FinCon Connection Issue 2

# F I N C O N 1 3 S C H E D U L E

SPEAKER BIOS

S P O N S O R I N F O R M A T I O N

helpful articles

A N D M O R E !

FIN

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ECTIO

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4 QUICK GUIDE TO ATTENDING #FINCON13

5 AN INTERVIEW WITH JEAN CHATZKY

6 HOW TO INCREASE YOUR AFFILIATE PAYOUTS

7 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

8 CREATING A COMMUNITY THAT WOULD DIE FOR YOU

9 ARE YOU MAKING THIS CRIT ICAL BLOGGING MISTAKE?

10 6 OF MY FAVORITE RULES TO BLOG BY

11 TRANSIT IONING TO SELF EMPLOYMENT

12 MAKE YOUR FINCON CONNECTIONS COUNT

13 5 T IPS FOR GETTING BIG-NAME ENDORSEMENTS

14 HOW TO MAKE YOUR ONLINE BUSINESS EXPLODE THROUGH GUEST POSTING

15 TRANSPARENCY: THE NOT-SECRET WEAPON OF F INANCIAL BLOGGERS

16 WANT TO BLOG FOR MONEY

17 BUDGETS DON’T WORK IN EVERY DAY FAMILY L IFE

18 4 STEPS TO MAKING PR PITCHES WORK FOR YOU

19 PLUTUS AWARDS

21 GENERAL CONFERENCE INFO

23 SCHEDULE

24 #FINCON13 SPONSORS

31 SESSION DETAILS

39 SPEAKER BIOS

46 HYATT REGENCY AT THE ARCH: FOURTH FLOOR MAP

47 DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS MAP

WHAT S

INSIDE

F I N C O N N E C T I O N , V O L . 2

Publisher – Philip TaylorEditor – Jessica Bufkin

magazine of FinCon.

PT Money Conferences LLC8992 Preston Road, Suite 110-214Frisco, TX 75034

Contributing Writers -- Rob Bennett, Rob Berger, Joshua Dorkin, Ben Edwards, Mike Hixson, J Money,

Rains, Carrie Smith, Emily Chase Smith, Crystal Stemberger, Todd Tresidder, Jim Wang

Magazine Artwork – Libby Gifford ([email protected])

Articles in the FinCon Connection magazine are the opinions of the individual authors and may not be the opinion of the magazine or its owners.

Interested in advertising? Email

for pricing.

Copyright 2013 PT Money Conferences LLC and individual authors.

4 I FinCon Connection

Q: Can you share with us one thing that happened in your

childhood that shaped your views about money?

A: When I was about 11 or 12, we went to Disney World for the

Q: You have an English degree from the University of Penn-

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freedom?

Q: What is the biggest obstacle for people trying to achieve

-

Q: Do you manage your own investments? Why or why not.

do you do all of that?

-

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Q: What are your concerns for your children when it comes

to their future and money?

-

-

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An Interview with

Jean Chatzky

# F I N C O N 1 3 K E Y N O T E S P E A K E R

B y R o b B e r g e r

ROB BERGER is an attorney and founder of

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with keynote speaker Jean Chatzky, helpful articles like J.

give you my quick guide to attending #FinCon13.

-working opportunities to look forward to. There will be our usual opening Welcome Reception on Thursday night,

plenty of breaks between sessions, meals, and of course our Saturday night Closing Party hosted by keynote speak-er Derek Halpern.

-nite FinCon – which are sure to be just as popular as ever. Our newest partner, Bloggers Helping Bloggers, will be bringing their mentoring program to FinCon.

-pening at 5 pm on Thursday.

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podcasting and media stations, a bookstore, and more. The Expo Hall will open with a bang on Friday at Happy Hour and will also have dedicated time on Saturday during the early afternoon.

Our keynotes, which will be introduced by our emcee and

Q U I C K G U I D E T O A T T E N D I N G

special guest J.D. Roth, are exceptional. Kicking off our conference will be the ever-transparent and successful Pat

from Frank Trotter, the President of EverBank Direct dis--

journalist and personality Jean Chazky, who will share her -

nance trends, and personal branding.

will be discussing the evolution of the American Dream and

conference educational side with a keynote message from notable online entrepreneur Derek Halpern.

The keynotes are just the beginning. We have over 40 in-dividual breakout sessions, panels, and expert tables. This year they are separated clearly by experience level tracks to help you avoid being in a session not at your level. Addi-

topics, and one dedicated to inspiring success stories. -

vantage of the virtual pass, which can be purchased as an

gives you a sense of the opportunities you have over the next four days. If you have any questions or concerns at all,

B y P h i l T a y l o r

October 2013 I 5

Philip Taylor (PT) created PTMoney.com as a way to share his own experiences successfully managing money and to connect with others who were heading in the same direction. In 2011, he found-ed the Financial Blogger Conference (#FinCon) for the purpose of bringing to-

community for networking and learning. In its third year, #FinCon13 will be the largest and longest #FinCon yet.

6 I FinCon Connection October 2013 I 7

What if I told you there was a very easy way to increase

email or making a phone call? It requires very little extra work and has absolutely zero risk. I was surprised when I

running.

network owes it to himself or herself to get their payouts increased from whatever the published base rate is. If you are delivering more than a handful of commissionable ac-tions a month, you are doing enough to get your payouts increased.

So what do you need to do?

a quality publisher has many options and there are other networks willing to offer more to get that added volume.

on similar campaigns they roll out in the future.

try to come up with a plan where you could get higher rates if you hit certain tiers. If you drive 10 leads a month, ask that your rate be increased (permanently, if possible) if you can reach 15 or 20 leads a month. This puts your interests in line with the manager.

--

mindset when talking to a blogger so offer increased promotion in return for higher payouts. Offer higher place-ment in lists, banner advertisements, and other promo-tional techniques.

If the manager is managing multiple accounts, offer to test the other offers

but much easier on the second brand new one. You may even discover a new revenue stream!

Like any business, blogging is about networking and building relationships and lasting friend-

unless you meet in person. Attend conferences and try to -

Lastly, as you do any of this, be cordial and nice. As you probably guessed, there are a lot of jerks and scammers in any business and it goes a long way to just be a nice

every last penny. Many of these tips come from a strong

How to Increase Your Affiliate Payouts

JIM WANG

B y J i m W a n g

are never good. When your money and your business resemble a plate of spaghetti, awkward is the least of your problems.

to their business. We move heaven and earth to start

most common sources are:

Look back over that list. What is the common denomina-

method on that list. Your name and reputation are on the line.

close personal connection between you and your busi-ness and you are going to sink or swim together.

As business owners—again, large or small—we need

someone is going to feed someone. Either your business is feeding you (awesome!), or you are feeding your busi-ness (hopefully not for long).

To know which way dinner is passing and for how long, there are 5 vital pieces of information you need to know:

money you have)

hire you can make in your business is a bookkeeper. He or she can be a part-time independent contractor and they can take your raw data and turn it into usable num-

use them to guide your business.

As an experienced business owner, you know the 5 pieces of information never stay the same. You need a plan to commune with your numbers, see what they are telling you and act accordingly. I suggest 1 hour a week using this secret sauce:

Familiarize yourself with the categories and numbers

Take a pen to it and circle anything that stands out

read

What is working? What do you want to change? What do you want more information on? Who do you need to talk to? Move these items to your action list.

educated and wise decisions in your business. Your plate of pasta will be a thing of beauty.

Untaingling Your Money Spaghetti:

EMILY CHASE SMITH, ESQ -

Master Your Small Business Finances; Untangling Your Money Spaghetti

F I N A N C I A L M A N A G E M E N T F O R S M A L L B U S I N E S S O W N E R Sb y E m i l y C h a s e S m i t h , E s q .

October 2013 I 7


school.

Financial blogging has gone visual and interactive with images, infographics, calculators, podcasting, video, and more.

Readers no longer expect to just read anymore. They want to be entertained and engaged as the internet con-tinues to expand into multi-media. Sure, the written word

the facts:

likely to engage when you post pictures.

users according to ComScore.

Tube according to Reuters.

driver.

You can either embrace multi-media as the next step in blogging, or risk losing your readers to someone who does.

Managing a blog can already be overwhelming with all the demands of writing, technology, and social media. Who needs another thing to do?

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media with maximum effectiveness and minimum over-whelm:

1. Make it easy on yourself by adding the

make the mistake of creating video, photo editing, info-graphics, and calculators simultaneously. Pick one and add it to your site. Once it becomes simple and system-atic, then add the next.

2. Consider which media is best suited to tell the story. Infographics are great for visually expressing data at a glance. A well-chosen image can convey 1000 words more succinctly and with greater emotion. Calculators can engage your readers to run their

body language, and images all in one intimate package. In short, whenever you have a post idea always ask your-self which media will be the most effective communication channel?

3. Creating original content may be challenging, but that is what gets

-able. PicMonkey or PicFont are great for editing images

photo, and Piktochart makes infographics so simple a child can do it (seriously, my 12 year old has designed several).

against the crowd and turn casual readers into engaged fans.

your content more frequently through social media.

more page views per visit, more time on site, and more return visits. All of these metrics are quality indicators Google tracks closely thus increasing your

In short, blogging has always been about digital com-munication, but the media is rapidly changing. These new tools allow you to create more useful and engaging content than ever before, but only if you use them.

TODD TRESIDDER-

A R E Y O U M A K I N G T H I S

C R I T I C A L B L O G G I N G M I S T A K E ?

B y T o d d R e s i d d e r

October 2013 I 9

but building a community that loves you, sup-ports you, and spreads the word about you is imperative if you want to take your blog to the next level.

