So I Went to BlogHer
I know that like 99% of y'all don't blog and aren't interested in blogging and blog, blog, blog. Am I the only person that hates that word? It's like blaaaaaahhhggg.
Anyway, I know most of y'all don't care, but I've been asked "Should *I* go to BlogHer?" enough times to be like "Meh, I'll write about it." So, tune out if it isn't your thing. I promise I won't hold it against you.
MOVING ON.
BlogHer this year for me was PHENOMENAL, which, obviously. I'm one of those super annoying people who will tell you that places and things can't be boring or sucky, only people can. Don't like what's happening in the room you're in? Move! It's easy! Don't like the people who are around you? Walk away! You can do it!
OK, so it's not always easy, but when I found myself fighting the urge to curl up in a ball and rock in the corner during a session that somehow ended up focusing on how important blog stats are and how to check them and OMG HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW YOUR QUANTCAST DATA KABLOOEY, I got up and walked out. I wandered down to another session and found it to be an absolutely fantastic discussion about how to skirt the line between living your life out loud on a blog and being a jerk who says too much.
There's something for everyone, is what I'm saying.
Honestly, I agree with my assessment from the last time I went to BlogHer that the sessions aren't great. I want more from them. I want it all. The Voices of the Year presentation was, of course, the exception in that it was pretty fantastic. Any time spent honoring well-composed words is time well spent.
However, the highlight of this year's BlogHer for me turned out to be something HUGELY unexpected. I was invited to attend a sales meeting with several key BlogHer sponsors. If you think that sounds like something Little Miss I'm Not a Brand would cringe at, I did. Until I got there. It turned out to be a fantastic opportunity to be all RAWR! I'M NOT A BRAND! to the people who really matter and not look like a douche.
It's good when you can walk out of a meeting not looking like a douche.
I'm still pondering some aspects of that meeting. It turned out to be like putting fuel in my tank, which I really needed. I've had my finger on the "shut 'er down" button on this here blog many, many, many times the past few months, but I think some of the discussions I had in that meeting were enough to make me put my hands back on my keyboard where they belong.
If I can sort it all out in my head, I'll write more about that meeting. We shall see.
Other highlights included just being in New York. Just being along with 5000 other people who also happen to blog. While some of them may not conduct themselves the way I want to conduct me, myself, and I, a lot of them are good people. Fun people. People worth being all "Heyyyy!" when you see them in the hall.
And some of them are jerks. I'm looking at you, Miss I Walked Behind A Table When I Wasn't Supposed To And Tripped On The Giant Speaker And WAAAAH! My Brownie Fell! Where Is My $1 Million Hotel Staff Who I Bitched At For Ten Minutes.
I walked away from her. Quickly. While pointing and mocking. (She was not injured, except maybe for her pride and her REALLY GIANT ENTITLED EGO.)
I didn't have a plan for any of the conference and instead chose to just wing it. That worked out perfectly because I spent every minute of every day with some fantastic and amazing and hilarious people. Jayna is forever and always one of my favorite people. Cara is magic to be around (especially when you need an elevator). Jenny can make my day just by saying her site name. Cynthia is a whirlwind of creativity and fun. Jenna is everything that makes me happy. Heather may be a Clevelander, but she's SO sweet. Karen lights up a room just by being in it. Jill makes me want to yell, "YEAH! WHAT SHE SAID!" Laurie manages to be EVERYWHERE and always has a smile on her face. Tarrant can fluster me into silence with her kind words like nobody else can. Jen is startlingly gorgeous and amazing and so sweet. Carmen can make me laugh just by looking at me. I could go on and on and on like this, listing people who I adore and who make the world a better place, but who I normally only see through words on my laptop screen. (If I didn't specifically name you, say your name and follow it with "makes the world a better place. I very seriously feel that way about you. Yes, YOU.)
And that's what BlogHer is all about. The people. Yes, there is swag and there are parties and you know what? I came home with very, very little swag and went to very, very few parties but I still had fun. (The key to the parties, I think, is to go ALL IN at one--I went all in at the Harley Davidson party, which was pretty much the greatest party I've ever been to. I do deserve brownie points for not asking Margaret Cho what the hell she was thinking with the pants she was wearing, though.)
