My butt is numb from five hours of being stuck in the car. My voice is shot. My feet are killing me. I'm fairly certain I'm as severely dehydrated as a hitchhiker in the Mohave desert. And yet I'm convinced, beyond a shadow of doubt, that this weekend at the Texas Style Council Conference was one of the best three days I've ever had.
There's so much to talk about - how informative the panels were; the genuine approachability and friendliness of the bloggers in attendance; the fun activities organized by the Style Council. It might take me all week to summarize the events I attended and lessons I learned. However, I'll briefly share my top six impressions from the conference tonight.
1. The blogging community is much smaller and more approachable than you might think. Both new bloggers and those merely intrigued by blogging mingled with big-time bloggers such as Kendi and Bryan of Kendi Everyday, Erin of Work With What You've Got, Kyla of Blue Collar Catwalk, Jentine of My Edit, Katie of Kansas Couture, and Jen of Jen Loves Kev (among many others!) I was so pleasantly surprised to find all the bloggers in attendance were as authentically genuine, friendly and welcoming in person as they are through their blogs.
2. Austin is a pretty rad place to visit (and live.) Austin during South by Southwest makes New Year's Eve in Times Square look like a sullen sob-ridden emo funeral (I'm from NYC, so it's okay. Nothing personal against New Yorkers. Or Manhattan. Or New Year's Eve.) It was cra-cray. I have never seen so many hobo hipster nerds in. my. life.
3. Social media is absolutely crucial both as a networking tool and business application. It was fascinating to witness and be a part of the intersection between social media and real-life interaction. I now have a deeper respect for the need to remain authentic and true to who I am through my blog, Twitter and Facebook feeds, and am more dedicated to utilizing these tools to reach out to my readers (and attract new ones!)
4. Do not sacrifice style for comfort. Case in point: The Texas Style Council strongly advised attendees to bring comfortable shoes, as we'd be spending a significant amount of time walking around Austin, standing during mixers, and socializing in between panels. I chose to thumb my nose at this sage advice and spent Saturday clomping around in my highest heels. Big mistake. Huge. By Saturday evening I was almost as crippled as a nineteenth-century Chinese woman with bound feet. It was bad.
5. (This part is going to be kind of a gross love-fest, so proceed at your own risk.) Meeting new friends is always wonderful, but having the opportunity to spend real time with them is something truly precious. I feel so privileged to have had the chance to spend three entire days with Erin, who served both as my roommate and road-trip buddy for the conference. Erin is a tremendous inspiration both for me and within the blogging community. During the conference, her talents and authenticity were recognized by many of the gold-level sponsors, including Modcloth, and I was thrilled to see her being rewarded for all the things that make her so unique. She deserves every happiness in the world, and I truly love her.
6. Have I mentioned the amazing vintage sequined jacket I bought from The Spice Rack during Saturday night's dance? It's gorgeous, and was very reasonably priced. If you're a vintage lover like me, be sure to check out their online shop and the sites of the owners at Style and Pepper and Concrete Catwalk.
If you ever have the opportunity to either attend or plan a blogger conference in your area, please don't pass up the chance to participate. Not only will you learn from and mingle with members of the blogging community, but you'll have an absolute blast doing so. I know I did!
There's so much to talk about - how informative the panels were; the genuine approachability and friendliness of the bloggers in attendance; the fun activities organized by the Style Council. It might take me all week to summarize the events I attended and lessons I learned. However, I'll briefly share my top six impressions from the conference tonight.
1. The blogging community is much smaller and more approachable than you might think. Both new bloggers and those merely intrigued by blogging mingled with big-time bloggers such as Kendi and Bryan of Kendi Everyday, Erin of Work With What You've Got, Kyla of Blue Collar Catwalk, Jentine of My Edit, Katie of Kansas Couture, and Jen of Jen Loves Kev (among many others!) I was so pleasantly surprised to find all the bloggers in attendance were as authentically genuine, friendly and welcoming in person as they are through their blogs.
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| Kyla, Erin and I took a push pedal buggy ride through the city to South Congress Street. We also pretended to be paparazzi. It was super fun. |
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| This is a gratuitous pic of me with some famous people (whom I can now call my friends - eeek!) Katie of Kansas Couture, Suze of Miss Vinyl Ahoy, Amy of Stylish Year, and Kelsey of Snappy Casual. |
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| Laurel of Trophy Boutique and I talked blogging, Texas, and tattoos. She also took me and other bloggers to eat the best burgers on the planet at a dive bar on 6th Street. It was epic. The socializing and the burgers, I mean. Laurel was pretty epic too. |
2. Austin is a pretty rad place to visit (and live.) Austin during South by Southwest makes New Year's Eve in Times Square look like a sullen sob-ridden emo funeral (I'm from NYC, so it's okay. Nothing personal against New Yorkers. Or Manhattan. Or New Year's Eve.) It was cra-cray. I have never seen so many hobo hipster nerds in. my. life.
3. Social media is absolutely crucial both as a networking tool and business application. It was fascinating to witness and be a part of the intersection between social media and real-life interaction. I now have a deeper respect for the need to remain authentic and true to who I am through my blog, Twitter and Facebook feeds, and am more dedicated to utilizing these tools to reach out to my readers (and attract new ones!)
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| Jennine of The Coveted and IFB, a leader in social media. |
4. Do not sacrifice style for comfort. Case in point: The Texas Style Council strongly advised attendees to bring comfortable shoes, as we'd be spending a significant amount of time walking around Austin, standing during mixers, and socializing in between panels. I chose to thumb my nose at this sage advice and spent Saturday clomping around in my highest heels. Big mistake. Huge. By Saturday evening I was almost as crippled as a nineteenth-century Chinese woman with bound feet. It was bad.
 |
| I am hiding my pain. |
5. (This part is going to be kind of a gross love-fest, so proceed at your own risk.) Meeting new friends is always wonderful, but having the opportunity to spend real time with them is something truly precious. I feel so privileged to have had the chance to spend three entire days with Erin, who served both as my roommate and road-trip buddy for the conference. Erin is a tremendous inspiration both for me and within the blogging community. During the conference, her talents and authenticity were recognized by many of the gold-level sponsors, including Modcloth, and I was thrilled to see her being rewarded for all the things that make her so unique. She deserves every happiness in the world, and I truly love her.
6. Have I mentioned the amazing vintage sequined jacket I bought from The Spice Rack during Saturday night's dance? It's gorgeous, and was very reasonably priced. If you're a vintage lover like me, be sure to check out their online shop and the sites of the owners at Style and Pepper and Concrete Catwalk.
If you ever have the opportunity to either attend or plan a blogger conference in your area, please don't pass up the chance to participate. Not only will you learn from and mingle with members of the blogging community, but you'll have an absolute blast doing so. I know I did!
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