May 16th, 2007
SOBCon 07, Everyday People
I attended my first blogging conference this past weekend and I am happy I did. You may have heard, SOBCon was a hit! This conference is the brain child of Liz Strauss. Liz is a visionary woman, leader,and compassionate thinker. She is model thin and looks me at 6ft 2in in the eye. All the bloggers in for the conference had this in common, great respect for Liz.
I missed the Friday night concert by Christine Kane and the Saturday morning sessions. I did meet Christine and she was very nice. I heard Friday night was great and a lot of information was shared.I showed up at the hotel around noon on Saturday, in time for lunch. The first person I met was Lisa Cree wife of blogger Chris Cree.Lisa was very warm, had a nice smile and it was easy to understand why Chris refers to her as gorgeous. Attendees were given a nice blue logo bag filled with great business books.
I entered the room and was surrounded by bloggers for the first time in my life. There was an energy and excitement that is not often felt in hotel ballrooms set up like a corporate meeting. I have been to decades of conferences and meetings like this but the difference was,every one wanted to be there, there was no ass kissing going on. Well, not much. The bloggers were every day people, there to learn about a hobby that is a money maker for some but an enjoyable experience for all.
Speaking of learning, the presentations were first rate, the MC, Terry Starbucker’s, glass stayed half full, and he kept it real. Terry exhibited energy and fun.
As a blackinbusiness, I counted the other blacks in the room, 1,Marcus Riley, a web developer, 2, Sharon, worked for a web design company, and 3,J. D., the author of blackinbusiness and only blackblogger in the room. As will note from my site symbol of the AfroSpear, there are many black bloggers that could have particapated not only as attendees but as presenters. My hope is to highlight black and white bloggers throughout the year so we can be friends and benefit each other. Visit some of the Afro Spear sites and I hope my brothers and sisters visit the Politcal Grind as well as other sites on my blog roll. We have an opportunity to make diversity work through blogging. It would be a wonderful thing to have bloggers embrace inclusion. It is a goal of mine to bring more color to next years event. I may be over stepping my bounds because I am not a leader in either group, AfroSpear or SOBCon, Let me know your thoughts.
May 16th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Hi James! It was so great to meet you briefly at SobCon. You’ve got hugely fantastic energy and centeredness - I can see why your blog is so successful and popular. (and yes, it looks great too. good branding!
May 16th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Thanks Christine, your site looks nice as well. Good luck with your music career!
May 16th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
My thoughts are stuck inside some infection I have going on right now. But I still want to have that lunch with you that I keep talking about . . . maybe when I get back from my son’s college graduation.
May 16th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
James, I wish we would have spent some time together. I met a lot of people, but I guess it’s just not possible to meet everyone. Perhaps next time.
May 16th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Liz, I hope you feel better soon, congratulations on the graduation of your son. We will keep in touch.
May 16th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Dawud, I remember you from the discussion on the design of your blog, I am happy you stopped by. Hopefully we will meet soon
May 16th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Hi Jim! Thanks for your kind words about my MC-ing efforts - I really did feed off that energy that you felt. I’m also glad you are already thinking about next year - I really believe what we’ve tried to do (and will do in the future) is be all about inclusion, relationships, and sharing ideas. So if you have some ideas - let’s talk (although I bet that lunch with Liz will be a great first step). Thanks again for sharing that wonderful Saturday with us, and all the best!
May 16th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Great to meet you at the conference, Jim! I can tell this blog will go a long way.
May 17th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Terry, thanks for your visit,I do have some ideas, but it is important to note, this was a fantastic first conference and an amazing outcome of excitment. It will exceed itself as a natural growth. I think there is much to be gained on both sides as we come together as people of different races.
May 17th, 2007 at 11:17 am
Easton, thanks for your visit, I hope you are right about this blog. I look forward to seeing our picture together
May 17th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Jim, I’m still “roughing it” up here in Wisconsin, but I wanted to stop by and let you know how glad I was to finally get the chance at SOBCon to meet you face to face. Keep the passion alive, my friend!
May 17th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
Thanks Chris, you are a role model andI enjoyed meeting you as well.
May 17th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Hi Jim,
It was fun to meet you in person. I made a note of the number of blacks, too. Let me know what I can do to spread the word…
I’m already looking forward to next year.
Sandy
May 17th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
It was so great to meet you at the conference. I sure wish there had been more time to talk but next year, we’ll make sure to make more time.
It was an amazing conference and you summed it up well, though I did see some other colored faces in the crowd - but then, isn’t there a little black in most of us.
May 18th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Sandy, I am talking to people now about the conference and look forward to next years event. I think the conference will attract more blacks, there is interest
May 18th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Lorelle, I see the diversity thing, not so much as it is the right thing to do but as an opportunity for both groups to learn from each other and expand connections.Thanks for your visit
May 19th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Jim,
What fine conversation you’ve started here. I know we can keep it alive and growing.
May 21st, 2007 at 12:38 pm
hi Liz, I am dissapointed that no black bloggers have touched this topic. As a businessman, it is unreal to me, there is so much to gain. {one thing I learned last week was there is only one race, the human race, this is about color, black and white) Talk about race or color makes people very uncomfortable and I am starting to feel group think prevents many from having an opinion. I hope some brave soul will speak up, I look forward to more conversations.
May 21st, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Hi Jim,
Maybe it’s that I talk too much . . . I sure would like to get to know more Chicago Bloggers. It seems wrong that I hardly know any.
May 21st, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I will make something happen