Just think about your favorite online bloggers

their brand – how can you develop the same loyalty amongst your readers?

Developing this strong sense of community

happen by accident. Instead, it takes a plan.

should have to strengthen the bonds of your community.

— Humans tend to congregate around problems in an effort to

protesters who boycott a local business, or an

overreach problems unite people. What prob-lems can your community rally around?

to be a little provocative in your message.

being a little edgy, a little spontaneous, and even a little radical. Give them something to talk about, to share, and to admire.

— No one is going to

for people to connect with you on a personal

or anecdotes to help your reader connect at a

mean you need to constantly share photos of

your cats or kids, but have some fun when you write and let your personality shine through!

such a bad thing. The internet is such a vast place, your brand is easily going to be forgot-

your readers to get away from you. Fill every corner of your niche and be present where your readers are. Connect with them on other blogs, forums, and on as many social channels as you have time for. Build your email auto-responder and engage regularly with your readers.

— Building a strong community -

ods of exposure to your brand and message. Make your plan and move forward, even when

respect and love must be earned, and earning it takes time.

Remember, there are millions of blogs out there, so if you want to earn the love and re-spect of your readers, you need to start build-ing something they can rally around. By making sure your blog contains the 5 characteristics listed above, you can help strengthen the bonds of your community and build something that people might just give their life—or their money—for.

Creating a Community That Would Die For You

B y J o s h u a D o r k i n

JOSHUA DORKIN

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I get asked a lot of questions about blogging, es-pecially from the new guys out there, and 9 times out of 10 my answers fall into the categories be-low. I believe in them so much that I actually have

myself to stay on track too! :)

I know that sounds lame, but people go to your blog to read YOUR opinions on stuff. They don't want a duplicate of the last

may catch yourself doing what others are do-

overall make sure to stay true to your own voice and what's important (or not) to you. Readers will come back because they know and love your personality!

You'll always be scheming for it anyway, but please make sure you're blogging for purposes outside of money too. As soon as money becomes the num-ber one priority your entire site will be affected by

want to make a killing, and perhaps blog for a liv-ing, but all that will come in due time. Focusing on

Pick a template you like, and maybe a customized logo if it excites you, but then just

make adjustments as time goes on, but at the end

of the day, people come to your site to hear what you have to say.

some awesome rants here and there—it adds

stay positive and have your readers leave your site feeling less depressed than when they got there. It may not always get you farther in the

-

feel good when others respond to yours? :)

This

Email, chat, meet with them in person—whatever

too. Most partnerships happen behind the scenes

Just get your voice out there and write, write, write! If you can get into the habit of putting out

and bringing home the bacon will follow. No doubt about it.

of My Favorite Rules to Blog By6B y J . M o n e y

J. MONEY

Making the jump to self-employment in July 2011 was exciting and terrifying at the same time. I

leap, but it sure felt that way.

Here are my best suggestions to avoid some of that gut-wrenching fear:

leaving my previous day job was how my husband and I would handle health and life insurance. That actually ended up being the easy part for us. A few other full-time bloggers suggested we look at quotes on Esurance and we were pleasantly surprised. We ended up with cheaper health and

AND the policies were nearly identical.

—My second gigantic worry was how self-employment would affect our taxes. We spoke to a local tax lawyer about incorporating my online endeavors, but he suggested we wait until we

remember to keep excellent records and work from there.

—The third issue I had to tackle was how self-employment would affect our retire-

are quite a few options. Right now, my husband and I both contribute to Roth IRAs. If we start earning more and reach the cut-off point for Roth IRA contributions, we can also open a SEP-IRA. We may actually do both this year anyway if we can successfully pay off the mortgage on our rent-

also started looking into other revenue stream ideas for retirement like owning rental properties

and making consistent and smart stock market investments.

—The last big step of self-employment was making sure we

a separate bank account for our business income deposits and waiting to make the leap until we were making more than we needed on a regular

a biweekly paycheck from that business account and made sure to start it off with at least a couple of months worth of income. We had a backup emergency fund as well as other revenue streams available, like hobby jobs. I actually feel like we

we ever had before.

Overall, self-employment is a big change that can be very stressful, but solid planning and research can get you all of the answers you need. You may

something you want to do, but you owe it to your-self to make that decision based on your own data and not the fear of something new. Good luck!

Transitioning to

Self-Employment

B y C r y s t a l S t e m b e r g e r

CRYSTAL STEMBERGER

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October 2013 I 11

How can you possibly follow up with all the interesting people you connect with at FinCon? One way to make it easier is to organize the stacks of business cards you

person about.

and that you can use to organize your connections:

These are people with specialized skills like writing, edit-ing, social media, graphic design, Wordpress manage-ment — basically any of the things you might need to know to help run a successful blog.

You can reach out to them with a question if you get stuck, and many of them offer their services for hire. Both

the conference was over.

have a big audience, they know a lot of people and can

working on.

For example, I met Gerri Detweiler at one of the happy hours last year. I had fun as a guest on her radio show a few months later and as a follow up she introduced me to several of the ladies that are featured in my book, Debt Hero (debthero.net).

The title of this group of people is pretty self-explanatory.

with, but after being introduced you discover you have similar interests or endeavors.

geographically separated from many of the people we

interact with online. This conference gives you a chance to make a personal connection face-to-face and establish a comfort level that might take much longer to develop solely online.

FinCon is a good place to learn more about the products and services of the vendors in attendance. It helps to be able to sit down with somebody who works at the com-pany and ask questions.

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talk at their booth, you can grab their card so you can get an email address you can use for follow-up questions in the future.

-duced to some new ones.

Although most of this article is about making connections to help your blog, I wanted to end with this group because the community that attends and supports FinCon is full of great people.

around of the late night lobby crew on the last evening in

annual tradition!

Make Your

FiNCon

Connections

CountB y B e n E d w a r d s

BEN EDWARDS


ideas from some of the biggest names in the per-

can pull off the same trick.

There was a day when you could win attention writ-ing about frugality tips. It would be hard to do that

of the experts when exploring well-covered ground.

-ing strategy rooted in the research of Yale Eco-nomics Professor Robert Shiller. These ideas run counter to the conventional Buy-and-Hold wisdom

great opportunity in exploring them.

Former Financial Analysts Journal Editor Rob Arnott

to continue pushing the barriers. He did that be-cause he sees so few writing about similar ideas.

garner expert endorsements if it were only me who

the general public, but they are very well known among the experts.

So the people I am hoping will put in a good word for me know from the start the ideas I advance are root-

-ics Professor Rajiv Sethie felt comfortable saying he could see how even the most far-out claims I make

You have to do something special to get the at-tention of the big names. It took me years of effort

calculators that are available nowhere else on the in-

ternet but on my site. Those calculators give experts a reason to direct attention to my work that would not be present if all I had to offer were articles and podcasts.

My hard work paid off when Financial Planner Mi-

My biggest success came through the relation-ship I developed with Academic Researcher Wade Pfau. Wade thanked me in the Acknowledgements sections of several of his peer-reviewed papers and cited my work in the footnotes of his research.

months exchanging long, detailed e-mails with him -

The endorsement that probably counts most to my readers is the one I got from ABC News in which my

because ABC was seeking to do a story on uncon-ventional saving ideas, and I just happened to have an article with precisely those words in the headline when they ran their Google search.

5 T I P S F O R G E T T I N G B I G - N A M E E N D O R S E M E N T S

B y R o b B e n n e t t

ROB BENNETT

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October 2013 I 13


At the beginning of 2012, I made it my goal to publish

featured on sites like Lifehacker and Brazen Careerist,

have to seek out your audience. With guest posts you can:

I believe guest posts are so powerful you should focus on writing them more than the content you write on your

published. Creating a solid guest posting strategy is key to getting your posts accepted.

The best way to increase your chances of being accepted is to be genuine in your approach. Show

brand and your blog.

Always contact the editor using

time to research their name and contact information. You

get a feel for their interests and editing style.

Do your research.

guest post published, read through the content on the

known facts about their brand. This will help set you apart from the tons of other pitches they receive every day.

Keep it short and sweet. Your email pitch should be

have time to read your life story, so let them know you want to write for them and why.

Go the extra mile and let them know you will have the post formatted in HTML, with an image, along with any other guidelines they ex-press. Make it so that all they have to do is cut and paste!

community to spread the word about your brand.

to steady paying gigs. Never underestimate the exposure a good guest post can bring. It could mean all the differ-

some awesome connections in the process.

CARRIE SMITH

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-

How to Make Your Online

Business Explode Through

Guest PostingB y C a r r i e S m i t h

At worst, in January of 2011, my husband and I had

it on a single credit card.

knew?

more than a year, does know, and the reactions have been nothing short of amazing.

-tails EXACT balances for each of my debts and how we

-ing them down a bit farther.

As of the start of 2013, we were down almost $30,000

transparency has been the absolute biggest factor in our continued success!

personal balance sheet, you can build your community—and your brand—through transparency. Not sure where to start? Here are a few ideas.

This is the kind of sharing anyone can do. Yes, you too, anonymous/pseudonymed bloggers! Think about J. Money of BudgetsAreSexy.com.

-

This is a great way to be transparent and build connections with

your community. This is where individual bloggers can re-ally shine, and members of group blogs can build a loyal following!

Not going to own up to the total cost of your mortgage, the balance in your 401(k), the names of the stocks you own, the fact

detail as possible regularly.

As much as it sometimes pains me, I love that readers

build loyalty and readership.

year in vet bills on my cats. I needed a new transmission on a car that in no way deserved the cost of the repair. I put it all out there, including the ugly bits.

