ENMN Conference Wrap-Up

I spent several days last week at a blog conference. For those of you who blog, this isn’t a surprise. For those that don’t blog… it probably also isn’t much of a surprise. I go to a lot of them. By now, I’m pretty jaded on conferences. They usually hash out the same speakers on the same topics… each person confident that they have the right formula for growing your blog. I’ve been fortunate to be a speaker at several conferences and the one thing that I always tell people is that there is never one way to do things. What works for one person might not necessarily work for you… and one person’s success doesn’t mean that they beat you to it. Believe it or not, there are a ton of untapped opportunities out there. You just have to know where to look.

Getting back to this past conference… it was the 2nd Annual ENMN (Entertainment and New Media Network) Conference. Last year it was held in Anaheim, this year it was right smack in the heart of Hollywood. It was exhausting, inspiring, hot and humid, and a lot of fun. I listened to speakers I had never heard of before, and I met people I wouldn’t have had a chance to talk with had we been at one of those “big” conferences. I had a chance to see friends I don’t always see… and I had a chance to speak (and hopefully impart a little bit of wisdom) to some of the newer bloggers. I also had the opportunity to see John Stamos. In the flesh. And he is way finer than he even appears on TV. Yep… believe it!

I saw two amazing TV pilots (The Grinder, with Rob Lowe… and Grandfathered, with John Stamos) that will air September 29 on Fox. I sat high above Hollywood Boulevard at Dave and Buster’s and watched the taping of promos for Dancing with the Stars - because it was night on Hollywood Boulevard and that’s how we roll in this town. I went to a taping at Warner Brothers Studios of Fuller House - which is where I saw the REAL John Stamos. I spent a day out in Santa Paula at the KOA Kampground zip lining and eating BBQ. I visited Ripley’s Believe it or Not in Hollywood. And I wrapped up my weekend on a Starline Tour of movie locations. You get why I’m exhausted?

A blog conferences is all about what you make of it… and I got a lot out of this one. What did I learn?

Being authentic and having high numbers don’t always correlate.

We all have a story that makes us unique.

Adversity is what brings out our super powers.

We all have something valuable to share and the world deserves to know it.

Things don’t always go as planned and it’s okay… most people won’t know the difference.

Travel bloggers are some wild and crazy people… and a lot of fun.

Be professional. Always.

Hang out with your cheerleaders… they will be the ones who make you soar.

And one of the biggest things I learned was that I LOVE teaching and sharing and exploring this world of blogging and social media. It’s hard putting myself out there… but when that one person comes up to you after you speak and thanks you for saying what you said… because it’s exactly what she needed to hear… it’s all worth it.

A big thanks to the Hard Rock Cafe (at Universal City Walk AND Hollywood & Highland) for hosting our conference sessions and feeding us. And special thanks as well to all the amazing sponsors who provided awesome SWAG!