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Influence Conference: Get to know you questions

I’m really looking forward to meeting the 200 or so women who will be at the Influence Conference next week in Indianapolis. Many of the gals have been using their blogs to introduce themselves before we all converge on Indy. (Did I mention the conference hotel is attached to a mall?)

 

So I’m following this structure from Kimberly over at ThisHealthyEndeavor.com.

 

What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod?

Pretty much anything country or 1990s tunes (there, I’ve dated myself).

 

If you had to work on only one project for the next year, what would it be?

I serve as the president of the nonprofit organization Postpartum Support Charleston and would love to devote a year to that organization and my own personal work educating the public, women and medical professionals about PPD while helping to break the stigma of this illness.

 

What story does your family always tell about you?
My grandparents like to talk about when they helped me move from Ohio to Texas after college. My grandpa says it was the hardest thing he ever did leaving me in a new town where I was about to start a new job and didn’t know anyone. But it turned out to be an amazing experience where I had a great job as a newspaper reporter, made some lifelong friends and met my husband.

 

The best part of waking up is?

Coffee! I’m an early riser and love having a little time to myself in the morning so I can start the day reading my Bible or a devotional book and praying. Then I go to CrossFit, which I love.

 

What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?

My favorite time of day is the early morning because it’s peaceful. Sometimes I don’t mind Mondays because the weekends are often so hectic! Growing up in Ohio, I dreaded fall because it meant a brutal winter was just around the corner. But now living Charleston, I love October and November – we finally stop sweating!

 

With my husband, Clint, and daughter, Kate.
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A new direction of influence

Next week I’m headed off to the Influence Conference in Indianapolis to learn new ways that I might have influence.  Here’s a conference description.

 

“We believe that God has given you influence right where you are, for one purpose: to make much of Him. At Influence we’re going to dig into the common thread of all of us – the Good News. We plan on doing a little teaching, talking, sharing, and celebrating concerning the ways He might want to use you on the individual platforms He’s given.”

 

I’m excited for this event for two reasons: one, I get a weekend away with girlfriends and the conference hotel is attached to a mall! Two, I want to use this time to really hone my purpose. If you follow my story, you know I’ve been devoting a good deal of time and energy to spreading awareness about postpartum depression. About two years after my own PPD struggles, I really felt God calling me to work in this area.

 

Part of me needed to find a reason I had experienced such a difficult period in my life. I needed to know something good could come from that. I also felt strongly that Christian women suffering with PPD needed a resource. My initial thought was to write a book about my experience and that of other women and give it a spiritual focus.

 

I began the book – the research and some writing. I have two chapters drafted (not a particularly stellar start). But a couple of months ago, the idea of the book became less appealing. Writing is no small task and while I’ve written hundreds – maybe even thousands – of newspaper and magazine articles, I had never written a book. And let me tell you, it’s hard. It’s also a lengthy process. The writing and revisions take months or years. Then there’s the process of finding a publisher, and I knew it could be three to five years before I had a book in my hands.

 

Maybe this isn’t the best way to fulfill my mission. And so I’m rethinking my direction. I’m leaning toward creating an online community and reaching women that way. It feels more immediate and direct – and more successful. I’m not saying “never” to the idea of a book. I’m just saying “not right now.”

 

So my desire at this Influence Conference next week is to gain more focus and direction for this idea of an online platform – how to develop and grow it so that I may have influence.