Happy Holidays All!
May you and your family have a joyous holiday season and new year!
Many blessings,
Ananda
Happy Holidays!
Blog
Great News! Check Out Digital Sisterhood Month 2012 Schedule
This year Digital Sisterhood Network (DSN) is hosting the third annual celebration of Digital Sisterhood Month from December 1 to December 31, 2012. “Creativity + Great Health = Fierce Living Women” is the theme. Online events featuring the announcement of the Digital Sisters of the Year, Digital Sisterhood Leader profiles, giveaways, guest blog posts, Digital Sisterhood Radio interviews, and Twitter chats will be held. Offline events will be held in Washington, D.C. and New York City. See the schedule below. Additional online events including Digital Sisterhood Radio interviews will be added by November 30.
Helpful Information
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/digitalsisterhood
- Twitter ID: @DigitalSisterhd
- Twitter Hashtag: #DSMonth
- Digital Sisterhood Month 2012 Pinterest Board: http://pinterest.com/anandaleeke/digital-sisterhood-month-2012.
FYI – Feel free to post the badges and use it on your blog, web site, or social media sites. They were created by Dariela Cruz of Dari Design Studio.
1) December 1: DC Field Trip – TEDxAdamsMorganWomen, 1:00-6:00 p.m.
- Location: Sitar Arts Center, 1700 Kalorama Road, NW, #101, Washington, DC (in Adams Morgan)
- Instructions: Click here to register and purchase a $35 ticket on Eventbrite (deadline is November 23).
- Event Description: TEDxAdamsMorganWomen is sponsoring ‘The Space Between,” a half-day presentation of dynamic speakers who will focus on how to move past dichotomous thinking and see the gray area in between. The speakers include: Nicole C. Lee, the first female President of TransAfrica; Karen Dolan, Fellow at Institute for Policy Studies; Kethia Clairvoyant, Founder at Fit for Life by KC; Shonali Burke, Vice President, Digital Media & Marketing at MSL Group; David Deal, CEO at Community IT Innovators; Nicolette Pizzitola, CEO at Compass Point Associates LLC; and George Koch, Founder and Chair Emeritus Artomatic, Inc.
- NOTE: Ananda Leeke, Digital Sisterhood Network founder, will attend the event from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
2) December 2: DC Event – Fierce Living in Fashion 15 Minute Flash Mob on U Street, 1:00-5:30 p.m.
- Location: Boutiques on U Street between 15th and 16th U Streets, NW in Washington, DC
- Instructions: Click here to register on Eventbrite. Follow @breaellis and @digitalsisterhd and use the #dsflashmob hashtag on Twitter for event updates.
- Event Description: Come celebrate Digital Sisterhood Month on December 2, 2012, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m with a “Fierce Living in Fashion” event that takes you on a “15 Minute Flash Mob” tour of U Street’s amazing boutiques and vintage shops located between 15th and 16th Streets, NW, Washington, D.C. All you need are $15 or more and comfortable walking shoes. The tour will be led by Brea Ellis, a fourth generation Washingtonian and the founder of What I Wore: tip to toe, a personal style blog. Digital Sisterhood Network founder Ananda Leeke, a U Street resident, will also serve as a tour guide. The “15 Minute Flash Mob” tour will begin with a meet and greet at a local cafe on U Street. Group members will be responsible for purchasing their own beverages and snacks. After the meet and greet, the group will visit the boutiques and shops. Group members will be asked to spend at least $15 during the tour so that local businesses receive financial support. Also, the group will spend 15 minutes in each boutique or shop. Please note group members will be able to spend more time in the various boutiques and shops. The tour will end with a wrap up get-together at a local cafe on U Street (group members will purchase their own beverages and snacks).
3) December 5: Tech Women’s Creativity Twitter Chat, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
- Guest Speaker: Sian Morson, Entrepreneur, Founder of Kollective Mobile, Mobile Evangelist, Writer, and Video Artist
- Instructions: Follow Sian Morson @xianamoy and @digitalsisterhd. Use hashtag #dsmonth on HootSuite, TweetChat, or TweetDeck to follow the conversation.
4) December 7: DC Yoga Field Trip to Embrace DC to Shawna Renee’s Embrace Flow Class (for all levels), 6:15-7:15 p.m.
