I’ve been giving lots of thought to what I walked away with from Blissdom this year. So far this is what I’ve come up with.
Five Things I Learned
1. That I need an HST number. Apparently I’m an actual business.
2. If I want something, I need to ask for it. This is way out of my comfort zone, for two reasons. First, I don’t want to be perceived as opportunistic. That’s a bad quality, right? Second, I always thought that hard work would be recognized eventually. I may have been wrong on this.
3. That the best learning at a conference happens outside the conference room.
4. That people I thought I wouldn’t like, are actually incredible and people I thought would be amazing were not such a big deal after all. Meeting people in person is the only way to know for certain. I also know that sometimes it can take 3 or 4 meetings with someone before you click, but when you do, it’s nothing short of AWESOME.
5. That conferences are physically and mentally draining. They are also simultaneously uplifting and inspiring. How is this possible?
Five Things I Don’t Have Answers For
1. I still don’t know where I fit. I am a small fish in a big sea of bloggers. Is my voice unique enough? Worth reading? Sadly, Blissdom left me feeling a little insecure here. Probably because I spent the weekend with such amazing talent.
2. How to make a living doing this? I know for certain that blogging, writing takes a lot of time from my family. Is it worth the time away from them for so little payout? Blogging is emotionally fulfilling for me, but my emotions don’t buy the groceries or pay my bills. Still unanswered for me.
3. What does a rate card look like? What rates should I charge?
4. Do I write about social responsibility, travel, family, humour? Apparently I need a niche. Or so I’ve been told. I don’t know if I can box myself in like that. More thinking to do.
5. If I’ll go back to Blissdom next year? I had an incredible time but like I said I learned more outside of the conference room. I found the sessions entertaining but not informational enough. The networking and friend making is really the primary benefit in my eyes, I just need to decide if it’s worth the financial outlay.
What did you think? What hard lessons did you learn? What’s been left unanswered for you?
Ha! Ali, you were definitely one of the funniest, nicest people I met this weekend. 🙂 Loved our lunch together. Looking forward to many more great conversations with you.
I was not there…but after reading this and several posts with similar take aways…I may go up and hang out in the lobby next year as that seems to be where the best stuff happens;).
Great list! Replace #1 with ‘business NUMBER’ for me – it’s on my list of to-dos this month.
I still feel like a small fish but the school of fish I hang with is pretty great, so I’m ok with that 😉
I don’t believe you have to have a Niche – unless that’s your preference. I branched Foodsense because I knew there were people interested in Food, but not necessarily everything else on Momsense. But otherwise, Momsense has a mesh of this and that 😉
I look forward to reading more of your blog posts and all the exciting projects you work on 😉
PS: join Mom Central!! 😉
SO SO SO glad I got to meet you!
I say to hell with niches! Be like I am…and call yourself a lifestyle blogger and then you can write about anything you want to!
🙂
also, sooo hoping I wasn’t one of the people who you didn’t think you’d like and then did OR someone you thought you’d like and then didn’t. Haaa!!!
Hoping that Mom Central Canada can answer a lot of these for you — stay tuned 🙂
PS Was so great seeing you for a split-second. Wish it could have been more!
3 and 4. Totally agree. SO wonderful to have a meal with you. Really enjoyed our conversation.
yes join Mom Central Canada – I totally agree!
I also am without a niche and I love it that way. I can write what I want to write about – when I want to write about it. I don’t like it when people put me in a box.
Now saying that, I do not make money off my blog — not enough to pay the mortgage anyway but I make money off of me and what I can do for people. My blog is mearly one of the tools I’ve used to get noticed in the bigger, deeper social media / networking / marketing world out there.
Don’t decide whether to go or not yet. Blissdom evolves just like we as bloggers evolve… 🙂
Blissdom left me wishing I lived in Ottawa or Toronto so that I would be able to see some of you amazing women MORE OFTEN. Once a year just doesn’t cut it.
Love, loved our chats Candace and I look forward to more in the future! YOU were a highlight for me. 🙂
Oh and in regards to your voice? Totally unique and 100% worth reading. That I do know for sure!
I know where you’re coming from. It’s a tough to figure out where you fit in, but I think the best thing that you can do is keep writing about the things that interest you. Opportunities will come! FWIW I always love chatting with you!
p.s if you’re curious about rate cards I wrote about it yesterday: http://www.quietfish.com/notebook/?p=13189
I think you have to trust your instincts. Everyone can tell you, you need a niche but if it’s not what your gut is telling you to do, then it’s not going to work. I walked away knowing that I don’t want to monetize speed skating mom – it’s become more of a passion and a message for me and (right now) I don’t feel right about trying to make money from it.
I struggle with the passion for writing and sharing what I have to say and the need to make a living 🙂 I’m looking for the elusive balance.
Thank you Andrea. I always find talking to you like a breath of fresh air. All the clutter sort of magically goes away. Thanks for pointing me to your rate card blog! TREMENDOUSLY helpful. For now, though I think I’ll keep writing travel, social responsibility, cooking, humour, family, etc. Any old thing my heart desires. You, Ali and Sharon have helped with that.
Awww, Nadia, you know I totally adore you, right? You were a highlight for me as well. I’m looking forward to many more conversations with you.
I think you’re right. I suspect that as time passes the need to be with all of you again will get pretty strong and by the time those tickets go on sale again, I’ll be chomping at the bit to get back. 🙂 Thanks for your kind words Shannon. It was so nice to meet you 😉
Thanks Rebecca 🙂 I’m so glad you made it to Blissdom this year. It wouldn’t have been the same without you there. You’re such a well-respected member of this community. We’ll talk more, I have much to learn from you 🙂
Yukari, I am so happy I got to spend time with you. You are so lovely, inside and out. I look forward to getting to know you better. Must find a reason to get to the West Coast 🙂
I miss you and your amazing personality. I was really just so happy to see in the lobby, if only for a second Nat. You look so great and you seem very happy. We’ll catch up soon and I’m eager to see what Mom Central Canada comes up with. Got to spend some time with Cora and Kathryn, also great ladies 🙂
If I do go back next year, I plan to do less sessions, more talking and connecting on the side 🙂
For me BlissDom is different. I only hear the sessions half assedly so it’s hard to get a lot out of them. That being said I learn tons in the corridors and while drinking champagne late at night with amazing women. The thing I heard the most was that there were amazing panels but they were opposite of each other making it very difficult to choose. It’s one of the things I loved about CoCap last year- they had the rooms tagged basically beginner, business, and pro so it made choosing so much easier.
As for where you fit in- I think what you already do is amazing. I love reading your travel and giving back stories. You my friend are a true inspiration to others.