Yes, a few people were critical. (Cat-haters.) But most were empathetic and came back to see how I mitigated the damage the next month.

personal part of personal-

community and see where it goes?

T R A N S PA R E N C Y : T H E N O T - S E C R E T

W E A P O N O F F I N A N C I A L B L O G G E R S

B y J o a n O t t o

JOAN OTTO

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October 2013 I 15

October 2013 I 17

inspiring, to be sure. I love meeting people who are mak-ing money from their blog.

I see this trajectory with some of my blogging friends: they start a blog for a purpose (mine was to publicly get out of debt), then their blog gains momentum and popularity, the money starts rolling in, and they quit their day job. Finally, they are freelancers.

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You can go to all the conferences in the world, but you

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take small risks. Learn new things. Keep writing. If you came up with an idea while you were here, spend three months working on it. After 90 days has passed, evaluate. Ask for feedback. Keep writing.

If you meet

yourself envious instead of inspired, take a step back.

were just getting started?

your project.

probably better off working retail. The money on the internet does not come fast, and for some, does not come abundantly, but it does come.

easy, but if you remember why you started blogging in

through the dry patches.

The

new blog. You did it once; you can do it again.

have a boss. You are the boss. Even if your blog is your hobby.

Want to Blog

for Money? T A K E S M A L L S T E P S B y K a t h l e e n

O ’ M a l l e y

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make ends meet. Budgets are all about keeping track of where money went, and people hope this

The problem is budgeting is all about numbers and record keeping. It does not address behaviors, hab-

is different.

My wife and I struggled for years to budget and built -

pointing argument where I told her to quit spending,

If you look at the research for learning and develop-ing new habits, Stanford Professor BJ Fogg will tell

author Tim Ferris says that the number one thing is adherence—will you stick with it?

Budgets are not tiny, and they are hard to stick to!

Most people have mass chaos in their purse or wal-let. When a spending decision needs to be made there are too many options. While standing in line

mortgage payment process yet? Should I write a check today? Should I just use a credit card to make sure I avoid the embarrassment of my debit card

be that hard.

Here is one tiny thing you can do and any ten year old could stick to it: use a Spending Account.

First, separate your spending from your bills. Figure out exactly how much is ok to spend every month, and then put that number in a Spending Account where every dollar is allocated to spending. You can spend the account down to zero by the end of the month. It becomes impossible to overspend!

Dedicate a different bank account to be your Bills Account. Since the amount of your bills is nearly the same every month it becomes a cinch to manage. Your spending is not mixed in! The same amount

In my experience of working with high-income

to conquer. There are so many things to keep track of and manage. They wish that someone would just

Start by setting up a simple system that separates the spending from the bill paying—the one tiny thing of using a Bills Account and a Spending Account you can stick with.

Why Budgets Don t WorkB y M i k e H i x s o n

MIKE HIXSON started

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Awards back to FinCon this year – bigger and better than ever!

The Plutus Awards originated in 2010 as a way to acknowledge the best independent writing

Awards comes from ancient Greek mythology. Plutus was the ancient god of wealth, and the Plutus Awards recognize the writers across the blogosphere from all walks of life who are work-ing hard to share their ideas about achieving wealth.

These awards, in which writers and blogs can

variety of categories, present an acknowledge-

bring attention to the legitimacy of independent writing in a media world dominated by other styles of publishing. The independent voice, given as much an opportunity to be heard or read as mainstream newspapers and maga-zines thanks to the ease of publishing online, helps to create a full chorus in the media.

In addition to honoring the best and brightest bloggers and independent websites, the Plutus Awards ceremony seeks to praise companies

The Fourth Annual

Plutus Awards

hard to create and offer the products and ser--

cial bloggers have the opportunity to nominate their favorite banks, brokerages, mobile apps, and other tools and services for several award categories.

Nominations concluded on September 30, in or-der for the Plutus Awards blogger panel to have

in early October.

The winners will be announced at a special ceremony on the Thursday of #FinCon13. The ceremony will be hosted by returning master of ceremonies Kevin McKee of Reward Boost (http://www.rewardboost.com) and Thousan-daire (http://www.thousandaire.com) and will be followed by an after-party at The Dubliner, 1025 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri.

The ceremony will be sponsored by Fidelity and the after-party will be sponsored by Scottrade,

year. The sponsors are enabling these Fourth Annual Plutus Awards to be the most spectacu-lar of all the Plutus Awards.

Awards ceremony on Thursday, October 17, at #FinCon13 in St. Louis.

Public relations pitches can lead to worthwhile collabo-rations or become a waste of time. Discernment and a professional approach can turn these pitches into valu-able resources. Here are steps to make proposals work for you and your readers:

Pursue opportunities that involve a compelling offer

For example, a pitch worthy of response provides new -

sources, such as a telephone interview with a respected professional.

Many PR reps propose how a pitch could be implement-ed. Use these ideas as starting points for brainstorming.

For example, an agency representing a leading discount broker approached me with an offer to interview the win-

Clubs of America (BGCA). The contest was cool but I realized that I needed an angle more meaningful to my audience.

-oped the idea of using the educational program as a

Interviews with reputable, knowledgeable people add credibility to your blog posts. But what you should desire most is unique insights, not simply reliable information.

from experts. However, you should be able to have mean-ingful conversations if you do the following:

prudent adult facilitator willing to share stories of her own

advertisement but this statement resonated with me and helped shape my article.

result in a great match but most of the pitches via HARO queries have been useless to me. A surprising number are unable to produce an expert as promised whereas others seem to think they can forward a press release to spread a message without telling a compelling story.

Nevertheless, I have had a couple of decent responses from this approach such as an email interview with an

prompt, spot-on response from an agency is not forth-coming, move quickly to another source.

Many agency representatives seem to have the idea that -

sages. But a savvy PR person should be willing to work with you to create unique content that provides value to your reader. Expect (and require) professional behavior

Steps to Making PR Pitches Work for You

b y J u l i e R a i n s

JULIE RAINS10,001

Ways to Live Large on a Small

4

October 2013 I 19


SEE WHAT THE BUZZ IS ABOUT

# F I N C O N 1 3GENERAL

INFORMATION

There will always be a conference staff member (look for the dark grey FinCon staff t-shirts) at the check-in table. If you need help or lose something, just head to the check-in table and talk to a staff member.

Attend the intro to FinCon session, Become Buddies with Your Blogging Idols. This session will be led by Agatha

In-room Internet service is included in your room rate with the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch. See the hotel in-formation booklet or website for details about connecting.

There is also free Wi-Fi available throughout the confer-ence meeting area starting on Friday morning. The Wi-Fi password will be heavily publicized throughout the confer-

The live conference schedule can be found at www.

mobile device using the app feature.

Follow Twitter activity using the hashtag #FinCon13.

The conference hashtag is a good place to start. But

open-sourced listing of various attendee-led meetups and activities. Open up those four items on the sched-

gathering of interest.

Yes! Please wear your badge throughout the conference,

even the evening events. Anyone without a badge will not be allowed in the sessions, meals, parties, etc. The

The following meals will be provided:

Reception.

afternoon snacks.

Boxed lunch and afternoon snacks.

Steak House is located in the lobby of the main entrance. There is also a Starbucks and the Brewhouse Historical Sports Bar located in the lobby of the entrance from North 4th Street.

of restaurants, cafes, bars, etc.

With the exception of video during the keynote, yes, take all the video and photos you want. In fact, in the Expo Hall we have a press backdrop for you to use for inter-views and photo opportunities.

If you are sharing your photos online, please use the hashtag #FinCon13, and feel free to add them to the

-

picture and names made public online. These bloggers

Laptops and tablets are encouraged. The Expo Hall and foyer will have tables, charging stations, and Wi-Fi that you can use throughout the weekend. The breakout rooms will also have tables and Wi-Fi.

October 2013 I 21

October 2013 I 23

LIFE IS A COLLECTION OF MOMENTS. SOME SMALL, SOME BIG.At Chase, we’re committed to making each one of them a little grander for our customers. We strive to bring you innovative services and solutions that meet your needs—delivering all that we can,

Welcome to St. Louis! We’re excited to see and speak with all of you at FinCon13.

At Chase, we continually strive to deliver innovative financial services and solutions that meet our customers’ needs. As the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co., Chase is proud to serve more than 52 million consumers and small businesses.

We know that many of our customers may come to you before they make important financial decisions. We appreciate the perspective you provide on these life moments—big and small. That’s why we’re here again this year to listen and talk to you.

We look forward to seeing you at the Chase booth!

Expo Hall: Grand Ballroom BCD, 4th Floor

3:00-7:00 pm Community Meetups and Activities

Offsite (Various)

Park View Room

4th Floor Foyer

8:00-9:00 pm Plutus Awards

Main Hall: Grand Ballroom E

9:30-11:30 pm Plutus Awards After-Party

The Dubliner, 1025 Washington Ave.



