Recap SFL Moms: Connecting Through Storytelling – August Meetup

Gol! The South Florida Mom Bloggers met our goal of meeting up to discuss  “Connecting Through Storytelling” with our guest speaker Jeannette Kaplun at our August meetup this past Saturday hosted by Champions Florida Sport Bar and Complex.  

Our Speaker 

Jeannette Kaplun is an award winning reporter, author, blogger, presenter, and founder of the Hispana Global platform where she shares advice about beauty, travel, family, technology, self-help, philanthropy and more. She is also the mom of two beautiful adolescent children. Jeannette was born in El Paso, Texas but raised in Chile, so she feels comfortable speaking in both English and Spanish. 

Considered a pioneer in the world of blogging, she founded Todobebé in 1999. From the material in her blog, she wrote a book titled “Todobebé: Todo lo que necesitas saber para el primer año de tu bebé.” 

She has worked with leading brands, such as: Disney, Dove, Amazon, Tide, Google, Target, Walmart, Huggies, Crest, JCPenny, Embassy Suites, and Wyndham Destinations, among others. 

The website mom.me recognized her as one of the top 50 mom bloggers, and she has been in shows like Dr. Oz, The Steve Harvey Show, The Chew, Good Morning America, Today Show, Despierta América, Un Nuevo Día, and El News Café.

Discussion

During the meetup, Jeannette spoke about the kinds of stories that she has shared with her audiences in various mediums. She gave an excellent example of how you can play a role on television, but to make a real connection with your readers, you have to be genuine. And you have to tell stories that are unique to you.

Using personal examples of what she wrote for her blog and social media when she worked with big brands, she gave advice on how to stay true to your voice when negotiating what you are going to write for them. 

She also touched upon:

• Work/life balance
• The importance of reinventing yourself
• Trying new things, especially if things are not going the way you would like
• How to handle bullies online
• Choosing to work with brands that align with you and your message

Swag and Treats

Thanks to our amazing sponsors, each person received a tote bag full of goodies from Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Everyone also got a beautiful little drawstring bag engraved with our handle from Wonder Creations by Lu. And moms took home a kids’ activity set from Kiddo Mood.

South Florida Mom Blogers loves to support our entrepreneurs at every event by showcasing their services and products. So this month’s meetup decorations were made by local crafters. Thanks to Carolina Dorrego, Founder of Florida Crafts Club, we had beautiful handcrafted items. 

The gorgeous flower arrangements were made by Hi Zobe. And our beverage pitchers were expertly decorated by ASTTUS.

Sponsors provided delicious treats. Nani’s Healthy Food and Fabiola Granola provided scrumptious healthy snacks. Then, we finished the day with some perfectly packaged chocolate bars by Daniela Creations.

Giveaways

We had some giveaways before saying goodbye. 

Jeannette gave away bracelets from Golden Tangerine. And Katy Taurel won them. 

Katy Taurel gave away two tickets to her Makeup Party. The first winner was Jainewel R. And the second winner was E. L. Lane.

Last, but not least, Wendy A., got to take home a pack of amazing Fabiola Granola. 

Congratulations to all the winners!

Networking and Goodbyes

Lastly, the meetup ended with networking and photos.

South Florida Mom Bloggers certainly made connections at this meetup.

Thanks for coming!

See you next month!

Big Thanks to Our Sponsors

Maria Barco: https://www.instagram.com/asttus

Hi Zobe: https://www.instagram.com/hi_zobe

Wonder Creations by Lu: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WonderCreationsbyLu

Daniela Creations: https://www.instagram.com/danielamcreations

CDD Crafts: https://instagram.com/cddcrafts