I'm back from Miami and ready to share some insight to those of you who were unable to attend  Entrepreneur's fabulous Women in Charge event, sponsored by OPEN from American Express. The first session I attended was called Internet Marketing: Secrets for Success, led by  Catherine Seda. Seda, chief internet strategist at Savvy Agency, has spent almost 13 years specializing in internet marketing. She had a jam-packed agenda for our hour-and-a-half session, and was able to cram just about all of the information in.

One thing Seda touched on was how to write an effective press release. I agreed with the comments she made, because as a member of the media, I deal with press releases on a daily basis. Seda recommended business owners write press releases like articles, just like a journalist would. She suggested distributing press releases through websites like  PRWeb and  Newsforce. A specific, detailed press release offering facts, survey results or even statistics can make the difference between whether I press delete or whether I save the pitch in my file.

As for blogging, Seda suggested all business owners try to contribute to a blog as often as possible. If it's too much for you to keep up your own blog, try posting comments to other people's blogs. "Search engines love blogs," says Seda. "I'm not a tech person, but I can blog!" Seda recommended sites like  Blogger,  WordPress.com and  TypePad  for creating your own blog. She said both Blogger and WordPress.com are free, while TypePad charges a fee each month.

Overall, the number one rule Seda suggested in search engine optimization to get free traffic is relevancy. "Think about how to be a specialist in your field--differentiate yourself," she said. Seda asked all the entrepreneurs in the room to raise their hands for how many pages they scour when they research a certain phrase or keyword on Yahoo! or Google. The majority of participants put their hands down after page 2, and just about everyone had their hands down by page 3. So, as Seda pointed out, the right words can make the difference between coming in as a top 30 hit on a search engine, or being ignored. For more information on how to find the right words to get your business traffic, check out Catherine Seda's newest book,  How to Win Sales & Influence Spiders.--Kristin Edelhauser Chessman

Heartache--sometimes it can leave you more wiped out than the flu ever could, and Tokyo-based Hime & Company takes this into account with its paid "heartache leave."  According to the company's leaders, it’s worth it to let workers take a day to cry the heartbreak out so they can come back to work more recharged.  The marketing company, which also gives half-days off during sales season, grants its employees more "heartache leave" credit as they get older.

"Not everyone needs to take maternity leave but with heartbreak, everyone needs time off, just like when you get sick," CEO Miki Hiradate told Reuters.--Alexa Vaughn

After invigorating speeches from Rieva Lesonsky, senior VP and editorial director for Entrepreneur magazine, and Adela Cepeda, founding partner and chair of Alta Capital Group, LLC, as well as owner and president of A.C. Advisory, a municipal finance advisory firm, the energy was electric at the Women in Charge conference on Tuesday. But the day had just begun, and in the first of three sessions, I had the honor to sit in on Jennifer Kushell's presentation titled, Work Your Network. As the co-founder and president of YSN and the author of Secrets of the Young & Successful, Kushell shared her insight into the exciting--yet intimidating--world of networking.

Whether we like it or not, networking plays a prominent role in all facets of our lives. Kushell has a gift for networking with tens of thousands of contacts, and she gives all the credit to her mom who would talk to everyone. But for those to whom it doesn't come quite so naturally, Kushell offered some good tips.

First, she asked attendees, "What's your story?" and showed the importance of a well-written bio that highlights one's background or experience. She said we all have to market ourselves, and that entrepreneurs should do so by having a pitch ready that captures the elements of what sets them apart; by establishing an online identity with the help of professional networks, such as LinkedIn; and by building a solid corporate identity that includes branding everything from note cards to brochures.

Then Kushell presented a visual image of networking that she calls "The House on the Hill," where she divides people's roles into owners, part timers, visitors, workers and the public. Each person plays a different role, ranging from owners, who are the influencers and decision makers, to the public, who has limited access and must abide by the decisions that the owners make. However, even the public knows someone who is a worker, visitor or part timer and, once this is realized, can gain access little by little and move their way up. With this visual in mind, it makes networking a little more manageable.

Kushell also mentioned important tools for networking success, such as BlackBerrys, card scanners, signature lines and CRM solutions. And she provided some helpful tips, such as building a file of people you want to meet (and show it to your influential friends) and joining online groups to stay in touch with your network of contacts.

But if the thought of networking still leaves a knot in your stomach, Kushell advises to "look at networking as a way of life." Says Kushell, "Play it like a game, have fun."--Sara Wilson