Saturday, September 29
This was the first full day of the conference and it kicked off at 8a.m. with a Kellogg's sponsored breakfast with digital lifestyle expert Mario Armstrong. He was full of energy and led us through From Free to Fee. When I saw the title on the conference agenda I knew I was going to be in for something good - this is a constant issue for me as I'm always dealing with folks who just wanna pick my brain but stall when it comes to paying for it.
Maria got personal by sharing his and his wife's story - this aligned with Blogalicious' theme "Make it Personal." From sharing his low balance bank statement before things started to take off, to having a 6-figure offer rescinded, Mario let us know exactly what his journey has been and admitted that he and his wife still have a long way to go. They even shared a picture of their visit to Coinstar when their funds were low!
It's so easy to hear from folks who have made it and dream of that life one day with stars in your eyes, but to hear the nitty gritty of perseverance was very refreshing. Mario and his wife reminded me of me and Uka - it's wonderful when you have a like-minded partner to get through challenges together! You can check out Mario's 21 day plan to get from free to fee here. Mario also gave out a few digital goodies to some of the audience members including a portable charging cell and a backpack that can charge your digital devices which also included fun goodies. Mario's session was so good it spilled out onto the terrace and kept going for about another hour!
This was a recurring theme of Blogalicious I found - the material was so good that it just didn't seem like there was enough time to soak it all up!
I had hoped to make it to the session Securing and Maintaining Your Brand Identity but missed it from the overrun of Mario's session. I did participate briefly in the Let's Play Blogger Recess led by Renee J. Ross and thankfully I have yet to see a picture of myself trying to hula hoop in a skirt, but Natasha from House Full of Nicholes blew everyone outta the water with her hula hooping skills! I had first met her at BlogHer and she really does know how to have a good time!
Next, I went to Expanding Revenue Sources for Bloggers, Outside the Blog. As most of my readers know I'm a huge fan of multiple profit centers so this was a must-attend session for me. A few nuggets to share from Kathy Buckworth:
- Look at your last 6 tweets/posts etc - that's who you are!
- Beware of ripple effect of negative comments about a brand; you don't want to close the door on future partnerships
- For pricing always ask "what's your budget?" when determining what to charge; if exclusivity (btw Mario Armstrong was not a fan of it!) then determine the value of that and build it into your fee
Miss Lori told us to imagine us all having a balloon and when we support each other we are able to fill our balloons with air giving us all a lift together within the blogging industry as a whole. When we try to keep information to ourselves and not support each other we are sucking the air out of each other's balloons and deflating the industry as a result. This point really stuck with me as I've had other bloggers help to support me and I've done the same for other bloggers.
As I mentioned in the last recap I was fascinated by the Kellogg's centerpieces and snagged a picture of one during lunch:
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| Yes, those are shredded wheat in the vase! |
During this session I was missing Box Top for Education Town Hall which featured Chilli from TLC. I decided to check out some of the sponsors including Ross who was hosting a $500 giveaway for styling a mannequin.
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| I had no idea Polaroid still existed but the Ross staff took Polaroid pics of our creations! |
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| I was obsessed with the bell desk |
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| The color scheme of the conference center was soothing, but the carpet made me dizzy! |
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| Even the restaurants provided eye candy |
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| Moderator Sandie, director Ava and actress Emayatzy |
After the conference attendees went to Red Rock's bowling alley (yes, the property has one on-location!) to Bowl for More Birthdays with the American Cancer Society. As someone who has lost family to cancer this was very important for me. The even raised awareness and gave us the opportunity to write our memories on paper bowling pins in honor of those we have lost or who are still battling with cancer. Mr. Love Bird joined at the end and had fun knocking down a few pins too!
I have to pause and say at each of these events there was so much delicious food - the Blogalicious crew made sure we were fed and hydrated!
From there it was the epic-ness everyone had been waiting for . . . Doug E. Fresh's party sponsored by Gain!
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| The venue - Cherry Nightclub |
Although I didn't win it was fun to share the stage with Dough E. Fresh. Thien-Kim Lam who won had an amazing outfit don't you think? She was a real sweetheart too the entire conference and I'm so happy for her!
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| Doug E. Fresh checking out Thien-Kim Lam's outift and yes, I'm cheesin' mad hard! |
And shout out to Sandie aka Urban Mama who snuck a picture of me and Mr. Love Bird doing the Dougie.
And of course here's a video of Doug E. Fresh teaching us how to Dougie:
Next up, the last day of the conference, how Mr. Love Bird and I played around Vegas and my key takeaways/tips . . .
P.S. Don't forget to enter my spooky giveaway here!