Agatha Kulesza, Park View Room


Expo Hall: Grand Ballroom BCD

Elizabeth Sanberg Advanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

Amanda Abella Beginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

T H U R S D A Y , O C T O B E R 1 7

F R I D A Y , O C T O B E R 1 8

David Siteman Garland Intermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

Jesse Mecham Success Stories Track: Park View Room

and the Ugly

Robert Pagliarini Topical Track: Grand Ballroom F


Sullivan, Nicholas Thomas Topical Track: Grand Ballroom F

Kyle Durand, Emily Chase Smith Advanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

Donna Freedman Beginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

Greg Go, Ryan Guina, Jim Wang, Viet Do Intermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

Years with an Email Autoresponder

Steve Chou Success Stories Track: Park View Room

Offsite (Various)

SCHEDULE

October 2013 I 23


S A T U R D A Y , O C T O B E R 1 9

SCHEDULE

Paula Pant Advanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

Stephanie Sammons Intermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

Matt Schulz Success Stories Track: Park View Room

Jason Hull Topical Track: Grand Ballroom F


Ted Jenkin Advanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

Beginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

Karyn Fleeting Intermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

Laura Adams Success Stories Track: Park View Room

Mindy Lamont Topical Track: Grand Ballroom F


Frank Trotter, EverBank Main Hall: Grand Ballroom E

3:15-4:00 pm Keynote

Jean Chatzky Main Hall: Grand Ballroom E



Offsite (Various)

Morgan Street Brewery, 721 N. 2nd Street



Jana Lynch Park View Room

Ben Edwards, Jay Herring, Derek Olsen Advanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

Lauren Bowling Beginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

Beverly Harzog Intermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

Stacy Johnson Success Stories Track: Park View Room

Ally is a leading automo-tive

powered by a top direct banking franchise. Our auto services business offers a variety of

banking subsidiary and member FDIC, offers a straightforward approach to banking with no minimum deposit, no monthly maintenance fees, 24/7 live customer service and an array of deposit products, including CDs, savings accounts, money mar-ket accounts, IRA deposit products and interest checking. In celebration of FinCon13, Ally is once again hosting its #Al-lyBloggerQuest scavenger hunt. Tweet pictures with bloggers wearing our designated stickers to #AllyBloggerQuest for your

Keep up to date on Ally news and information on @ally, and fol-low our consumer-focused channels at @allyauto and @allybank.

network focused exclusively on connecting the best

-lishers monetize their websites in three ways: one - we provide

have widgets that you can embed into your site, and three - we connect you to CPM relationships where you can make money on the amount of impressions you serve up.

verticals including: bank, credit card, insurance (auto, health, life), credit reporting, credit repair, student credit, small business loans, and tax relief. If you are interested in working with us or learning more, please

-Con13 Booth. We hope that you have a great conference and look forward to meeting you in St. Louis.

Bankrate, Inc. is the -

gregator, publisher, and distributor of

-rate Network is comprised of owned-and-operated destination sites, including Bankrate.com, CreditCards.com, and Netquote,

provides consumers with proprietary, fully researched, compre--

tent, and interest rate content across multiple verticals including mortgage, deposits, autos, credit cards, and insurance.

portals, and media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, Aol, Realtor.com, Yahoo! Fi-nance, CNN, CNBC, Fox Business, ABC News and many more. Become part of our network of 90+ online distribution partners,

where you can start maximizing the revenue for your site and add exclusive Bankrate content and widgets for your users.

BeFrugal.com features cash back, online and printable restau-rant coupons, weekly ads, deals and bargains, as well as Web-based tools to help consumers save time and money.

With 4 free widgets to include on any blog or website and $5 for every reader referred, it pays to be frugal. Earn money as you

-get, Coupon Widget, Fly or Drive Widget and Weekly Ad Widget. BeFrugal.com launched in 2009 and is now used by more than 1,000,000 shoppers every month.

Buckeye Interactive is a digital agency based out of New Albany, OH that proudly boasts a list of diverse clients – large and small. Through our unique combination of web strategy, design, development and interactive marketing expertise, we engineer solutions that provide a measurable return on investment.

For more information visit buckeyeinteractive.com.

Using the free tools from Can I Pay Less, credit card owners

card combinations for everyday spending or take advantage of the latest promotions.

success in Canada

are looking to take our solutions to the US where credit card rewards are even more confusing.

F I N C O N 1 3 S P O N S O R S

October 2013 I 25


SCHEDULE

Geoff Whitmore Topical Track: Grand Ballroom F

Expo Hall: Grand BCD Ballroom

Joshua Dorkin, Greg Go, Jim Wang, Brandon Turner Advanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

Deacon Hayes Beginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

Syed Balkhi Intermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

Jeff Rose Success Stories Track: Park View Room

Know About Credit

Liz Weston, Gerri Detweiler, John Ulzheimer, Maxine Sweet Topical Track: Grand Ballroom F


People Will Want to Read—and Editors

Hank Coleman, Teresa Mears, Emily Guy Birken, Annie Logue Advanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

Dustin Hartzler Beginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

Can Handle

Todd Tresidder Intermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

Caleb Wojcik Success Stories Track: Park View Room

Mitchel Harad, Simon Roy, Matt Gidney, Larry Ludwig Topical Track: Grand Ballroom F



Copywriting on the Web

Demian Farnworth Grand Ballroom H

Luke Landes Grand Ballroom F

Cynthia Sanchez Park View Room

Justin Premick Grand Ballroom G

Ashley Jacobs Grand Ballroom A

We enjoy talking to bloggers about how we can equip their sites with cool and powerful credit card widgets. Our tools are ready to compare US credit cards for your site so contact us for more infor-mation by visiting CanIPayLess.com or CanIPayLess.com/about.

Let CommissionSoup help you monetize your blog while maintain-ing the integrity of your content. We understand your passion for help-ing your readers save time and money while

products. We are dedicated to building long-term partnerships with our clients to understand their goals and help them achieve success. Our clients receive personalized service and support, creating a better online experience. We specialize in market-

loans, auto loans and other credit-related products. Through our

techniques, CommissionSoup provides an online connection for -

Bulldog Media Group, Inc., has over 13 years of experience in pay-for-performance marketing, stop by our table and ask us how we can get started.

CreditKarma.com provides more

consumers with free credit scores and access to free credit monitoring. Year after year Credit Karma successfully introduces innovative tools that help con-

In addition to our owned property, Credit Karma runs a premium

from leading issuers. The Credit Karma network stands apart -

tional information about each credit card including the average and lowest approved credit score, cardholder reviews, and the average credit limit.

service oriented approach with the goal of building long-term

-prove upon their site monetization. To join the CKAN network

Experian is the lead-ing global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to cli-ents around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. The Experian Consumer Services division provides credit monitoring and other information services, such as identity pro-tection, to millions of consumers via the Internet. The organiza-tion enables consumers to monitor the accuracy of their credit reports online, check their credit scores and protect against identity theft. Its products include freecreditscore.com,

Experian Consumer Services has established integrated, co-

that provide consumers with a broad range of comprehensive

Fidelity Investments is among the most

services companies in the world, offer-ing a full range of products & solutions for individual investors.

and IRAs), Fidelity offers retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage services, college planning and many other products and services to more than 20 million individuals.

to continuous improvement and customer and client service

-

reporting total IRA assets administered for Q3 2012.

GoBank is an award-winning new bank account made to be used on your mobile phone. GoBank members have full access and control of their money from their iPhone,


October 2013 I 27


SCHEDULE

Carrie Rocha Advanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

How to Connect with Extremely

Jamie Tardy Beginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

Beta Karimzadeh, Casey Bond Intermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

David Weliver Success Stories Track: Park View Room

and Your Readers

Barbara Friedberg Topical Track: Grand Ballroom F


Marie Phillips Advanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

Thursday Bram Beginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

Grant Deken Intermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

Shannyn Allan Success Stories Track: Park View Room

Andrea Travillian Topical Track: Grand Ballroom F


4:45-5:30 pm Keynote

Derek Halpern Main Hall: Grand Ballroom E


Offsite (Various)

Prime 1000, 1000 Washington Ave.


10:30-12 pm Community Activity

Visit Forest Park (Zoo & Museum)

S U N D A Y , O C T O B E R 2 0

minimum balance, no overdraft fees, access to 42,000 fee-free ATMs, mobile check deposit, and the ability to write checks, send money to others and pay bills—all on the app. You can even ask the Fortune Teller for spending advice. Download the app to sign up at GoBank.com/App, or visit us online at GoBank.com. GoBank is a brand and trademark of Green Dot Bank, Mem-

(NYSE: GDOT), is a bank holding company with a mission to reinvent personal banking for the masses. Learn more about GoBank at GoBank.com, and like us at Facebook.com/

-

Through Lending Club, borrowers with good-to-excel-lent credit can obtain low rate personal loans of up to $35,000

invest in a small business, and more. We give investors the op-portunity to invest in Notes – as little as $25 – to earn monthly cash

billion in loans! We enjoy talking to bloggers about how we can help your readers

program for partners who can refer high quality borrower and

Launched in 2010 following

-cial meltdown, loanDepot.com, LLC (loanDepot ) was founded on the principles of fair and ethical lending, with a customer-centric strategy to deliver great service and competitive rates. Led by industry veteran and suc-cessful entrepreneur Anthony Hsieh, an innovator in the mort-gage lending industry, loanDepot is one of the fastest growing independent mortgage originators and servicers in the United States. Offering a full suite of loan products to serve the needs

in all 50 states and is an approved seller and servicer for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae. loanDepot.com, LLC, NMLS # 174457 Learn more at www.loanDepot.com.

Money2020 brings together the world-wide community of innovators in Pay-

ments & Financial Services--including at the intersection with retail, mobile, marketing services, data and technology--that is profoundly changing how consumers and businesses manage,

4,000 attendees, including 300+ CEOs, from more than 1,500 companies and 50 countries. For more information visit www.money2020.com.

The MyFreeTaxes Partner-ship provides free online and in-person federal and state tax preparation and

-

states and Washington, DC.

