Blog Conferences are Great for Regrouping

How many blog conferences have you been to? How many have you actually planned? Putting on a blog conference is no easy feat. It takes a village… literally. No one can do it alone, and shouldn’t have to. It’s a collaborative effort for sure.

After the kick-off party on Thursday evening, followed by two full days of learning, networking and having fun, I was dead tired. I spent most of my Sunday sleeping. It was heavenly. Waking up with all three of my kids lying in bed with me made me take all I had learned over the past few days and re-evaluate what was most important to me and what I need going forward.

In the end, it’s all about family. It’s about me. It’s about doing what is best for all of us. It’s about applying the words of all those amazing speakers and moderators and fellow bloggers to your own goals and dreams. It’s life-changing.

You get out of it what you put into it. 

I wanted to share a few things that sunk in deeply with me over the last few days. We are all on a journey and hearing words of wisdom from successful people who are generous enough to share their personal journey can awaken and renew the dreams you have within you.

Daniel Musto was our opening keynote speaker. If you wonder why a male celebrity stylist would have anything to contribute to a group of women bloggers, you have no idea what inspiration means. Hearing Daniel’s story of growing up in New Jersey and having a passion for fashion that not too many people could understand, brought up a lot of what I felt growing up. My passion from the time I was small was interior design. I would spend hours rearranging my doll house furniture and I knew throughout my entire life that design was what I wanted to do. I wasn’t discouraged from doing it… but I wasn’t really encouraged either. One thing I am trying to do differently is to really encourage my kids to follow their passion. Their dream is my dream for them. I want them to be able to live the life they want. 

The keynote speaker we had on Saturday brought a lot of tears to the bloggers in the room. Patricia Velasquez is an actress/model/activist and her story touched almost everyone. I found myself hanging on her every word and frantically writing down her words of wisdom.

“We’re so focused on what everyone else is achieving.”

“If you start small and take it one step at a time, you will be the one still standing.”

“It only takes one person to believe in you to be successful.”

“Fight for what you love to do. Don’t let go of it.”

“Don’t let anyone crush your dream.”

So often we listen to the wrong people. We tend to hear that person telling us we can’t do what we want to do over the person who is telling us that we absolutely CAN do what we want to do. The negative is louder in our ears than the positive. I believe we look for excuses, we look for the easy way out. Being successful, living the dream, doing what you love, is not always easy, pretty, or financially sound. Many times we get caught up in what others think we should be doing, how we should be living, that we are afraid to say STOP. This isn’t making me happy.

And the most important thing I learned this past weekend is that I need to do what makes ME happy. I need to do what makes my family happy. I need to do what I’m good at. What I love to do. I need to follow my passion.

Make a list.

I’m making a list of all those things I love to do. I’m also making a list of the things I don’t love to do. I’m making a list of what I’m good at. I’m making a list of what I need to be happy.

And I’m regrouping. I’ve learned a lot in the past year and the last few days have helped me sort it all out. I want to live the dream: MY dream. I want my family there right along side of me. I want all of us to be happy. 

I’m working on my business plan… and I’m taking baby steps. I’ll get there slowly, but I’ll get there. And then I’ll stay there, because as Patricia said… overnight successes don’t last. The ones that build it up slow and steady are the ones that stick around.