I am thrilled to be attending the Declare Conference in October! I’ll be speaking on social media trends and how to be active online without losing our souls, but I am more excited to simply be present with other women who do what I do. The women who get it, who ask the good questions, who understand the hard to find balance of writing, working, family, and community. I can’t wait to sit under the teaching and encouragement of the other speakers, and to spend time reconnecting with online friends in real life.
Those hugs are good for my soul.
I’m answering a few “get to know you” questions to share with other attendees, but whether or not you’ll be at Declare, I’d love to hear your answers to some of these questions in the comments! Maybe pick one and answer it so we can get to know one another better? And if you WILL be in Texas next month, let me know! I am absolutely terrible and recognizing people, remembering names, or knowing why I should know you, so if you come up and we start chatting, please don’t be offended. I promise I’m happy to see you, I’m just typically a bit shy and awkward at these things.
Declare Attendee Q&A
When did you feel called to be a digital evangelist, what’s your main medium (podcast / blogging / books / speaking / social media / etc.), and how long have you been doing it?
I have been blogging since 2009 but didn’t feel called to be a digital evangelist until a few years later. I realized that I had the ability to use this space to share what God was doing in my life, encourage other women who were going through similar situations, and dedicate my social media channels to spreading the gospel to the far ends of the earth simply by sharing my life.
What is your life scripture?
Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know I am God.”
What are your passions?
Writing, encouraging others, reading, helping my mom with her handmade soap business, and serving right where God has called me. Also, dirty chai lattes, salted caramel ice cream, queso, reality television, and some shows that probably are NSFD (not safe for Declare) 😉
What is your favorite candy and / or food?
Ice cream.
Where is your happy place and what’s it like?
Our local Starbucks – it’s where most of my book was written and where I get the most work done when I need to avoid the work-at-home distractions of dishes and laundry. The music is terrible, but the coffee is great.
Are you working on any exciting projects that you can share about? If so, please share!
My first book, “Holy Hustle,” which includes quite a bit of my journey since the early days of my blog, will be out September 1, 2018 with Harvest House, and Write 31 Days (the writing challenge I run) kicks off October 1st.
How can we pray for you as you prepare for this year’s conference?
Pray that I would get out of the way and God’s words would become clear. Social media trends aren’t something I talk about, but I want to be able to meet the needs of the attendees in a way that balances practical tips and tools with some serious holy hustle encouragement.
I am both “how did I not know that?” and totally not surprised at your life scripture… Explains a lot about why I love your heart so much. 🙂 See you soon!
Hi! Crystal, Look forward meeting you at Declare!!! 🙂 Misty
Hey Crystal,
This is my first year at Declare. I’m a little (okay, a lot) nervous. I love what you said about that you are typically shy and awkward at these kinds of things. I feel like I am around people in general until I know them well, so this is way out of my comfort zone. Thank you for making me feel less alone in my awkward shyness.
Favorite candy: I’d like to add a Hershey’s dark chocolate candy bar to your ice cream. ?
Looking forward to meeting you, Julia! Don’t be nervous – you couldn’t have picked a nicer group of random strangers to spend a few days with 😉 And since I live super close to Hershey, PA, your addition to my ice cream is perfect!