5 Reasons Why I'm Glad My Husband Attended BlogHer 2017

My experience at BlogHer this year was unique in that not only did I speak at the conference for the first time, but my husband attended with me. Coming from our courtship at Wellesley that started a little over 18 years ago, Mr. Lovebird knew a bit of what to expect when it comes to the gender ratio of BlogHer and overall he confirmed he's definitely glad he came with me. 

Here are 5 reasons why I am too...

1. He got to experience blogging's impact IRL - seeing such heavy hitters grace the stage such as Venus Williams and Ann Navarro helped him see the role influencers play in making impact across several arenas

2. He was an amazing videographer/photographer - I'm not allowed to call him an "Instagram Husband" LOL! 

With my co-panelists Shireen and August

3. He gave me objective feedback on the "blogosphere" - remember when I wrote about how he views blogging like reality TV? He gave me his updated view on that and it included being able to appreciate just how hard and how much of a hustle it is to have longevity 

4. He finally got to put faces to names - finally he got to meet bloggers he hears me talk about as though they're our neighbors!

5. He demonstrated his unfailing support of me - especially heading into our 8th anniversary at the time of the conference and keeping his vow to support my endeavors, it meant a lot that he would spend 2 days in my world

I've recapped BlogHer in more traditional ways in the past (click the "BlogHer" label on the desktop view of my site), and while I won't do the same here, one question I will answer is having attended BlogHer last 2 years and twice before what has/hasn't changed?

1. The Food - like '12 and '14, breakfast was still mostly carb/sugar based leaving people to be famished well before lunch; if you're like me and breakfast is your most important meal, I'd recommend eating breakfast out or bringing your own protein to supplement

2. The Activism - the conference is still a platform for major social issues and doesn't shy away from including speakers and writers who reflect this

3. The Expo Hall - I remember being so completely overwhelmed by the Expo Hall the first time I attended in '12 and finding it more manageable in '14; this time around I was surprised to see how sparse it was

4. The Venue - The BlogHer team picked a stellar venue this year; all aspects of customer service from my interaction with the bell hop, the spa and just navigating my way around the property were top notch! It was definitely an upgrade from the NYC venue

5. The Sessions - the content was excellent (I heard the SEO session was the best - you can get some tips here!), but just like '12 and '14 many sessions were just too crowded (ummm that same SEO session!) however, the silver lining was that just like years past it gave me more opportunities to network in the hallway and hang out with my hubby

Thank you to the BlogHer team for throwing a fantastic conference and giving me the opportunity to speak! 

Have you been to BlogHer before? The '18 location hasn't been announced yet but sign up for their newsletter here to stay on top of the latest conference news. 

 

P.S. Did you miss the mini-video recap I made of BlogHer '17? You can check it out here.