Blogging Tips, Self Worth and ALT Summit 2014 Recap.  LivingLocurto.com

I have been traveling for the past month and just now able to sit down and write about my experience at ALT Summit. Thanks to Design Mom and the ALT team who did a fantastic job with this amazing conference!

This might be long and boring for those of you who come here for my DIY craft and party ideas, but I know many of you own your own blog or business and might enjoy this information.

As much as I love inspiring you to be more creative, I am also very passionate about helping those with blogs and small businesses grow!

Blogging Tips, Self Worth and ALT Summit 2014 Recap.  LivingLocurto.com
Allison and me

If you have ever met me in person, you will know that I can talk non-stop about creative business ideas. I love motivating people to strive for more and enjoy brainstorming creative ways to make money. 

One of my goals for 2014 is to do more speaking, so I started the year off by talking about the business of blogging and making money at ALT. I have written some articles here for creative entrepreneurs and bloggers, but never a public speech about how I personally run my business. My “Pricing for Your Worth” talk at ALT was my experiment. It was a scary way to see if anyone cared or was at all interested in learning from my experiences. {eek!}

So I took a chance…

Imagine walking through a huge hallway full of creative business women, mostly fashion and DIY bloggers. Everyone looks like they stepped out of a magazine, the energy of the event is buzzing with excitement!

Blogging Tips, Self Worth and ALT Summit 2014 Recap.  LivingLocurto.com

Women full of happiness as they meet other bloggers, beautiful girls taking photos together, groups of women looking at the program trying to decide which panel they will listen to next.

Blogging Tips, Self Worth and ALT Summit 2014 Recap.  LivingLocurto.com

All the while, I’m walking through this sea of beauty wondering if anyone will come to my talk about Pricing for Your Worth? –>It’s kind of funny that I started doubting my worth right before getting ready to do a talk about it. Silly me!

I didn’t choose the most exciting topic, but to me, it’s hugely important. When I was in my 20’s and starting my business, I wish I had someone to give me advice and a big ol’ pep talk about self worth, pricing, negotiating, and confidence.

Blogging Tips, Self Worth and ALT Summit 2014 Recap.  LivingLocurto.com

After finding my table, I began wondering if everyone would skip my presentation to listen to other amazing speakers or hang out with brands like Cricut who had the coolest room at ALT!

To my amazement… people actually came to hear me speak!

Blogging Tips, Self Worth and ALT Summit 2014 Recap.  By Amy Locurto Speaker LivingLocurto.com

Each day, my table got so full of people, many had to pull over chairs from a neighboring table and squeeze in behind the first row of chairs. I was very happy to see so many talented women eager to learn and willing to open up a conversation about money and business. A topic that is rarely discussed at blog conferences.

Blogging Tips by Amy Locurto Texas Blogger Speaking- ALT Summit. LivingLocurto.com

So I talked and I talked. I have been asked numerous times to share my notes, to tell others what I said, but I went on another trip immediately after ALT and haven’t had a moment to stop and think about it until now.

What I discovered was business and self-worth are topics that I love to discuss! I’m so happy I took this chance.

I have run a design business for 15 years, but the business of blogging is very different.  Blogging is a LOT of hard work. With so much competition, and exhaustion from working in any spare time available… bloggers often begin to get doubts. The digital world changes so often that there is no handbook. It’s a tough business to be in for sure!

 

So what did I talk about?

Blogging Tips by Amy Locurto a DIY Lifestyle Blogger and Speaker ALT Summit - LivingLocurto.com

I spoke for a solid hour and a half, so it’s hard to narrow down my talk. The main thing is this… people are not charging enough for their time and talent in this space! My goal is for us all to value our worth.

For example, I met a man on my flight to ALT who is getting funds for his organization from wealthy business people. He was advised to work with “mommy bloggers”.  He thought it was fate that I was sitting next to him. So out of all of the ways he could promote his organization… get celebrity endorsements, print ads, etc…. he was told to work with bloggers! Not just any bloggers… but women and mom bloggers!

This is a great example of the huge influence we have in the digital space. It takes a ton of time to figure out blogging, create content and keep social media channels updated. Besides the time involved, you have to have the guts to open up your life to the public, then spend money to keep everything going. But unfortunately, many bloggers fail to value their worth and will work for free shoes or diapers. I don’t know anyone with a job outside of blogging who would ever work for shoes… unless they were a $1,000 pair of shoes… maybe. As much as I love fancy shoes, they don’t pay my bills. 