Walmart Foundation and delivered through a national partner-ship among Goodwill Industries International, National Disability Institute and United Way Worldwide, the MyFreeTaxes Partner-

have helped millions of individuals and families claim valuable tax credits and refunds of more than $8 billion since 2009.

The National Endowment

noncommercial foundation dedicated to inspiring all

of life. You may know us as the home of Spendster.org, a site where people can share video confessions and stories of im-pulse buying, overspending, or just plain wasting money. NEFE also is home to other consumer websites including Smart-AboutMoney.org, which contains practical money management resources, an online community, and the On Your Own blog.

Additionally, NEFE provides media with relevant, targeted story

bloggers and journalists in their efforts to understand events

business writer, a freelancer or general assignment reporter, we have resources to help with your reporting.

PowerWallet is a free money management tool that allows users to get in control of their

-ized location.


October 2013 I 29


F R I D A Y , O C T O B E R 1 8

8 : 3 0 - 9 : 0 0 A M

Agatha Kulesza

and continue building those relationships afterwards? This ses-sion will employ the assistance of FinCin rockstars PT Money, Liz Weston, & Jim Wang in 3 funny role plays to demonstrate how.

an appearance!

Takeaways:

(The Puker, The Stalker, The Spammer)

Listener, The Friend, The Gentle Compliment-er)

1 0 : 1 5 - 1 1 : 0 0 A M

Elizabeth SanbergAdvanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

than just an exchange of money and Wordpress logins. Learn critical steps in the process from someone who has been there.

-cial institutions attorney and practices in the area of mergers and acquisitions.

be in every agreement; secret agreement provisions to watch out

thinking about buying or selling your site, this session is a must attend.

Takeaways:

provisions to look for that can trip you up. -

agreements.

Amanda AbellaBeginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

A lot of newbie bloggers (or people who want to blog) hold them-selves back because they think:

blogger name here).

Bloggers are actually some of the most laid back and collabora--

your audience, and even make some sales.

In this session, you will learn:

-prove email list numbers and sales).

David Siteman GarlandIntermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

-

Jesse Mecham

income by several multiples, at least. Drive even more passion into your efforts as you go through the process of discovering,

Walk away having learned how selling a product will:

Robert PagliariniTopical Track: Grand Ballroom F

Learn about the emotional and economic realities of a windfall, the psychology of sudden wealth.

Takeaways:

SESSION DETAILS

October 2013 I 31

spending, set budgets and goals, receive bill reminders and alerts on your calendar, and more. With the maximum level of security, PowerWallet also gives you access to money-saving offers and

Quizzle.com is the only place on the web where consumers can get a truly free credit report and score every six months – no credit card or purchase required. Using the power of technology, Quizzle has created top-notch credit tools to help consumers gain a complete understanding of their home, money, and credit. Born in 2008, the company evolved out of a need to know about the crazy-confusing world of credit. Today Quizzle.com is busy helping more than one million people learn about their credit, their potential for improvement, and how to

Savings.com helps

deals on every-thing you want. Tell us what stores and categories you like, and we deliver the best deals for you. In addition to providing personalized recommendations, Savings.com has one of the most in-depth databases of online coupons. Shop-pers can access thousands of exclusive offers from the biggest retailer names along with up to 100,000 active deals from online

Savings.com each month as their trusted resource for deals

coupon experts, the DealPros™. Savings.com was recently ranked as one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. by

including Innovative Publisher of the Year from LinkShare and -

sion Junction.

USAA provides insurance, banking, investment and retirement products and services to 9.8 million mem-bers of the U.S. military and their families. Known for its commitment to serving members, USAA is con-sistently recognized for its outstand-

strength.

-

to all members. USAA collaborates with organizations in support of its mission and seeks to bring together compelling informa-tion, diverse expertise and resources to work towards this com-

about USAA, visit usaa.com.



-pants have the opportunity to direct legal questions to two expe-rienced attorneys.

Donna FreedmanBeginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

a cheap cheeseburger.

Your site should be giving information that matters -- which means WRITING, not cubes of print. If you think of this as a chore, i.e.,

Takeaways:

places to look, i.e., WAY outside the box.

and inspiration? I have *much* to teach you.-

ly (while not being a pompous ass); how to make your work stand

pretty serious jargon into Everyday-ese; developing a sense of purpose/mission (again, while not being arrogant).

Greg Go, Ryan Guina, Jim Wang, Viet DoIntermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

This panel session consist of experts on SEO and online mar-keting. Our panel is primarily focused on Google Panda, Google

seen for sites that have been hit by Panda/Penguin.

Takeaways:

how Panda and Penguin may have affected the site.

think the future of SEO is heading (Google Authorship, user us-age data, brand signal, social graph signals, and more).

Steve ChouSuccess Stories Track: Park View Room

pages.

Especially if you sell your own products or promote products as an

by creating a high converting email autoresponder sequence.

Learn how to create and structure a high converting email auto-

1 1 : 1 5 - 1 2 : 0 0 P M

-

Topical Track: Grand Ballroom F

Since the signing of the Jobs Act in April 2012, momentum has been building for national crowdfunding initiatives to both ac-credited and non-accredited investors. Accredited investors have

they would have rarely been exposed to before due to 80-year-old securities laws.

up-market to more mature PE plays, and investors are building their individual online brand to show individual leadership in their picks. The law also opened the door to non-accredited investors, but their opportunity is still waiting in the wings while the SEC and

whether non-accredited investors will be able to move the needle when they are allowed to participate.

This talk will provide insight on the actual state of non-accredited -

ties that lie ahead of them. Non-accredited investors are still wait-

order to be able to invest.

Takeaways:

seed round investments?

-

Kyle Durand, Emily Chase SmithAdvanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

down by your own ignorance about basic accounting and busi-ness law issues.

This session will cover several pitfalls that can devastate your business and how to avoid them:

business building blocks are in place, resulting in greater peace of mind and sense of freedom.

-ties are required, or not, at each stage of business.

SESSION DETAILS

autoresponder sequence to make over 300K in the last 2 years.

1 : 1 5 - 1 : 4 5 P M

Paula PantAdvanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

Takeaways:

Stephanie SammonsIntermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

presence to expand your visibility, and LinkedIn strategies/tac-

Takeaways:

business goals

visibility -

Matt SchulzSuccess Stories Track: Park View Room

Want to stand out more in Google search results? Of course, we

-

from quality writers stand out from the crowd.

Takeaways:

recommendations) on how to implement Google authorship on your site.

owner and freelance writers.

-

Jason HullTopical Track: Grand Ballroom F

and still be no better off than you were before you started. The key is behavioral change and, unfortunately, our brains were not

This presentation will cover the most common psychological biases which prevent us from actually doing what we think we should be doing with our money.

Takeaways:

your actions.

2 : 0 0 - 2 : 3 0 P M

Ted JenkinAdvanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

Takeaways:

approach 2014.

Beginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

This session will encourage beginning bloggers to tough it out, to

focus on, and many of the details matter, but ultimately, blogging is very simple, as long as you are true to your voice and your story.

Takeaways:

others, too.

Karyn FleetingIntermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

A no-holds-barred guide to securing national and international media coverage for your website, from a blogger who has been there and done it. Drawing upon experiences and expertise as an award-winning national newspaper journalist, an award-winning

-

advice.

Takeaways:

It could be the New York Times; it could be Forbes or Glamour.

-terplans.

Laura AdamsSuccess Stories Track: Park View Room

October 2013 I 3332 I FinCon Connection


9 : 0 0 - 9 : 4 5 A M

Ben Edwards, Jay Herring, Derek OlsenAdvanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

A panel about best practices for independent publishers. Top tips

Takeaways:

Lauren BowlingBeginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

the outstanding opportunity Twitter and social networks provide to get your blog/content out there!

create authentic connections with readers? How many times do I need to tweet and share? How do I automate my social media?

Takeaways:

-ships.

your blog.

Beverly HarzogIntermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

step to branding.Step #2: Work Your Brand Step #3: Rock Your Media Opportunity

Takeaways:

and land--the best media targets that match their personality and ambitions.

Stacy JohnsonSuccess Stories Track: Park View Room

Last year we topped $700,000 in revenue. How did we do it? -

pult your blog to the next level.

Takeaways:

SESSION DETAILS

Geoff WhitmoreTopical Track: Grand Ballroom FLearn how you can leverage your personal credit safely for free travel through applying for multiple rewards credit cards.

Takeaways:

1 0 : 0 0 - 1 0 : 4 5 A M

Joshua Dorkin, Greg Go, Jim Wang, Brandon TurnerAdvanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

-able) company? This panel, made up of several owners of large

for future growth as well as tips and tricks for managing a growing -

ing, hiring employees, and technical advice that could save your

Takeaways:

will affect how well you can scale it later.)

ad.

Deacon HayesBeginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

SEO is one of the biggest areas that bloggers fall short. It is a way to get hundreds of unique visitors each day, and it is often overlooked. What are the best approaches to SEO so that people can begin to move up in the ranks of Google?

Takeaways:

it ranks pages.

Syed BalkhiIntermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

Are you maximizing the potential of your WordPress site? Want to take your WordPress website to the next level? This session will show you how experts use WordPress to increase sales, im-prove lead generation, reduce bounce rate, get higher search en-

WordPress like a Ninja.


This session will cover why podcasting is one of the best ways to connect with an audience hungry for what you have to say.

Takeaways:

show format.

show to the world.

-cessful podcast.

Mindy LamontTopical Track: Grand Ballroom F

Why is there such a bad impression of life insurance and its in-

goes on inside the large life insurance companies from a man-agement perspective, this session will look at how bad incentives drive bad behavior and detract from a product that is really impor-tant for the right people.

