Everyone warned the newbies that this conference would be exhausting. They were right. Honestly, it probably wouldn’t be as bad if I didn’t bring Wynston. Since he’s struggling with the crowds and overstimulation, I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about him and making sure he’s comfortable. I do think that this has been a good experience for him though. Next year since the BlogPaws conference is in Phoenix, AZ, I’ll be able to bring his stroller or leave him home for a day to rest. I’m glad I work from home so when I get back to Arizona on Sunday, I can sleep for a week straight!
Today was fantastic. I left Wynston in the hotel room with Kama this morning so he could sleep while I went to breakfast. I ate with some of my friends, then headed up to retrieve Wynston for the keynote speaker presentation. The speaker this morning was Peter Shankman and he. was. brilliant. I laughed the entire time, but he was so inspirational and had such an encouraging message. The best advice he gave was “be 2% above the crap.” So amazing.
When the speech was over, I went to the room with Wynston so he could rest a bit, then I headed to my first workshop at 11am. It was an advanced session put on by Kathleen Gage called “Your message, your mission, your movement.” She was also brilliant. Kathleen is a expert in online marketing and I learned a lot from her. She really made me look at marketing in a different light. I would love to see Kathleen speak again and I plan to read her book.
Lunch directly followed and I had the honor of being approached by Carol Bryant of Fidose of Reality so we could eat lunch together! What I love about Carol is although she’s the ultimate blogging goddess, she’s so down to earth and above all, she cares about her dog Dexter more than anything. It’s no wonder so many people love her! I’m thrilled that we spent some one on one time together.
I had a video interview with Natural Balance after lunch. They interviewed me about Wynston and our bond. It was really fun to get to know some of the PR faces behind the Natural Balance brand. I’m looking forward to seeing how the video turned out! The PR manager will be getting in touch with me about the video and some potential opportunity to partner with the company!
I went to Carol Bryant and Larry Kay’s presentation after my interview. Carol spoke about Twitter and Instagram tips and tricks, while Larry focused on Facebook. I learned the most about Instagram and I definitely need to work on growing that account. Be sure to follow us on Instagram in the meantime!
Tonight I decided to stay in the hotel room with Wynston. I could sense how tired he was today and when we were walking outside, he stopped and sat on the sidewalk. That was it for me. I carried him back to the hotel and we ordered room service. He slept for a while, we played for a bit and he ate dinner. It seems like he’s feeling much better.
Tomorrow is a big day so Wynston and I need to get a lot of rest tonight! We have two advanced sessions to attend, a VIP luncheon sponsored by PetSafe and of course, the red carpet Nose-to-Nose awards and ceremony. I’m up for Best New Pet Blog, so fingers crossed! I’m excited to dress up and get fancy with my son!
If you’re interested in watching the closing ceremony tomorrow (and possibly see me win an award) tune in to the BlogPaws livestream! It’s hosted on their YouTube channel.
Saturday’s Nose-to-Nose Pet Blogging and Social Media Awards, 05/30
Livestream begins at approximately 7:00pm CST following the seated dinner, and wraps up with closing remarks.
E Edwards says
That sounds like an amazing experience! Here’s wishing you best of luck at the awards tomorrow! Thanks for sharing the YouTube link, I will definitely check it out. Hope you and Winston have a restful night!
E Edwards says
Sorry, I’m obviously tired – spelled Wynston wrong!
Amanda says
No problem 😉
Amanda says
Thank you so much! I hope you get to watch it and you enjoy!
Carol Bryant says
Thanks for the shout out and so glad you attended – great recap!
Amanda says
Well of course! So happy I made it happen for us this year. It was a great first year to go, especially with my nomination honor 🙂