On Friday, Jacob, Phoebe and I flew down to Melbourne so I could attend the Kidspot Voices of 2015 Masterclass. There was a lot to organize in order to go away which included getting my parents to babysit my older two girls, organizing a house sitter and getting work done before going away for the weekend.
We arrived in Melbourne expecting it to be freezing but I found the cool air a nice change from being cooped up in a plane with Phoebe on my lap.
I ended up getting a bad headache on Friday night which meant I didn’t end up going out for dinner with the Brisbane bloggers, but I did get to say hi before heading to bed.
I was impressed with the hotel we stayed in. It was up the road from where we stayed for the Kidspot Gala event. The lights and décor definitely got my attention. We stayed at the Mantra City Central which had been recently renovated. The pendant lights were very fitting for a Melbourne hotel. I also loved that the cushions and art work paid a tribute to the city we were in.
The next morning, I caught up with Kirsten, Miss Chardy, Emily, Amanda and Nicole so we could catch a maxi taxi together to the Masterclass. We walked to a taxi rank as we had been advised if we booked a taxi, it wouldn’t arrive. So we risked finding one. I can’t remember if one of the girls called a taxi while we waited at the rank. I was too busy looking at Jacob and making sure Phoebe was warm.
Jacob had a daddy and daughter day with Phoebe, roaming the streets of Melbourne while I went to the masterclass. During breakfast, Jacob sent me this picture which put me at ease that they would have a good day.
The breakfast was probably my favourite part of the day. The food was beautifully presented and I really enjoyed the Garnier presentation about what brands, or more specifically, what does Garnier look for when working with a blogger.
I got to sit with some fabulous bloggers and catch up with ones that I interact with online on a weekly basis. I love how blogging has doubled my friendship group.
Check out An Organised Life’s post with an in depth summary of the key points spoken at the different sessions.
The biggest take away for me from the masterclass was the business side of my blog. The sessions motivated me to think outside the square a little in terms of content. As a result, I’ve signed up to do the Brandilicious course to get my media kit looking more professional and to learn how to pitch properly to brands so that this unique content can be sponsored. Sponsorship ensures I can keep doing what I love, but also give readers quality posts and giveaways. I also felt motivated to work on my book and to get it to a stage where I can pitch it to publishers. I haven’t set a timeline as such for this, but with Phoebe’s 1st Birthday coming up next month, I feel I can slowly see the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of time to devote to these endeavors.
Another main lesson I learned indirectly from attending the masterclass is that we are all running our own race, but we all come across the same issues and fears. What’s important is to recognize your uniqueness and to use it to promote your voice.
This last weekend has made me even more excited for Problogger.
How was your weekend? Did you go to the Kidspot Masterclass? What did you take away from the day?
I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.
