That’s What She Said event in SF

There was an event called “That’s What She Said.” And I attended it.

Last night, I joined about a hundred women bloggers, social media marketing companies and a couple of brands at the Ligne Roset San Francisco showroom in the South of Market neighborhood.

I showed up via a very slow Uber ride, straight from the gym. I had just taught an evening BODYPUMP class, so had to do a quick freshening up in the gym bathroom beforehand. My preparations included putting on a little makeup, adding some hoop earrings and attending the event in “sweaty chic” attire.

That’s What She Said blogging event

The purpose of these types of events is to start in-person conversations that can continue online after the fact. It’s important for bloggers to share blogging best practices amongst each other and for companies who provide social media marketing assistance to show bloggers how they can support their efforts. The event was sponsored by Viglink, She is Media and Trymbl, so all of those companies had booths set up with company reps present to answer questions.

Here is the entrance to the showroom.

The event started with time reserved for networking, in which people lounged on the designer furniture.

When I first arrived, I did a loop before committing to a location.

I came across a lovely young woman, who was displaying her new fashion line, Live Love Moda. I loved all of the pieces and would have purchased something if I had any space at all in my little city closet.

There was complimentary wine, beer, champagne, nibblies and even a crepe station, which kept the entire showroom smelling delightfully sweet and appetizing throughout the event.

Since I was on a post-workout high, I abstained from ordering a crepe. However, I did sip on a glass of sauvignon blanc as I clumsily moved around the swank showroom wearing my backpack.

Networking and a near disaster

I talked to a couple of fellow bloggers and company representatives during the networking, trying to introduce myself as I could.

True story: As I was chatting with a blogger, I went to lean on a wall in the middle of the showroom, and apparently it wasn’t a real wall. I wobbled as the wall rocked a bit, quickly regaining my balance and making sure everything was good.

So yes, I showed up in gym clothes and almost caused a scene by wrecking the nice display. Guess I was not exactly portraying a “Lady” presence at that moment …

This was my second blogging event since I’ve been working on A Lady Goes West. My first was the iFabbo Social Media Conference back in October, when I met the glamorous Victoria who writes Witty Fashionista. She is always dressed fabulously and looks like she belongs on the pages of a high-fashion magazine. Victoria is the person who told me about this event a couple of weeks ago when we met for coffee. Here we are last night …

What happens at a blog event

After the initial networking portion, the panel discussion took place in the center of the showroom. It was a little less than an hour and included a question-and-answer session led by a moderator. Unfortunately, the layout of the room encouraged offline conversations on each side of the staging area, so it was a little loud. I would have preferred if everyone had a chance to sit down and listen in, so there might not have been so many background distractions.

The panelists included:

• Erin Hiemstra of Apartment 34
• Joel Comm of Joel Comm
• Melissa Sanchez of Savvy in San Francisco (who I was able to chat with and she is lovely!)
• Jennine Jacob of The Coveted

Expert advice from the panelists

When asked for one piece of advice they could give new bloggers, here’s what the panelists said:

• Decide what you want out of your blog upfront. Set goals for your site. If it’s for fun, have fun. If it’s for business, make it a business. – Erin
• As a content creator, your blog is an extension of you. Treat it as your book. You have the authority over it. – Joel
• Go balls to the wall. Put it all out there on your blog. – Jennine
• Don’t worry about what other people are doing. Write what you’re passionate about. – Melissa

The bloggers on the panel encouraged everyone in attendance to build a community online among other bloggers by commenting on other blogs. They also suggested attending networking events, and of course, putting yourself out there.

After the panel, the organizers gave away a few gift bags, but I was not a winner.

Takeaways from That’s What She Said

When asked what their biggest mistake was, Erin’s answer was something that really rang true to me. She said:

• My biggest mistake was treating my blog like a hobby for too long when I had a full-time job. I should have realized the potential early on.

So true. I’ve had A Lady Goes West for a year-and-a-half, since a week or so before I moved to California. Since that time, I’ve blogged here and there for fun, recapping adventures, but now I’m spending more time with it, and I’m getting more out of it.

All in all, it was definitely worth the trip after class to meet a few fellow bloggers and get inspired to write, write, write. Stay tuned for more updates on me and my blog very soon …

Question of the day

Is there something you are passionate about that you want to spend more time doing? If so, please share.