Manicures and photobooths! I managed to arrive in heaven. Well, not really but this was all the pampering a girl needs to be happy. During the break, I was torn between attending a bloggers revision workshop or holistic scheduling break out session. I chose, How to get ish done and still have time to do yoga (The holistic scheduling session). I learned some pretty cool techniques, but most, I was already familiar with. When you have a 9-5 job, and manage two blogs and one website like I do, it’s imperative to hone your time management skills.
Cashing in on You was the next talk and it was absolutely empowering.
One of the questions asked was What would you do differently if you knew for sure that the only real currency you have in life is you?
When you start to think like this, you begin to take risks. If the only currency in life I had was me, I would have to do three things better:
- Network
- Make lasting relationships
- Get rid of the fear of rejection and take more risks
Even though this was a hypothetical question, this is really a great way to put things into perspective. I need to start thinking of myself like currency and know my worth because I have tons of value. Heck, I am a goldmine. You, who are reading this, whoever you are and wherever you maybe should do the same.
Other Takeaways from Miss Catrice:
- Know why you do what you do and why you are the best at doing it
- Be very clear about your brand
- Do not be afraid to stand out
Tip #3 about standing out, resonated with me most. It’s very important to be the person that stands out. Whether it’s a bright blazer, crazy hair, an amazing broach, always have a conversation piece on hand when a new opportunity presents itself at a conference or maybe even an event.
Follow @catriceology for some more personal and professional branding tips.
My next break out session was about the boring and monotonous world of SEO. SEO is search optimization, and if a blogger wants to find success, their website/blog should come up on Google’s 1st page and not its 22nd.
Three tips I learned was:
- Making Google like you is all about creating amazing content that people love and share
- Publish up to date and real-life content that people care about
- Brainstorm the common terms and phrases you think people use to search the broad topics of your blog site
Shortly after a delicious lunch, my last break out session of WITS15 day one would commence. I was torn between “Press Trip Travel,” which I believe would’ve been totally beneficial to me or “Meeting the Global Challenge of Educating Women Through Media: Soulful Travels with Grannies on Safari” I chose the latter and I am happy I did. Grannies on Safari did something to my soul. They were so cute and they have amazing chemistry. Most of all their session was almost like a call for action for us travelers to do more for others abroad. There are women across the world in Africa and India who can’t go to school because they don’t have sanitary napkins to wear while on their periods. That should never be the case. We have to use our platforms to bring awareness to these issues and help our sisters (and brothers) reach great heights in their lives even if they are miles away.
Grannies On Safari have a show on PBS and you can Click here to visit their website.
With Day One of WITS 15 down, I was feeling overwhelmed. I needed to connect with the many people that I met that day, but I also needed to take more action. I have more than one platform, one is even geared towards the empowerment of women and even though I’ve made progress with all of my platforms, this conference made me realize, that my work has just begun. I needed to make more of an impact. Do more, heck, maybe even rebrand. That night, I had a feeling of non-complacency. If I learned anything from this conference it was that change and growth were on my horizon.
Travel By Ky 