Blogpodium

It's hard to put into words just how wonderful this past weekend at BlogPodium was. Since starting my first blog years ago I've always wanted to attend a blog conference. When I heard BlogPodium was going to be in Vancouver this year and saw some of the lovely local ladies who would be attending I wanted to go even more! All it took was one comment on an IG photo and Aislin sent me a message two minutes later inviting me to room with the other ladies in the #yegblogpodiumsquad, I was thrilled!

I feel as though I'm still trying to take in exactly everything that happened over the weekend but there were a few key messages that resonated very strongly with me. 

Support and Kindness:

Like I spoke about here, building your support network or #squad if you will, who will help inspire you, keep you accountable and work with you is so important. The ladies I travelled with are officially part of my ever growing support network who I am so thankful for. Building a community to collaborate with, help each other and cheer one another on through our successes is what makes this blog thing fun! Like Jillian Harris said in her keynote talk, there's no need to compete with one another.

Below Left to Right: Aislin of MrandMrsL.com // Kendall of Poppy Barley // Janine of My Pennies, My Thoughts // Kristina of Inspired by Lynne // Nicole of Dutchie Love // Me! // Breanne of Breanne Marie Photo

Authenticity:

This was a big one that continued to pop up again and again over the weekend. Like I spoke about in this post before leaving for this conference, authenticity is something I want to always maintain on this blog. This is my blog that will be written in my words about things I love. In learning about monetizing some of the biggest regrets our presenters admitted to were working with brands that weren't a good fit with their site or their own brand. There's nothing worse than not knowing if the words you're reading or the posts you see are true or not and this weekend just re-affirms some of the past decisions I've made about who to partner or not partner with as this blog continues to grow. 

Keep on Working Hard:

A LOT of work goes into a successful blog. The Google Analytics, Monetizing and Brand Building workshops were full of a ton of information that have left me with several pages of "to-do's" to get this blog up to snuff! That being said they also reaffirmed that I love this blog and I love the path I'm on. When you're working hard on something you love and something that's true to you that is where the magic happens and I can't wait to implement some of these changes as the blog evolves and grows. 

I also learned a ton of technical Google analytics tips, brand building basics and other more specific information that I won't get too into detail with here but the seminars I attended were incredible. I had the opportunity to meet with brands and businesses, check out some incredible smaller companies who make the greatest products and of course network with other bloggers too. Oh and of course there was also the keynote talk from Jillian Harris who had the whole room laughing, inspired and who was so real and open about her past, her site and her journey. 

Above: The "Calm the Fuck Down" print from my girl Justine Ma was one of my favorite items in the marketplace!

My favorite talk at the event was from Caroline and Kendall of Poppy Barley (above). Even as someone who is very familiar with the Poppy Barley story I took so much from their talk. From asking big, choosing courage and being your own biggest advocate to "ignoring the seagulls" - AKA those who are just going to "fly by and shit all over you" (thanks Kendall!) and other nuggets of wisdom, these women truly epitomize the word #girlboss. They both have incredible back stories of dreaming big, working unbelievably hard and supporting and encouraging other creatives and businesses who are making waves like they are.  I can't say enough good things about these women!

Above: I couldn't resist picking up a few goodies from Pixel Paper Hearts, she makes the sweetest prints, mugs and shirts - I wanted to buy it all! 

Below: Vancouver Photobooth had a fun photo booth with Indigo that we of course had to stop by and more of Justine Ma's handy work could be seen with fab floor decals that said "your vibe attracts your tribe" and "good vibes only"! #truth 

PS Congrats to my girl Christine for her AMAZING job styling the event with her new venture Just Bella Bash!