Takeaways:

why they are often confused

industry

S A T U R D A Y , O C T O B E R 1 9

8 : 1 5 - 9 : 0 0 A M

Jana LynchPark View Room

Bloggers Helping Bloggers (BHB) is an online mentoring program founded in August 2012 with the intention of pairing veteran and new bloggers together for one on one mentoring and coaching.

BHB is coming to #FinCon13. You should have been asked to express your interest in BHB during registration. If you did, you should have received an email from Jana, founder of BHB, who would have reached out to coordinate your part in BHB at #Fin-Con13.

Takeaways:

Jeff RoseSuccess Stories Track: Park View RoomHow Jeff Rose went from zero to 100,000 visitors a month in re-cord time only to get taken down by Panda. Relentless, he fought back by using certain (and repeatable) strategies to get through the Panda trap. His blog continues to break monthly highs while becoming one of the more recognized PF blogs in the space.

Takeaways:

own sites.

a top-tier blog.

Liz Weston, Gerri Detweiler, John Ulzheimer, Maxine SweetTopical Track: Grand Ballroom F

Most of us never took classes in school to learn about credit

surprisingly, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about what builds or hurts our credit scores.

-erate a discussion on credit scores and provide her insights along with panel members John Ulzheimer (SmartCredit.com), Gerri Detweiler (Credit.com), and Maxine Sweet (Experian).

Takeaways:

-

extra help

of identity theft)

1 1 : 0 0 - 1 1 : 4 5 A M

Hank Coleman, Teresa Mears, Emily Guy Birken, Annie LogueAdvanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

not enough to take you to the next level. This session will teach you how to research topics and write with authority, a mini-Jour-


nalism 101 course. Bloggers who can research and write like pro-fessionals then become professionals and call sell their work.

Takeaways:

-

Dustin HartzlerBeginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

Taking your WordPress skills from newbie to intermediate has

to maintaining your WordPress website or blog? Learn from the mistakes of others and keep your visitors on your site and coming back for more.

Takeaways:

recover from a catastrophe.

Todd TresidderIntermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

A step-by-step, engineered, content marketing strategy to attract your ideal clients that matches their buying process and results

without having to resort to selling or sleazeball tactics.

Takeaways:

conveys the right message.

automatically.

-

Caleb WojcikSuccess Stories Track: Park View Room

There are numerous decisions, strategies, and tactics that en-able someone to live off of their online income. How do others do it -- both in lifestyle and in revenue streams (contracting + blog-ging + freelancing + product creation)?

Takeaways:

from your blog.

you admire and how that can earn you a living.-

Mitchel Harad, Simon Roy, Matt Gidney, Larry LudwigTopical Track: Grand Ballroom F

-panies are taking disruption to the next level. Attendees will hear

-vest, budget, save and manage credit.

Takeaways:

2 : 1 5 - 3 : 1 5 P M

Demian FarnworthGrand Ballroom H

Takeaways:-

mands attention, creates desire and compels action.

Luke LandesGrand Ballroom F

Luke Landes, founder of multi-million dollar blog Consumerism Commentary, is joined by Toni Anderson (The Happy Housewife), Andrea Deckard (SavingsLifestyle), and J.D. Roth (Get Rich Slowly) to discuss mainstream and alternative revenue strategies for bloggers.

Cynthia SanchezPark View Room

In a nutshell, Pinterest is an online visual bookmarking site but if approached strategically it can be a very powerful tool for gener-

-dia marketing plan or have some questions about your existing account, come be a part this fun and interactive Q & A session.

Takeaways:

SESSION DETAILS


Justin PremickGrand Ballroom G

learned over the past nine years that can improve your results.

-

Ashley JacobsGrand Ballroom A

Tweetchats are a fun and innovative way for blogs and compa-

media users say they are more likely to purchase from a brand they follow online, which is why companies invest heavily on Twit-

-moted trends.

Wise Bread has created many tweetchats for clients that have naturally trended on Twitter for a tiny fraction of that cost, mak-ing it possible to not need $120,000 to be successful on Twitter! We can show you how any blog or company can dramatically increase their exposure by hosting, sponsoring, or even just at-tending a Tweetchat.

Takeaways:

--

lowing), how to choose viral topics and more.-

3 : 1 5 - 3 : 4 5 P M

Carrie RochaAdvanced Track: Grand Ballroom A

increase your ca--

your team.

having staff

-

Jamie TardyBeginner Track: Grand Ballroom G

Is it possible to get Seth Godin or Andrew Warner to say yes to in-

0--how do you become friends with hugely successful people?

Takeaways:

Beta Karimzadeh, Casey BondIntermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

You have a successful blog that generates side income – so how

that targets the right audience and generates relevant, return vis-

audience targeting tools, content strategy, strategic placements and integration.

Takeaways:

readers coming back

-zation integrations (not banners)

money off your blog

is worthwhile to read

David WeliverSuccess Stories Track: Park View Room

Barbara FriedbergTopical Track: Grand Ballroom F

Synthesize investing strategies that work into your blog posts! Master the relationship between risk & return, asset classes, mu-tual funds,exchange traded funds (etfs), stocks, bonds, and more.

Takeaways:

information for your readers (and boosting your own investing knowledge).

-proaches.

4 : 0 0 - 4 : 3 0 P M

Marie PhillipsAdvanced Track: Grand Ballroom A


Shannyn AllanSuccess Stories Track: Park View RoomMost bloggers are at a loss as to what major media outlets look for (or potential freelancing clients) when they want to hire a blogger or work with a blogger for sponsorships, magazine mentions, etc.

Takeaways:-

ing Page (What to add, leave off, how to polish it to perfection)-

ger should have with information about offerings, rates, stats, etc.)

potential collaborations (putting together a pitch email, who to email, what to say, how to negotiate with brands or websites for better compensation, etc.)

Andrea TravillianTopical Track: Grand Ballroom F

Takeaways:

values.

Building the RIGHT systems for YOUR blog depends on your

Takeways:

Thursday BramBeginner Track: Grand Ballroom GCreating a blog that allows you to bring in outside writers requires a little thought long before you can hire help or bring in guest posters. This talk will cover structuring your blog so that other writers can step in, as well as best practices for working with other writers.

Takeaways:

guest posters, paid freelancers)

Grant DekenIntermediate Track: Grand Ballroom H

-ate marketers in 2013 through a series of data driven case study

can quickly implement these strategies on their own sites.

Takeaways:

-ate offers

-ment and clicks for pennies on the dollar

-ing payouts

Pat, creator of the ultra-popular (and helpful) Smart Passive Income brand, will be our opening keynote speaker at #FinCon13.

Pat is one of the most successful and most transparent online

YouTube channel is a wealth of information and his podcast, re-cently featured in the New York Times, has been downloaded over 2.5 million times.

Jean is an award-

-

author, a longtime magazine columnist, and her eighth and most recent book is Money Rules: The Simple Path to Lifelong Security.

She believes knowing how to manage our money is one of the most important life skills for people at every age and has made it

literacy both now and for the future.

-ing, getting out of debt and planning for retirement — that she teaches herself at JeanChatzky.com.

Rounding out our keynote speak-ers at #FinCon13 will be Derek Halpern.

one of the most in-demand experts on us-ing new media to attract customers. His breakthrough science-based approach to social media, blogging, and online mar-

SPEAKERS

keting has changed the way tens of thousands of people use the web to grow their business.

In addition to the wildly popular resource at SocialTriggers.com, Derek Halpern is also the host of one of the top marketing pod-

Frank is President of Ever-Bank Direct. A founding partner of EverBank in 1998, he has ac-quired more than 30 years of ex-perience in the banking industry.

Frank has served as Senior

Markets and as Director of the International Markets Division of Mark Twain Bank, where he created the WorldCurrency™ family of deposits and directed the global launch of eCash™.

Frank graduated from St. Olaf College and holds an MBA in Fi-nance and International Finance from Washington University.

President, Quality, for JPMorgan

-vices experience, and has recently

-

business and operational units across Chase Card to ensure that products, processes, policies, and customer interactions meet regulatory, procedural, and customer impact standards.

dramatically improve the way customers can manage their spending and borrowing.

P A T F L Y N N

J E A NC H A T Z K Y

D E R E K H A L P E R N

F R A N KT R O T T E R

T O MO ’ D O N N E L L


SESSION DETAILS


Amanda AbellaAmanda Abella is a micro-business and lifestyle coach who helps millennials create businesses and lives they love. She also writes and speaks about various lifestyle topics including

-

Tribune and more. For more info visit amandaabella.com.

Laura Adams

featured in NBC News, CBS News, FOX News, FOX Business, CBS Radio, ABC Radio, NPR, USA Today, US News and World

many other radio, print, and online outlets. In addition to hosting the top-rated Money Girl Podcast, Laura is a speaker, spokes-person, and Sr. Insurance Analyst for Bankrate.com. She makes money easy to understand for millions of loyal listeners and

from the University of Florida and lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband and their yellow Lab.

Shannyn AllanShannyn started out blogging on Frugalbeautiful.com but has since expanded to TheFrugalPreneur.com and BeautifulGive-aways.com to capture her various interests. She has been no-

this year on how to partner up with companies for sponsorships, reviews and giveaways without selling your soul (and have a lot of fun getting free stuff!).

Syed BalkhiSyed Balkhi is a killer online marketer with design & develop-

many other sites. His work has been featured in: New York

others. Syed has been working online since he was 12 years old, and has a very successful online business.

