I’m back to homeschooling and finding time to read great books after attending the Type-A Mom conference – the first conference I’ve attended to learn about blogging and social media. New friends were made, business contacts discovered and I have multiple ideas of how to take my blogging to the next level professionally.
Whew! It really was a whirl wind of a weekend.
Here are my tips for thriving at the Type-A Mom conference, especially if you are new to the conference scene.
Go with a friend:
Having a trusted, I got-your-back-buddy with you can make all the difference in how you experience a blogging conference. I lucked out by hooking up with Amy Thue as my roommate. We found each other on Twitter, via the #typeamom chat, and met for the first time at the Asheville airport. Amy and I have much in common (mom, blogger, Christian, conference newbies) so our friendship seemed years old rather than mere hours.
We’d walk to breakfast together, separate when interested in different workshop sessions, then see each other at breaks or meals. Talking with a friend in the hotel room at night helped solidify good ideas and decompress after a long day of taking in lots of information. And after being with lots of folks all day, it’s nice to just have one person to chat with.
Break out of your comfort zone:
Don’t spend all your time with your fab roommate; meet as many people as you can. I refused to let any shyness hold me back. I made many new contacts – people who may help me with online opportunities – just by initiating conversations. Odds are, that unknown blogger is just as shy or nervous as you are, so help her out with a smile and handshake.
On meeting your favorite bloggers:
You follow her on Twitter, read everything she writes, comment on her blog, maybe trade emails. Even though you have yet to meet offline, you consider her a friend and hope she feels the same way about you. Don’t we all feel this way?
Before I arrived into that first group situation, I wondered if any of those wildly popular bloggers would recognize my name or ignore me (Hey, I survived high school as a member of that untouchable social class, a. k. a. the Band Geeks.) Well, all my self-doubt was unfounded because one of those “popular” bloggers could not have been more happy to see me. And yes, she recognized me – even before I recognized her.
It’s a joy to be recognized and embraced by women we chat with online, to have those familiar faces call your name from across a room and run up to you for a hug. Enjoy meeting your favorite popular bloggers, but don’t expect them to hang out with you the entire conference.
Be friendly, be yourself and don’t expect them to adopt you like a lost puppy.
About those after-hour parties:
I don’t drink. I don’t mind being around alcohol, but it bothers me to see obnoxious, drunk behavior (especially in women, but that’s another post for another time), so I was concerned the nighttime merrymaking might get over-the-top (I’ve seen Flickr photos of women dancing on bars at a blogging conference, hence my concern). Happily, I saw none of that behavior. (Yay! Let’s hear it for professionalism in the blogging community!)
As for Asheville
Bring your walking shoes. Asheville, North Carolina is a walkable city with unique shops, restaurants and local culture. My flight left late Monday, so I had plenty of time to visit and shop. Support the local economy when you visit.
What else would you like to know?
The hotel easy to navigate, staff friendly and helpful. The coffee was pretty good too. I lost track of how many times I said to someone, “I follow you on Twitter. It’s good to finally meet.” As a veteran blogger, I took away many new ideas, especially in the social media realm. Hearing again what I already knew about blogging, writing, SEO and publication solidified it’s importance. Some folks had their laptops, some left their computers home. Dress ranged from casual jeans and t-shirts to business attire.
These are my best tips for thriving at Type-A Mom conference.
Did you attend? What would you add to my list?
