Bloggy Boot Camp, or Blogging With Friends

Bloggy Boot Camp. Philadelphia. September 2010.

It was my first real blogger event. I was nervous and excited, and not really sure what to expect. I’d been to dozens of conferences, but Bloggy Boot Camp was nothing like those. The biggest sign that I was “not in Kansas anymore” was the nametag with my twitter handle on it. And assigned seating for the different workshops. Oh, and the lady with the feather boa. That was different.

Once the day got started, though, I felt completely at ease and knew that I was in the right place. For an entire day, I sat in the company of women who were doing the damn thing! They were designing their own sites, working with brands, and WRITING. They were writing, y’all. And being read. And reading other women’s blogs, and supporting each other, and sharing and handling business! These women weren’t waiting for someone to notice them, they were making opportunities for themselves, and even more importantly, they were open and transparent about how they did it, and were willing to help other women do it, too. I felt like I was with my homegirls. Really.

I’m sure I sound like a song on repeat because I say this so often, but blogging and social media has truly been life changing for me. Not just the act of blogging, or writing and publishing posts, but everything that comes with it. The new skills. The body of work that I am able to create. The people.

Oh, the people. The people are hands down the best part of Bloggy Boot Camp. I loved that not only was the attitude of the presenters, “there are no stupid questions”, really, there were no stupid questions! The bloggers in attendance were there to learn and grow, and had done their homework before they arrived. Partnerships were developed for new projects on that day. Bloggers were enthusiastically encouraged to face new challenges. It was awesome.

I want to go back. Back then, I was a new blogger, not even 6 months in. For the last almost year and a half, I’ve been revisiting the things that I learned at BBC (No, seriously. I still have my notes), and growing this blog, and myself as a writer and a Social Media Enthusiast (still working on the title!). I think this is the perfect time for a little shape up with my Bloggy Boot Camp peeps. And this time, going back, I’ll be one of those women who are doing the damn thing!

And encouraging. And answering questions. And supporting.

Because, after all, isn’t that the secret to success?