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Posted By Katie On July 29, 2013 16 Comments

#Blogher13 Recap: No matter your shoes, show up at the table

Filed Under: America's Farm Table, Family Values, Uncategorized Tagged With: agriculture, family, family farm, why I blog 16 Comments

Do you ever get really comfortable where you are at in life? Or maybe you’re in a little downturn and can’t figure how to turn yourself around in it? I relate life situations often to shoes. I get comfortable in wearing my favorite one or two pairs of shoes. But then I never know when I need others. So I packed numerous pairs of shoes last week to take to Chicago to the Blogher conference. The first day I was there, I watched my friends Aimee and Leah buy new shoes…and work while they did it. 

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My salesman wasn’t very helpful in finding me size 11 shoes in styles I wanted. I left Nordstrom with no new shoes. But I returned the next day during a break. My feet hurt from walking for hours. This time the man waiting on me flooded me with options. So many options that it was difficult to make a decision. 

IMG_4104I hate shopping. I love buying. Making a decision to purchase the shoes was difficult but finally I did and walked stronger, bolder and more confident from simply changing my shoes and wearing a new pair. Oh and I shipped a couple of pairs home too. 

IMG_4105Then I went into a dressing room at Nordstrom and tried on new clothes, taking pictures and texting them to my farmer mother aka my personal stylist for her feedback. New clothes. New shoes. That would give me the confidence I needed at Blogher to stand out in a sea of thousands of women with bigger blogs, bigger platforms, bigger issues and certainly from bigger places than me. 

But I was wrong. No matter the shoes or clothes you wear the most important first step to standing out, to growing your voice, to changing perspective on an issue you care about, is to first show up to the table. 

Show up to the table.

I avoided attending the Blogher conference for years. I read about it online. I read “big” blogs but I wasn’t big enough I thought to attend their “big” conference. I also had an array of excuses that every busy person, and that’s all of us, has. Then two years ago my first-ever blogger turned real life friend The Wife of a Dairyman aka Nancy said I had to attend with her. She went on her own to San Diego in 2011 as I was a working mom sinking in travel and couldn’t figure out how to make it work. I promised in 2012 I would attend in New York City. I showed up in New York City last summer and I was feeling like a fish out of water, even though I had three friends with me I knew. 

But as the quote says…

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” -Mary Anne Rademacher

So this year, I didn’t go to Chicago to just show up at the table. That is what I did last year. I showed up and listened last year. It was a first step and certainly a step I didn’t regret. 

IMG_4092This year, I showed up to engage in the conversation with courage. I showed up with more ladies I knew but I didn’t just stay in my comfortable circle. I met new bloggers that are now new friends. I took in new sessions that pushed me to think about my blog, what I write, how often I write, what I take pictures of, what topics I speak on, how I utilize tools and who I engage with on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. 

I have gotten comfortable in my personal usage of social media. I needed new ideas. Like a new pair of shoes makes me feel, Blogher in Chicago gave me confidence this year to be bolder, stronger and use new social media ideas for my passions, for my goals and for good. 

IMG_4098And the woman whose blog I have been reading for years, whose cookbooks I have cooked my way through (while gaining 15 lbs. because I love eating while cooking), whose Food Network television show my young daughters watch more often than cartoons, Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, gave me great encouragement at Blogher. She referred to me as an “ag girl” and to all the rural and farm blogger friends I was with as the “ag girls”. 

Ag girls have a place at Blogher. I needed the validation as silly as it sounds.

We cheered during Ree’s keynote when she talked about cows. Lisa Stone, CEO of Blogher, said “Oh it’s the Farm Girls! Where are you ladies?” 

IMG_4102I was so proud that we, the “ag girls”  and “farm girls” were not just at the table, we were engaged at Blogher. We listened. We took in new ideas. We wore new shoes and ventured into new spaces and places. We stood for what we know, for what we believe in and for our passions.

I’m home now where I belong, on the North Dakota prairie. But I have three new pairs of shoes, some new clothes, new ideas, new connections, new friends, renewed passion and a network I can rely on to help push me to do more. 

As Brit Morin said during a keynote panel at Blogher, “You are the result of the five people closest to you. Be careful who those five people are.” 

I am going to use a small network of bloggers I know and trust to improve what I share and how I share. 

I share in social media because I am indeed an “ag girl” who wants more people to know about farm families and agriculture. But I also like sharing about food, my family, life lessons…and shoes. New shoes. So with my new shoes on, I am going to start blogging more often and working to dig myself out of a blogging downturn of the past eighteen months for a new chapter.