- Field Trip Location: Embrace DC, 1650 Columbia Road, NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC – 202.525.1083 (located in Adams Morgan – several blocks from Columbia Heights Metro Station on Green/Yellow Line)
- Admission Fee for Regular Students: $17
- Admission Fee for New Students: $20
- Instructions: You must REGISTER ONLINE and PAY in advance for the yoga classes at the studios: http://embracedc.com/classes/class-schedule. Availability is based on a first come, first serve basis. Digital Sisterhood Network did NOT make any special arrangements or secure any discounts for the yoga classes. Ananda Leeke, Digital Sisterhood Network founder, will attend the yoga class. She’ll be wearing a Digital Sisterhood t-shirt.
5) December 8: DC Event – Salon Series on DC Style, 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
- Event Location: Tenley-Friendship DC Public Library, 4450 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Large Meeting Room #10, Washington, DC (located across the street from the Tenleytown/American University Metro Station on the Red Line)
- Instructions: Click here to register on Eventbrite. Follow @breaellis and @digitalsisterhd and use the #dsstylesalon hashtag on Twitter for event updates.
- Event Description: Calling fashion and style bloggers, designers, enthusiasts, and professionals! Come celebrate Digital Sisterhood Month with a Salon Series on “DC Style: Past, Present, and Future.” It will feature a discussion on DC style during the past 30 years, a fashion and style blogger town hall on the present trends in DC style, and a conversation with DC designers on the future of DC style.
6) December 9: DC Museum Field Trip to the National Museum for Women in the Arts, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
- Field Trip Location: 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (two blocks from the 13th Street exit at Metro Center on Blue, Orange, and Red Line)
- Admission Fee: $10
- About Exhibition (text taken from NMWA web site): Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, and Power” exhibition is a provocative exhibition that illustrates the importance of women in the world of popular music from the 1920s to present day. It highlights the flashpoints, the firsts, the best, and the celebrated and sometimes lesser-known women whose artistry advanced the progress of rock-and-roll music. Featuring more than 250 artifacts and performance videos, the exhibition moves through rock-and-roll eras, demonstrating how women have been engines of creation and change.
- Instructions: The group will meet at the information desk at 3:30 p.m. and will go to the exhibition at 3:40 p.m. Ananda Leeke, Digital Sisterhood Network founder, will serve as the event hostess. Everyone is responsible for purchasing their admission ticket.
- Contact Information: You can reach Ananda Leeke via email at kiamshaleeke@yahoo.com or @AnandaLeeke and @DigitalSisterhd on Twitter.
7) December 11: DC She Writers Meet Up at Teaism, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
- Meet Up Location: 400 8th Street, NW, Washington, DC (by the National Archives Metro Center on the Green/Yellow Line) – www.teaism.com/Restaurant/PennQuarter.aspx?SubModuleID=7
- Event Description: Calling all DC area women writers! Join Digital Sisterhood Network for a DC area women writers meet up group. Please bring a copy of your book or a favorite book that you would like to swap with another writer. We will also discuss our writing journeys and upcoming events. Ananda Leeke, Digital Sisterhood Network founder, will serve as the event hostess. Everyone is responsible for purchasing their own beverage and meal. The group will meet on the second level. Be sure to visit SheWrites.com, an online community of women writers.
- Contact Information: You can reach Ananda Leeke via email at kiamshaleeke@yahoo.com or @AnandaLeeke and @DigitalSisterhd on Twitter.
8) December 12: The Creativity of Beauty, Fashion, Style, and Lifestyle Bloggers Twitter Chat, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
- Guest Speakers: TBA
- Twitter Instructions: Follow @digitalsisterhd. Use hashtag #dsmonth on HootSuite, TweetChat, or TweetDeck to follow the conversation.
9) December 14: NYC Drop By and Chat Meet Up at Argo Tea, 4:00-6:30 p.m.
- Meet Up Location: Argo Tea, 275 Seventh Avenue (located at Seventh Avenue and W. 26th Street), New York, NY
- Event Description: Calling all NYC area digital sisters! Drop by and chat with Ananda Leeke, Digital Sisterhood Network founder at Argo Tea. It’s informal. There’s no need to make an appointment. Just come on by and chat about what you are working on, any lessons learned from 2012, and plans for 2013. Everyone is responsible for purchasing their beverages and snacks.
