Thursday, May 2, 2013

Blog Better Boston with Lulu's: Conference Recap

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Images 1- 2- 4- &6 taken by me / All others ©David Brooks Photography

One thing I've learned, after attending a few blog conferences over the years, is that the effects typically don't sink in for a few days. At least for me. I won't think much of it until I'm home, and then boom, I get super excited to blog again. It's nice to feel refreshed, connected, and inspired again, and that's exactly how I feel after attending- and participating in- Blog Better Boston.

Tieka and I arrived at the hotel on Friday night with Stephanie from Lulu's, and woke up early Saturday to head over to the Boston Globe offices to help set up and get ready. There were representatives on hand from MiniLuxe, Roster, City Sports- among others- and I was finally able to get my hands on a Red Sox tee (why it took me until now to acquire one, I don't know, I really don't). There was mixing and mingling and coffee and bagels, and then it was time for the panels!

My panel (third images from the bottom) was focused on managing your work, blog, and life, and how utilizing a content calendar can make your life so much easier. I was nervous, mostly because I hadn't used Power Point since my days as an admissions counselor (!), but really there was nothing to be worried about. Each panel went perfectly, and along with discussing the in's and out's of a busy schedule, each talk devolved into a conversation of blogging as a whole. It was wonderful! I loved hearing about everyone's separate experiences and what worked for them. I'll be sharing my presentation on this blog with you next week, after some tweaking of that Power Point, so if you've ever had questions about managing a job/blog/and life, let me know and I'll address them in the post! My only wish is that I got to hear the other speakers, but I did get to completely nerd-out over Katie of Paper Fashion and listen to her talk about building a successful DIY/How-to post. 

Between panels, attendees were encouraged to participate in a Lulu's style scavenger hunt. They were given a card with trends listed on it, and were instructed to mix and mingle and find other attendees that were wearing the trend. When they completed the scavenger hunt card, not only had they made conversation with a bunch of new people, but they were able to spin the Lulu's prize wheel and choose an item to take home! A pretty genius way of networking, right?

Thank you to Amy and Alana of Blog Better Boston for inviting me to speak and to Lulu's for choosing me as a representative of their brand.