The Achieve Conference for Bloggers
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This week, I cannot wait to share with you all about the Achieve Conference! This conference is a fun-filled, 3-day business event for bloggers to be held in Waco, TX again on October 2-4, 2023. Corey Hudson with Hudson Farmhouse and Kelly Ballard with City Girl Meets Farm Boy have put together this amazing opportunity for you to meet other creative business owners in the blogging space, learn new strategies for your business, and unwind a little.
Learn more about the event and get your ticket here below.
The Achieve Conference for Bloggers
Corey and Kelly have worked hard to put this first annual blogging conference together for you. They are bringing you, top-notch instructors, for each social media platform as well as experts on taxes and business planning.
Listen in as they share with us all about:
- What to expect at this blogging conference
- How to prepare to get the most from your experience
- Discovering new relationships in the industry
- Who the conference is for
In this episode, we cover:
- Dates of the event
- Fun shopping excursions
- Yummy meals & cocktails provided
- Lodging for the event
- All about the “prom” night finale
Links and resources mentioned during this episode:
- Visit the conference website, Achieve Conference
- Connect with others on the conference’s social media Facebook and Instagram
- Special Discount for ticket purchase with code: @southerncrushathome
- Podcast Interview with Kristin Stockdale HERE
- Podcast Interview with Miriam Illions HERE
- Podcast Interview with KariAnne Wood HERE
- Podcast Interview with Kelly Ballard HERE
- ABC Always Be Collaborating and other things to remember at a conference
- 7 Favorite Magnolia Market Shops in Waco, TX
- Connect with Melanie on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest
- Liking the show? Write a review!
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Complete Transcript of this Episode
Welcome back to the podcast. This week, I am so over the moon excited to share with you guys about a new conference. Now, you may be thinking, oh, my goodness, a conference. Yes, my friends, these are some of the best ways to grow your business, believe it or not, and in person is absolutely crucial. The dynamics are totally different than anything online. And I have guests this week that are going to share with us all about their brand new conference called the Achieve Conference. So, without further ado, I’m going to introduce to you guys Corey Hudson with Hudson Farmhouse and Kelly Ballard with City Girl meets Farm Boy. The blogs. Kelly, Corey, welcome to the podcast.
Kelly: Thank you.
Corey: Yes, thank you for having us. We are so excited.
I cannot believe I have the two founders of this conference on the podcast with us. Girls, girls, girls. Tell us about the Achieve Conference. Corey, you go first.
Corey: Well, we’re excited to bring the chief conference to Waco. We love Texas, and we just want to bring everybody together and learn. Our speakers are going to teach some amazing classes on subjects we all want to learn about social media, small business, all the social platforms, taxes, that kind of stuff. So we’re excited to have men and women come to learn how to grow their business and achieve more.
Yeah, that’s where the achievement comes in. Kelly, anything you want to add to that?
Kelly: Yes, we just strongly believe that there is room for everybody on these social media platforms and for small business owners to grow their business on social media. And so we want to make sure this conference is an all inclusive. No matter your size, no matter your niche, you have a place with us.
Love that. I love that. So speaking of finding your place and your spot, expect, if you’re brand new to conferences, how can you expect to get the most out of attending a conference like yours. Kelly, you want to start us out?
Kelly: Yes. We’ve been working hard to make sure every single class and section recession that we have pertains to every single person that comes, whether we’re going to have small business and content creation right in the same hour so that everybody has an opportunity to learn and grow. We also encourage you to come and leave all your worries behind and be ready to meet and mingle with everyone you cross paths with because every single person has something to share and something to learn from and you have something to offer. And so when you come to our conference, you’re just ready to meet and greet and connect with everyone.
And Corey, anything additional for how to prepare?
Corey: I would just maybe bring some business cards and just get ready to, like she said, open up, be willing to meet people. We’re going to have plenty of options to meet even our speakers, other attendees. And don’t be afraid to walk up to somebody and say hi, we’ll have badges with your names and stuff, so don’t be afraid to come out of your comfort zone a little, come say hi to Kelly and I and don’t be afraid to say, hi, I’m Corey with Hudson Farmhouse. And connect with people and dress is casual, so whatever you’re comfortable in to prepare, you might want to bring stuff to take good notes because we’re going to give you lots of stuff. You’re going to want to write a ton of stuff down.
