So you may have seen on social media that I was in New York City last week for Blogger Bash, and I’ve been eager to share my Blogger Bash takeaways. It was a lot of “firsts” for me:

• First time going to a conference specifically for bloggers. I’ve been to a few different conferences as a blogger, but they weren’t specifically for bloggers.
• First time in New York City. Seriously. That alone was a whole lot of “first” experiences! lol Stay tuned because I’ll be posting about my experience in the big city as well!
• First time on a boat for a conference.
• First time sharing a room with someone I had only talked to online. The good news is, she is awesome. So is her blog! Be sure to check her out at Mommy by the Sea.
• First time at a wax museum. It was slightly creepy, but also really cool!
• First time on a bus tour, which was so much more than a bus tour! Did you see my videos on Instagram?!
• First time staying in a room with an adjustable bed.

OK, there is probably more, but I’m sure you get the idea. I may have lived near a couple of big cities over the years, but I am definitely still a country girl!
There is really SO much I could share about Blogger Bash NYC! I’d love to share my experience at the Care Bears Brunch, Sweet Suite, Babypalooza, New Products Expo, etc., but if I tried to cram it all into one post it would be WAY too long (and you’d probably get bored). So, I’ll be sharing more about each (including some of my favorite products) in subsequent posts. To make them easy to find I’m also going to link them to this post when they’re complete!

Blogger Bash Takeaways

I got to connect with some amazing bloggers and brands (and even won some amazing prizes), but there is so much more to Blogger Bash. It truly is an awesome experience! Here are my top Blogger Bash Takeaways:

• Be confident in what you do and what you offer. I am a bit timid and a lot socially awkward, but that’s OK. With encouragement and advice from other bloggers, I went in there with confidence knowing who I am and what I offer is valuable. We have quite a complex family with special needs and medical issues, but that’s what makes Pea of Sweetness unique.
• Know your elevator pitch. This kind of relates to the point above, but it’s really important. (Probably even more so if you’re socially awkward like myself.) When someone asks you “what is your blog about?” have an answer ready. Know that answer, practice that answer, and be confident in that answer.
• Expand your network. I think we all fall into a “comfort zone.” We stay in the same network groups even if we get that nagging feeling there is more out there. Well, there truly is more out there. I connected with a handful of bloggers that are ideal for networking with as we fit each others’ niches. I found we’re even in some of the same groups, but I never thought to reach out and expand that circle.
• People care about your success. Knowing all the work the organizers put into Blogger Bash is absolutely amazing. It is seriously a huge blessing. Knowing they take the time to put this all together for us shows that they care about our success. It’s easy to burnout and get overwhelmed in the blogging world. Knowing there are people who want to help can make a big difference!

Blogging Concentrated

Blogging Concentrated was just one part of Blogger Bash, but I had many Blogger Bash takeaways specifically from it. Although I probably could write an entire post about it, it fits so well with the “takeaway” topic that I wanted to share it here. The main thing I learned that really stuck with me is how I’m allocating my time. So often we think we need to be pushing out content, but what if that’s not the best use of our time? What about posts in our archive? Could we spice them up and push them out again?
Things around here have been absolutely crazy. I can’t even keep up with the posts I need to do let alone try to push out more evergreen content. I have a BUNCH of things in my archives from when I first started blogging and had a smaller audience. Although it takes time to revamp a post, I know that it may be a better use of my time than writing more original posts right now.
Plus, I have a nice long note of other ideas that were sparked to help me grow my blog (as well as my income). I didn’t get to sit through all of it because I was blessed with the opportunity to do The Ride, but in the time I was there I got so many great ideas and left feeling refreshed and inspired!

Blogger Bash NYC

I can’t say enough good things about Blogger Bash NYC! I was nervous about going. It’s a big city and I wouldn’t know anyone, and for me that is really intimidating. I had to save up some money and take a few days away in the midst of some craziness, but I am so glad I took those chances. I really did meet a lot of great brands and made some lasting connections with amazing bloggers. It was definitely worth it, and I can’t wait to go to Blogger Bash again next year for even more Blogger Bash takeaways!

 

Other posts for Blogger Bash 2016

Fun at the Care Bears Brunch!