Chasing Joy

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Conferences Conferences: Blogging While Brown Recap

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Blogging While Brown Recap

Conferences Conferences and more Conferences, that’s what blogging is all about. Ok. Not really but conferences do make it even cooler.  Here is my Blogging While Brown recap.

When I first started this blog I was not happy and I was bored. While happiness and joy is something I have to decide on and chase/embrace daily the boredom has completely gone away. When I have down time I am all about Chasing Joy, writing blog post, hosting twitter chats, and connecting with people on twitter and Facebook, so, no time to be bored. Actually no time to get to the pile of laundry eternally on my floor but that is for another post.

 

Conferences. The conferences are what bring it all together for me. I love getting to meet people who actually understand how awesome it is to be a blogger. It is amazing to meet someone in person who you have only tweeted and or Facebooked with. It is wonderful to sit in a room with like-minded people and have them share all the secrets to their blogging success while I scribble it illegibly in my notebook and take pictures of their power point slides.

Conferences make it real! Conferences remind you that there is indeed another person on the receiving end of your blog post, tweet, pin, or status update. Conferences make blogging cool. I highly recommend if you have a blog to Google blog conferences right now and find one to go to. But for those of you who cannot do that you have me. So book mark this post and my other posts about blog conferences because right now I’m about to break down all the awesome info I absorbed at Blogging While Brown 2012.  Here is my Blogging While Brown recap.

This was my first year (won’t be my last) attending this conference. It was a blessing that this was also the first year where there was a full day devoted to the business side of blogging. This 1st day included a segment on going form blog to book. Tips included:

  • Consider your book a part of your overall brand.
  • Decide what you want people to get out of your book and focus on that.
  • If you are pulling from blog posts for your book find your common theme that fits the book and pull from only those posts.
  • Show publishers that you have a sizable Facebook and twitter following. While there is no rule of thumb regarding the number (1,000) is a good one.
  • Show that you have a plan for marketing your book. The publisher will not do much of that for you. Be ready to hustle!
  • Be able to explain to a publisher why people will pay for content they can get for free online via your blog.
  • A detailed book proposal with as much info as possible is better than just a pitch. Include
    • Info on competitive tittles of similar books that have done well to show there is an audience for your topic.
    • Your marketing plan.
    • Your bio.
    • Sample Chapters
  • You do not have to have an agent to connect to publishers and editors. Use the Internet.
    • Google
    • Twitter
    • Linked In
  •  An Agent can help you make connections with some  publishing companies
  •  An Agent or a Contract Lawyer (well versed in the book world) should be involved when it is time to negotiate your deal
  • A resource mentioned that I plan to check out is “How to write a Book Proposal” by Mike Larsen
  • Most importantly don’t get discouraged if you are initially rejected
  • Even more important than not getting discouraged is JUST START. If you have a book inside, let it out. Make time to write. (this is a note to self)

I’ll stop here as this post is starting to get long.  I will continue with my Blogging While Brown recap in a few days.

In the mean time, tell me have you written or desired to write a book?  If not a book have you or do you desire to produce some other form of expression like music, art work, or photography? If so is there more Joy in the creation or the finished product?

Happy Birthday Chasing Joy: 5 Things I’ve Learned In 5 Years Of Blogging

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Chasing Joy, It’s Your Birthday! Chasing Joy, It’s Your Birthday!

That’s right this blog has had a birthday aka a blogaversary!  On January 31st 2009, 5 years ago I hit publish on my very 1st blog post.  I really cannot believe how quickly time has passed.  I cannot believe how different I feel.  I was so unbelievable sad.  After losing my dad a few months earlier I had just broken up with the man I thought I would marry.  I was so heartbroken and depressed I had to convince myself to get out of bed each day.  Today I have sad moments of course but other than feeling sleepy from getting up early for work I awake feeling good about facing the day.  I started writing about happiness and joy in hope that I’d start to feel that way again.  It worked!

Over these last 5 years I have had some great experiences like hosting the Chasing Joy Brunch & Learn, supporting charities through the Joy of Giving, and attending Blog Conferences.  But that is not what I am writing about today.  Today, for this Birthday/Blogaversary post I want to talk about 5 things that I have learned writing Chasing Joy these last 5 years.