Casey Bond

serves as the managing editor and voice for www.GoBank-ingRates.com. Her work regularly appears in a number of major national publications in addition to GoBankingRates, including

Post. Casey can also be found on The Street, MSN, Yahoo!

News radio.

Lauren BowlingLauren Bowling is the founder and editor behind the popular

Bowling works full time as the Content and Social Media spe-cialist for AchieveIt, a SaaS company headquartered in Atlanta.

com, Money Talks News, and Yahoo! Finance.

Thursday BramThursday Bram guides businesses and individuals through Hy-

-ing the differences between writing for print and the computer screen.

Steve ChouSteve runs the popular blog MyWifeQuitHerJob.com where he writes about building wealth and entrepreneurship with an

businesses that allow you to spend more time with your family and focus on doing the things you love. In addition to his blog, he runs his ecommerce store, Bumblebee Linens, and a course

Hank Coleman

national publications in addition to his own blog, Money Q&A,

retirement, investing, insurance, and other money related topics. -

also follow Hank on Twitter @MoneyQandA.

Gerri Detweiler

their credit problems for more than two decades. As Director of Consumer Education for Credit.com, she writes about credit

3000+ news articles.

Viet Do

site for techies and gamers. He previously served as blog editor

Intuit) and BillShrink.com (pre-aquisition by MasterCard), where he led the launch of their blog and content strategy.

Joshua DorkinJosh Dorkin is an Internet entrepreneur and product specialist focused on social media, blogging, podcasting, marketing, and online communities, with a focus on the real estate investing space. He built the leading real estate investing social network-ing community and resource portal, www.BiggerPockets.com.

Kyle DurandKyle Durand is a business and tax attorney and founder of sev-eral companies, including The Precept Group, a unique small

-ington and OurDeal, an online software service for creating, sending and signing legal agreements. Providing cutting edge business management tools and techniques, he helps small business owners to navigate the complex and often confusing

to build businesses that provide the income, freedom and life-style they desire. Kyle can be found online at kyledurand.com.

Ben EdwardsAfter his fans on Money Smart Life helped him co-author and

released a tool to help other bloggers self-publish, AuthorZen.com

Demian FarnworthDemian Farnworth is Chief Copywriter

for Copyblogger Media. Copyblogger Media is a leading online marketing resource developing tools and education for bloggers, copywriters, and marketing professionals.

Karyn Fleeting

She has also made her mark in content marketing and PR with --

ing, business blogging, copywriting, SEO copywriting.

Donna FreedmanA writer for MSN Money since January 2007, Donna Freedman won regional and national prizes during an 18-year newspaper career and earned a college degree in midlife without taking out student loans. Her work has appeared in dozens of pub-lications – everything from Quail Unlimited to The New York Times Review of Books. She writes about smart money tactics for magazines and on her own site, www.donnafreedman.com. This will be her third year of presenting at the Financial Blogger Conference.

Barbara Friedberg

instructor, investment portfolio manager, and internationally rec-ognized publisher of Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance.com. She recently published How to Get Rich; Wealth Building Guide for the Financially Illiterate.

David Siteman GarlandDavid Siteman Garland is the host of The Rise To The Top, the #1 show, resource & training for mediapreneurs. David helps folks with an online platform (blog, web show, podcast, .etc) grow their audience like a weed and make the bling bling. Be-sides being featured by all kinds of sexy media outlets, having over 7,000,000 downloads of his show & trainings and writing a book his Grandma is proud of, David is most excited about help-ing mediapreneurs generate revenue 24/7 by creating their own online course.

Matt GidneyMatt Gidney is the Senior Director of Marketing & Business Development at LOYAL3, which uses social technologies to de-mocratize the capital markets. Our goal is to make stock owner-ship easy and affordable for everyone - now you can invest in the companies you love with as little as $10 and pay no fees. Before that, Matt held various sales and marketing roles with RentJuice (acquired by Zillow), Salesforce.com and Ogilvy & Mather. Matt has a BS from Duke University and an MBA from Harvard.

Greg GoGreg Go is the co-founder and CTO of Wise Bread.com and its industry-leading Top Personal Finance Blog Chart. His team develops and implements technical solutions in support of Wise

Ryan GuinaRyan is an Air Force veteran and the founder of Cash Money

A S K T H E E X P E R T :

Life and The Military Wallet. He has traveled to over 30 coun-tries, served as a consultant to the Department of Defense, and

has been featured in US News & World Report and Yahoo Fi-nance, and his websites have been mentioned in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, MSN News, and more.

Mitchel HaradMitchel is vice president of marketing for Lending Club, the leading platform for investing in and obtaining personal loans. Mitchel leads the borrower marketing efforts at Lending Club, which includes a multi-million-dollar partner marketing program

-tion network. Lending Club has experienced unprecedented growth, surpassing $2 billion in cumulative loan originations and is issuing over $200 million in new loans each month. Prior to joining Lending Club, Mitchel was president of Broderick Street

companies.

Dustin HartzlerDustin Hartzler is a WordPress developer and podcaster. In addition to building websites for clients, he is the host of one of the most popular WordPress podcasts; Your Website Engineer Podcast. He enjoys digging into topics and teaching people how to create amazing things online using WordPress.

Beverly HarzogA nationally-recognized credit card expert, author and consumer advocate, Beverly Harzog has appeared on Fox News, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and many others.

author of the forthcoming Confessions of a Credit Junkie: Every-thing You Need to Know to Avoid the Mistakes I Made, which will be released on November 25.

Deacon Hayes-

cial coaching company, where it his goal to get you from where you ARE to where you WANT to be when it comes to you ca-reer, money and lifestyle. In 2013, he also founded the Phoenix SEO Company, an online marketing company to help bloggers as well as businesses increase their rankings in Google as well as the other search engines.

Jilliene HelmanJilliene Helman is the Founder and CEO of Realty Mogul. Realty Mogul is crowdfunding for real estate, a marketplace for accredited investors to pool money online and buys shares of pre-vetted real estate investments. Jilliene is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and operation of the busi-

where the majority of her time was spent in Private Wealth Management working with the broker-dealer, registered invest-ment advisor, real estate lenders and wealth planners. Jilliene

earned a degree in Business Administration from Georgetown University. She has been featured in countless publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur, NYT and Bloomberg, and is a frequent speaker on the subjects of crowdfunding, real estate



Jay HerringJay Herring worked on a cruise ship and is the author of The Truth About Cruise Ships which became the #1 Travel Book on

CNN, FOX, and CNBC to name a few. Watch media interviews here: www.jayontv.com.

Jason Hull

-

U.S. News & World Report. He received a BS in general engi-neering from the United States Military Academy at West Point

of the American Outlaws.

Ashley Jacobs-

munity Coordinator and Social Media Editor. She hosts Wise

have frequently trended on Twitter in the United States.

Ted Jenkin

company that focuses on the X & Y generation which manages 275 million dollars. He has a top 100 Wisebread ranked blog called Your Smart Money (www.yoursmartmoneymoves.com).

Stacy JohnsonStacy Johnson is the CEO and founder of Money Talks News, a consumer website and television news series airing within

Stacy is a CPA and also earned licenses in stocks, commodities,

three books and been awarded two Emmys. With no marketing budget, advertising or outside funding, MoneyTalksNews.com has grown from about 30,000 unique visitors monthly to more than 700,000 in less than 4 years.

Beta Karimzadeh

Department and is responsible for managing client media buying and planning needs. She focuses on building new partnerships while ensuring the growth and development of existing partners.

Agatha Kulesza

accounting and bookkeeping business for 11 years, she now spends her time as a non-motivational speaker and video advice

the end of 2014. For more visit www.HeyAgatha.com.

Mindy LamontMindy Lamont is the founder of The Insurist, an insurance agency that provides a down to earth approach to life insur-ance by blending old school agency management practices with new school media and technology. Previously, she was the

Management, LLC and prior to that spent over eleven years


with AXA Advisors. Ms. Lamont landed in Los Angeles while attending California State University, Northridge, and continued

Graziadio School of Business and Management. A big believer in the value of education, she actively supports philanthropic or-

currently serves on the Southwestern Regional Board of Opera-tion Hope and is a Board Director for El Nido Family Centers.

Luke LandesLuke Landes is the founder of Con-

management and investing, and has been cited as a must-read -

mentary was listed as one of the most useful blogs by MSN Money and has received mentions in publications including The Wall Street Journal and Money Magazine. Luke has also written for publications including US News & World Report and PC-World, and his stories have been syndicated on Yahoo Finance. Luke Landes also founded community-focused projects within

Finance and the Plutus Awards (which have been featured each year at the Financial Blogger Conference). Luke continues to write and edit Consumerism Commentary while working with brands and bloggers to foster their own online communities.

Ann LogueAnn Logue (rhymes with vogue) is a writer who is interested in the intersection of money, culture, investing, and technology.

Newsweek Japan, among other publications. In addition, she is

maintains the blog Chicago On The Cheap.

Larry Ludwig

to help educate others with investing and entrepreneurship. He

University. Larry has an investment portfolio that includes: retire-ment accounts, rental property, taxable investments, and owned

Long Island New York with his wife Jeanne and three children.

Teresa MearsTeresa Mears is the editor-in-chief and co-CEO of Living on the Cheap, a consumer news website. In her 35 years as a journal-ist, she has written for papers ranging in size from the weekly Portland (Tenn.) Leader to The Los Angeles Times, as well as writing and editing for online publications. She was an editor for the Miami Herald for more than 17 years, overseeing coverage of home, real estate, family and other subjects. She has also been a contributor to MSN Money, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning News and other publications. Teresa also owns and operates Miami On The Cheap and other On the Cheap websites in Florida.

