Last week I went to NYC to attend the Blogher18 Creator Summit. I have been blogging for almost four years, but I only have been to one conference as a blogging workshop host to share my experience. Since this year, I started blogging full-time. I quickly realized the to treat this as a real business, not my hobby anymore. That means, my mindset and knowledge need some serious update. So, I have set some budget aside to learn more.
Before I went, I already prepared myself for the kind of outcome I will get out of it. Just like I have read, I met a few people there that were not so pleased with the conference. For me, the bigger conferences, like BlogHer, are usually good for learning the new trends and strategies in the world of blogging, social media, and technology. If I want to learn some hands-on skills, like how to take better photos, I will pick a small-size workshop to get the tools that I need for blogging.
Anyway, below are some notes I took during the two-day conference.
1. We post daily as an influencer, so we must find our purpose. After finding the why, everything we post will be within a system and serve for the purpose.
2. If a small business has no heart, it will not connect with clients very well. Be the storyteller, and interact with clients.
3. When there are more people depending on you, you have more power. So, be the expert or at least place yourself as an expert.
4. Brands are looking for the storytelling-type influencers more and more.
5. Use IG story to show your personality
6. Decide on what my values are for followers. Entertaining? Educational? Inspiring?
7. 80% of the content online that people consume is videos.
8. People love IG Stories better than IGTV now. But, I bet this will change after they get used to IGTV.
9. When creating videos, the sound quality comes first, then the lighting.
10. Best tools for videos: Adobe Sparks/ FiLMiC Pro app
11. The blog is not dead yet. In fact, it is the platform that no one can take away because it is yours. But someday Instagram can change, or disappear.
BlogHer has been known as an empowering event for women.
Marie Forleo (named by Oprah as a thought leader for the next generation!) shared the strategies to create a career and life.
#WinningWomen:
Gabrielle Union had a candid conversation on issues that affect women everywhere. With a dose of humor and empathy, Gabrielle taught us all a lesson on empowerment and self-love.
Maria Menounos discussed her career as a journalist, and how she uses her platform for good. I can’t believe her mom and her both got brain cancer almost the same time. They both fight back and are healthy now. She mentioned so much about finding a life purpose, which is so dear to my heart.
Then Amy Schumer surprised us with a short, and funny, talk on women empowerment.
Overall, we need to see the bigger picture of helping others, and not just focusing on personal success.
Photo credit: Grace Liang
Thank you for reading! If you like what you read, please comment below, or share it with your friends. For new post updates, don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter. For all the amazing fashion/beauty and lifestyle products I share, follow me on Instagram. Of course, remember to check out my daily Instagram stories to know me better as a person. Finally, make sure to follow me on YouTube for my fashion, beauty and lifestyle videos. Have a great day and see you soon!
The past 18 months of my life has been an awakening journey. First, I lost my man, who was my soulmate, my best friend, and my husband. A few months later, I almost drowned in my own pool. When I finally poked my head out of the water, I realized how good it felt to be able to breath again. All these events have taught me how lucky I am to still have the chance to live. So from that moment on, I decided to really live like I meant it. That was the beginning of my new journey of “Being the Best of Me.”
I believe the best of me should be reflected both inside and out. I listen to inspirational and spiritual speeches every morning. I give love to at least one person, even if it’s a stranger on the street, every day. I jot down many small things that I feel grateful for before I go to bed every day. I eat very healthy and go to the gym an average of 4 times a week. I am doing pretty well. But I am struggling with some persistent, stubborn areas of fat that don’t respond to normal exercise and diet. There are places like my tummy which just won’t budge no matter how healthy I eat or how many planks I do. Every time I do a photo shoot, I have to tell my photographer many times, “Remind me to tuck in my tummy!” It works in most of the photos, but some poses I just can’t tuck it in enough. Below are some examples pf photo that are almost good, if I could just lose my belly fat. 😉
When CoolSculpting® reached out to me about a collaboration, I was quite excited because I have heard about how this treatment could be the perfect solution for getting rid of my stubborn fat. How cool would it be if I could finally reach my ideal body goal, right? But at the same time I was nervous too. Is this treatment safe? Will it hurt? Do I have to take many days off? It seemed like CoolSculpting® could read my mind. Lol! I was invited to their headquarters in Pleasanton, CA this past June to learn about the CoolSculpting Treatment Process and the science behind it.
