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events

BlogHer17: The Pressure Is A Privilege

It’s hard to recap a conference like BlogHer especially when you spent three days meeting new people, listening to panels, being inspired by speakers and learning new information. I was impressed and inspired by Janet Mock, Serena Williams and Amy Ziering.

Here are some of my random thoughts from #BlogHer17.

  • Ana Navarro is hilarious! CNN is being ridiculous if they don’t offer her a show of her own.
  • Serena Williams has a soft voice, but her words are powerful.  It’s great that she is supporting Purple Purse which helps women escape domestic violence.
  • The lazy river at the Hilton Bonnet Creek is so much fun!
  • The butterscotch pudding with toffee on the side at La Luce is sinfully delicious.
  • Review your friend’s books on Amazon.  It helps them with sales.
  • Empathy is not enough. Do something.

Takeaway:

I heard conversations among attendees and panelists that were so similar to conversations I had seven years ago at #BlogHer10.   Is BlogHer not growing or is the same old conference model with speakers and panels in need of disruption?  I would suggest more unstructured events like a bar camp where anyone can sign up to speak on a topic. In addition, I think there should have been pop-up bookstore selling books authored by speakers and attendees. Other than networking, there should have been an opportunity for attendees to sell their products  (maybe an artisan market). Attending BlogHer or any other women’s conference should be a more quantifiable step forward because the time and money spent attending a conference is time and money away from family, career and projects that are just as important if not more.

Categories
events savannah

Going To BlogHer17

I am an old skool blogger. I have been blogging for over a decade. I first started with a personal blog, Nichelle Newsletter on Blogger. Then I moved it to Typepad and later over to WordPress. In 2004, I met Rachel and Allison, and we created Cupcakes Take The Cake. I have started and abandoned several blogs over the years, and this one Gnatty Savannah is my newest blog baby. I started Gnatty Savnnah nearly two years ago when I moved here to Savannah.  Gnatty Savannah is focus on food, culture and events in Savannah.

Nichelle  at the first BlogHer

I went to the first BlogHer conference in 2005 in San Jose, CA.  I am going to BlogHer  this year to reconnect with old friends and to reconnect with blogging. It’s hard to keep up a regular blogging momentum when there is faster and easier ways to distribute content via social media. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are social media I use daily. I only blog about once or twice a month.

Blogging is important because this is MY SPACE. Not MySpace (RIP), but my personal space. Social media may change, but as long as I own the domain and can pay for hosting, Gnatty Savannah is mine. Blogging is owning a home whereas social media is like renting an apartment. I need to spend more time fixing up my home. When I get back from BlogHer, I will.