  1. I can stick with something.  I do not really think of myself as a quitter, however when I look back over my life there are many unfinished projects and goals not accomplished.  I have joked with friends who like to knit or crochet that I have never completed a project.  Before starting this blog I’d attempted to write about 4 different books. Sticking with this blog for 5 years gives me confidence that I can stick with things.  When something is both my priority and fulfills my purpose I won’t walk away.  This can be an aspect of my character that I can be proud of.  Now there have definitely been moments when I did not feel like staying up late writing a post or when I was not updating the blog as often as i should.  I remember in the early days of the blog, after a few weeks with no new post getting a text from my cousin that said what’s up with your blog.  That text plus learning about the importance of posting on schedule at Blogalicious got me back on track.  I don’t think there has been a week since when there was not new content on Chasing Joy every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
  2. Others can benefit from my challenges/ short comings.  Over the last few years I have written a few blog posts that revealed my vulnerable side.  These are the blog posts that I second guest before hitting publish.  Is this to much information? What will the people who know me in real life think? These posts where I admit (news flash) that I am not perfect without a doubt end up being the blog posts that hit home with someone who was feeling the same way or going through a similar experience.  Several times over the years I have received a comment, email, or even had someone tell me in person how much my post spoke to them or how it helped them feel better about their situations.  This feedback has kept me going. My blog is not huge, and the funny thing is it is just when I feel like I’m talking to myself that I get this type of feedback.  
  3. One person can make a difference.  I am a pretty generous person.  I like to give gifts.  I donate to charity through work. One thing that I have noticed when it comes to being generous or charitable is that most people are both of those things when you make it easy.  Through Chasing Joy I have had a platform that has made it pretty easy for people to give.  With some effort from me I have hosted, and participated in several charity events. Chasing joy events provided clothes to women transition from welfare to work and household items to people battling cancer.   One blogger facilitated the charity of many who’s generosity touched many more.  One person can make a difference.  
  4. When you follow your own path others may feel threatened by your independence.  Now since this blog is Chasing Joy I try to not go to negative with my posts.  However, I have joked with friends that I guess I’m a real blogger now since I have experienced cliques and haters.  I’ve never been a follower.  Internally I struggle with authority and am instantly turned off by being told I must do or have to do anything.  Well there are lots of very successful bloggers and groups in the blogaspher and any smart blogger will learn from them, benchmark and adapt certain strategies that are applicable.  Any smart blogger will also determine what will not work for them and their blog.  Well in the process of learning, adopting some strategies, and doing other things my way I got some really negative feedback on how I should be doing things a certain way, specifically their way.  I was even told  that my blog would fail. Well, here we are celebrating 5 years of Chasing Joy. I am not saying that my way is always the right way.  But I do know that following my own path leaves me fulfilled and their is no failure in that. 
  5. People love free stuff.  Now of course I knew this prior to blogging.  But blogging has definitely reinforced this fact.  I have one giveaways form other bloggers before and it is exciting.  For that reason and in honor of Chasing Joy’s 5th birthday I have some free stuff for you.  OK, not all of you.  Two of you will win a $15 Starbucks’ gift card.  But all of you can enter the giveaway.  Start out by leaving a Chasing Joy Birthday shout out in the comments below.  Then fill out the rest of the entries using the Rafflecopter form below.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

4 Tips On How To Do Things You Are Afraid To Do

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If you were to ask me if I were brave my initial reaction would be to say no.  I hate flying.  I avoid confrontation.  New things give me lots of anxiety.  I don’t like to be the center of attention. I am not fond of public speaking.  I hate being embarrassed or laughed at.  However, despite all of the above I have managed to do some things that required me to be brave.  I have been scared but pressed forward anyway.  I have done it afraid.  