Figure out what you really want to do.

I stressed the importance of setting goals and working on your own brand. Make sure when you do work for other companies, that you are on the path to your end goal. If you accept work that gets you off of that path, it’s not worth doing unless you get paid well.

It all comes down to valuing your worth, taking chances and working with brands who understand the value of social media influencers.

I just read a fantastic article by Dan R. Morris…

“A good blog is a result of many hours of research, photographs, engagement, writing and sacrifice. And the love bloggers get from their audiences is unmatched by billboards, infomercials and magazine ads. But for some reason most Brands still don’t understand blogging enough to put their marketing department muscle behind it. “

I understand sometimes brands refuse to pay bloggers. {Sigh!} I also understand that we all have to start somewhere. Just remember your goals and strive to achieve them and more!!

Think hard about whether doing something is worth taking the time out of building your own brand and time away from your family. Price accordingly and don’t say yes just because everyone else is doing it.

Stop Comparing Yourself Quote - LivingLocurto.com

Since coming home from ALT, I have received some great messages from the lovely women who joined my classes! I’m so happy I was able to provide some useful advice. If you came to my talk and still reading this long post, thanks so much… it was so wonderful meeting you! 

I’m excited to be making some BIG changes in my business soon and can’t wait to share them with you. Look for more business tips in 2014 along with my usual DIY creative ideas.

Do you struggle with self worth? How can you value yourself and business more?

 

 P.S. – I’ll be speaking at two more great blogging conferences this year. Come join me!!

 

Photos by Brooke Dennis and Justin Hackworth

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23 Comments

  1. Thank you for sharing your tips and ideas. It was so hard to make it to every class. Great insights.

  2. I so needed to read this right now and am crossing my fingers that you will be speaking at SNAP! This is something that so many of us (bloggers) struggle with…I get countless emails per week, and struggle to not just accept the free stuff, but I am definitely working on it…thanks for sharing, Amy!

  3. That’s just crazy talk. What makes me sad, is there are people who are probably doing it for that because they are not valuing their worth. My goal is to change that. Baby steps:-) Thanks for stopping by!

  4. Thanks for stopping by Julie! There are many brands that get it and more are coming around. To some, we are just press, but really we are influencers and people trust us because we are real people and truthful. Can’t beat that! I will be writing more soon. Good luck with everything:-)

  5. Great post! I loved meeting you at the Cricut event. I wish I could have stuck around to hear you talk at ALT. I had an epiphany while at the Cricut launch after being around so many creative woman. It is similar to what you said, about making sure that something that takes you off your path is worth it. So I asked for 4 times as much on a recent offer to work with a company (old me would have said yes), because I knew there was more value in creating my own content vs content for a brand at that price. I fully expected a no. They said yes!

  6. PRICING! Always a tough subject. As a speaker, I totally understand this perpetual struggle. Sounds like you did great! You know, you really should take a speaking class….:)))!!!!

  7. I love this topic Amy. Reading about free diapers made me giggle!! I would definitely make a few post in exchange for diapers….if I can get at least 6 months supply, LOL but of course I will need the specific brand my little one uses.
    I am just the regular mom that likes to bake, and blog once in a blue moon and I do refused to make a post to promote a product for free, or for a link. I value my time, and I rather spend it with my children.

  8. Well said Amy! I’m sorry I didn’t have the opportunity to visit your round table & meet you. I hope you consider writing more on this soon. It seems a lot of brands realize there is always a blogger that will work for free/in exchange for product & don’t feel the need to pay bloggers. My approach to this is building something they desperately want to be a part of! I noticed I made it into one of your photographs…thank heavens I was only somewhat awkward! Thanks again for sharing!

  9. I was just talking to someone about this yesterday when I was asked to do recipe creation & a post in exchange for a $5 product. Really?! As much as felt mean saying no- I have to value the time that I put in to doing that. $5 is not worth time away from my family to do that. So happy you are speaking on this topic. Hoping that more brands start to understand that what we do isn’t easy & it should be valued.

  10. Thanks so much Stacy for being a great cheerleader! I am flattered that I have made some kind of influence on you:-) I hope you’ll remember me when you’re famous. LOL! Which I expect you to be.

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