Nerd Girl Industries

Nerd Girl Industries Workshops

Nerd Girl Industries offers a range of workshops on various topics. Unless otherwise specified, these workshops can be conducted as a four-week email course, on-demand, or as a live online workshop. The workshops can be customized for one-on-one instruction or as a group. Contact me if you have any questions or would like a quote!

Not Your Mother's Librarian

Libraries have become more relevant than ever in the 21st C. They act as meeting hubs, offering programming for all ages, and provide services such as lending materials, access to public computers and Wi-Fi, printing and copying, as well as passport and notary services, among others. In Not Your Mother’s Librarian, get the inside scoop on what being a librarian means today.

 
Takeaways

  • The history of librarianship
  • Types of libraries and what they do
  • Types of services libraries offer
  • What kind of materials libraries lend
  • How to support libraries

 

Note: This workshop is only available on-demand or as a one-hour live workshop. 

Social Media: The Motherload Edition

Social Media: The Motherload Edition takes everything from Introduction to Social Media, How to Manage your Social Media and Online Presence, and Telling Your Story: Introduction to Websites, Newsletters, and Blogs into a jam packed two hour class.

Takeaways

  • You will answer the question if you need a website, newsletter, blog, or social media
  • What kind of content to create and post and at what times
  • Doing audits (website, social media, newsletter)
  • Creating a content strategy that works for you
  •  Defining your voice, tone, and persona

And too much more to list!

Note: This workshop is only available on-demand or as a two-hour live workshop. 

Introduction to Social Media​

Putting yourself online can be scary, overwhelming, and sometimes confusing. In Introduction to Social Media, we’ll talk about what social media is and isn’t, current trends and stats, what kind of social media networks are available, the truth about going viral, and more.

Takeaways

  • Whether or not you should be on social media
  • Common social media networks
  • Current stats of social media
  • Social media trends
  • The truth about going viral

How to Manage Your Social Media and Online Presence

Managing your social media and online presence can be challenging, frustrating, and sometimes expensive. What networks should I be on? How often should I post? How do I find my audience and define my persona? Get answers to these questions and learn tips and tricks on managing your social media and online presence effectively. You will work less and engage more with your audience.

Takeaways

  • Creating content strategy and calendars
  • Performing website and content audits
  • Defining your audience and persona
  • What kind of content to post, how often, and at what times
  • Whether or not to use AI for content creation

Telling Your Story:  Introduction to Websites, Newsletters, and Blogs

Building your online presence is scary. Most of us are familiar with social media, but having a website? Getting a newsletter? Even starting a blog? There are too many options and it can be overwhelming. Telling Your Story will introduce you to the world of websites, newsletters, and blogs in easy to understand terms and relatable examples.

 

Takeaways

  • Introduction to websites, newsletters, and blogs and whether or not you need them (Yes, yes, and maybe!)
  • Defining your voice and audience
  • Creating a content strategy and calendar
  • What kind of content to post, when, and where
  • Maintenance of your website, newsletter, and blogs

Using Meta Business to Plan and Manage Your Social Media

Did you know you can plan, post, and get analytics on your Facebook and Instagram accounts within the Meta Business platform? It’s true! And better yet, it’s free! Using Meta Business, you can plan and post your content, track engagement and analytics, manage and respond to notifications, and more! 

Note: This workshop does not cover Facebook or Instagram ads.

 Takeaways

  • Creating business properties and connecting your Facebook and Instagram accounts
  • Creating a content calendar and strategy
  • Creating text, video, and image posts
  • Responding to comments and DMs
  • Obtaining and analyzing analytics for your Facebook and Instagram accounts

The Source Whisperer: Research Beyond AI

In the age of misinformation, determining fact from fiction is becoming increasingly difficult. The Source Whisperer: Research Beyond AI will give you the skills and knowledge to go beyond search engine and AI results. You’ll discover different online resources, divide fact from fiction, determine currency and credibility, and more. Your readers will thank you.

Takeaways

  • Evaluating content for currency, context, authority, coverage, goals, and sources
  • The different types of online resources and their purpose
  • The different types of libraries and how to use them for research
  • How search engines and algorithms work
  • Advanced search engine search techniques

 

Bonus: Over six pages of publicly available databases, journals, and websites for your research!

Don't Call Me Crazy: Creating Believable Characters with Mental Illness

One in five people in the United States has or will have a mental illness in their lifetime, with anxiety, bipolar disorder, and depression leading the charge. Yet, characters with mental illness are surprisingly underrepresented in fiction. And if a character is written with a mental illness, they are often portrayed as a caricature of the illness or treated as a plot device. In this workshop, we’ll discuss the various types of common mental illnesses, how to research reliable information about the condition, and how to portray the character with compassion.

Takeaways

  • You’ll learn about common mental illnesses, their symptoms, and attributes
  • How to find peer-reviewed and reliable information to write your characters
  • Understanding the brain of someone with a mental illness
  • Learn how to stay away from creating caricature characters
  • Debunking myths about mental illness

Digital Hygiene: Cybersecurity for the Rest of Us

Are you safeguarding your digital life? Online security isn’t optional; it’s vital in today’s world. Discover how to create fortress-like passwords, master password managers, spot sneaky phishing attacks, and build a strong defense against cyber threats.

 

Takeaways

  • Choosing the right password manager
  • Recognizing phishing, smishing, and ransomware
  • Creating and managing backups
  • Password safety
  • Securing your online accounts

 

Circulate! Getting Your Books into Bookstores and Libraries

Regardless of whether you’re an indie or traditionally published author, getting your titles into bookstores and libraries can be difficult. This workshop will help you develop your skills to approach bookstores and libraries, give author readings, present talks, and enlarge your readership, as well as attract more readers.

Takeaways

  • Prep work needed before you contact the bookstore and libraries
  • Creating a sell sheet
  • Writing a cover letter on why they should acquire your books
  • Promoting your work with author talks, programming, and signings
  • What bookstores and libraries look for in new titles
 

Note: This workshop is only available on-demand or as a one-hour live workshop.