The Perks of a Great Smile: Confidence to Speak Publicly

A few weeks ago I wrote about my endeavor to improve my confidence and smile by using  ARM & HAMMER’S Advance White Toothpaste.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend and speak at the Food Media Forum– a two day food media conference in St. Louis, hosted by Stefani Pollak of Cupcake Project, along with Kimberly Henricks-Friedhoff of Rhubarb and Honey, Stacy Anderson of Every Little Thing, Laura Beaver of Food Snob STL, Stephanie Tolle of Iron Stef, and FEAST Magazine .

It was an incredible and intimate gathering devoted to learning about food writing.  Dianne Jacob, author of Will Write for Food, spoke on food writing techniques, engaging your reader, recipe writing, and getting cookbooks published.   Day two was filled with food photography, ethics in food writing, marketing and branding, and search engine optimization, from a very impressive list of  speakers.

photo credit: Jonathan Pollack

I was asked to speak on the topic of branding and marketing a blog.  I told my story about how I started Cetcu and what steps I’ve taken to grow the wonderful communities I have on the world wide web.  I could talk about blogging all day long, but I have to admit I was a bit nervous doing it in front of a crowd.  ARM & HAMMER’S Advance White Toothpaste helped give me the big happy smile that I needed to feel confident all weekend long!

What could I accomplish with a more confident smile?

When I’m happier and confident with my smile……I feel more comfortable around strangers and can share that smile with confidence, even when speaking in front of 75 people!   Smiling more often, can actually help me feel happier and more relaxed……….even when I really feel like a bag of nerves! 

photo credit: Jonathan Pollack

I want to give a big thanks to all the wonderful people I met, new friends I made, and plethora of knowledge I learned at the Food Media Forum and can’t wait to implement!

I never would have imagined when I started my blog four years ago, that I would be given the opportunities I’ve had,  friendships I’ve made, but most of all……….I’ve grown as a person.  I’ve seen myself become more confident and strong , which is staying a lot for this little introvert!  I never knew that little box and screen on my desk could bring so much joy into my life!

So will I continue to use ARM & HAMMER’S Advance White Toothpaste? That’s a BIG YES!

The maker of ARM & HAMMER® products challenged me to switch to ARM & HAMMER Advance White Toothpaste with Stain Defense and this summer, they are giving away $12,000 in the ARM & HAMMER Switch & Save Challenge Sweepstakes. To be entered to win one (1) of twelve (12) $1,000 prizes, simply reply to the question below! (if you are reading via email or reader, you must click over to the blog to enter)

Remember to join other ARM & HAMMER Switch & Save conversations for even more chances to win!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Arm & Hammer. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.