- Contact Information: You can reach Ananda Leeke via email at kiamshaleeke@yahoo.com or @AnandaLeeke and @DigitalSisterhd on Twitter.
10) December 15: NYC Field Trip to the Brooklyn Museum, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (followed by a lite snack in Museum Cafe)
- Field Trip Location: Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY
- Admission Fee: $12
- Event Description: The group will meet between 11:30-11:40 a.m. in front of the Mickalene Thomas: Origin of the Universe exhibition on the fourth floor in the Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing of the Brooklyn Museum. Ananda Leeke, Digital Sisterhood Network founder, will serve as the event hostess. Everyone is responsible for purchasing their admission ticket and any beverages or snacks in the Museum Cafe.
- About Exhibition (from the Brooklyn Museum web site): Brooklyn artist Mickalene Thomas is best known for her elaborate, collage-inspired paintings, embellished with rhinestones, enamel, and colorful acrylics. Her depictions of African American women explore a spectrum of black female beauty and sexual identity while constructing images of femininity and power. Origin of the Universe, Thomas’s first solo museum exhibition, highlights recent bodies of work that examine interior and exterior environments in relation to the female figure. Their settings are often inspired by her 1970s childhood.
- Contact Information: You can reach Ananda Leeke via email at kiamshaleeke@yahoo.com or @AnandaLeeke and @DigitalSisterhd on Twitter.
11) December 17: DC Yoga Field Trip to Tranquil Space for Kimberly Wilson’s Yoga & Meditation Class, 8:00 p.m. 9:15 p.m.
- Field Trip Location: 1632 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC – 202.328.9642 (located several blocks from Dupont Circle Metro Station on Red Line)
- Admission Fee: $19
- Instructions: You must REGISTER ONLINE and PAY in advance for the yoga classes at the studios:http://www.tranquilspace.com/yoga/schedule.html. Availability is based on a first come, first serve basis. Digital Sisterhood Network did NOT make any special arrangements or secure any discounts for the yoga classes. Ananda Leeke, Digital Sisterhood Network founder, will attend the yoga class. She’ll be wearing a Digital Sisterhood t-shirt.
12) December 19: Using Creative Ways to Make Fitness and Healthy Eating Fun Twitter Chat, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
- Guest Speakers: TBA
- Twitter Instructions: Follow @digitalsisterhd. Use hashtag #dsmonth on HootSuite, TweetChat, or TweetDeck to follow the conversation.
13) December 20: “Sweet Treats: Coffee, Tea and Dessert” Meet Up for Women Bloggers and Social Media Influencers at the Mediterranean Spot, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Meet Up Location: Mediterranean Spot, 1501 U Street, NW, Washington, DC – 202.232.7108 (located at the corner of 15th and U across the street from Cake Love; two blocks from the U Street/Cardozo Metro Station on the Green/Yellow Line)
- Event Description: Ananda Leeke, Digital Sisterhood Network founder, will host an open discussion with women in social media and tech on how to use the power of creativity in their digital experiences, interactions, and work. Everyone is responsible for purchasing their beverages and snacks. Beverages (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, chai, apple cider, lattes, frappuccinos, smoothies, sodas, juices and bottled water) cost $1.00 to $4.50. Desserts (cakes, pies, brownies, baklava, muffins, cookies, and croissants) cost $1.99 to $3.99.
13) December 26: Fierce Living Women’s Commitments for 2013 Twitter Chat, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
- Guest Speakers: TBA
- Twitter Instructions: Follow @digitalsisterhd. Use hashtag #dsmonth on HootSuite, TweetChat, or TweetDeck to follow the conversation.
#BlogforObama: Why I am Voting for President Obama
Happy Election Day!
Today, I thought I would share my reasons for voting for President Obama as a part of my work with the #BlogforObama community of women bloggers. I’ll start with a story about my 2012 election inspiration: my parents, Theresa and John Leeke. They are actively engaged over 70, cyber-citizens who use their social media platforms to do exactly what Morra Aarons-Mele wrote about in her recent Huffington Post article, “Each One Reach One; Social Media GOTV:
“Turns out, we can use our social media networks to influence friends and followers to vote.”
