HELLO GORGEOUS. IS IT TIME TO REDEFINE WHAT LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST MEANS?

10 Things I did “Wrong” at BlogHer

My first BlogHer is over, and I may have just ruined my reputation forever. 1. I didn’t take enough photos. Especially lacking the photos of me posing with celebrities and on the red carpet. (I did pose with the darling Paula Deen and there might be one photo with Carson Kressley too). 2. I gave out less than 50 business cards. I gave cards only for those people who asked for one, and frankly, that wasn’t too many. I think I was just busy hanging out with people I already know, but I might be wrong. I figured that if people really want to know me, they will find me and ask my card without me promoting myself too much. 3. I didn’t attend many sessions. I had meetings with people I have worked with before and will start working in new projects. I had amazing conversations over lunches, and on the hallways of Sheraton with bloggers I respect and have been wanting to meet for a long time. I hung out with people I love. 4. I didn’t hand out swag. Apparently those who gave out fab swag are the real queens of BlogHer. But dear Lord shield those people whose swag bags were less than fabulous and had too little products, the negative PR will haunt them for the rest of the month (or year). So at least I am saved from not being slaughtered because my swag bags weren’t as fab as someone else’s or I ran out of them. Sorry if I disappointed anyone for not giving you free stuff. Somehow I was hoping you’d like me for.. um, me. Silly me. 5. I didn’t bring (or buy!) an extra bag to carry my swag home. So I gave away everything I could not carry home with my two hands. 6. I said no to meeting celebrities and having meetings with PR people that I hadn’t met before. But come on – I got to hang out with people like Naomi, Steph, Erika, Renee, Mrs. Flinger and so many other amazing women, who totally kick booty. 7. I talked and hugged way too much and way too many people. I totally ruined the opportunity to ever be seen as “somebody” by taking the mystery away, and showing what a hugging-babbling-weird-foreigner-dork I am. Dammit, at least I could have pretended I was something else. 8. I didn’t drink enough free booze and was never drunk. I’m a Finn for Pete’s sake, what’s wrong with me?? 9. I didn’t attend every party I was invited to, and didn’t thank all of the hostesses of the parties that I attended to. Sorry, there was just too much, and I can only be in one place at once. By next year I will promise to check into cloning myself. 10. I cried when I met some amazing women with warm hearts, like Amy and Stefanie. And even more embarrassingly in the front of John Andrews of Collective Bias, when thanking him for doing something very nice for some bloggers, who deserved a change to show what they can do (and stupid me, I wasn’t even talking about myself, really John, I’m thankful for the opportunities you have given for me too). UPDATE: 11. I didn’t tweet, whirrl, livestream, nor share my BlogHer experience in real time at facebook nor here. Thanks for Daria for reminding. I love social media platforms, but I liked to be in the moment, not tweet the moment. Despited the realization that I suck at self-promotion (while at the same time I try to promote myself as a PR consultant), I loved being at BlogHer. Oh well, better luck next year. Maybe I need to take Pimpology 101 before attending any more conferences.
  1. You are too cute for words! I love your list–I was the same way at BlogHer.

    OH except I gave away cookies with a sticker on them to enter a contest to win a Flip and a Peek and NO ONE entered the contest!! :/ Guess they ate the cookie and tossed the sticker! lol
    .-= Clarissa Nassar´s last blog ..MomTV Spotlight on ME! =-.

  2. Thanks for pointing me here yesterday! I don’t think you did a *thing* wrong!! :) Sounds like a fabulous time to me. Can’t wait to meet you at Type-A Mom. It’ll be my first ever blog conference!!

  3. Katja,

    we didn’t exchange cards, but i’m so happy i had a chance to meet you (though brief). i agree that personal conversations and connections are more important than pieces of paper with contact information. we live in the digital age where it’s too easy to track down those contacts anyway.

    i believe that your abstaining from excessive self-promotion is what makes you authentic, likable and credible.

    i too did not exchange cards with enough people and wonder if i networked enough. but then i think about the honest, sincere conversations i did have and wouldn’t trade those for more emails.
    .-= pedalprincess (Sarah Jo)´s last blog ..Digital Agencies Could Have a Future in Car Design =-.

  4. What a fun and true list. I too did not go to many sessions…which surprised me. I had a great time, met a lot of people and had all kinds of fun. I must have asked you for your business card because I have one of those cute little ones! I also met you at Blissdom when you spoke at one of the sessions I was in.
    Thanks!
    .-= Sandy´s last blog ..A Big BlogHer Thank You! =-.

  5. I didn’t take enough pictures either. There are so many things I want to blog about and realize that I don’t have an accompanying photo – whoops!

    I didn’t have to worry about not going to all of the parties I was invited to or meeting with PR reps because I wasn’t invited or contacted. I’m going to be honest and say that I was a little disappointed. Not because of some uber fancy party or its swag suite (the one I wanted to meet with had neither. Just finger food and a few drinks) but because there were a few brands that weren’t major sponsors that I wanted to talk to in person to thank them for their customer service as me the consumer not me the blogger/media outlet. Fortunately I found them through Twitter and was able to have a chat. Actually, the fact that I wasn’t invited to party with the big leagues reinforced that I wasn’t promoting my blog very effectively and to attend those sessions and talk to fellow bloggers about what they do and how they do it. I met a lot of great people that way, including you! Isn’t that what it’s supposed to be all about?
    .-= Condo Blues´s last blog ..Why I Went to BlogHer ’09 =-.

  6. (#3.) Sorry I didn’t get to see more of you, and excited you had so many meetings, I do know that a lot of gals were so happy to get a chance to meet you in person.and some were sorry they didn’t get the chance this time….it’s not about how many business cards you had out it’s about the real connections you make, and your personal and engaged when you meet people so have no worries about that…hope we do get a chance to catch up soon..and again thanks for all your help this year…
    .-= Beth Rosen´s last blog ..Blogher has left the building..what are you left with..add your top 10 =-.

  7. Katja, I love # 5!! My husband attended an Oracle conference in the bay area a few years back and kept looping around to the table that was giving out little fleece blankets, so by then end of each day he had 4 or 5 and would purposfully walk through the parks and by the bus stops on the way back to his lodging in order to hand them out to some of the homeless people! It was really cool and I was SO proud of him!

  8. Katja, you were by far the most genuine and kindest person there, and I’m so happy that I got to meet you. You made even the smallest blogger (uh, me!) feel welcomed and important. You did it all right, girl!
    .-= Kathleen ´s last blog ..BlogHer Recap =-.

  9. Katja you are AWESOME!

    I was a little taken back by the swag factor at BlogHer…LOVED getting free stuff…but the mad dash and being stomped on at 7mo preggo was not for me. I LOVED meeting people and hanging out…I think you did everything right.

    You are fabulous. We only got to meet for a few minutes a few times…but I just had my opinion of you reinforced.
    .-= SuperJenn´s last blog ..Random Tuesday Thoughts =-.

  10. @CanCan – I actually think I gave you my card – because I have yours (which looks awesome by the way).

    And yes people, I am so excited that next year BlogHer will be in NYC, and hey, who knows, maybe I will host a party with the baddest swag of all times… or not.

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