I’ve been dreaming of this for a year now and am thrilled to announce the first-ever Making Things Happen™ workshop :: an intensive designed to fire you up for the coming year.  I invite you to spend an afternoon with me making a clear, active, successful plan for 2010.

I’ve been blessed to be overwhelmed with new consulting clients since I started Lara Casey Reps in June and have had the honor of working with some incredible artists and professionals.  In order to accommodate the influx of new requests and my ever-growing schedule, I’ll be cutting back on individual consults in 2010 and traveling the country with my amazing team to give these workshops.

From branding to bold moves and everything in between, I’m inviting 30 people to join me December 21st (two weeks from yesterday!) in Watercolor, FL, for an intensive like no other.  I’m fired up and intend to make sure you leave feeling the same way.  I’ll be asking attendees vital (i.e., hard) questions and require that this intimate group be ready to lay it all out on the table.  This workshop is not for the faint of heart, but for wedding professionals (photographers, planners and entrepreneurs) who really want to change, grow, and harness their full potential in the new year.

I am offering this first workshop at half the cost of future workshops as a thank-you to the people in my hometown who have supported me in my personal and professional growth. But, I’ve already had several people inquire about flying in for this first one, so this isn’t just limited to locals. Future dates and locations will be announced soon.  Because this is a small group, I also will be taking the time to evaluate each attendee’s individual brand, from websites to blogs and social media presence, and everything in between.  In some ways, I believe I give my best advice in the first 5 minutes of a regular consult, and that’s the same sort of gut reaction and individual attention I’ll offer in my workshops.

December 21st, 2009 at the Watercolor Resort in Watercolor, Florida.  1-4pm.  I invite you to join me for dinner afterward at my favorite restaurant in the world, Fish Out of Water.  :: details + reservations ::

If you are planning to travel from out of town, this is an ideal location to spend a winter weekend.  Be sure to call Carla to reserve your room or house rental.

[UPDATED: SCHOLARSHIP CLOSED. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE WINNERS] I also am offering one scholarship spot.  The Making Things Happen™ scholarship winner will be announced via my WeddingRep twitter tomorrow night at midnight.  Simply leave a comment here telling me what you want to make happen in 2010 and why you need — not want, but need, yearn, and have – to attend the Making Things Happen™ Intensive.

I’m so excited about the upcoming year and can’t wait to kick it off with you!

images :: rae leytham photography

The guide includes some of my favorite links that I have referred to often over the last months. I don’t agree with all of this advice (ie- follow everyone who follows you… works for non-profits, not for all businesses), but there is some great insight in each link:

So Should a Business Be on Twitter?, by Frank Eliason.

How Twitter can make you a better (and happier) person from Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com
*love love this article!

10 Twitter Tips for Nonprofit Organizations (great advice for any biz), by Heather Mansfield.

50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business, by Chris Brogan.

Twitter has without a doubt transformed my companies.  I have several accounts: one for my personal and Southern Weddings updates, one for Lara Casey Reps, a Bliss account that Emily now posts to, and a couple more I’m holding for future projects.  Twitter accounts and domains are like real estate– stake your claim and get your name, your kids names, anything that’s yours.  From building relationships I never would have been able to forge through phone and email to learning from the best of the best, we’ve seen how social media has driven change in everything we do.

For example, when we were looking for specific content for our last print issue of Southern Weddings, we used Twitter as a tool to reach out to wedding pros.  90% of our content came from the blog and Twitter submissions.  You can follow Emily (Special Features), Whitney (Fab Finds and upcoming editorial shoots) and Katharine (Real Weddings) as we prepare for our Fall issue over the next weeks to be included in these Twitter submission requests.  Much more to come on how Twitter changed our business in a future post.

What do you think? How has Twitter helped your business grow?