Their Facebook posts are passionately written to inform their families, friends, and colleagues about President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign. They also share information about the many ways Governor Romney has mispresented himself and his campaign. They post daily and weekly.
My father took his social media support for President Obama to a higher level when he started using his Twitter account and Tumblr blog to advocate on behalf of the Obama 2012 campaign. He also upped his on-the-ground volunteering game by traveling to Virginia several times to knock on doors with his fellow Prince George’s County, Maryland residents.
When I was getting discouraged in June, my parents told me to invest 200 percent in the Obama 2012 campaign. So I jumped in with weekly blog posts, Facebook status updates, and tweets. I also volunteered for the D.C. Obama team and with my father at several local phone canvasing events in P.G. County, Maryland. My monthly Yoga for Obama fundraiser classes in Malcolm X-Meridian Hill Park gave me a chance to share my love of yoga and the Obama campaign. Contributing financially to the campaign via BarackObama.com helped me own a piece of the Obama 2012 rock. Seeing President Obama’s live web cast at BlogHer this summer was energizing. Joining the #BlogforObama community of women bloggers and live tweeting during the debates in September and October allowed me to add my support to the voices of women online.
Today, I got up early and had my own personal Yoga for Obama yoga session at home before heading out to Starbucks for a hot chocolate and a 10-minute walk to my voting center. As I walked to the center, I thought about the many reasons I support President Obama.
Here’s a short list of the some of my reasons.
1) My President knows women’s rights are ESSENTIAL and IMPORTANT.
2) My President has been working since he entered the White House in 2009 to make America better with programs and funding that support education, healthcare, jobs, and the list goes on and on.
3) My President is committed to building a stronger economy.
4) My President supports military families and has ended the war in Iraq.
5) My President makes all of his administration’s policies and activities available online.
6) My President CARES about all Americans.
7) My President knows America must invest in her youth, education programs, job training programs, technology, and the list goes on and on.
What are your reasons for voting for President Obama?
How will you celebrate his victory today?
What are you going to do to support him in his next administration beginning on November 7?
UPDATE: SO HAPPY POTUS Obama won the election and has a second term.
#Blogalicious12 Recap #1 – Photos – The Fun Stuff
Happy #DigitalSisterhood Wednesday!
Today is the perfect day to share photos from the Blogalicious12 Weekend Conference that I attended on September 28-30 at the Red Rock Spa in Las Vegas. The entire conference was filled with Digital Sisterhood moments galore! I have included photos of some of my favorite moments and links to my Flickr photo sets. Enjoy!
- Day #1 Flickr Photos www.flickr.com/photos/anandaleeke/sets/72157631678586065/
- Day #2 Flickr Photo www.flickr.com/photos/anandaleeke/sets/72157631678756087/
- Day #3 Flickr Photos www.flickr.com/photos/anandaleeke/sets/72157631678782183/
PS: I will share more #Blogalicious12 updates later this month.
Ananda Joins Women Online’s Social Media Sprint Campaign – #BlogForObama
Happy October!
A few days ago I was in Las Vegas attending the Blogalicious Weekend Conference. During one of my breaks, I checked my email and read a message from my digital sister, Chrysula Winegar, that invited me to participate in Women Online’s Social Media Sprint Campaign. When I visited the Women Online (WO) web site to research the campaign, I learned WO is a boutique digital public relations and marketing firm founded by Morra Aarons-Mele, an Internet marketing professional who established The Mission List and served as the founding Political Director for BlogHer.com. After digesting this information, my response to Chrysula’s invitation was YES…YES… YES!!!!! So I joined the group of amazing women bloggers and top social media voices in a “social media sprint” to Election Day (#blogforobama).
So why join? I think President Obama is the only Presidential candidate who represents my interests as a woman. Since June, I have actively participated in the Obama 2012 campaign by:
- Making financial donations to BarackObama.com.
- Canvasing in my U Street neighborhood.
- Serving as a volunteer at the PG County Obama campaign office phone bank with my dad.
- Helping my dad with his Dr. John blog that is dedicated to supporting the Obama 2012 campaign.
- Seeing President Obama speak at the BlogHer 12′ Conference.
- Teaching a monthly yoga class as a BarackObama.com fundraiser.
