Two years ago, around this time, actually, I not only learned that I was pregnant, but that I was also expecting twins. I was working for an amazing company, which I had grown to love the culture and people so much, I was sure I would never leave. Enter the twins and months of nausea and a week in the hospital. My doctor threatened to put me on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy, and we had two older kids. The world I had convinced my husband would not fall apart with the addition of “one more baby” was quickly crumbling all around me. I had to make a choice I was not prepared to make…what was more important to me at that time in my life, my babies or my job?
Obviously, the babies won. I cried for months, initially about having to make the decision, then about having made one. This was not in my goals! It was not in my life plan! I wanted ONE more baby, not TWO! Two completely derailed any hope of becoming CEO of the job of my dreams. I couldn’t travel internationally, or at all, with two babies! Four kids?! While wallowing in my self-pity, a girlfriend suggested I start blogging. I had no idea what she was talking about, but I knew I needed to do something. I googled “on-line journals” and all these blogging sites kept popping up. So, I caved and had her give me the low down. It all started as a way for me to express my thoughts and have somewhat of a creative outlet. It quickly turned into something else, as most blogs do, and I started to realize that I was actually good at this, and loved it! It incorporated all of the things I loved about working…tapping into what I was most passionate about and sharing it with my community of friends. Then I realized that it wasn’t enough. I needed more. Once again, I reached out to the same girlfriend who then introduced me to WordPress, a great design guy, and something called SITS Girls and Bloggy Bootcamp.
Bloggy Boot Camp San Diego was only a month away, and they only sell 100 tickets. Unsure, I scoured through the SITS Girls site. Was this really for me? Who were these girls? And what’s the deal about the sauce? Then, it all hit me, and I realized that the SITS Girls founded their network based on support, integrity, teamwork; philosophies that mirrored my previous employer. I began to realize there were some great similarities between my last job and the one I was committed to creating on my own:
- Strong, talented, gifted, amazing women working together to create their best life.
- When one wins, we all win.
- Integrity, authenticity, be true to yourself.
Immediately I felt nervous there wouldn’t be any tickets left. I hurried to the BBCSD ticket site, pushed “Add to Cart”, and crossed my fingers. By some miracle, I was able to secure a seat. I booked my flight to go in and out of San Diego the same day, and hurriedly had business cards made. I couldn’t get my new site design up fast enough, and was bit embarrassed by its aesthetics. It didn’t matter what my site looked like. I sat next to people in that room and connected with them like we had been friends our whole life. We are still good friends today, and our kids even hang out! It was more about connecting, not bragging.
The twins had kept me up all night the morning before Bloggy Boot Camp. I figured I could get some sleep on the plane, but I was too nervous and excited to sleep. I grabbed a cab, and rolled into the Baha’i Hotel Conference Center, right away I recognized some of my SITS girlfriends from Twitter. I listened attentively to Mama Mary Show talk about vlogging, Denae Powers explode about writing and content, and Jessica Bern chatted my ear off about a TV show concept she was toying around with about bloggers (pretty sure she had me laughing the whole time). From the moment the conference started, and Tiffany Romero casually walked across the room talking to us as she approached the podium, like we were all hanging out in her living room, I knew I was in the right place. My train was back on the tracks. I was filled with inspiration in every limb of my extremely fatigued body. I left re-inspired, confident and curious for where this new venture of blogging and social media was going to lead me. I couldn’t wait to get started!
If I had started out at any other social media/blogging conference that year, I’m not sure I would have stuck with it. I’ve been to larger ones since, and they are great, don’t get me wrong. But there is something to be said about the intimate, close, touch-able environment the SITS Girls and the Bloggy Boot Camps provide. It gives many the chance to shine, and others the chance to learn. Making friends is a bonus. Being CEO of your own life is priceless.
Whether you are just getting started, thinking about getting started or have been rocking the social media and blogging world for years, you should check out the SITS Bloggy Boot Camp Las Vegas in October. Tickets are on sale now, and as you just read, they go fast!
Shout out to my girlfriend, Red Lotus Mama, for introducing me to a rocking social media scene…I wouldn’t have had it any other way!
