Those 3 little words describe how I felt on Sunday when I drove home from San Diego…
It’s like I blinked and in a moment, one week went by. It’s so hard to believe that last Friday I was hangin’ with Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Abby Cadabby…gleaning photography tips from Laurie and Amanda…dancing at Sparklecorn. This was my fourth year attending the conference, and from my previous experiences, it had a very different vibe.
With over 3000 attendees, it was huge….bigger than I ever remember. But despite it’s size, BlogHer felt more relaxed than previous years. I actually had time to sit down for conversation and meals with friends I hadn’t seen in over a year, network, dance, and enjoy a bit of San Diego’s sunshine. And of course, I apparently haven’t learned from previous years and attempted to do the entire Expo Hall in one short Saturday afternoon.
Last week I wrote about my BlogHer Plan… I always have so many aspirations about what I’m hoping to learn and accomplish and this year was no different.
On Thursday, I attended BlogHer’s Life Well Lived, which entailed an entire day of nurturing, personal development, and networking. Despite the fact that there was a heavy emphasis on brands, a lot of wonderful information and experiences arose out of that day. It helped that I started off the weekend with a relaxing leg massage. As a side note, this conference was all about the spa treatments…massages and pampering were abundant. Perhaps that’s why the vibe was so different than New York City…
The highlight of the day (in my opinion) was the keynote lunch by photographer and blogger Penny De Los Santos. I loved her perspective on photography as lifestyle. Much like her, I always have some type of camera in tow. Whether it’s my smartphone, my point and shoot, or my SLR, I’m constantly ready to capture those significant moments. Along with learning more about what makes a good photograph (light, color, composition, subject, connection), she talked about how to grow as a photographer:
1. Look at photography daily
2. Practice
3. Keep a visual journal
4. Find mentors
5. Surround yourself with people who challenge you
6. Show your work to anyone who will give you feedback
The session was informative and inspirational and I only wish I could sit down with her one-on-one and chat about all things photography.
Along with attending subsequent sessions on photography, I moderated a discussion with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and Cookie Monster on How To Infuse More Fun Into Your Blog (video coming soon). Along with gleaning some adorably insightful tips from the Sesame Street Muppets, I experienced something unique and memorable. How many people do you know who have rehearsed and performed a session with Kevin Clash, David Rudman, and Leslie Carrara? I only wish I had a camera rolling while we rehearsed because it was laugh out loud funny.
Saturday was the most relaxed day and I spent a significant amount of time networking. While I admittedly conversed with a ton of brands (we all did), I’ll only share those that I feel are most relevant to you and the types of topics I regularly cover on the site so as not to bore you.
So what did I take away from the conference?
1. Women are using social media in ways I could never imagine
2. This space is still so vast and there truly is “room enough for all of us”
3. Community and relationships are at the heart of social media
4. Authenticity is your credibility…it’s also what makes you real…and relateable
5. At the end of the day, your blog is your brand…keep it real…real professional
I’ll leave you with this quote from Penny De Los Santos…
“If you love what you do, it never feels like work”
Did you attend BlogHer? What did you come away with? I’d love to hear your insights on why 2011 truly was so incredible.
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Invitation Consultants. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Great post – I think your takeaway list is spot on. I learned all of that while I was there as well. Love the picture with you and the Sesame Street gang. So fun!
Hi Kate….thanks so much for your sweet words…I wish we would have met….Will you be in NYC next year?
LOVE the pic and your take away. Especially being authentic. So many “experts” try to put you in a box or as hey call it “niche” I think as long as your true to yourself and your readers your doing good. Wish I would have had more time to sit and chat with you!
Kas
Hi Kas! I sooo wish BlogHer was like a week LOL! So many people I wanted to sit down with and just talk….You are so genuine…down to earth….hopefully it won’t be a yaer… : )