I was such good a student! Below is what I have learned about CoolSculpting® treatment.
Developed by Harvard scientists, CoolSculpting is a non-surgical, clinically proven treatment that selectively reduces unwanted fat using a patented cooling technology. Cleared by the FDA, CoolSculpting works by gently cooling targeted fat cells in the body to induce a natural, controlled elimination of fat cells without affecting surrounding tissue, and the treated fat cells are gone for good. Millions of CoolSculpting treatments have been performed in more than 80 countries. CoolSculpting is available through a network of CoolSculpting Centers worldwide. Dermatologists, plastic surgeons and aesthetic specialists that offer CoolSculpting can be found at www.coolsculpting.com.
Have you ever tried the Slimming Machine in the photo above? During our training sessions, many people shared their crazy stories of trying to lose stubborn fat. I was using the starving method. My record was 2 days without any food and I fainted. It was not good or cool. I found these videos from THAT’S COOL vs NOT COOL campaign to be quite funny. What was your story? Share with us in the comment area!
About two weeks ago, I went to visit Dr. Boyd in downtown Birmingham, Michigan to get my initial consultation and treatments. I was quite surprised to find out that Dr.Boyd is also a camera pro! Lol! He showed me a couple of his cool cameras. Somehow those small conversations reduced my anxiety level. 😉
Then I met the esthetician Kayla. It seemed like she has a special ability to make me feel relaxed too. Lol, we chitchatted for a while and decided on a treatment plan. I got my upper abdomen and lower abdomen done, along with my bra fat area. Before I talk about the process, I would like you to see the BEFORE photos that I took that morning before I went to get my treatment.
You can watch this IGTV Video to see the whole process.
Here are more details from my treatment experience: Kayla placed an applicator onto my upper abdomen and it “sucked” up a bulge of skin, working to freeze fat below the surface. Kayla told me if I was going to feel anything, it would be the first 5 minutes. I was a little bit scared. I always feel I have very sensitive nerves, so I feel pain very easily. Therefore, I asked Kayla to ask me some questions so I could take my mind off it. She did, and after all her questions, it was already way past the first 5 minutes. I seriously was not in pain at all. I felt the initial suction and coldness, but it quickly faded to numbness. One session takes about 35 minutes, so the rest of the time I was just working on my phone.
When the timer went off, Kayla took the applicator off and then gave the treated area a massage. She told me manual massages works to break up frozen treated fat cells which will then be gone for good, eventually being eliminated via my body’s normal processes. When the applicator just came off, my skin was quite red. About one hour later, it was back to normal. That evening I went to the gym and did two hours of classes, one was the normal high-intensity workout and one was yoga. I was quite pleased.
In the days following, when I touched the treated areas, I did feel a little tenderness. A week later, my skin felt a little itchy. Kayla told me that I should see results within one to 3 months. I really can’t wait to show you guys my AFTER photos! 🙂
So now I had done it, I went back to my normal life activities right away. I like that the CoolSculpting treatment is a completely non-surgical, clinically proven, safe way to freeze away stubborn fat for good without surgery and with little to no downtime. In the U.S., the CoolSculpting procedure is FDA-cleared for the treatment of visible fat bulges in the submental area, thigh, abdomen, and flank, along with bra fat, back fat, underneath the buttocks (also known as banana roll), and upper arm. It is also FDA-cleared to affect the appearance of lax tissue with submental area treatments. I also like that the treatment is personalized and simple. CoolSculpting treatment is performed in a medical office under the direction of a licensed physician. Patients work with their physician to develop a customized treatment plan tailored to their bodies. I feel good that I have a say about what we are doing with my body.
I have learned that CoolSculpting® is not for those who want to lose weight. It is perfect for people who already have a healthy lifestyle, but just want to get rid of stubborn fat that does not respond to diet and exercise. I am going to continue my gym routine and eating healthy, but it is good to know that I can speed up the process of getting my ideal body by using this treatment!
Photo credit: Grace Liang/📷: @balancedlane_
Thank you for reading! If you like what you read, please comment below, or share it with your friends. For new post updates, don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter. For all the amazing fashion/beauty and lifestyle products I share, follow me on Instagram. Of course, remember to check out my daily Instagram stories to know me better as a person. Finally, make sure to follow me on YouTube for my fashion, beauty and lifestyle videos. Have a great day and see you soon!
