SNAP Conference 2014 Recap

 

 

I attended the SNAP conference in Salt Lake City, Utah last week and there are many words that I can think of to describe it, but the one that stands out is INSPIRING.  I was a little nervous about attending a conference geared toward crafters and DIYer’s.  I can be crafty, but have little patience for many DIY projects. You can read about “Why I’m not a DIY Diva” and for some reason the comments are turned off which is “Why I’m not a WordPress Diva” as well.

The ladies that run SNAP are AMAZING.  I was able to meet many bloggers that I follow/stalk and some new blogger friends. I’ll be sharing a little bit about them over the next few months and their blogs.  There were so many serendipitous moments I could tell you about, but they wouldn’t resonate with you the same way they did with me.  Instead I’ve decided to share what was inspiring because you don’t have to be a blogger, crafter or DIY’er to understand the messages, they apply to everyone.

 

 

I felt a sense of community the minute I checked into the conference.  I dropped my business card into a bowl with some mind-blowing other cards and even though I didn’t win any awards I never felt less than.  The message was “Be You”.  There was an incredible wooden map of the United States where everyone could pin their business cards so you could see what other bloggers in your area were attending.

There were some phenomenal speakers at SNAP and they were all inspiring.  Rachael Herrscher from Today’s Mama talked about how everyone’s journey is different.  She gave examples of how there have been many twists and turns in her life and sometimes things don’t always work out as planned.  I loved her advice about being a racehorse.  Wear your blinders and focus on your goals. Don’t worry about what other people are doing.  It’s good to be inspired by others, but focus on your own unique path and don’t feel like you need to follow the crowd.

 

Cathy, Noelle and Me

Olympian Skeleton Racer Noelle Picus-Pace spoke to us about her journey and its ups and downs.  She was hit by a bobsleigh in 2005, thrown several feet in the air and woke up on an operating table while a steel rod was being placed in her leg.  She was told she wouldn’t be able to run, train, etc until certain time frames and exceeded all expectationsl.  She came back from retirement in this year’s Olympics and won a silver medal in Skeleton Racing. Her story is one of perseverance, strength and courage.  I loved a quote she shared, “Where you look is where you go.”   It’s a lesson she’s learned in life and one that I need to be reminded of often.

 

source PS I Made This on Instagram

Erica Domesek, the stylishly crafty maven behind the P.S.- I made this… brand also spoke to our group.  She stressed the importance of being consistent when you are building a brand.  There are so many different social media outlets available and it’s important to stay true to yourself across them all.  She is an inspiring example of someone who truly loves what she does and is able to make a living doing it.   She also has a very fun personality as you can tell from the photo above.

 

 

Last but not least, I was introduced to British born singer, Alex Boyé.   Alex shares his ethnic sound with some of the hottest hits of today like my personal favorite “Happy” as well as many others including “Let It Go,” “Royals,” and “Paradise.”  You can find his videos on You Tube.  Imagine over 500 hundred women in a hotel banquet room dancing with him and snapping photos.  Check out #snapconf on Instagram for tons of photos of the conference events.

 

 

I learned more about why we use hashtags and even had a few laughs over the crazy hashtags people will dream up.  I learned about the power of Pinterest and some tips on understanding how Google Plus operates, but overall I learned the power of community. I also learned I need an assistant, but so far my husband isn’t buying it.  I made a lot of connections with other bloggers as well as brands and sponsors. They were very generous and I hope to work with many of them in the future. We all received gold necklaces  from the fabulous ladies at Charmed Collections with a gold paper airplane and a charm with the word forward stamped on it.

That my friends and followers is what I plan to do.  Move forward like a racehorse and just BE ME.  I hope you’ll  join me on my journey!

Linking to: Show and Tell Wednesday