#SBsummit Blog Conference Re-cap

It’s been a week now since I’ve been home from the Savvy Blogging Summit, my first-ever blog conference.  I was a little nervous and apprehensive about whether forking out $$ to go to a blog conference was a good idea.  It turns out it most definitely was.

The tag line for the Summit is “taking your blog to new heights” and certainly this conference delivered. The emphasis is on learning, not swag and parties. Despite, or maybe because of, the fact that many of the bloggers who attend this conference are either deal bloggers or coupon bloggers, I learned so much about how to get serious about my blogging, how to turn it into a legitimate business, and how to do so while maintaining authenticity and value for you, my readers. (I also learned a lot about how those deal blogs work!)

There were awesome sessions that resulted in pages and pages of notes and to-dos. My favorites were the accounting and bookkeeping sessions from CPA Jodi Stevens and a Cloud Bookkeeper in Sydney along with Beth Bullock as well as the legal session with James Summers, probably because those are the two areas that I have zero knowledge in. Keynote speaker Amy Allen Clark not only knocked our socks off, but also mixed and mingled all weekend long, answering question after question after question about how she does what she does. The monetization exp allowed us to go one-on-one with various companies who specialize in working with bloggers.

But, honestly, the most valuable thing about the conference was that every single moment was a learning opportunity because for nearly three whole days, I was completely surrounded by bloggers.  Women and men who do what I do (most at a much higher level of expertise) – who juggle kids, spouses, and homes with a hobby/job that is personally exciting, but that is often scoffed at by the general public.

With an attendance cap of 100 bloggers, there was a familiar and cozy feel to everything. During work sessions, meals, and breaks no one ever hesitated to pull over their laptop and teach me what they knew. Every single conversation yielded knowledge and relationships that I know will be invaluable in my “career” as a blogger.  At times there was so much being shared in a small group setting that I couldn’t get it all.

It was so fun to be in a culture where it was ok to take notes directly on your laptop while also tweeting from your phone.

Did I mention that I shared a hotel room with a blogger I had never met before?  Cheryl from Somewhat Crunchy was an awesome roomie.  I’m so glad I got to know her – she’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, and an inspiration as a mother!

So, in short, if you want to learn tons about blogging as either a hobby or a business, Savvy Blogging Summit is a great conference to attend.  Next year’s conference is in Atlanta October 4-6.  Registration begins August 5, 2011 with an early bird rate of $225.

As I made my way back home, I got stuck in the Dallas airport for several hours.  I was studiously taking notes on my netbook as I read through a book on blogging.  The man sitting next to me said, “What are you reading?” I told him that I was reading a book about blogging for business, and he laughed.  Out loud.

So, back to reality, but not without a little more knowledge and confidence to bolster me up!

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