All because I showed up at the Blogher table, listened and engaged, I can boldly walk into a new chapter. Thank you for walking with me, no matter what shoes you wear, in this journey. 

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Comments

  1. Colleen says

    July 29, 2013 at 2:48 pm

    Great post Katie. I’m so jealous that I’m inspired. Inspired to post to my blog, write about things that are important to me and buy a new pair of shoes because I too am guilty of wearing a favorite pair until they are embarrassing. Thanks my ag friend.

    Reply
    • Katie says

      July 29, 2013 at 3:18 pm

      I wear embarrassingly old shoes because of comfort often Colleen! New shoes and new ideas have my brain churning with ideas. I am glad you have some too! I hope you can join us at a Blogher event in the future.

      Reply
  2. Deanna says

    July 29, 2013 at 3:11 pm

    Ditto – totally inspired now – Sounds like it’s time for an Ag-girl revolution!

    Do I get to be an honorary Ag girl? 😉

    Reply
    • Katie says

      July 29, 2013 at 3:16 pm

      Of course Deanna. I, naturally, think you should come visit me sometime on the prairie but until then you are honorary via blogs! My mom blogs daily from our family farm so you can be virtually connected: http://www.griggsdakota.com/

      Reply
  3. Janice Person aka JPlovesCOTTON says

    July 29, 2013 at 3:35 pm

    Glad to be among the group of ag girls! It was a great time and a great opportunity for me to see blogging a bit differently and to help others expland their views of blogging with the realization that ag girls and guys are indeed a force! I’m already thinking about the changes I’m going to make on my blog and the ideas I have going into next year’s BlogHer! 🙂

    Reply
    • Katie says

      July 29, 2013 at 3:38 pm

      Thanks JP! I have another post on “who are the ag girls” in draft. We definitely need to all make improvements and changes but I find it very exciting. I also always appreciate your honesty and encouragement. Can’t wait to see what we all do together!

      Reply
      • Janice Person aka JPlovesCOTTON says

        July 29, 2013 at 3:44 pm

        I have a few blog posts in mind myself…. just haven’t had a chance to start writing yet. Maybe tonight though!

        Reply
  4. Whitney says

    July 29, 2013 at 5:49 pm

    Thanks for being a wonderful voice for ag women!! I have loved following you through social media and have learned so much not only about how to better address the issues of our day to day life on the farm but also how to not be afraid to make changes in our life!! Keep on doin’ whatcha doin’! 🙂

    Reply
    • Katie says

      July 30, 2013 at 7:16 am

      Whitney, thank you for your encouraging words! I love staying connected with you. Someday we need to cross state lines and have a meet up!

      Reply
  5. MNGobbleGal says

    July 29, 2013 at 7:34 pm

    I can relate to your post in many ways … and you and the other “Ag Girls” inspire me weekly, if not daily. (And I mean that, truly.) Perhaps someday BlogHer is in my future, as well! 🙂

    Reply
    • Katie says

      July 30, 2013 at 7:17 am

      Thanks for your kind words! There are so many different venues to gain inspiration from and Blogher is one that connects for me. But I think for Ag Girls we have connected so well first at AgChat conferences too.

      Reply
  6. Val - Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids says

    July 29, 2013 at 8:28 pm

    Great, fun post about BlogHer! Seeing the “Ag Girl” facebook posts, tweets and now blog posts from several of you during the conference and now makes me curious and interested to be apart of the conference next year. And even though I didn’t attend, seeing all the talk from the conference gave me the pick-me-up on my blog that I needed.

    Reply
    • Katie says

      July 30, 2013 at 7:18 am

      Val, I am so happy you told me that it provided extra inspiration to keep going on your blog! That makes my day!

      Reply
      • Val - Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids says

        August 2, 2013 at 6:12 am

        Your welcome. Seeing everything BlogHer made me think and refocus my blog this week.

        Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Why We All Need The “Be Aggressive” Cheer says:
    July 30, 2013 at 3:16 pm

    […] media on a personal level. On some issues, I am still not. But every so often, I am. And after Blogher with my new shoes on, I am feeling empowered. And […]

    Reply
  2. Why We All Need The “Be Aggressive” Cheer says:
    February 24, 2015 at 5:37 pm

    […] media on a personal level. On some issues, I am still not. But every so often, I am. And after Blogher with my new shoes on, I am feeling empowered. And […]

    Reply

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