The Clever Girls at Blogalicious.
Obviously I'm the one on the right, Sheila on the left and Stefania in
the middle. Photo credit: Leticia Barr
Last week I attended the fantastic Blogalicious Conference in Atlanta, GA. It was definitely one of the best blogging conferences I've ever been to, in terms of size, connecting with like-minded women and all-around organization.
And to think, I almost didn't go.
You see, Blogalicious 09 was the first blogging conference for women of color, and while I am many things, including colorful, I am as white as you can get.
So why did I attend?
Well, when my Clever Girls Collective partner (and BFF) Stefania suggested that we attend, I have to admit that my first thought was that there wasn't a place for me at the conference, and I questioned whether or not I should go.
But then at BlogHer during the Ford Factory Field Trip, I met the delightful MamaLaw Justices Fergie, Ny and Jonesie, the women who organized Blogalicious. And I heard that my buddies Heather B. and Renee J. Ross would be there. And I'd see Carol, my Uptake.com travel writing colleague. And new friends Mommy Niri and Letiticia/TechSavvyMama were going.
Not to mention that my other Clever Girls partner, Sheila would be there, and Stefania was giving the opening remarks!
I decided to go because so many people I respect and care about would be there. How could I miss such a good party?
It's Just Good Business
Sponsors of Blogalicious. Photo Credit: Stefania Pomponi Butler
Then, as I learned more about the goals of the conference, it became clear that this was an amazing opportunity to introduce our Clever Girls Collective clients -- a.k.a. the Clever List -- to a thoughtful, engaged and loyal audience. In fact, I consider it to be the best business opportunity we've seen this year!
Clever Girls Collective was honored to be an official sponsor of Blogalicious, and hosted a midnight Sweet Suite on the first night of the conference, with cupcakes, champagne and gift bags. We also had samples and demos of our premiere level clients, Yummie Tummie, Tiny Prints, and Little Passports.
We were hoping for a good turnout, maybe 50 or 60 women. Thanks to the support of the MamaLaw ladies, (and let's be honest, the allure of delicious Lennox cupcakes at midnight!) we had nearly a hundred guests, out of 175 conference attendees!
It was a blast to meet so many new bloggers, hear about their sites and show them some fun products. I was blown away by how gracious and appreciative everyone was -- I kept wanting to say, "No, no, thank you for taking the time listen to us!"
There were many terrific sponsors, including Sunkissed Mommy, American Airlines, Disney, LeapFrog and BlogHer. Hat tip to them for being smart enough to respond to the opportunity to support this community!
And to all of the businesses that passed on the chance to sponsor, I encourage you to watch and learn. Women of color are a savvy, powerful group. They will respond with patronage and loyalty to companies who engage with them. Those who fail to make the effort will lose customers.
Can anyone afford to do that these days? I don't think so. Expect to see a whole lot more companies there next year.
On The Personal Side
In addition to representing my clients, I was also at Blogalicious as a writer, a blogger, a social media influencer and a woman.
In that capacity I appreciated the thought that the MamaLaws put into the sessions and getting great speakers. In addition to Stefania's wonderful opening remarks, I also enjoyed hearing from James Andrews/@KeyInfluencer and the lovely-in-every-way Karen Walrond of Chookoloonks. They all gave me lots of food for thought about where I want to take my writing, my blog and my business.
My favorite moment of the conference came during Karen's keynote, where she talked about "How she got here."
Like me, Karen was a very successful corporate executive, working in an industry that did nothing for her soul. Like me, she didn't quite fit in with the suits, but worked really hard to do "everything the way you should". And cried on the way to work. Every day. Just like me.
Like Karen, I took a leap of faith and left that world behind. Sometimes I question the sanity of such a move.
On that day, listening to Karen talk about the "beauty of different", and how following her heart has made her happy and successful in previously unimagined ways, I was inspired by her and grateful for my own bravery.
It was one of those rare moments of connection and validation that you feel lucky to experience. Thank you for that, Karen!
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
So was it worth going? Obviously the answer is a whole-hearted YES! Did I have moments of feeling "different"? Well of course! It was a conference "for women of color" and I'm the whitest shade of pale possible.
Please don't get me wrong -- I felt completely welcome by everyone of every color, including the many white women who where there. Hugs all around! It actually turned out to be the most inclusive event I've attended!
From the panels, to the attendees, to sponsors, there were people from every walk of blogging/social media life, and everyone was respectful and gracious. Everyone just seemed glad to be there.
As I said above, a lot of friends were also attending, so I was sure it would be a good experience. And I was unclear about my role. I went in with the expectation that the focus would be on other people's experiences, and that the smart thing would be to take the opportunity to listen and learn about their perspectives.
In a way that was true, and I very much appreciate the openness of all of the attendees and their willingness to share.
I was also grateful to be reminded that a lot of the time we have similar perspectives, and that the reason it's important to put yourself out there -- for example to attend a conference even if it's not explicitly about you -- is to experience the differences and discover similarities.
And enjoy both.
In the end, Blogalicious was a great conference for me because I learned about other people, I learned about myself, and I got to hang out with a group of smart, inspiring and powerful women, a.k.a. my friends. Plus: cupcakes!
Can't wait until next year in Miami!
- Cat/@DearBadKitty
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