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The Post-Conference Blues.

February 26, 2010 By Mom Spark 66 Comments

They both took a chance, and made a lasting friendship.

I was more than a little frightened about attending my first blogging conference.  I mean, who in their right mind would pick BlogHer as their very first conference?  Insane, right?  I didn’t know a single attendee in real life and had NEVER traveled alone.  I had only been blogging for a year, so I was a total newb.  As the day came closer to leave for Chicago, I was riddled with a mix of excitement and nervousness.  Even after reading recaps of previous years at BlogHer, I still didn’t know what to expect or how the conference would treat me.  Would it be fun?  Would anyone know who I was?  Would it be hard to connect with others?  Was it out of my league?  I would get so angry at myself for worrying about such trivial matters, yet  I couldn’t stop.

Although I made it to Chicago in one piece, it was a little rocky, socially, at first.  I had the desire to jump into groups of unknown people and introduce myself, yet something was holding me back.  The first few parties I attended felt so awkward and weird, yet I didn’t know why.  I wasn’t sure what I was afraid of?  I was actually starting to get on my own nerves, so I made a quick decision.  From that moment on, I would not let ME get in the way of ME.  I was going to talk to as many people as I could.  Isn’t that why I went to BlogHer in the first place?  What did I have to loose anyway?  I honestly didn’t know anyone and most didn’t know me.  That was power.

Want to know what happened after that?  I had a blast.  I met many wonderful men and women.  I met with brands.  I made relationships.   I handed out 200 business cards.  I shared ideas with new friends and was inspired by others.  The sessions didn’t offer much for me, but the people did, and I never expected that.  My readership doubled in a mere 3 months after attending the conference and it has been a whirlwind since.  I owe this to me leaving my fear behind and just being me.  I had to get over myself.  Don’t get me wrong, I did met a few people who didn’t treat me nicely or seemed bothered by me, but that exists everywhere in life.  Mom bloggers are no exception. [Read more...]

You have a voice. What are you going to do with it?

February 6, 2010 By Mom Spark 62 Comments

When tragedy hits, people band together, but when times are uneventful, people gossip, backstab, and hate.  It happens in the workplace, families, and, of course, the blogging community.  I often feel discouraged and disappointed from it all, and often wonder why we indulge in tearing others down?

The blogging world is extremely susceptible to this destruction because we are always voicing our opinions.  While some tough issues do end up in healthy debates, others result in nasty Twitter hashtags and defaming posts, which end up worse off than the original issue.  I cannot figure out the logic or reason for these actions.  Boredom, perhaps?

As many of you know, I experienced a taste of Twitter bullying and hate when I attended the Nestle event in September.  I was judged for simply being at the event.  I was bullied before any discussion took place with the Nestle USA CEO, heck, before I had even unpacked my bags.  I was called a “drone” and the all popular “shill” for attending such an event.  There were obviously more civilized ways to debate and discuss the issues that were at hand, but nonetheless, bullying flooded the twitter streams.  Yay, name calling! [Read more...]