I look on wistfully at people who are extroverts. People who make it all look so easy. I’ll never know if it really is easy, or if they just make it look that way.
5,000 people. There’s nothing easy about that. 5,000 people is hard. And I spent a good deal of time trying not to be weird. Or trying not to freak out. I was not overly successful at either of these things. But I knew it was going to be hard. I knew it was going to be hard for me.
Sometimes you have to be brave, even when you feel really small.
I was lucky. Lucky to be able to track down other Australians just when I was about ready to run for the hills or at least hide somewhere. Lucky that my hard work was in approaching people, but once I did, conversational skills far superior than mine took over.
I don’t know how anyone finds anyone once, let alone more than that. But somehow I did find people that I’ve talked to over the last three years. And I got to hear their voices and squeeze them in person.
I found inspiration in lots of places: outside the airplane window, in the buildings and lights of New York, in listening to people who were so self assured they verged on being an ass, in hearing about people’s passions and even in a D-grade Eddie Murphy film I watched on the way home.
I don’t know if I’d go to another BlogHer, but I walked out of there with a completely different vision for my blog than what I walked in with. And that’s worth more than what I paid in hard work.
I struggle with people and as a result over compensate to the point where I quite often look like an arrogant asshole because I’m so desperately shouting “LIKE ME” on the inside. Though sometimes I just am an arrogant asshole.
Me too G. When I am in a conference situation I overcompensate for my introversion by turning myself up to ‘absolute best version of me I can be’. It’s exhausting – and sometimes I think the best version of me I can be is a bit OTT! Kudos to you Zoey for taking on BlogHer. 5000 people. OMG 300 people at ProBlogger last year was scary enough for me!
This is why I stick to people like you and @Glowless:disqus like freaking glue. You complete me. I’m going to feel like I’m at an intimate family gathering at ProBlogger this year!
I come across as an aloof asshole because I’m desperately screaming ‘think of something not idiotic and not boring to say!’ on the inside.
I thought I was the only one that did that? The conference me is like the online me shouting…
When I went to that Disney conference the first day was reaaallly hard for me. I stuttered. I stumbled. I wanted to crawl back to my room and retreat. But it was worth persevering. 5000 people is super hard work, but I’m glad you found some value. xx
I picked a good year to go because I had so many friendly faces to look for with the Australians there! But I can imagine going to something like Disney where you were going on your own would have been so hard! The iphoneography session and listening to the Voice of the Year definitely made the whole thing worth it, even if I did have to actively get out of my own way most of the time!
I don’t know how you do it. DPCon12 was so overwhelming for me and I ended up in tears at the end of the night. 5,000 people… Gosh! Well done
Occasionally I impersonate a more confident, less terrified version of myself. Sometimes it works too xxx
Good on you, Zoey. I can’t wait to see what unfolds on your blog as a result.
The 5000 people was the reason I was not at all interested in (scared of) attending Blogher. Never mind the cost and the logistic nightmare. As a fellow introvert, I can totally relate and every event I go to, no matter how small and short, tends to tire me out. Well done on pushing through and challenging yourself. I’m glad that it turned out to be a positive experience and am totes jealous of the NYC sight seeing
Zoey you were a rock star at BlogHer. I loved getting to know you better.Laney x
I am totally having that printed on a t-shirt. A t-shirt that I will wear everywhere. You’ve been warned. It was so lovely hanging out with you!
I think that 5,000 people from your main community is one thing but going into 5,000 people outside your community is something else entirely. Luckily for me, I’m somewhere in the middle because when I started I mostly talked to bloggers from the US and Canada.
I got as much out of seeing NYC as far as creativity is concerned as I did from the conference!
Thank you! A huge part of what I’m doing is about simplification.
You hide it well Zoe xx
Thank you! I am such a faker
I’m glad you got your inspration xxxxxxx