Sure, there is drama at BlogHer. I heard inklings of some of it, but this isn't high school, folks. You can unfollow the drama and walk away from the drama and TAH-DAH! No more drama!
Once you pick your path at BlogHer, it's yours to enjoy. Every last bit of it.
So, should you go to BlogHer? I don't know. Ask yourself if you're committed to learning from thousands of other bloggers and even more committed to having fun while you do it.
(I took like 10 photos while in New York and only three of actual people, proving once again that I can't be trusted to take photos during an event.)
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Reader Comments (13)
Sigh.
Best recap I've read yet. Thanks. :)
Glad you had a good time but NOT glad I didn't get to see you. Hopefully next time, Please!
Best post. And not only because I was described as "everything that makes you happy." I mean, that's pretty awesome. In and of itself.
I also sucked at taking photos. Like, I have no actual DSLR photos once the conference began. I just have some of New York. And like one of me and that guy I like. I'd call it a fail, but really, my conference was made of moments that filled me up. Really. That's what my post will be about tomorrow. Moments.
You're in some of them.
Thanks for reminding people that it is what you make it. And thanks for being yourself.
This is the first somewhat happy recap I've read about BlogHer. I know I have only met you once & briefly, but I agree with the above: thanks for being yourself. It's obvious in blogs & photos who is and who isn't.
I have to admit that I have occasionally rolled my eyes at blog conferences. I think that's in part because there seem to be so many of them. But I think back to 2007 when I had a piece presented at a major playwriting conference. I think about all the people I met--those who I had idolized for years and those who had previously been unknown peers. Even more than that I think about the amazing, inspiring energy that comes from being around a bunch of people who love to do what you love to do.
I never thought I'd go to a blog conference, but I also only recently started blogging as more than a personal writing exercise. Also, if I understood the tweets correctly Blogher is in Chicago next year. Perhaps "never" needs to be reevaluated. (This thing's free, right? LOL)
i've "known" you for like, i dunno, a million years. you hung out with a lot of the people i hung out with. and we've never, ever, ever, met irl.
I'm crazy-stupid-mad I didn't get to see you. And I do 100% agree that you make your own path.
This was such a good thing for me to read. I've been wondering lately what to do with my blog, keep it as is (quiet, mostly my mom reading) or move forward in some way. And my husband suggested I try out a blogging conference, and of course BlogHer came to mind immediately. This year we just couldn't afford for me to jet off to NYC, and also I'm currently 34 weeks pregnant, so I opted out. But then I was like, Did I not try hard enough to afford it because deep down inside I didn't want to go? Was I really afraid to go? Do I, on some level, think it's not for me because I'm not one of those "big name" blogs? Gah, who knows. Anyway, I was wondering about going next year, and it would be a bit more doable (we have lots of family in Chicago), but I still had those nagging "do I belong there" thoughts. This helps. A lot. Thank you.
A certain little burghybaby will be happy with the plans to continue blogging. I'm glad you ended up going and had fun!
My favorite line of this post and probably of ALL LIFE? "It's good when you can walk out of a meeting not looking like a douche."
BWAHAHAHAHA!
Other favorite nugget: "You can unfollow the drama and walk away from the drama and TAH-DAH! No more drama!" AMENS.
Also, let it be known that YOU and ONLY YOU can make a person saying her OWN NAME... think of YOU. I can't say I'm Jenny Jenny on the spot without thinking of you, my darling :)
Also, I took quite a few pics, but most are blurry. AS THEY SHOULD BE. Blurry pics are born of fun, right?
I was over-the-moon happy to get meet you aaaand invade your comfort zone ;)
My secret is out, I am the elevator whisperer. So glad things worked out as they did. SO GLAD. You know of what I speak. Loved hanging out with you. So many laughs. You only live 4.5 ours away, for crying out loud, lets make something happen, eh?
PS I'm still fantasizing about those tiny foods.
please don't hit the shut er down button.
please.
i like the place you have created here.
if you need to go to a conference i have no desire to go to, then go, go, go! hell, i'll go with you. just don't kill this place.
You will always and forever be one of my favorite people. Amen.
Thank you for being here, there and everywhere I needed a familiar face. And for everything else you do (including that awesome all-in party and reintroducing me to Cara!)