7 years. That’s a really long time to be blogging. I remember so vividly when I started this crazy journey, thinking that I would simply write about our family vacation that summer. Seemed pretty simple and harmless. I started on the Blogspot platform - hey, it was free - and my husband came up with my name - This Talk Ain’t Cheap. Voila… a blog was born. But not just a blog… I couldn’t have known then that I would be starting down a long and winding road to an entirely new career. A career that really hadn’t even been invented yet.
Years later I’ve transitioned from that “free” site to my own domain and hosting… I still blog at This Talk Ain’t Cheap, but my design has changed over the years. I went from a small-time blogger to the co-founder of a blog network (over 800 members and growing), the co-founder of a social media company, and a fabulous job as a Campaign Leader for Collective Bias.
Last week I was fortunate to be able to attend the 1st of an 11-city tour for SoFabU On The Road, a one-day blog conference founded by Social Fabric (the social side of Collective Bias). Lucky for me the inaugural conference was held in Los Angeles… and the SpeedZone in City of Industry. It was a day full of blog talk, meeting new friends and seeing old ones, eating some pretty fab Johnny Rockets food, and learning a ton from the amazing Alea Milham and the wonderful sponsors who shared how their companies liked to work with influencers.
So what did I learn?
- Alea Milham talked about everything under the sun: how to strategically use SEO and social media to increase your blog traffic, how to leverage Pinterest, how to monetize, and we even talked about blog design and placement. She is my new blogging guru (if there an be such a person). Alea has been blogging as long as I have and she is SO much better at it. No matter how long we’ve been doing this, we can ALL learn something new.
- We also had a chance to really delve in and discuss topics that were posted at each of our tables. The table I sat at was “Sponsored Posts” - now THAT couldn’t have been a coincidence… at least that is something I know a thing or two about. It was fun being able to share what I know with other bloggers. Turns out I really get a kick out of doing that.
- I loved being able to talk to the brand panel about what they are looking for when working with influencers. Muller Yogurt is a company I am currently working as a Campaign Leader for and I was so excited to meet the PR Rep and share my experience with the brand. Muller is also the conference’s breakfast sponsor.
The beauty about the SoFabU Conferences is that each one will be different. The speakers, some of the sponsors, the adventures and locations… each one will have it’s unique footprint. I’m also really excited that I’ll be attending the Phoenix event at the end of March.
One-day conferences are fabulous… little time away from your family and not completely overwhelming like some conferences can be. SoFabU has also opened it’s attendee list to anyone who has a blog or is interested in starting a blog. You DO NOT have to be a member of Collective Bias to attend. And if joining Collective Bias is something you’ve wanted to do… this is a great opportunity to get your questions answered and learn what we are looking for when choosing bloggers. You will also get a chance to meet Campaign Managers, Campaign Leaders and several people from the Corporate Office. It’s an exciting day for sure.
Tickets are currently available for the Miami event on February 28 and you’ll be able to purchase tickets for the other cities soon. Upcoming locations: Phoenix, Seattle, Cincinnati, Dallas, New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Bentonville.
Who else is planning on coming to the Phoenix event? I’d love to see you there!
I am so excited about the SoFabUOTR events! I won’t be in Phoenix, but will definitely be in Cincinnati to network, learn and have some fun with other amazing SoFab bloggers and team leaders! Thanks for sharing about the LA event!
I wish I could go to all of them.
I think it’s exciting that they’re all going to be a little unique and different, I definitely want to try and attend as many as possible and will be working on making it to Phoenix too!
I never considered Phoenix-hmmm; just wish my job wasn’t constantly getting in the way of having fun, hanging out with friends and learning from all these great bloggers!
That was indeed a great conference! I loved how intimate it was and Alea was amazing! Good seeing you there Carolyn! I too wish I could get to all of them. Maybe Phoenix if the stars align. The food was awesome that day too!
It was great seeing you at SoFabUOTR in LA! I plan to be at the Phoenix event because it’s local to me but with a baby due that weekend, I’m just crossing my fingers at this point. I’m excited to see all the fun each conference includes as each one will be unique!