Last month I traveled to Kansas City to attend Chopped Conference, an intimate blogging conference organized by the wildly talented and incredible Marly. With just 75 or so attendees, all of the sessions took place in one room at the totally modern and completely urban River Market Event Place.
I’ve attended my fair share of conferences over the years but hands down, this one blew them all out of the water on every level. In just one day, I gained so many practical tips, tools and specific strategies that have already improved my blog and my business.
On a personal level, I was able to spend precious face time with fellow bloggers who I now consider to be some of my closest friends.
Bev and the countless other women who attended inspire me to be better bloggers for so many reasons and on so many levels.
For example, Ali always inspires me to be a better food photographer. Admittedly, I don’t love the photography aspect of food blogging but it’s important for my photographs to be as high quality as my recipes which is why I continue to invest the time and energy improving my craft. If you’re a food blogger, you absolutely must check out Ali’s photography resources.
I also had the pleasure of spending time with these two beauties: Cheryl and Kristen. These ladies are constantly giving back to the blogging community by sharing advice and tips they’ve learned along their 7+ year journeys in the blogging world. They inspire me to pay it forward with the next generation of bloggers.
Speaking of paying it forward, whenever I attend conferences or any social gathering I try to be as inclusive as possible. As we enter the busy entertaining season, I challenge you to open your wings to someone who may need a little nudge of encouragement. If you see someone standing by themselves at a gathering, go over and introduce yourself. Welcome someone new into your circle or invite someone new over for dinner.
Believe me, I get it. I could have easily spent the entire conference talking to a handful of my closest friends like my girl Lauren. But the truth is, something magical happens when you expand your horizons and leave your little comfort nest. You open yourself up to new possibilities, endless discoveries and countless opportunities.
Even more importantly, you make someone else feel more comfortable in their own skin. You put someone else at ease. You help someone else feel valued. It’s amazing how a genuine smile and a simple hello can boost someones mood in a matter of seconds.
Have you ever experienced exclusivity at a conference or social gathering? How did you overcome it or help someone else feel included? I would love to hear from you.
Disclosure: A huge thank you to my dear friends at Bob’s Red Mill who sponsored my trip to Chopped Con. I am so lucky to work with brands who invest in my growth.
Thanks so much for kindly saying “hi” to me. I certainly was nervous and incredibly overwhelmed thinking about attending this conference. Everyone I talked to was so sweet. Even though I have been in the arena for seven years, I am not a big player in the game.
What a great post – and so true…
I loved getting to see you and can’t wait until more ChoppedCon’s!
Thank you for reading friend. <3 I can't wait until I get to see you again!!!
Super lovely post, Liz. It’s so easy to stick with familiar places and faces, but when we step out is when new doors always open. I’ve heard so many good things about this conference already, might need to put it on my list for next year!
You must add it to your list for 2015 Brenda!! It was such an incredible conference!
I see you and Sandy of Reluctant Entertainer as the ultimate ambassadors of gathering people around you. In the fact that you are outgoing and welcoming makes you a magnet to others. I love everything about this post, a great share for everyone in any social situation.
What a lovely post and what an equally fantastic event! Blogging can be a very isolating and lonely job at times. I so love your words of encouragement and honesty!
Thank you so much for reading Maria – I appreciate it!!
Oh my goodness Liz, I have been following The Lemon Bowl for a while, and I only just realized we are neighbors! I love in GR too :) Love your thoughts on being inclusive, you have inspired me to be brave and look into some attending a blogging conference soon :)
So great to meet a local Grand Rapidian!!! And so cool that you’re a Brit! I lived in London in 2001 and miss it so much – my husband is desperate for us to go back one day. You should join the West Michigan Bloggers group! Shoot me an email if you’d like to learn more [email protected] :)
Liz you totally nailed it with this post. In my four and a half years of blogging, I’ve never been to a blogging conference, largely because of the “exclusiveness” I feel I would encounter. I also tend to be an introvert in large groups, so the idea of a huge conference is quite overwhelming. Knowing that people like you will be at these conferences, however, makes them much more appealing! We need more people like you in this world!
Thank you so much for this post! I’m a new blogger and would love to attend a conference one day for learning and networking. It’s good to know that there are smaller, more intimate events out there. My deep fear is getting boxed out by all the bloggers who already know one another, but knowing there are inclusive people out there like you makes me feel so much better! Hope to see you at a conference some day!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this post Steph. I hope our paths cross one day!!! Thank you for your sweet words.
I have been to a few conferences where people just talk with their friends and it is very hard to try and introduce yourself when a bunch of friends are chatting together. Sometimes I try but other times it is not worth the effort and I just walk away and find someone else to talk to.
Great post! I remember what it felt like going to my first couple of conferences, so i too go out of my way to say hi & make a new friend or two. I love hearing the “why” behind what made people push the button as well!
I think getting those first couple of conferences under your belt is the hardest part. Thanks so much for reading Colleen.
Love this! I just launched my new blog, Life is but a Dish, and I have been researching conferences. Many of them do seem very overwhelming to me, so I’m glad to hear that there are ones that create a positive environment! I hope to cross paths with you one day in the blogging world! Love your site :)
I hope so too Laney!
Thank you SO much for sharing your thoughts about conferences with us! As a shy introvert, I’m usually the wallflower and sometimes feel excluded from the lively conversations that always happen at conferences. (That’s what usually happens when you put a bunch of excited women together!) It actually happened quite a few times at BHF in May, and there were times where I tried to join in a circle and was physically pushed out when ladies turned their backs, but thankfully, one woman saw me and took me under her wing for the duration of the weekend. I’ll never forget that — we turned into incredibly close friends within just a few hours! — so it’s my goal to do the same thing wherever I go, whether a blogging event or just regular life. Thank you for the sweet reminder to continue doing so! :)
P.S. I’m really curious about what you learned about tips and strategies to improve blogging as a business! Do you think you’ll do another post about that? Because I’d literally read every word 50 times!!
I’m so sorry you had that experience but know you’re not alone. We all experience it and feel it on various levels. As for specific tips and strategies, I decided to focus my recap post on the topic of inclusivity but I’m sure you’ll find tons of other recap posts that will go in to the nitty gritty of what we learned in each session.
It would be so fun to attend such an intimate conference! I love your encouragement to step outside the box. Everybody needs a reminder right? You are so good at this Liz.
You’re so sweet- thank you Karen!
Liz this is absolutely fantastic advice. I honestly try to do this whenever I go to a conference or any blogger event because it must be hard to be around groups of people that have known each other for years when you are new to the game. Thank you for sharing this beautiful advice with so many other bloggers.
It’s so true. Thank you for your sweet words Jocelyn!
Liz, this is so great. Chopped Con was my first conference and walking in on Thursday night I was so overwhelmed. Everyone was so nice and welcoming and I loved every minute of it. Thanks for writing this post, this is such a great way of thinking!
I completely agree. It was the best conference, hands down. So glad to spend time with you and your mama!
i have only been to one big conference and I have to say there was only one large blogger that reached out and was very nice to lil old me. I will never forget that! Every big time blogger doesn’t even go to the speakers anymore they just go to their paid events so it’s kind of hard at large conferences to learn from people that are only there for a paid vacation to meet up with fellow bloggers on their level. Thank you so much for being awesome and encouraging bigger bloggers like yourself to pay it forward.
You’re so sweet – thank you for your kind words Stefanie!!