I was not actually in Salt Lake City for Alt Summit these past few days. I was at my desk. With headphones on. Listening to conferences and talks online. Technology rocks. ♥
This was able to happen by signing up for Alt For Everyone. The informative classes, a world-class keynote, a social meet-up — and even a goodie bag was delivered straight to my door. Pretty cool.
Equally as cool is the shift in my attitude toward this blog that resulted from it. To explain in more detail, I highlighted below some of the things that were said in the conferences that resonated with me most. The first thing said that hit me like a ton of bricks was:
I'm a blogger. This December I'll have been blogging for five years. My new job blogging for me & my BIG ideas is my paying, day-to-day, like, actual job. I'm a blogger, and I love it. What I never realized before Monique Malcolm of AntiSparkle said it was "If you're a blogger, you're in business." I'm in business? What does that even mean to be in business? Hmmm...I guess if you're in business with something it means you take it seriously, work hard on it, care about what message it sends, have goals for it...gasp!!...HOLY CRAP! I'M IN BUSINESS! That's how my shift in attitude happened.
This is such a true statement said by Chris Gardner of Man Made! If I'm in a business, which I am because I'm a blogger and "If you're a blogger, you're in business" than I have to work on being a trustworthy business/brand. My main goal as a blogger is to create good (good = high quality, authentic, heart felt, useful) content, and create it consistently. Then, once I've nailed down my working formula for this, I need to remember to:
Now that I've estabilished this high quality, authentic, heart felt, useful content on a consistent basis, WHY ON EARTH WOULD I DEVIATE FROM IT?! This gem of an idea came from TheAlisonShow, and I'm going to run with it. I feel that I deviate way too frequently. All in all, though, I want to cut myself some slack and remember that:
Yes, I have this new attitude about this space and that only means better things to come, but in blogging, just as in business, you're experimenting until you find the formula that works. What I've come to realize from listening to speakers like Kelly Beall of DesignCrush at Alt is that they are successful because (1) they put in the time, (2) tried a variety of things, and (3) uncovered their working formula -- in that order! I've been diligently at (1) and (2), and now I feel closer to my working formula than ever. :)
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So, thanks, Alt Summit! Thanks for making it for everyone.
...and thanks to sweet Stephanie Fleming for encouraging me to sign up.
