Hello, my name is Nathan, and I’m a BlogWorld Expo junkie.
I’d like to tell you a story…
A year ago today, I was in Afghanistan, desperately trying to figure this “online thing” out. I’d spent nearly a year blogging, practicing Internet Marketing, and hanging out in blog comment sections, but I just couldn’t figure out how to make it over the hump.
So I started doing what the smart people told me to do, which is to submit guest posts and start networking…and I did.
I submitted guest posts to David Risley, Darren Rowse, and a few others (some of which aren’t blogging anymore) and started to get my feet wet.
Things were starting to pick up…slowly but surely.
Fast forward 6 months, and although I’m finally home and working on a very cool project with my pal, Mike CJ, I’m still not where I want to be.
At the time, I started hearing rumors of this thing they called BlogWorld Expo…which I had never heard of. I looked at the page for months, but couldn’t convince myself to take the leap.
But something about it kept nagging at me, and one night…on a whim, I decided that I’d spend a few hundred dollars that I didn’t have, to register for BlogWorld and reserve my flight to Vegas.
The Best Decision of My Life
I showed up to Vegas without any contacts really, except for a list of people that I wanted to meet. I didn’t really have any agenda, and I wasn’t even sure which sessions I wanted to attend, but I knew that this was my chance to make something happen.
I woke up on Thursday morning (the first day of sessions) and even though I was nervous as hell, I woke up early and walked straight into the main lobby to see who was hanging out.
Immediately, I recognized a small group of bloggers hanging out, many of which I knew by Twitter avatar more than anything, and walked over to introduce myself.
Everything changed from there.
It’s All about Making Friends
Turns out that popular bloggers are just regular dudes, but that’s not what did it for me.
Sure, I made some contacts that would turn out to be invaluable in helping Mike and I launch Beyond Blogging, but what BlogWorld really did for me was give me the confidence to know that I could become part of the game…not as an outsider, but as a member of this awesome community.
Thanks to that weekend in Vegas, I’ve made a lot of friends, created several parterships, and more than anything, realized that the only thing stopping me from becoming successful as a blogger…was myself.
I know it sounds cliche and overdramatic when I say this, but BlogWorld changed my life…and that was just year 1.
For me (and I’m not getting paid to say this), BlogWorld represents the principal opportunity that we all have to become titans of our industry. There’s so much energy, so much passion, and so much innovation, that’s it’s hard not to be inspired.
Sure, it’s cool to hang out with the cool cats, but what’s more important , is bringing out your own cool guy.
This year, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to hang out with an even bigger crowd, and continuing to make plans for world domination.
Who’s with me?
Nathan Hangen teaches people how to build digital empires, helps them rock through their workday, and works with small businesses to implement digital marketing campaigns.
Email: nathan@nathanhangen.com
Website: nathanhangen.com/blog
Twitter: @nhangen
I am hoping I will have the same experience this year! My first year, and I am already excited…
I felt the same about SXSW (South by Southwest) and suspect I’ll feel the same about BWE ’10.
For me, this will be my first trip to BWE, and it means three flights and a day and a half’s travel from here, but I can’t wait!
I think too that it takes a lot of drive and focus to accomplish what you did in that one year. I just met you that one year and already you are everywhere, you even beat me here with your great posts. I’ll be close behind with some of my own. I remember talking with you at Dinner one night during Blog World Expo and I was really very impressed with what you knew already. You are a great addition to the blog staff for BWE.
Oh Man, I would love to attend one of those expos. But Living 8000 miles from the US, makes it a bit impossible and expensive to get there.
My only hope is to rely on posts like these to make me green with envy
Amy – Just go in with the mindset that you’re going to shed fear and spend your time behind the scenes instead of partying and worrying about doing everything right.
Ben – Yeah man, seems so long ago, but that dinner was a very pivotal point in the process. Just getting comfortable meeting people and realizing that there are people like you, Dina, Tim, Dave, and everyone else out there that are not only cool people, but helpful people as well.
Looking forward to hanging out this year.
That picture cracks me up every time I see it. I just think, “One of these things is not like the other. One of these things is…a girl.” But it was a blast meeting and hanging out with everyone. 🙂
T-shirts this year, Nathan. T-shirts!
Good stuff, dude. Look forward to seeing everybody again this year. BWE is one of those can’t miss events.
Nathan! My goodness… you’ve come SO FAR in just a year’s time. Wild congrats to you! And thanks for helping me make the decision to make my first BWE this year:
“BlogWorld represents the principal opportunity that we all have to become titans of our industry.”
Titans. I’m definitely feelin’ that!
P.S. to David Risley —> I was at UG6 — one of the “Idea Detectives” — but I didn’t get the chance to connect with you. Hope for a second chance at BWE!
Sure thing, Erika. I’ll be in town for several days most likely, so let’s be sure to meet this time. 🙂