Yes, I agree. So basically, if you are listening to this podcast and you’re considering attending the Achieve Conference, it sounds as if Kelly and Corey have created a really safe, small environment where you can actually meet people one on one. Not be afraid to put yourself out there because it is going to be all-inclusive. I absolutely love that no matter the size of your audience, no matter the size of your blog or your business, you will fit in perfectly. So ladies, if I am right, this is going to be different from other conferences. Kelly, tell us exactly how it’s going to go down. Like, give us a little rundown of what the day looks like.
Kelly: Something that we’re so excited about. Our conference is even though we’re hustling and talking business and all the things, we are going to make it so much fun. We have MCs, Chris and Yvonne from Reclaimed Karma who are going to be playing so much music and we’re going to be just hyping everything up so that you’re not just like serious all the time, that you are just having such a great time letting things go and connecting with other people. And then we also have our amazing lunches that will be catered so you have classes, fun times, catered lunches, and then we have some amazing evening events that Corey can tell you about.
All right, Corey, tell us about the evening.
Corey: Well, the first night we have our welcome reception while we introduce our speakers and stuff. But after that comes the good stuff. We get to go to a hosted event at the Findery in Waco. And if you’ve been to Waco, you know what the Findery is. So that’s excited. They’re opening their doors and staying open late just for us. They will have some finger foods or desserts there. They have a bar with wine and beer and we get to go shopping. And that is super fun. There’s two stories in one location and right across the street it’s a huge building. So it’s going to be just for us, just for us to all learn. After me and I’m doing sessions, we have discussion where people can go and raise their hand and ask questions. So you’re not only going to learn what they want to teach you, if you have a question can ask a panel of experts your own questions. So no matter what, you’re going to get the information you need before you leave. And then Friday night is the Fairwell prom party. And again, casual dress. But if you want to dress, dress up. Fun. Per prom, we will be crowning the king and queen of social media. Someone who shares our taxes throughout the conference. She said fun. Lots of music and hanging out and really just mingling with everybody so we can just meet and greet and get those lasting relationships because that’s what Kelly and I like about these kind of things.
Definitely about the relationships. And it sounds like you guys have nailed it because you have a little bit of a mullet conference going on here. You got business in the front in the day and you got a party in the back in the night.
And so with that being said, I find that that’s super unique. So listen, if you are brand new to this like all of us are, because it’s the first year for this conference, they are having it in Waco, Texas. Now I’m a little partial to that because I’m literally about an hour away from there.
This is obviously Waco, the home of Magnolia Chip and Joanna Gaines. If you are living under a rock now, also Magnolia Bakery, magnolia the restaurant and I think they have like a new castle or something are going to be places that you could also add to your trip. If you are visiting and want to add an extra day at the beginning or the end of your trip, that’s always a super smart thing to do.
I would say if you can get away with it, add an afternoon to the beginning of your trip and a morning to the end. And that way you have time at the beginning of the trip to go sightseeing and at the end of the trip to actually sit down in a quiet spot maybe in your hotel room and take some additional notes and plans from what you’ve learned moving forward. Now back to the party in the back. So the Findery is which night? Thursday or Friday?
Kelly: Wednesday.
Wednesday. Got it. So Wednesday night the Findery. Guys, this is a fabulous store and it is right across the street from Magnolia. You cannot miss it. It has got some amazing decor for all of us, home decor bloggers, and it’s just a fun place to mingle, like they’ve set up with the little finger foods and stuff. And it also has a lot of great opportunities for you to get photos. So if you want to get photos of you with products or friends that you meet or places they even have, I think something on the outside where you can get a great shot. And so I think that that is something to get excited about. So Kelly and Corey, tell us about what conferences have done for your business in the past.
Kelly: Well, I can go if you would like. I’ll start first. So I believe that every single conference there is something that you can learn that no conference is better or worse than a different conference. I say attend as much as you can. Number one, you get educated. Number two, you make connections which are so powerful within the industry. And that’s how me and Corey have met and become business partners. And so any conference that you see, whether it’s small or large, if it feels right to you, I say go and learn and connect as much as you can.
I second that because relationships in this business are crucial not only to keep you from burnout, but to also propel you into the next level. So this is where a lot of your collabs start, just getting together with people who want to do roundups every week or whatever. It is something even as big as a conference like this that Kelly and Corey are doing. Corey, how about you? What is your experience with conferences and how has it made an impact on your business?
Corey: Honestly, I would not be sitting here today if it wasn’t for conferences. The very first conference I went to was in San Francisco and I didn’t know a single person. I was able to drive, it was close to home. So I went and I noticed somebody named Lena from farmhouse Frocks. I don’t know if you guys follow her, but I knew who she was instantly. I followed her online, her brand, for a long time and I just started talking to her and she thought, what do you do? And I’m like Pinterest. And we started talking. And then after that I helped her with her Pinterest for a year. And just that one connection has skyrocketed everything for me. I want to literally be here if I didn’t choose to go and sit on the couch with her.
