Taking It to the Next Level: Expert Advice for Digital Influencers

Lisa Messenger is the CEO of The Messenger Group and founder and editor-in-chief of The Collective – an Entrepreneurial lifestyle magazine distributed in 37 countries with a mandate to disrupt, challenge and inspire.

Lisa has authored and co-authored over a dozen books and become an authority in the start-up scene, charting her rollercoaster ride to success in best-selling book Daring & Disruptive; unleashing the entrepreneur and its sequel  Life & Love. With fans including Sir Richard Branson and New York Times Best-selling author Bradley Trevor Grieve, and a social media following of over 85,000, Lisa’s vision is to build a community of likeminded people who want to change the world.

She has trekked across India raising money for charity, ridden camels in the Sahara and laughed her way through communal showers in the Costa Rican jungle in the name of personal development.

Kate McKibbin is a professional online shopaholic, writer and fashion commentator.

Kate is a successful entrepreneur. Her passion for the online world has seen her create two very successful businesses – Drop Dead Gorgeous (DDG) Daily and Secret Bloggers’ Business, a school for influencers in the making. DDG Daily is a thriving fashion, beauty and lifestyle site and is the real girl’s guide to making life more gorgeous (and having fun doing it).

Her highlights include: working with Revlon to produce its own nail polish colour collection, launching Secret Bloggers Business 2014 and winning Female Entrepreneur of the Year (FEA) Award 2015.

Jim Butcher is one half of the highly successfully travel and lifestyle blog Mr & Mrs Romance. The stylish couple’s blog takes a fun and unique ‘he said/she said’ twist, where you’ll get see both sides of the story. A lifestyle site combatting the myths and conquering the techniques of living a better life with the one you have.

Jim and Christina are the ultimate Sydney couple, making their way through beautiful eateries one bite at a time.

His highlights include: releasing his first e-book with Christina, How to Host the Perfect Cocktail Party and together had their wedding featured on Polka Dot Bride.

Best known from her national radio shows on the KIIS and Nova networks. Monty currently co-hosts the 3PM Pickup with Meshel Laurie on the KIIS network.

In early 2013, Monty co-founded and launched a new webventure, Show + Tell Blog, which quickly found a keen and loyal audience. The blog epitomises the balance between motherhood, career, love and friendship. Theirs is a blog for Aussie women to read about Aussie women, to share the trials and tribulations of life and love, and it is a place to feel inspired and have a laugh.

Known for honest, fresh opinions and sense of fun, Monty has also appeared as a guest on well-known TV shows, including Talkin Bout Your Generation, The Project, The Today Show, Weekend Today, Studio 10 and The Circle.

Highlights include: having interviewed celebrities such as Chrissie Swan, Dannii Minogue and Jessica Mauboy and working with Schwarzkopf, which was featured in their Style Studio.

While juggling her media commitments, Monty also loves being a mum to Baxter and Arlo. 

Founder and Head of Relationships at The Remarkables Group, the first dedicated influencer talent agency in Australia. Launched in May 2012, The Remarkables Group represents a boutique group of 20 of the leading influencers in Australia , who have a combined reach of 8 million people a month.

Lorraine has built a reputation as one of Australia's foremost experts on influencer marketing, whose work has been recognised with both awards and media coverage. The agency has scooped awards including: Content Marketer of the Year, Emerging Agency of the Year and Australian Start-up of the Year.

She brings background in PR and communications strategy to assist brands in reaching their target audience by creating integrated campaigns across multiple social media channels.

Advocate for social media campaigns that deliver incredible results for brands and also support bloggers.

Avid trend-watcher and participant in social media who lectures in the strategic use of social media at both the University of New South Wales and Sydney University. 

She is a frequent speaker at industry events, including Mumbrella’s CommsCon and Problogger Training Day, and also leads training seminars for brands on the world of influencers.

Passionate about entrepreneurship, especially about inspiring more women to start their own businesses.

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Taking It to the Next Level: Expert Advice for Digital Influencers

What Is Influence? Meet The Power Players In Social Media

Jen Bishop has 16 years' experience as a journalist, editor, publisher and blogger across print, digital and social media.

She trained on newspapers in the UK, working her way up the journalism ladder to edit several magazines. She also worked in corporate communications for The Metropolitan Police (based out of New Scotland Yard) and London Borough of Newham (during the bid stage for the 2012 Olympic Games).

Jen moved to Sydney to find a new challenge in 2008. She spent five years at Dynamic Business magazine, then Australia's largest circulating small business publication, starting as editor and working her way up to publisher. She launched its online presence in 2009, relaunched the print magazine with a new look in 2010, built the brand and became known for her use of social media to engage with its readership.

In 2012, she left to concentrate on her hobby design blog, Interiors Addict, which now has almost 100,000 Australian readers per month. She has successfully commercialised the blog and it has been her full-time job for the past 3 years.

Vogue Living editor in chief and The Block judge Neale Whitaker, describes Interiors Addict as “an entertaining, well-navigated, informed and credible voice in Australian interior design.” Jen has been featured in Real Living, Home Beautiful, Marie Claire, Belle, The Huffington Post and more.