Jesse MechamJesse Mecham is the founder of YouNeedABudget.com (YNAB) where he teaches Four Rules to help people get out of debt, save more money, and break the paycheck to paycheck cycle.


Carrie RochaAfter getting her family out of $50k of debt in 2.5 years, Carrie Rocha shares the things they learned online at www.PocketY-

Your Dollars started as a hobby blog, but turned into a full-time vocation 10 months into her journey. Carrie is also the author of Pocket Your Dollars: 5 Attitude Changes to Help You Pay Down Debt, Reduce Financial Stress and Keep More of What You Make (Bethany House, 2013).

Jeff Rose-

dicted blogger by night. He is the founder of Good Financial

author of Soldier of Finance – his 1st book being released Sep-tember of 2013. His other online projects include Life Insurance by Jeff - helping educate consumers on how to get affordable life insurance and Dollars and Roses - a joint project with his wife, Mandy, where they show others how they make money online. He currently writes for US News, Equifax, MarketWatch

Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Kiplingers, and Fox Business. In his free time, he loves hanging with his family, tortures himself

chow down on an In-N-Out Burger again.

Franklin RossFranklin is the CEO of FinServ Media LLC which powers

JD Roth

column to Entrepreneur magazine and is the author of Your Money: The Missing Manual. An Oregon native, he lives next to the Willamette River in a quiet part of Portland. He spends his

with his girlfriend. He hopes to live in Latin America someday.

Simon RoySimon Roy is President of Jemstep.com, an online investment advisor helping thousands of individual investors to a more secure retirement by providing unbiased advice on what to buy and sell in each of their investment accounts. Prior to Jemstep,

-gy and analytics companies. As a McKinsey consultant advising

-

provide the impetus for Jemstep Portfolio Manager--an online service that helps people optimize their retirement investments, combining the individualization of private wealth management with the portfolio analytics of institutional investors in an easy to

-tion from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

growing company in 2011, 13th fastest in 2012, and 17th fastest

loves working out, marksmanship, Schutzhund, and playing

children (and one dog).

Kathleen O Malley

frugal living blog, Frugal Portland, where she writes about fun, frugal things to do in her hometown of Portland, Oregon as well as ways to make the most of our short time here on the planet. Topics include living simply and having fun on a shoestring.

Derek C. OlsonDerek Olson writes at HisPlusHersEqualsOurs.com where he and his wife Carrie encourage people to have better conversa-tions on money, life, and marriage.

Robert PagliariniMy name is Robert Pagliarini and I have developed a national reputation for managing the wealth of people who experience a windfall from lawsuit settlement, divorce, stock options, inheri-

-

around their new wealth so their money can not just change

-peared on Dr. Phil, 20/20, Good Morning America, Katie Couric,

Wealth Advisors, is located in Southern California and we serve clients across the country.

Paula PantPaula Pant blogs at AffordAnything.com about building wealth and

six rental property units that produce thousands in passive income, and runs her own freelance writing and online marketing company.

Marie Phillips

the potential consequences of wealth. She encourages visitors to take the long view and pull all family generations together to nourish the family legacy and wealth. She is a Project Manage-ment Professional with more than 2 decades of experience in

-mented projects and wrote many business documents. She has been blogging and writing professionally since 2010.

Justin PremickJustin Premick is an award-winning

email marketing expert and Director of Educational Products for AWeber, the leading small business email marketing software company. Tens of thousands of businesses have learned how to

articles or by watching his presentations in person or online. His insight and advice on email marketing has been featured by INC, the New York Times, About.com, and numerous other busi-ness and marketing publications. You can connect with him on Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.




Stephanie SammonsStephanie Sammons is founder of Wired Advisor, an online digital

-ence, a blog that helps independent entrepreneurs build a niche

Merrill Lynch. Stephanie is a nationally recognized digital market-ing and social media thought leader, speaker, and writer.

Elizabeth Sanberg

mergers and acquisitions. She is the co-founder and former owner of Go Green Travel Green, a critically acclaimed top travel blog. In her spare time she writes for Wise Bread and runs

her at WomensMoneyWeek.com and @womensmoneyweek.

Cynthia SanchezCynthia Sanchez is a trainer and national speaker that helps businesses create and implement Pinterest and social media solutions. Her unstoppable curiosity drives her to explore the ways businesses both large and small can utilize Pinterest to its

-ing blog and audio podcast.

Joy Schoffler

-ing industry. In addition to sitting on the board of the CF50, a global think tank for the emerging crowdfunding industry, Joy sits on the board of the two leading crowdfunding profes-sional associations, the Crowdfunding Professional Association (CFPA) and the Crowdfunding Intermediary Regulatory Advo-cates (CFIRA). She is a contributing author for the upcoming

writes for a number of outlets.

Matt SchulzMatt is an award-winning journalist and is Editor-In-Chief at InvestingAnswers.com. Previously, he has led the online edito-

for websites covering everything from college sports to credit

his work featured recently by media outlets including U.S. News and World Report, MSN Money, The Fiscal Times, Mint.com and others. This will be his second straight year talking about SEO as a featured speaker at FINCON.

Emily Chase Smith

Emily is a California attorney with a long history of helping

decisions as they start, grow and transition in their business-es because money only counts if you keep it. She hosts The

EmillyChaseSmith.com.


Tim Sullivan

accountable for the strategic direction and functional execution of business objectives. Formerly, as President of Sharespost Financial Corporation, Tim built the team and trading infrastruc-

transacted with over 30 private issuers, representing over $1B in transactions, resulting in over $30mm in revenue to Share-spost. Previously, Tim has held leadership roles at Susque-

career, he has managed more than $3B worth of private equity transactions and enjoys a consistent track record of surpassing expectations. Maxine Sweet

education, community involvement and corporate responsibility teams. She supports Experian and their people in their commit-ment to giving back to the communities in which they live and

-reach, she strives to help consumers understand credit reporting and how to live credit smart.

Jaime TardyEver since Jaime was little she wanted to be a millionaire, so she went to a great school and paved a path in corporate Amer-ica. She ended up with what looked like an amazing life on the surface. She had a great career but hated it. She made great money, but was in $70,000 in debt. She paid off over $70,000

-ness. Now Jaime has interviewed over 90 millionaires for her web show, Eventual Millionaire. She has been seen on CNN,

Personal Finance Magazine and many more.

Nick ThomasNicholas A. (Nick) Thomas is the President, COO and Co-

subscription-based Software as Service companies on the web. Since then it has grown to service hundreds of thousands of

PC World. Nick has served in Engineering, Marketing, Product Management, Mobile and Web Software Design/Development, and Technology Infrastructure transformation roles for For-tune 500, mid-market, and start-up organizations including the Nordmark Group, Hivelaunch, Unicity, 3Com, US Robotics, and Megahertz.

Andrea Travillian

-

balance between work, life and their money. All of my coaching and writing is focused around the belief that in order to live our dream life we must be balanced in all areas. Success in one area cannot be complete without success in the others.

Todd Tresidder

ago). He launched FinancialMentor.Com to provide a resource -

ased by) investment product sales. His unconventional writing -

frequent, and basically violates every rule of traditional blogging. He is the author of several books including How Much Money

Brandon TurnerBrandon Turner is the BiggerPockets.com Senior Editor and Community Director. He is also an Active Real Estate Investor (Flips, Apartments, and Buy-and-Hold), Entrepreneur, World Traveler, Third-Person Speaker, and Husband.

John UlzheimerJOHN - Nationally recognized expert on credit reporting and credit scoring. 22+ years in the consumer credit industry includ-ing time with FICO, Equifax, and Credit.com. The only recog-nized independent credit expert that actually comes from the credit industry. Has served as a credit expert witness in over

day. Interviewed over 3,000 times on the topic of consumer credit since 2005. Has written 3 books on credit reporting, credit scoring and identity theft.

Jim WangJim Wang is a reformed software engineer who founded

in early 2010. He now works on Microblogger.com, where he hopes to help bloggers hone their craft and build their own suc-cessful blog.

David WeliverDavid Weliver is the publisher of MoneyUnder30.com, a blog

children in Cumberland, Maine.

Liz WestonLiz Weston is an award-winning, nationally-syndicated personal

-

weekly on MSN Money while her question-and-answer column

including the Los Angeles Times, the Palm Beach Post, the

her husband and daughter in Los Angeles and blogs at AskLiz-Weston.com.

Geoff WhitmoreGeoff Whitmore is lead traveler/writer at NoobTraveler, a blog dedicated to educating its readers on reward travel, travel tips,

and cost-saving travel techniques. The blog particularly focuses

teaches its readers how to save BIG. All the while, the site main-tains a humorous writing style that is both fun and informative. Geoff also curates the best rewards travel deals in his daily blog posts and articles, and has founded the credit card management site, Card Watchdog.

Caleb Wojcik

host of The Fizzle Show, and co-founder of Fizzle.co & Expert Enough. He also hosts The Cubicle Renegade Podcast, is the author of The Get Paid Manifesto, and creator of Make It

and getting his MBA, he left to work full-time with Corbett Barr

online entrepreneurs like Pat Flynn and Chris Ducker. He now lives in San Diego with his wife, but they travel often.



HYATT REGENCY

AT THE ARCH

F O U R T H F L O O R F L O O R P L A N

D O W N T O W N

ST. LOUIS

To Soulard (approx. 3/4 mi.)

To Anheuser-BuschBrewery Tours (approx. 1 3/4 mi.)

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FinCon Connection Issue 2