I love that so that is also a lesson in putting yourself out there. And I think Kelly and Corey are doing a great job making sure that everybody feels included in this conference and feels comfortable enough with the situation to be able to walk up to anybody, join them on that couch, or you said you’re going to have a panel. I’m sure that after the panel, they’re going to be open to having people come up and talk to them one on one. So I think that you’ve covered all of the bases. I heard Kelly telling us a little bit, or maybe it was Corey. Now I’m getting confused about the itinerary for the actual event and the topics. Does anyone want to just kind of hit real quick the bullet point of the topics that are going to be covered?
Speaker E: Yeah, I can jump in on that. We made sure that we have everything when it comes to different platforms. So we have TikTokers coming with millions of followers. We have bloggers speaking Instagram specialists. We have you coming speaking about podcasts. Corey is totally hustling all of the Pinterest information. We have Kristin from Stockdale Design. She’s speaking all about Trello and how to keep your business organized. We have Jillian Sarah flying in from Europe, speaking about how to make money on your blog. So every single platform is going to be touched on, so there’s something for everybody.
Wow, that is so exciting.
Corey: Let me enter one more thing. But we also have technical stuff like taxes, contracts. We have an agent coming to help if that’s an avenue you want to have as an agent or work on contracts, that kind of stuff. So we have a little bit of everything.
So we definitely have the stuff that makes your business work as well as the things that help make your business work for you. So I like all of those ideas. That is awesome. Sounds like you’ve covered your bases. I’m so excited Kristin is going to be there. So, for those of you who aren’t familiar, Kristin Stockdale was a guest on my podcast previously, and I will link her episode below as well. But she hosts the Haven Conference, which we also love, and it’s a huge opportunity that we had this last July, so I am so excited. Tell us the dates of this conference and how we can get a ticket.
Corey: It’s October 5 through 7th in Waco, Texas, so it’s Wednesday through Friday, which we did on purpose, so you could stay the rest of the weekend in Waco if you wanted, and tickets are $349. And if you use your Instagram handle, your exact handle, you will get 5% off. And once you purchase your ticket, you can get a link to stay at the Hilton in Waco, which is connected to the convention center. So the room rates are 129 a night, so pretty inexpensive. And that Hilton. Like I said, connected. There’s a full restaurant and bar. Across the street are coffee shops, Mexican restaurants, the steakhouse, so you don’t even have to leave the area if you don’t want to. Of course, there’s Magnolia Table and the bakery and going to the Silos and stuff. It’s only a little bit over a month away, so might want to get your ticket soon.
I agree. And so I’ll drop links here in the show notes for everyone who’s listening that is interested in checking out more. And I would recommend that you, like Corey said, jump on your ticket now because if you’re even remotely considering something like this, time will slip away and you will get busy and you will forget and the hotel will end up the being full or at least the discounted rooms will end up being full. And you don’t want to miss an opportunity like this to get out there, get with someone new that you’ve never met before and just add that little something extra to your business. This year we’re going into fourth quarter. What better time to connect with people and see what it is that maybe you can do not only on just like a small level yourself, but blowing it up with others. So, Corey, Kelly, any final things that we should know about the Achieve Conference?
Kelly: And we just hope that anyone who wants to come and feels safe there. Often when we are just starting, we feel so insecure and we’re nervous to meet people who are really large in the industry. And all we can say is the only difference between you and them is time spent growing your brand or your business. And so you come and you get ready to connect with these people and we will make sure that everyone feels safe and ready to learn.
Corey: And please reach out to us. You can follow us at achieve conference on Instagram or Hudson Farmhouse. City girl meets farm boy. DMs. Email us at info@theachieveconference.com. We’re happy to help answer any questions you guys have.
And if hearing from the founders of this conference isn’t enough, I will just tell you they are wonderful, beautiful souls and you definitely don’t want to miss anything that they’re putting out there for you guys because they put their heart and souls into building this out to be the best experience that you can have, especially again if you are new or even if you’re seasoned. Everybody is welcome. I absolutely love this. Thank you ladies so much for sharing a little bit about it with us here on the podcast today.
Kelly: Thank you for having us. You’re such an amazing host.
You’re welcome. See you there. I’m excited. I cannot wait to share about podcasting. Bye.