- Using my social media platforms to promote the campaign each week.
Today, I participated in WO’s first conference call and learned more about the role I will be playing in the Social Media Sprint Campaign. I also learned my digital sisters, Stacey Ferguson, BeBlogalicious.com co-founder and chief curator, and Xina Eiland, President of The Eiland Group and BeBlogalicious.com publicist, are also participating in the campaign. What great company I am in!
From now and until November 7 (the day after the Presidential Election), you will see me online a little more. For example, I will tweet during the Presidential Debate on October 3. Later this week, I will share more information from the Social Media Sprint Campaign. So look out for my tweets and posts on Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest.
Enjoy your day and remember to register to vote, get your ID, help others register or obtain their IDs, vote early (if you can), and vote for President Obama!
Moving FORWARD with President Obama,
Ananda, a proud 2008 and 2012 Obama supporter
Ananda Leeke Headed to Blogalicious Weekend Conference
Happy #DigitalSisterhood Wednesday!
This week is gonna be fabulous! Why? It’s time for the annual Blogalicious Weekend Conference.
More great news … Digital Sisterhood Network (DSN) is serving as a Blogalicious media sponsor. Also, I am speaking at the Blog Community Jam Session on September 28 at 2:00 p.m.
Be sure to follow @anandaleeke and @digitalsisterhd on Twitter for live #Blogalicious12 tweets.
Enjoy your day and weekend!
Ciao,
Ananda
Blogalicious Weekend Conference Countdown Starts September 1!
Tomorrow is September 1. That date means many things to many people. For me it represents the official Blogalicious Weekend Conference countdown. Yep, I am excited. Why? Well, how much time do you have?
Blogalicious Weekend is one of my favorite social media conferences. I’ve been attending it since the first one that was held in Atlanta in 2009. That weekend will always be memorable because of the many women I met like Veronica Arreola, Boni Candelario, Xina Eiland, Terri Holley, Thien Kim, and Aliza Sherman. I also reconnected with Corynne Corbett and Natalie McNeal, two of my BlogHer 09 hanging buddies. The lessons I learned from sessions featuring Shameeka Ayers, Leticia Baar, Angela Benton, Jessica Carter, Shannon Nash, Corvida Raven, and Karen Walrond were key to my making smarter moves as a blogger, entrepreneur, speaker, and writer. I was also able to teach a kind and gentle yoga class for social media users and interview one of my digital sheros, Cheryl Mayberry McKissack, founder of NiaOnline. Those were HUGE moments!!!!!
Confession: The 2010 conference was my favorite. It was held at the Ritz Carleton on Miami Beach (loved the location)! I roomed with my digital sister Xina. We co-hosted an open-mic luncheon sponsored by McDonalds.
I also learned about the Heart of Haiti campaign and became a blogger ambassador with the help of Lauren Thomas, met Danica Kombol of Everywhere and Willa Shalit of Fairwinds Trading, and sipped the Middle Sister wine in the Wine Sisterhood suite with my digital sister Boni. I took time to lay out in the sun and drink a few cocktails.
Taking Takeyah Young’s morning yoga class on the beach with Veronica, Xina, Shirelle Kirkland-Andrews, and a bunch of other digital sisters was yogalicious! Some of the best moments happened when I used my smartphone to interview several digital sisters and brothers for my Cinchcast podcast. I screamed when I met my Twitter digital sister Dr. Goddess in person! That was a huge moment because we traded so many tweets! Having a lot of time to chat with my Latinos in Social Media digital sisters Kety Esquivel and Julie Diaz Asper was fabulous. I sat in the audience and enjoyed hearing CNN journalist Soledad O’Brien share her thoughts about life and technology via Skype. At the end of the conference, I was inspired me to launch #DigitalSisterhood Wednesdays. What fun we had!
The 2011 conference was held closer to home at the Gaylord National Hotel in Maryland (about 30 minutes from my home in Washington, D.C.). During that conference, I served as a Blogalicious Ambassador and mentored the Digital Sisterhood Network’s Blogger-in-Residence Kamaria Richmond. Thanks to Kamaria’s fundraising efforts, I was able to stay in her room as a guest. She knows how to raise money for a conference! My dad Dr. John F. Leeke also attended the conference. That was a lot of fun to see him connect with bloggers and brands. He soaked it all up and became a Blogalicious fan for life.
