First things first, could I have put “blog” into the title of this post any more? I challenge the to try! Moving on…
Getting to hear fitness phenoms like Diana Nyad and Jillian Michaels speak at IDEA World BlogFest was certainly a highlight, but my favorite part of the long weekend was being surrounded by other health and fitness bloggers (get pumped to discover a LOT of new blogs in this post!).
It’s pretty incredible to get in a room with a hundred plus people and know that you all share the same passion. Every single blogger I met, well known or not, inspired me in a different way, so I want to extend a HUGE thank you to ALL of my fellow bloggers, SweatPink sisters, and the FitApproach ladies for making BlogFest so special.
original image from FitApproach
A few big-name bloggers that I admire led presentations, chats, and panels throughout the weekend. Laura Lynn Klein from Organic Authority talked about meal prepping and how to blog about it. I took away some super helpful hints of prep and food photography, and I’m excited to put those tricks to the test!
Whitney English from To Live & Diet in LA joined a panel with PR guru Tracy Hollywood and Fitfluential CEO Kelly Olexa to chat about working with brands. I’m definitely going to take a lot of their advice and apply it to all the product reviews and giveaways you see on this here bloggity blog. Above all else, they emphasized that relationships are everything, and I couldn’t agree more! I’m so grateful to the brands that I’ve developed wonderful relationships with so far, like BuluBox, Energybits, doTERRA, Vega, and Quest. All of these companies are wonderful, and I’ll never hesitate to try a product from them. The best part is that when I benefit from these brands, so do you! Check out my Brand Partnerships/Discounts page to see how you can benefit from all these great brands!
Have any of my fellow bloggers out there heard of Rita Barry. That’s right. The Blog Genie! I get her newsletter updates and have used some of her advice to craft Fitful Focus, so I was excited when she came to talk to us about Blog Design Tips & Tricks! One of my favorite things she talked about was finding your blog voice. She asked us, “How do you want your readers to feel when they come to your blog?” Out of the 8 categories she shared (Discovery, Revolution, Enjoyment, Achievement, Nuturing, Influencer, Authority, Belonging), I chose three.
When you all stop by Fitful Focus, I’d love for you to:
- feel enjoyment through posts that make you laugh, get excited, and ignite you passion for healthy living
- have a sense of achievement (I want to help you feel determined and powerful with recipes, workouts, tips & tricks)
- feel like you belong here (I want this to be a friendly, unpretencious space).
I hope you take away those things when you stop by! And if you’re looking for some tips on this subject, check out all the resources Rita shared with us here!
Next up, Casey Ho from Blogilates led a presentation on how to turn your blog into a money making brand. I would LOVE for this blog to eventually turn into a full time gig, so I took A LOT of notes. It will take a lot of time to turn all those notes into actions, but I’m excited to get started! On a side note, Casey Ho is stunning. Look at that dress! Love! #girlcrush
Later on, we got the lowdown on the legalities of blogging from Ashley Long, financing from Jessica Mishra (Beaming with Health), and how to create your media kit and pitch brands from Katy Widrick. I’ve been following Katy for a while now, so I was excited to meet her and hear from her first hand!
Towards the end of the last day, there was a great Bloggers Tell All Panel with Julie from Peanut Butter Fingers (love her and got so excited when she told me she liked my sweatshirt!), Gina from Finessista, and Monica from Run Eat Repeat! They mentioned a ton of blogger resources, plugins, and sites that I’m excited to look into, but here are their number one tips:
Monica: Be yourself! Tune out the should and just do you and have fun.
Julie: Ask for what you want and remember that some else’s success is not your failure.
Gina: Persistence is key. Keep on trying!
The BlogFest presentations closed with a lighting round from some amazing SweatPink ladies. Check out these awesome chicks:
Jessica Smith from Jessness Required
Terressa Dotson from Achieving Fit
Kristin Harbulak from Exploring Domesticity
Debbie Williamson from Wild Abundant Life (her presentation was beyond inspiring!)
Michelle Carlson
Amalia Biro from Live, Travel, Eat, and Run
Kasey Arena from PowerCakes
Last but certainly not least, I have to share the NUMBER 1 thing I learned from the other bloggers at BlogFest. That is: if someone appears sweet, amazing, empowering, and inspirational on their blog, they will be even more sweet, amazing, empowering, and inspiration in real life! I was so excited to meet some of the bloggers I read, interact with, and link up with on a weekly basis, like Tiffany from Running Hutch, Mar from Mar on the Run and Jill from Jill Conyers, and they didn’t disappoint.
Also, when you’re surrounded by so many awesome ladies, you’re bound to make new friends! Shout outs to Sarah from Sweet Blonde’s Fit Life, Katie from Skinny Minnie Moves, and my roomies Angela from Runner in Denial, and Gabrielle from Fit Farm Wife! Wonderful wonderful wonderful women! All of you! All around!
Left: me with Skinny Minnie Moves & Sweet Blonde’s Fit Life, Top Right: me with the roomies, Runner In Denial & Fit Farm Wife, Bottom Right: me with Mar on the Run
Thank you all again for making BlogFest so amazing!
Check out this collection of blogging tips & tricks straight from the blogging greats!
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Let’s chat:
What bloggers inspire you?
If you were at BlogFest, which chat did you enjoy the most.
If you weren’t at BlogFest, which chat would you have been the most interested in?
How am I doing with making you feel enjoyment, achievement, and belonging?
Also, if any of you would like to more of my detailed notes from a specific talk/panel, shoot me a note and I’ll send them your way!