Fear is a good emotion.  It keeps us safe and discourages us from taking unnecessary risks.  The problem occurs when fear keeps us from doing things that we want to do or from doing things that are necessary, or beneficial.  In these cases you have to be afraid and do it anyway.  You have to do it afraid.
Here are 4 tips on how to do things you are afraid to do:
  1. Be prepared.  When I took ballet classes as an adult I was terrified that I’d make a fool of myself.  When was the last time you saw a 200lb ballerina???  I was afraid the instructor and other students would make fun of me.  But ballet was something I always wanted to try.  I prepared for the class by following the instructions in the course guide.  I purchased real ballet slippers from the dance shop. The “one size fits all” dance tights did not fit me so I used my own tights. These were not dancing tights but the tights I wear in the fall with skirts and boots.  I was scared when I showed up for class.  But regardless of how nervous I was or how much I did not look like a traditional ballerina, I did look ready. Being prepared showed the instructor and other students that I was serious.  Being prepared gave me more confidence.
  2. Keep it simple.  I hate public speaking.  I don’t like being on stage or holding a microphone.  Yet I have spoken in public representing my blog.  I even host my own blog events where at a minimum I have to welcome people and introduce speakers.  Everytime I have to speak in public I have sweaty palms, forget things, and have lots and lots of anxiety.  I am able to do it anyway by keeping it simple.  I don’t refer to these engagements as public speaking.  I tell myself I am simply telling some people about my blog and why I write it.  No big deal.  
  3. Take small steps.  Sometimes I feel like my social life is lacking and the singles scene sucks.  Ok a lot of the time I feel that way.  I have talked with my mom a lot about going out by myself because: 1 sometimes people are not available and I should not have to stay home because they are busy and 2 often guys will be more inclined to approach a woman if she is not surrounded by friends. But  I don’t like going out alone.  I feel insecure and vulnerable sitting at the bar or table top alone. Yet I have managed to do it at least 3 times so far this year. What has made it doable is I take small steps.  I first went to a place I was familiar with.  I also made a deal with myself that I only had to have 1 drink and if I still didn’t feel comfortable I could go.  Knowing I was taking just a small step made it easier to try something that is scary.  
  4. Do it on your own terms. Since I started blogging I have been going to blog conferences.  Sometimes they are local but often they are out of town.  This involves traveling in unfamiliar places and lots of social and professional interaction with strangers.  Even though I have tons of fun at blog conferences and come home feeling fired up and ready to go, there is a fair amount of anxiety thrown in the mix.  One way to lessen the anxiety is to do things that make it easier for you. For me that means I have my own room.  A roommate would be cheaper and believe me these conferences do add up.  However having my own room means I have a place to retreat to when I need a break to decompress, to take in what I’ve learned, and to organize my thoughts. Having my own room gives me the down time I need to keep the anxiety from rising and ruining my good time.  That is how I do it on my own terms.
Fear is not always a bad thing but it is something we often have to overcome or work through.  Don’t wait until you are no longer afraid to pursue your goals, dreams, passions, or explore your options and talents.  Acknowledge you are afraid and then do it anyway.  
I’m sure there are many other ways to approach fearful situations.  What approach do you take when you are afraid but have to or  choose to do it anyway???

P.S. This entire blog post, like many others, is a reminder and a way of encouraging myself to keep pushing through my fears and expanding my comfort zone.  

The Joy of Women Getting Social, My SITS Day

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Me at Bloggy Boot Camp Philly 2012

Yay! Yay!  Today is my day, My SITS Day!!!

A lot of you bloggers will no what that means.  For those of you who don’t know, MY SITS Day means I am being featured on The SITS Girls site , Where Women Get Social.  The SITS Girls is a community of over 40,000 women bloggers networking and becoming better bloggers together.  The SITS girls share connections to brands, tremendous amounts of knowledge, and bring bloggers together in person for Bloggy Boot Camp.

So now you understand why I am so hype!!!  It’s my day!

If this is your very first time at Chasing Joy, welcome.  Let me tell you a little about myself.  I am single girl in her early thirties  (I think I can claim early thirties for at least another year).  I am not yet a mom but hope to be one, one day.  I work full time and blog as much as I can (whenever I’m awake and not at the day job).

I started blogging about 3 years ago after my dad passed away.  I was having a hard time emotionally and wanted to find my way back to being my normal happy self.  Around this same time two of my friends started the blogs Belly Aches & Belly Laughs and Big Diva Headquarters.  After reading there blogs I though I can do that.  I have always liked to write but could never find the right topic to stick with.  I figured the short essay format of blogging would be perfect.  All signs pointed to go when I thought to myself, maybe if I write about happiness I might find my way back to being happy.  Thus I started Chasing Joy, and it worked!

On Chasing Joy I write about my life and my pursuit of happiness.  This includes the ups and downs of dating, having better friendships, setting goals, and trying new things.  On the Chasing Joy Facebook Page and on twitter we set goals on Make it Happen Monday, Encourage each other on Way to Go Wednesday, and we practice and attitude of gratitude on Thankful Thursdays. So make sure you “like” me on Facebook and follow me @Chasing_Joy on twitter so you can join in the fun.  Every Friday on Chasing Joy we revisit our older blog posts on the #FlashbackFriday Link up!  I also make an effort to connect with you readers in person by attending conferences, hosting charity events, and bringing Joy minded people together for Lunch & Learns.

I really appreciate you stopping by on My Day!  I’m supper psyched about getting to know all of my new bloggy friends from SITS.  I hope you will visit often.  Here are a few of my most popular posts:

Any Questions: How do I get more FB “likes”?
Mental Health Monday: My Confession
What a Blog Conference Can Teach You: The Joy of Bloggy Boot Camp!!!
Unhappy Holidays: Chasing Joy with Green Eyes
Joyful Accents – Vlog

Let me know which ones you liked the best.

