BlogPaws 2018 - Love, Change, New Beginnings and Owning Your Awesome

After attending a BlogPaws conference, I always do a round-up post.

Lola and Lexy were “less than impressed” with my posts for the 2015 and 2016 conferences, so I made a concerted effort for 2017 by tapping into the emotional side of the conference and wrote about Four Reasons BlogPaws Made Me Cry. 

Throughout the 2018 conference I was waiting for that "ah-ha" moment to spark the topic for this year’s post, but it was eluding me. Upon waking on Saturday, the morning after the announcement of somewhat shocking news and moving closing words from the BlogPaws team, it hit me. The 10th Annual BlogPaws Conference was filled with love, change, new beginnings and owning your awesome. 

I was an ambassador – and a finalist! 

I was looking forward to this conference even more than previous ones because, in addition to being chosen to be a BlogPaws Ambassador for the 10th Anniversary Conference, I was a finalist in two Nose to Nose categories. 

When I was initially chosen to be a BlogPaws Ambassador I was unaware of just how important this experience would turn out to be for me. Jenise Carl, Alison Reder, Joely Smith, Elizabeth Keene and I would be the last Ambassador group with the BlogPaws team we had all come to know and love. 

We would be the last Ambassador group at a BlogPaws conference as we know it. I couldn’t have asked for better comrades in this task and I’m so happy I got the chance to know some of them better and work with them. 

I didn’t win a Nose to Nose, but the competition in my categories was tough. I am honored that I was nominated as a finalist amongst such talented bloggers and writers and I am even more driven and determined to hone my craft so I can see “Lola The Rescued Cat” on the screen next year as a finalist once again. 

Love

If you’ve been involved in the BlogPaws community through the News and Boost Group, Social Learning Community (SLC), sponsored campaigns, etc., you know how family oriented the team is. They are truly a family and it was obvious there is a great love amongst them. This conference confirmed for me what I already knew; that each team member pours that love back into the BlogPaws community. They honestly and genuinely care about our community members and view all of us as family. Working closely with them I could see it was even more abundant this year, and I realized how their love for us has set the tone and brought a certain energy to past conferences.

Change and new beginnings

Throughout the conference, the air was full of a lot of buzz about impending changes. We all knew that BlogPaws was acquired by Chewy, and many were concerned not only about the future of BlogPaws as a social media and learning community, but for the team as we know it. When I heard the news from Maggie and Bernard that only one member of the team was returning, my initial response was “Oh no! I’m going to cry.” Both told me “no tears!” and assured me that they had big plans for themselves. Change is scary, change is often unwanted, and change is difficult. I felt like I had just become a part of this wonderful family that was now dispersing. For a minute I felt lost, and the future of pet blogging seemed uncertain for me. As they allayed my worries, I realized they were embracing the upcoming changes in their lives and were looking forward positively. And in respect for them and everything they have done for me and taught me, I realized I needed to do the same. Change isn’t always negative and looking past our fears of losing what we know and welcoming new experiences that are on the horizon makes it more palatable.  New beginnings are on the horizon for all of us who have immersed ourselves in the culture of BlogPaws, and lucky for us, we have the biggest support group anyone could ask for – each other.

Owning Your Awesome

During an ambassador meeting, Bernard shared a quote he heard in a session during the conference: “Own Your Awesome.” I paid that quote forward several times during the conference with people I felt needed to hear it. Bernard Lima-Chavez, Aimee Beltran, Carol Bryant, Maggie Marton, Felissa Elfenbein, and Chloe Divita you are all totally awesome and I know you will not only "Own Your Awesome", you will wear it like a finely tailored suit. I have learned different things from each of you that have made me a more confident blogger, a better writer, and stronger person that I will always carry with me. I will miss those of you who are moving on, and I'm looking forward to seeing the next steps in your journey. 

What’s next?

We are all anxiously awaiting updates to learn what’s next for BlogPaws. Many are wondering about education and sponsored opportunities, while others are worried about losing the community. What we can’t forget is that we are the community. No matter who runs BlogPaws, no one can take away the relationships we have created and the support we give to each other. Collectively we have a big voice, and when it’s used effectively we can have a big impact for our group. We need to keep owning our awesome!

Paying it Forward

We’ve all learned different things from BlogPaws in general and from specific people, so let’s pay homage to them by paying it forward. Change does not mean things will end, it just means it will be different. 
Dawn

P.s. Stay tuned... I'll be sharing my conference photos in an upcoming post.