Monday, April 7, 2014

GO BLOG SOCIAL BLOGGING CONFERENCE

I went to my first blogging conference this weekend.  I was a big ball of nervous excitement and had no idea what to expect.  I had my business cards ready to go as well as my big new tote bag from Target to lug around everything I could possibly need.

Walking into an event like this when you don't know many people is intimidating.  I quickly realized, though, that everyone was there to build the relationships that I was also seeking and completely open to me when I walked up to them with a smile.  It didn't matter how big of a following your blog had or if you were a fashion vs. lifestyle blogger, everyone was so nice and sweet.   


The next thing that caught my attention was the event space.  We met at the Berg in the Crossroads area of Kansas City.  If you're getting married in KC, I would definitely check out this place.  It has such a cool urban vibe, big beautiful windows, and the courtyard is absolutely stunning for photos. 


The GBS team did an incredible job of bringing together some fabulous speakers.  All of them were very inspiring and spoke about topics near and dear to our blogger hearts.  You should check out all these wonderful ladies.  They are up to some pretty impressive and exciting things.

There was also a slew of wonderful sponsors.  I learned about a really cool site called Divine Caroline that is an online community where you can contribute articles.  I'm excited to check it out more.  I even won a gift card to Warby Parker through them that I can't wait to use.

The lovely Jennifer from Hello Cheeseburger was also there.  All her jewelry is so pretty and so affordable. 
 A temporary tattoo that says "Awesome"?  Yes, please!


One of the vendors I was most excited to see, though, was The Photobus!  Have you heard of them?  They bring an actual VW van wherever you are and the back is a photo booth!  It's the best idea, and I definitely wasn't shy about grabbing people to take pictures with me.
Thanks to Elle from The Clean Project, Heather and Allie from Twenty Something, La'Shonda from FashionPlateKC, and Holly from Style From the Sticks for taking these fun photos with me!

Stila also had a room at one of our night events and glammed up everyone's looks for the night.

One of the big takeaways I took from the conference is that everyone has their own unique voice and there is enough room for everybody in the blogger world.  It's easy to feel jealous or competitive with other bloggers.  I know I do sometimes.  Something that Nicole spoke about from Cedar and Rush, though, was that you should help people when you can, because when we help others, we are helping ourselves, too.  There is such a thing as blog karma.  I love this idea and want to keep carrying it on.  (I have a fun story about how Nicole helped me that I'll share later this week.)

I'm so glad I went to this conference (even though my allergies were acting up, and I bet I sounded weird with such a stuffed up nose).  I have a lot more to share, so I apologize in advance.  This weekend felt like one of those defining moments for me, though, so one post just isn't going to cut it:)  Next I want to delve in a bit deeper into some of the amazing ladies I met. 

Have you been to a blogger conference before?  What were some of the key takeaways you had? 


I hope everyone else had a great weekend.  Do anything fun? 

27 comments:

  1. The Photobus definitely sounds fun!! Glad you had such a good time! I know it can definitely be intimidating at first!

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    1. Thanks so much, Rachel! It blew my expectations out of the water! Hope you're having a great day!

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  3. I think everyone's allergies were acting up there! Must have been something in the air. It was so nice meeting you..your smile lights up a room! I hope we can all get together soon so we can chat and not have to worry about time constraints. Great photos and recap of the weekend :)

    26 and Not Counting

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    1. You are so sweet, Jessica! Beautiful inside and out:) I agree that we need to meet up again soon. I saw Tannin replied to your comment on Instagram and said they would be happy to host:) Hope you're having a great day!

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  4. Your pictures look great girl!

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    1. Thanks, Elle! It was so fun hanging out with you all weekend! We'll have to get together again soon:)

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  5. This sounds like it was a blast! I really want to go to a blogger conference - if I'd known there was one this close to me i totally would've gone! Darn!

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    1. Where do you live? They're thinking of making this conference twice a year, so you'll get another chance very soon! If you're close to KC, you should check out the KC Blogger Meetup group. We meet up every few months, and it's really nice to get to meet people in person. It would be great to hang out!

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  6. I'm so happy for you! I hope your blog/followers turns out to be everything you want it to be! Good luck! Proud of you!

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    1. Thanks so much, Jessica, for being so sweet and supportive, as always! Can't wait to catch up over lunch:)

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  7. It sounds wonderful Kari, I'm so glad you had the opportunity to go to this. I'm not sure there will ever be anything like that around here, so I've especially enjoyed hearing about your experience.

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    1. Thanks so much, CJ:) Next time you're in Kansas, we'll have to have our own blogger meet up. Or maybe we'll pick some really beautiful spot for both of us to travel to. Dare to dream, right? I hope you're having a wonderful week with your boys and your holiday!

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  8. I completely agree with Elle, your pics are so colorful and vibrant, just like you! Thank you so much for your little mention above. So happy we were able to make a connection and looking forward to your recaps of GBS! I will be doing some as well but love getting everyone's personal take on things. Appreciate the love and will be back manana!

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    1. Thank you so much, Nicole!! I am SO happy that we met. Your "bee happy" shoes are totally you--everyone who is around you is instantly happy because you are such a sweet and fun person! I can't wait to check out your recaps of GBS, too! Hope you're having a great night!

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    2. Haha I love the "bee happy" shoes :)

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  9. Great recap! I loved Nicole's info too, she had such great stuff to say!

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    1. Thanks, Ginny! It was great connecting with you! Keep in touch, and I can't wait to check out your blog, too!

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  10. So glad you had a fun, fulfilling, and inspiring weekend! Can't wait to hear more about it. :)

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  11. This looks really cool, Kari, I would love to attend a blogger meet-up one day. I will have to keep my eyes open for any in the UK. I'm glad you had a nice time :)

    Heidi x

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    1. Thanks, Heidi! I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm really glad that I went. Hope you're having a good week:)

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    1. Thanks, Kelly! Hope you're having a good week:)

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  13. It was so nice meeting you Kari!!! My oldest daughter rocked the barrett on your business card!! Can't wait to see you again at future events!

    xo,
    Seng
    www.sengerson.com

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    1. That is awesome!! It was so nice meeting you, too, Seng!! I look forward to seeing you again soon:)

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  14. Dude, you're awesome. That's so cool you put yourself out there and went this this. It sounds kind of intimidating, but rewarding. I'm glad you had a good time :) Happy Friday!!

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