Type A Mastermind Bootcamp Recap #TypeAVegas

I recently returned from Type A’s Mastermind Bootcamp hosted in Las Vegas this past weekend. I was able to mix business with some much needed Diva Time with my two contributors to Divas With A Purpose, Sherika Washington of Worthy Words Writing Services and E’toshia McFarland of Faces by ETOSH. If you’re on Instagram, you can get a glimpse of our time in Vegas here. 

This was my 2nd Type-A event and the pattern that I see is that you get tangible takeaways from the start to the end!

Sony Pictures hosted our breakfast and we received a sneak peek of their new movie Miracles From Heaven. I was excited to see two of my favorite actresses – Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah – starring in it.

Miracles from Heaven is based on the amazing true story and memoir of Christy Beam, whose 10-year-old daughter, Ann, is diagnosed with a rare disease that tests their family’s trust in God. Christy desperately searches for a cure she’s told doesn’t exist and befriends Angela Bradford who helps bring everyday joy and hope back to the Beam family. After a near-tragic accident further threatens Anna, an impossible miracle changes her family’s life and faith forever.

The movie premiers March 16th and my family and I will definitely be going to see it together. It’s a tearjerker. The sneak peek had quite a few of us tearing up.

A representative from Sony was on hand to discuss the movie and ways they could best work with social media influencers. The majority of us in attendance were parents and very particular about the movies we introduce to our children and our audiences.

Type A Mastermind Sessions

Opening Keynote: Playing Hardball
Insisting on Your Worth with Jamie Lieberman and Danielle Liss
Co-Owners of Businessese

A recurring conversation among social media influencers is the importance of knowing our worth and charging appropriately. Female entrepreneurs are notorious for underselling ourselves. A great suggestion was to assign a reasonable dollar amount to the tasks you typically provide within your business – articles, videos, social media amplification, newsletter inclusion, etc. – and using that as a benchmark when negotiating.

[Tweet “Bloggers – we can’t be intimidated by our numbers. Know your true reach.”]

[Tweet “Don’t be afraid to say no. Know when you aren’t a good fit for a project and express that.”]

What’s Wrong with Your Affiliate Marketing and What You Can Do to Fix It
Abby Schaller, ShareASale Blogger Liason

Honestly, I do not focus much on outside affiliate programs.  Biggest takeaway from this session – I need to change that mindset and be selective and purposeful with the programs I partner with.

[Tweet “Be selective with the affiliate programs you partner with and establish a plan to promote.”]

Mastermind Goal-Setting Roundtables

This SMART Goal Loving Diva was very excited about these roundtable breakouts. Often when attending conferences it is easy to get caught up and excited. Tons of information, new contacts, reconnecting with old friends and then you go home and crash. All of those action items you listed out get pushed further and further down your must do list. Well, Type-A made sure we didn’t fall into that rut with these goal-setting roundtables. We met once to discuss our struggles and specific goals for our businesses and again after lunch to come up with specific action items. Most of the groups set up private Facebook groups so we can stay connected and focused on our specific action items as it relates to our Type A experience and our businesses. YES!!!

Sidenote: All of this was done before noon. I told you Type A Conferences are jam-packed with awesome takeaways!

Lunch with Luma:
Learn How Luma Protects Your Kids from Inappropriate Web Content 

I was first introduced to Luma at Type-A in Atlanta last year. I love this product and it is one that my husband and I plan on investing in. It is virtually impossible to keep your children off the Internet these days – from gaming devices to iPads and Chrome Netbooks for middle and high schoolers.

[Tweet “Did you know teens and tweens spend an average of 6-9 entertainment hours online? “]

Luma would definitely be a game-changer with Internet safety – the ability to monitor everything from your smart phone, setting filters, blocking sites and setting “rating” systems for specific devices. Oh – and always giving out your WiFi password? You can send email invites when having guests over and they can get one-time access without sharing your password.

Expert Roundtables:
Creating Your Own eCourse with Bolaji Oyejide

This is one of those tasks that I have continued to push down on my action list. Bolaji gave some great insight on how to set up your eCourse. The best advice (and most simple) – get out of your own way and just do it! I’ll be sharing additional details on my upcoming eCourse within the next week. (There goes that actionable item and accountability that Type-A is notorious for!)

One of the attendees even pulled out her laptop and started making updates to an eCourse she had recently launched because the tidbits and steps Bolaji shared were just that great!

Closing Keynote:
Taking Your Blog to the Next Level
Planning, Pitching and Profit with Sili Recio

Of course, after a day of intense goal planning, what better way to wrap it up than a keynote on planning (putting it all together), pitching and profit (gotta talk about the bottom line with business owners!).

Sili shared some great action items during her keynote. One of my favorite points she made was the importance of planning. I’ve often repeated the famous quote that failing to plan is planning to fail. Take that and apply it to your business and you will always feel overwhelmed and underprepared if you do not have a specific plan for your business.

As a social media influencer, over the past few years I have realized the importance of treating my blog as a business – from setting a budget, having a business plan and setting specific hours to work.

[Tweet “Know your worth so you can ask for it. What do you bring to the table? “]