Not long ago I attended the first ever SheStreams conference. SheStreams was created as a conference that strived to help bloggers develop their skills, style, and blogs as well as themselves, through the use of emerging digital technologies such as video and podcasting. The afternoon of day 1 of the SheStreams conference opened with Maria Bailey (@MomTalkRadio and @MomTV) giving us stats showing that many people are watching more and more videos. Approximately 80% of moms watched at least one video in the last week instead of reading a blog post. Viewers cite favorite types of videos to be personal, how to, and product reviews, with videos being under five minutes long. About 63% of moms have posted a video in the last month! All of this driving home the big point – video is where it’s at! Many moms (a whopping 48%) are also listening to podcasts, with kids, family, comedy and religion being the most popular subjects. She also reminded us that “if you always do what you’ve always done you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten”. That made complete sense and I knew it to be true, although sadly I hadn’t really thought about it that way before.
The keynote speaker was Maxine Clark of Build-A-Bear (@chiefexecbear). I have heard Maxine speak before and she was just as inspiring as the last time I heard her. Her very successful brand and company, Build-A-Bear, are all built on one thing – heart.
Other speakers followed including Rene Syler, Lisa Druxman and Cammie Dunaway.
I heard Rene Syler, former tv anchorwoman and breast cancer survivor, speak once before. Once again I found her to be the most inspiring woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing speak. She is so down to earth and so real. Key points and reminders that I got from listening to Rene Syler (@ReneSyler and @goodenufmother) apply to life in general, and not just blogging. They include:
- Fear is not your friend.
- Suit up and put your pads on and get out there, knowing you will get hit and you will get hard.
- Everything happens for a reason.
- The universe is unfolding as it should and not the way we want it to.
- Who you are is inside you, not what you look like.
- Take yourself off of the bottom of your of long to do list.
- Not everyone will like you. Let that be their problem.
- The biggest risk for getting breast cancer is being a woman and getting older. Despite the fact that her mother and father both had it, family history is not biggest factor , it only accounts for 5-10%.
Lisa Druxman of Stroller Strides (@LisaDruxman) reminded us:
- We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Do you make the most of them?
- Celebrate every single day.
- Change your todo list – put yourself on your priority list.
Five key points I picked up listening to Cammie Dunaway of Kidzania include:
- Be a good listener. Get to know your audience using social media.
- Develop your own distinctive style.
- Find your voice.
- Don’t be afraid to try something new.
- If you fall get back up.
I attended an interactive panel on digital social media led by Kelby Carr (@typeamom). Two of the big take-aways here for me were:
- Video often seems more sincere because it’s less scripted.
- Being conversational is preferred to just giving straight information.
I learned a lot in the video sessions, listening to women like Colleen Padilla (@classymommy). People may or may not realize that YouTube is the second largest search engine. I never thought of it that way but boy did it make sense. Viewers prefer short videos of 2-3 minutes max.
I attended a session designed to inspire and motivate. I was reminded that every one of us is unique and has the potential to say something different from everyone else. Debi Silber (@TheMojoCoach) likened going after our goals to a crab bucket, where there are lots of crabs trying to pull the one crab climbing to the top down. We need to get out of the crab bucket. Sara Fisher (@selfmademom) recommended perseverance and authenticity, and suggested that if you can’t afford to work in job of your dreams that you find passion elsewhere such as your blog. Angela Santomero (@AngelasClues) has found through experience that anytime that you try something new people will try and tear you down. Angela is the creator of one of my youngest son’s favorite all time shows, Blue’s Clues. When I told her how much he loved Blue’s Clues and how much he learned from the show I actually started to cry. How embarrassing! Angela also created the show Super Why, as well as the upcoming Mr Rogers’ show Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. This is a picture of me with Angela. Isn’t she beautful!
The only thing about SheStreams that I didn’t like is that they had put together so many great speakers for the sessions that it was difficult to choose which ones to attend. There were sessions on video, streaming, live events, podcasting, marketing and more that I would have loved to participate in.
Fun events for SheStreams attendees included:
- The Dream With Us Build-A-Bear After Party
- The Red Carpet Event Brought To You By Disney Parks
- Quest for Zhu Premiere Party
Besides the sessions and speakers, I also enjoyed meeting new people, including my roommates @The_Jerri_Ann, @MamaBuzz, @Mommycosm and @TammyLyne. It was also great meeting folks that I’ve worked with including reps from @AT&T, Robin Leedy & Associates and Energizer, as well as the rep from @GM Northeast that hooked me up with the awesome Chevrolet Equinox that I drove to and from SheStreams.
I enjoyed the SheStreams conference a lot. If you didn’t make this one, Maria announced that the 2012 SheStreams conference will be held in Florida. SheStreams is on Twitter and Facebook.
So you’re probably wondering – how does all of this pertain to you. Well, without you I wouldn’t be here. Or, I’d be here but all by myself. I want this to be the best blog it can be. I want it to be fun for both of us. Let’s face it, if you like it here you’ll come back. To that end you’ll be seeing some changes here through the end of the year. I want to use what I learned at SheStreams to be a better person as well as a better blogger. I’ll be incorporating a lot more video. It’s hard to know the tone or meaning behind words sometimes, something I keep trying to teach my teenage son. It’s so much easier to listen, appreciate and enjoy when you can see someone’s face and body language, don’t you think? Video is personal and will allow me to express my voice in my real voice. Don’t worry, I’ll try to keep them short as I know your time is valuable and I’m glad for any of it that you choose to spend on my blog. Also, I’m going to be trying to have more conversations with you and get to know you better. With that in mind I am going back to replying to comments you leave on my posts (not the giveaways). If you’ve taken the time to read a review or something I have to say and then leave me your thoughts on it then I’ll be taking the time to respond. With all that being said, I think I’ve kept you long enough. Thanks for reading!
Soounds llike I missed something quite good. maybe next time.