Design Bloggers Conference 2014–Lessons Learned and the good times!

Sorry…I couldn’t drag myself to the computer yesterday as promised but I didn’t forget about filling you in on the Design Bloggers Conference I attended last week.  (sorry in advance for the blurry photos).

 First let me say that I am so glad I invested in attending this conference and after spending some time reflecting my 3 days of learning and networking, I can honestly say that I’m going to be a better business owner, person AND blogger because of the conference.

The Design Bloggers Conference takes once a year ( the last couple of years in LA) and is geared towards design bloggers and interior designers in particular. Adam Japko, the president and founder of Digital Sherpa is the mastermind behind the conference and brings together a stellar line-up of design and blogging talent for the event.  Speakers like Jennifer Boles, Candice Olson, Jeffery Alan Marks, Timothy Corrigan, Tobi Fairley, Susanna Salk, Suzanne Kasler and Paloma Contreras shared their design philosophy as well as great business and blog advice.

The conference took place at the beautiful Grand Hyatt in Buckhead and the presentation stage was designed by Curry and Company, with the perfect mix of textiles, color and style fit for a room full of designers and design bloggers.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the conference was watching the live twitter feed that appeared on a large screen above the stage.  If you are a blogger and don’t use Twitter, I’m here to tell you you’re missing out.

Twitter is a great way to connect with other bloggers, designers, people in any field of business. and your blog readers.  Here is one of my tweets on the big screen. I was a tweeting machine!

Hearing some of the best designers in the world talk about the business was such an opportunity.  Candice Olson, one of my design idols was so engaging and down to earth.  The before and after photos she showed had the entire room gasping in awe.

One of the other benefits of the conference was the networking opportunity with fellow bloggers.  I so enjoyed hearing from Paloma Contreras and spending a few minutes with her one-on-one and getting great advice about the business of blogging.

I also got to get up close and personal with the adorable Jeffery Alan Marks.  Here we are having a deep conversation about life.  Not really.  I was telling him what an inspiration he is and getting my book signed.

I met so many amazing people and brands during the event and made some new friends.

Here’s one of my new buddies and fellow Atlantan, Marsha who writes the blog House Happy and owns Marsha B. Interiors.  We hit it off instantly and will definitely stay in touch and get together often from now on.

More friends, new and old…Elle Gibson of Splendid Habitat, one of my longtime bff’s Robyne, and designer Sheryl Brown-Hayes.

And if you thought the conference was all business, think again.  We had the opportunity to hear the inspiring story of how Jeremy Parzen developed and grew his food and wine blog, DoBianchi into a strong business and were treated to an impromptu wine tasting.

There were so many takeaways from the conference but here my top 10 moments of inspiration!

1.  To be successful at blogging you must establish YOUR VOICE and YOUR BRAND.  The two go hand in hand and will help you carve out a niche in the blog world.

2.  Position yourself as a SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT.  Blog about what you love and be consistent with the content being shared with your readers.  Share your expertise and educate your readers which will help develop a loyal following for your blog and brand.

3.  You must define your BRAND ESSENCE in two words.  Define what your brand represents and stay true to the identity of your brand.

4.  You must have an ELEVATOR PITCH for your brand.  You need to be able to explain your brand/business/blog in a short and concise statement. This applies to any business if you ask me.

5.  Blogging Takes Time!  You must COMMIT TO YOUR BLOG if you want it to be successful and you must invest the time needed to make your blog successful. Treat your blog professionally.

6.  Your blog stats don’t have to dictate your success–work towards quality readers over quantity readers and you can still be successful.

7.  MAINTAIN FOCUS–Stay true to your what you brand represents and don’t try to be all things to all people.

8.  Instagram and Pinterest may have cut into the power of blogs so you need to find a way to use those vehicles to your benefit.  Just like you blog, develop a brand essence for your social media platforms.

9.  IF YOU’RE NOT PASSIONATE ABOUT BLOGGING YOU WON’T FIND SUCCESS!

10.  Meeting someone on-line is just as important as meeting someone in person.  Reach out and CONNECT WITH PEOPLE to grow your network, make connections and build your brand.

I highly recommend the Design Bloggers Conference for anyone in the interior design industry or that blogs about design.  You will walk away with so much powerful inspiration, advise and action points that you’ll feel like this…

And great news, the Design Bloggers Conference will take again in Atlanta in 2015 and you can already register here!

I’ll be there and I hope you’ll come join the fun.

Have a great weekend.  I’ll be back on Monday with a full week of design tips and inspiration.