I told you about the trip down and our first day at BlogPaws.
Since this newbie learned some important lessons the first day, I felt like the second day of the conference went smoother.
I took Chester to daycare right after breakfast and left him the whole day.
I packed lighter the second day. Little did I know that there would be a heck of a lot more stuff to pick up from vendors the second day. I ended up carrying my regular bag (which suddenly didn’t feel as light as I thought it was) and two shopping bags full of stuff around all day. Oof!
The highlight of the day was hearing Lena West, the founder of Influence and Expansion, speak. I heard a couple of people didn’t like her radical honesty and how up-front she was about what was stopping each and every one of us from earning money on our blog. She was just my style though. I love honest people who tell it like it is and the things she said inspired me and really made me think.
I was so inspired that skipped out on the SEO 201 session to see Lena give one lucky blogger’s site a critique and makeover. She wasn’t looking to monetize her blog but some of the tips Lena gave her were applicable to everybody.
I said I skipped out on the SEO 201 workshop right? Well, I kind of feel like I got part of it. The presentation was in the room next to us and Dino was yelling so loud that I could hear him clearly when Lena took a breath. Sometimes it was even hard to hear her over him. I managed to catch a couple of things he was saying so I guess you could say I got a 2 for 1. ha!
Between the 15-hour drive down, all the socializing and learning and the heat, we were exhausted and ready to hit the road Saturday after the main sessions were done. We didn’t stick around for the evening reception and the Wet Noses awards but we did manage to meet up with our pals from Roxy the Traveling Dog and Snoopy’s Dog Blog again for some photos.
We left and headed to Twin Falls, Idaho for the night. We stayed in the Motel 6, which is pet friendly and doesn’t require a pet deposit.
Getting a head start on the drive made the trip back less grueling. That last, final push took a little over 12 hours and we got back when it was still light.
I was tired and grumbling that I was too old to drive 30 hours in two days (and sit 2 days in between at a conference). Not two days later I was already dreaming of a road trip to dog-friendly Carmel, CA and Jackson Hole, WY to visit some of my bloggy friends. Ha, ha.
I also caught the conference bug over the weekend. By the end of the week I had figured out a way to attend the Barkworld social media conference and already booked a flight and hotel.
)Note: I booked a hotel room with two twin beds at the venue. If you are going to Barkworld and might be interested in sharing a room, shoot me an email.)
The day after I got back I started sorting through the stuff we got from the vendors at the conference. We came back with a lot! Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a Bret Michael’s for Petsmart Pets Rock Tattoo Hoodie and keep your eye out for future giveaways and reviews from us.
Woof! Woof! My peeps love Carmel. Yes it is very dog friendly. It sure is FUN meeting bloggie friends. Lots of Golden ALOHA n Woofs, Sugar
SUGAR: goldenwoofs recently posted…Best Part Of The Day : SUNSET
Thanks again for the ticket Sugar. We had a blast!
Hey Guys,
Ooooh it would be SO cool if you came to Carmel, that’s really close to me, we could have a playdate!
I think I need to get Mum to check out Barkworld – thanks for the link
Hope you’re having a fun weekend,
Your pal Snoopy
snoopy recently posted…Custom Handmade Dog Collar and Lead Giveaway
I had only heard of BarkWorld a month or so ago. I know I heard the name thrown around last year but I was so focused on BlogPaws. I asked some other bloggers about it and they said it focuses on social media. I thought I would give it a try but I will be bringing flat Chester and Gretel
Hi Y’all,
Love hearing about BlogPaws. Glad you’re going to BarkWorld!
Just wanted to stop to see how your week was. Hope your weekend is a great one!
Y’all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
Hawk aka BrownDog recently posted…Your Mountain Weather Dog
Sounds like you had a great time!
RumpyDog! recently posted…Pets Add Life!
We did! I certainly caught the conference bug!
I have to agree with you on Lena. I love her brutal honesty. It’s really the only thing that resonates with me!
Chloe recently posted…Write a Post. Help a Dog 2012! #DogsRule
I’m betting that night in the Motel 6 felt like heaven after sleeping in the heat Thursday and Friday!
I was really glad I went to Lena’s workshop. I think I took more notes there than in the other conferences that I went to combined. I’m trying to set up Mail Chimp this weekend, but it may bet the better of me! I’m really frustrated with it.
houndstooth recently posted…The Best Part About Leaving Home…
It was nice to sleep in a bed. It wasn’t as hot there but they didn’t have air conditioning so it was still pretty stuffy. I have a mailchimp account but I have never used it. I am not ready to do a newsletter at this point but maybe by next spring. I will have to move my subscription box over from Feedburner first.
Nice finale post! I, too, complained to myself about being too old to haul around 80# of luggage, a stroller and a cat, but once I was settled in the Sheraton, I was a happy girl! I will know next time not to bring as many outfits for Coco and to just make sardine cookies and skip the bacon ones, hahameow.
Teri and the cats of Curlz and Swirlz recently posted…Caturday Saturday
Hey Chester, Hey Gretel, Jet here. Hi Miss Jess.
Thanks for sharing, since we are living everything BLOGPAWS vicariously! We looked up Barkworld and cannot believe it is the ONE weekend Mom has plans the WHOLE YEAR!!!
Jet recently posted…The Dating Game – Bachelor #1
Figures huh? Well, we are newbies to that conference too and we plan to post about our experience. You can learn about that one too and then decide which one you want to go to next year
I just read your guest blog parts 1 & 2 at blogpaws – great tips! Mom wants to go but we will see how it works out next year. There is so much to learn about all this online stuff. As she was reading she put 2 & 2 together and figured out you were on my blog and left a comment so I wanted to stop by and say hi! Love us short legged doggies! My breeder in England breeds Dachshunds too and in Germany they are all over the place! Emma : )
Emma recently posted…Versatile Blogger Award | GBGV
Hi Emma. Thanks for stopping by! Are you a new blogger? I have only been blogging 2 years but I have learned a lot. The biggest benefit you will get from BlgoPaws or BlogWorld will be your connection with other bloggers.
I enjoyed Lena West too and was interested in going to her blog makeover session, but instead I went to the SEO 201 session. A good portion of Dino’s session was about Triberr. If you already know about Triberr than you probably didn’t miss too much. If not, you might want to check out the slides on BlogPaws.
Colby recently posted…6 Common Puppy Training Mistakes You’ve Already Made
I don’t “know” too much about Triberr but I do belong to a tribe. I know how to tweet the post from my fellow tribe mates. Are there more cool things to do with it than that?
I’m really enjoying your blog and think I have my plans set for BarkWorld, too! Hope to catch up with you there. ~jill
I won’t have 3D Chester and Gretel with me but I will have flat versions and I am going to get myself a T-shirt made. Hopefully you will recognize me and come say hi
Sounds like a busy time. I am not a fan of hours in the car I must admit.
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