We just concluded our first Business Boutique, a 2-day conference in Nashville, Tennessee focused on empowering women to step into their God given gifts and make money doing what they love.

Let me start by saying WHAT A WORTHWHILE TRIP.

Gale & I with Christy Wright

We attended this particular conference for 2 reasons:

1. Because although we have an established business and we already make money doing what we love, we are starting on a new journey (working on a video course which is a brand new product for us) and wanted to start that new branch of our business the right way.
2. We are sponsoring the entire 2017 calendar year of Business Boutique 1-Day events that will occur in different cities around the country, and wanted to experience first hand the conference, speakers, meet vendors, other women, and learn about their needs so we can make the most of our presence at these wonderful events next year.

There were a ton of great sessions, including multiple by Christy Wright on everything from the basic foundations of your business through crushing fear and having a work/life balance (and what that ACTUALLY means). There was a session by Dave Ramsey on The Power of Intentionality, one by his daughter Rachel Cruze on money (but so much more than that), and many more on topics like list building, selling (and what that actually means), story branding, and even a Q&A with Lady Antebellum’s Nicolle Scott (who performed Saturday morning for us).

Me & Rachel Cruze after her talk on money and avoiding comparison with others

Seeing Dave Ramsey talk was such an honor! What an incredible speaker.

I’d love to summarize each session that we were in, and may do that as I have time to type up our notes, but that one session that really blew me away in terms of impact was Christine Caine’s There’s Something About Mary. Christine spoke with such casual phrases yet such energy and power, such passion, that I was honestly a bit stunned after she was finished.

I think I looked like a goat might, minding its own business, eating some grass or a can or whatever the heck goats eat, and all of a sudden sees an angel swoop down and pick up a bunch of goats and give them hugs and a 7-11 Slurpee and fly away yelling ‘GOD BE WITH YE, GOATS!’

Christine’s main message was that we must shoot for the impossible – don’t shoot for things we can achieve ourselves. We must leave a God gap, she says, because (in my words) that’s how we welcome him into our lives / our work. “Impossible is where God starts,” said says. ‘DO NOT SAY NO WHEN GOD SAYS GO,” she yelled. Her personal stories were unexpected and shocking and vulnerable and inspiring, and the amount of scripture she recited without breathing was evidence of God’s power itself to keep someone alive for that long without oxygen.

Alright, you get the point – I was blown away by her. Her talk made me slightly more comfortable with openly acknowledging God in my business. She just made it seem so… normal? No, definitely not normal. Important, maybe? I don’t know, but I freaking loved it. Her talk set me up for Day 2 of the conference and so much more was learned and I spoke to so many more women intentionally than I did on Day 1.

A lot was said about websites during the conference. The topic of a business website came up in 3 or 4 different sessions, all making different points. In all instances, having a website was ‘assumed’, meaning the speakers made it clear that a website is kind of a given in today’s world, especially in terms of starting a business without needing tons of capital or a store front to be successful.

In my opinion (obviously) having a website is THE thing that allows you to HAVE a business in today’s internet reliant world.

There are certainly other ways to ‘get your message out’ and other places to sell your products on, but having your own website sets your business free.”

As someone who just attended the whole Business Boutique and took every piece of advice to heart, I can say that I COMPLETELY GET what you are trying to do with your life and business. I am there too, honestly. Not only that, but I attended the sessions you attended, learned the things you learned, was inspired by the messages you heard, and am on the same page that you are.

MY God given gift is building beautiful, easy to use, well organized, functional websites for businesses. I would be honored to bring my God given gift to your business and help you grow.

Please email or call me (214-519-3406), I’d love to meet you and hear about your dreams and goals, and build you a gorgeous website for your beautiful self!

P.S. I’m not typically open about my religious beliefs, especially in business. I’m not gonna go into why that may be, but this conference made me feel really good about openly acknowledging Him in relation to my business. There was a lot of bible-focused messaging and it was honestly ALWAYS appropriate and inspiring.

Oh, also, Jess Connolly was the Emcee and was so bubbly and fantastic and I realized, watching her up there talking, that we’d be great friend. Of course she doesn’t know me so she’d have no way of knowing that, therefore I told her when I bought her book (and kind of made her put ‘Future Best Friends’ in it… weird?). Picture proof of our instant friendship (and much to grow) included. 🙂

What a great job Dave Ramsey & company, and Christy Wright & team have done with this event.

One last thing: We just included in Design Rush’s Top Website Developers! Super exciting.