Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Pt. 2: Blog Conference

If you have developed an audience, going to a blog conference is a tiny bit like being a celebrity. People ask if you're here yet, rush to greet you, and confess that you're the one blogger they have been waiting to meet.

Let's face it: those kinds of compliments can be downright addicting.

The sessions themselves were light on tech, heavy on collective building up of confidence and purpose. My favorite panel included Amber and Emily. After a group sigh of appreciation for Ann Voskamp, Emily shared these questions to help refine your content.



It was truly a privilege to meet so many like minded women, women whose words I've been reading for years.

Eye opening, too. Almost without exception, peers who have taken blogging to the next level admitted to help: childcare to get through the book proposals, assistants to handle email and ads, stay-at-home dads and grandparents to cover conferences and publicity trips.

I share this without judgement. My competitive heart leapt at the thought of accomplishing so much and still being at home.

If only, if only, if only...

When it came time to tell my story, I choked. Where were the glossy business cards launching some exciting new project? I should have prepared an elevator speech: "How I Radically Re-Prioritized My Life" in 30 seconds or less.

How blogging was good for my ego, but not necessarily my soul.

How it is better this way, except when I still want to have it all.
Posted by Meredith at 7:12 AM
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6 comments:

  1. This kind of honesty is invaluable. It gives me a lot to think about as my own traffic grows. Thank you so much for sharing.
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  2. Wow. I'm sure I will never be the blogger that everyone waits to meet, and you know what? I don't think I would find joy in that, only stress. I'm quite content to be a nobody who loves to read and write and receive positive feedback from time to time.

    I echo Jennifer-thanks for sharing, I had never heard of a bloggers conference before.
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  3. Anne, if I had a chance to meet you, I would certainly rush up and greet you with a big hug! It's truly more of a kindred spirit thing than celebrity, but that's the comparison that best explains it. At least, to a stay-at-home mom who is utterly ordinary in real life!
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  4. Thanks Meredith, I would hug you too! I guess that's what I love so much about blogging is the feeling that I am not alone, that there are so many others out there who enjoy the same things I do and who struggle with the same things I struggle with. But business cards and all of the professional type of paraphernalia? That I can pass up!

    I recently did meet two people in reality who I had only known through blogging and it was a great joy!
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  5. It's always nice when you get the competitive tug and the "eye opener" at the same time. You get a clear picture of the trade off involved. What a Blessing!
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  6. Meredith, I so admire you. I loved seeing you. And I completely understand the tug and then reality. I used my biz cards from last yr, with the old URL, and no twitter name. I didn't care. I def. had a different attitude and approach this year. I'll have to share more with you later ... Always love my visits here and how real you are.
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