.blogspot.com
Shop: www.thevintagepearl.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=101361415722
Twitter: www.twitter.com/thevintagepearl

 


IMG_8098-1

Ashley Hackshaw – Lil Blue Boo
Ashley Hackshaw's Lil Blue Boo blog is where her love of designing, sewing, painting, power tools and motherhood all intersect.....patterns, tutorials, photos,
T-shirts, tantrums, beads, rocks, buttons, fabric, leaves, thread, ribbon, paint, dye, paper, tape, wood.........if only there were more hours in the day! Lil Blue Boo is all about encouraging others to find their creative streak.

After a former career in investment banking, Ashley threw herself full time into motherhood and following her passion for anything and everything creative.

Ashley's Lil Blue Boo clothing line and sewing patterns grew out of Ashley's love of new and reclaimed knits and embellishing them with silk screens, dye and transfers. Her passion is coming up with unique one-of-a-kind and limited edition knit clothing for adults and children.

Blog: www.lilblueboo.com or www.lilblueboo.blogspot.com
Clothing & pattern shop: www.lilblueboo.bigcartel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lilblueboo
Twitter: lilblueboo

 

kim stoegbauer - the tomkat studio-2 Kim Stoegbauer – TomKat Studio
Kim is a mom of two little ones, Tommy & Kate who left her real estate career to be home with her children. She decided to start a blog to showcase her creative projects including incredible parties and home decorating.

The blog quickly gained a loyal following and soon her fans were asking her to create party designs for them. She opened up shop in March 2009, and her business has grown at a record pace. Her website receives over 150,000 visits a month and she connects everyday with her over 11,000 fans on Facebook! She loves inspiring other women moms to start their own businesses and believes that you can indeed "have it all!"


Kim has been featured on Martha Stewart's website, In Style Magazine & The Arizona Republic, and the web's most popular party blogs!

Blog: www.TheTomKatStudio.com
Etsy Shop: www.tomkatstudio.etsy.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thetomkatstudio
Twitter: tomkatstudio