Springboard Conference Part Two: Figuring Out Where I'm Going

So as I stated in my last post, I met fabulous people on Friday night and was thrilled to get to spend time learning with them on Saturday. First off, I was very excited about my new outfit and fancy new shoes. :) My friend and neighbor Carla drove me over to the Boston Convention and Exposition Center, and once I wrestled a bit with the wifi, I was ready to get down to business.

As I've discussed before though, "business" for me isn't as much about the marketing side of doing all this. So some of the sessions on affiliate marketing and working with brands weren't really for me, though the advice I heard to "be delightful" when working in these capacities really transfers well to all aspects of life.

Instead, I attended Amy of Selfish Mom's session on podcasting, which may feed into an idea I have for something down the line here at Busy Since Birth. I must confess that I've been reading Amy's blog for a long time, and was a bit starstruck to be sitting at a table with her and learning in such an intimate session (there were less than 10 of us in the session). Amy was super-supportive and encouraged us all to contact her for help if we need it, which I really appreciated.

Next up was "Coffee and Contracts" with Charlene of Charlene Chronicles, where she detailed many of the legal aspects to this blogging life. There is a lot to be careful of when posting things on the internet, and this was a good reminder to slow down and think things through.

My favorite session was "Light, Layout, Edit and Hook" by Amy of A Nest For All Seasons. When I met her the night before, I immediately loved her energy and knew I would enjoy learning from her. Amy jampacked her two hours, first with a bit of camera work tutorial, and eventually teaching us about how to apply to different sites. A few of my new friends with laptops were able to start posting things then and there, which was really exciting to see.

The night and conference ended with a great dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy, where we were all too tired to tweet, which is saying a lot for this crowd. :) I snagged a ride home with Cindy of The Social Craft, and we got to see the biggest skunk ever just before dropping my dear Jessica of Don't Mind the Mess at home. And yes, I have to mention all of these car rides, because the chance to digest and discuss all of this with friends made the conference even better.

I took away so much from this inaugural Springboard, and I hope to attend more blogging conferences in the future. Mostly, it gave me the opportunity to focus on what I'm doing and where I want this adventure to go. I hope to give life to some of the new ideas I have soon. Thanks so much to all of the conference sponsors and most of all to Christy and Kim for organizing such an inspiring and thought-provoking opportunity for us all.