The Joy of the Press Pass!!!

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When I first started this blog I gave it the title Chasing Joy Or Maybe Just Running From Boredom.  I knew I needed more joy in my life but I also was thinking maybe boredom was my problem.  You know how they say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.  I thought I had too much time on my hands and was filling it with negative self talk, self pity, and depressing thoughts.  Well I’m happy to say boredom is definitely not the case.


Nervous before the party



Since starting Chasing Joy I have been amazed at the places it has taken me.  I have been invited to more and more events. Who knew all of these things were happening in and around my city. Did you know that right now in we are in the midst of Philly’s 17 Days of Fashion? 


On my way to the party.



Neither did I until I got invited to the Kickoff party by my bloggy buddy Your Chic is Showing.  I met Your Chic is Showing at Blogging While Brown.  See, you meet awesome people at blog conferences who then invite you to stuff 🙂  I really enjoy her fashion blog and Your Chic is Showing is one of the sponsors of The Joy of Giving, Chasing Joy Charity Event.  So I quickly accepted her invitation to the kick off party.





Me and Who is Urban Buttafly



Before the party I was really nervous.  If you are a frequent reader you know Chasing Joy is not a fashion blog.  While I occasionally touch on the fact that putting our best foot forward appearance wise can boost our confidence and thereby increase our joy, I do not give any real  fashion advice. I was hoping I’d pull together a look that was fashionable enough to fit in amongst this crowd.  I posted pictures on Facebook and my peeps ensured me that I was looking good.  On top of being worried about fitting in wardrobe wise I was more nervous when I discovered that the R&B singer Genuine would be at this event.  This indeed was an A List crowd and I was included.  Butterflies were fluttering at olympic record pace.
Me and the Lovely Ladies from
Bellanor Boutique and Short Curvy Fierce



All of my nerves were for naught.  The event was great.  I fit in and had people to talk to.  In addition to Your Chic is Showing (who was looking very chic)  other friends at the party included my model friend  Short Curvy Fierce and two other Joy of Giving Charity Event sponsors Who is Urban Buttafly, and Bellanor Boutique (make sure you show all of our sponsor’s some love and visit their sites). 
Me and the sketch artist Veronica
In addition to catching up with those girls I did meet a some new people.  There was a sketch artist (Veronica Marche) who was really cool!  She photographed me and then drew me in really good detail in about 10 minutes.  I loved the sketch!!!  I also chatted with the caterer, Chef Rashaun.  He had a really beautiful display out.  I did not eat much because I have yet to master the art of balancing my cocktail and my food while standing looking pretty in heels.  But what I did have was on point!!!
Chef Rashaun and his beautiful spread!
Another highlight of the event was when I arrived and got checked in I was given a press pass.  This was my first ever press pass.  Did you know bloggers were considered press?  Well now you know 🙂  I did not really need the press pass as people were eager to talk about all of the up coming events.  But I did feel important having it.  I also felt even more important to find out that the entire event was invitation only.  For a girl who was never really part of the in crowd it is pretty cool to have made the list.
My press pass!!
My sketch!
For all of you Genuine fans, you will be happy to hear that he did indeed attend the event.  It was not one of those deals where an celebrity’s name is used but they don’t show.  He was in the building.  He even said a few words during the thank you address.
Feeling Fabulous at the party!!
I am so glad I did not give in to my nerves and stay home.  This was a great kickoff for the 17 days of fashion.  I’m sure all of the other events will be great as well.  You can check them out on the Philly 17 days of fashion page.  Of all the events I think I’ll only make it to one other.  I plan to be at Bellanor Boutique for Fully Loving Me, on August 29th.  One event I wish I could attend but can’t because of a prior engagement is The Curvy Closets Plus Size Fashion Showcase on September 1st.

Which of the 17 days of fashion events have you or would like to attend?  For those of you who blog, has blogging opened up a new social scene for you as it has for me? 

Hide & Seek Chasing Joy Style

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Time for a game of hide and seek. Your it so I’ll hide. Start counting now.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Nope, I’m not on Chasing Joy today.

I’m not at a blog conference.

Nah, I’m not at a Philly Blogger mixer either.

You give up???

Ok. Today you can find me at my monthly hangout hanging with my Girls on Girlfriendology.com. Last week in my St. Patrick’s Day = Chasing Joy’s Day post I said stay tuned to find out what I really think about celebrating birthday. So head on over to my Girlfriendology post Go Girlfriend It’s Your Birthday to get a piece of my mind.

But before you go checkout what the chipmunks have to say about it.

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