I cried so much during the American Cancer Society’s presentation featuring one of my digital sheroes, Susan Niebur. That moment is etched into my heart forever. I hung out with Danica and Britton Edwards from Everywhere, chatted with Corynne and LaShanda Henry, interviewed a group of bloggers including Issa Mas for my Cinchcast podcast, and had a great “brinner” chat with Dr. Goddess and Kiratiana Freelon. My favorite session featured Aliza Sherman who talked about apps and other techie tools. She dropped some serious science on me. The Susan B. Komen for the Cure pajama party and the Wine Sisterhood suite were my favorite places to hang out and connect with other bloggers. One of the best chats I had was with Barbara Jones and Julie. These ladies gave me a lot of food for thought!
Earlier this month, I reconnected with my Blogalicious family during Brunchilious at the BlogHer 12 conference in New York City. During the brunch, I shared my Blogalicious experiences and the power of the community. What an honor!
And so now I am looking forward to learning, growing, connecting, laughing, sharing, and making more memories in a few weeks at Blogalicious 12. It will be my first time visiting Las Vegas. So I’ll definitely have to take photos of the strip. I am rooming with Xina. So we are gonna have a great time. She’s working the conference as the official Blogalicious publicist (a job she does so well!). I am serving as a media sponsor via the Digital Sisterhood Network and as a speaker for the Blog Community Jam Session on September 28 at 2:00 p.m. I am speaking with an amazing group of folks. See below.
- Melanie Edwards, owner of Ella Media
- Ana Flores, founder of Latina Bloggers Connect
- Jennifer James, founder of Mom Bloggers Club
- Jyl Johnson, founder of Mom It Forward
- Manny Ruiz, founder of Hispancize
- Lisa Stone, co-founder of BlogHer
So here’s what you can do.
- Register for the conference so you don’t miss out on the great Blogalicious experience of a lifetime!
- Participate in the #beuplifted Twitter chats on Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. on Twitter. Follow @beblogalicious and @justicefergie during the chats.
- Follow #blogalicious12 tweets for all things great about the conference.
- Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @anandaleeke or @digitalsisterhd. I’ll be live tweeting from the conference … sharing photos … and audio blogs during the last week of September.
Hope to see you in Las Vegas in September! Ciao!
Headed back to my writing … See you at the end of September!
Hi All,
It’s that time again. Gotta take a digital diet break in order to finish my Digital Sisterhood book. This blog will be very quiet during the rest of August, most of September, and some of October. I will come back at the end of September, and in early October to post about my Blogalicious 2012 conference experiences and the DigitalUndivided.com #FOCUS100 symposium. I should be back in full force by November and definitely by December (for Digital Sisterhood Month).
PS: I am speaking during the Blog Community Jam Session at the Blogalicious Weekend Conference on September 28.
#BlogHer12 Recap #4: Ananda’s Walk Down BlogHer Memory Lane – 2006 to 2012
Happy Friday!
Join me as I take a walk down BlogHer memory lane. It starts in 2006 and ends with the recent conference held on August 2-4 in New York City. First, don’t laugh at what I am about to share. It’s so retro for 2012!
The first time I heard about BlogHer was on Myspace in 2006. Yes, I was actively involved with Myspace from 2006 to 2009 give or take … before Cinchcast, Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, and YouTube got the best of me!. One of my Myspace friends (forgive me for not remembering who) posted a link about the BlogHer community and conference. My Internet geek curiosity drew me in and forced me to click on the link. What I discovered was a budding community of women bloggers that reminded me of the women I hung out with on iVillages in the 1990s and NiaOnline.com and Netnoir.com’s Women’s Channel in the early 2000s. To be honest, I made that one visit and did not return until two years later.
So here’s what happened that brought me back to BlogHer in 2008. While I was attending the first Blogging While Brown conference (co-sponsored by BlogHer), I met BlogHer co-founder Elisa Camahort Page. We had several conversations about the community and conferences. Elisa encouraged me to revisit the site and set up a profile page with a short bio and photo. So I took her advice! My first year in the BlogHer community focused on following the 2008 Presidential election campaign. I enjoyed reading First Lady Michelle Obama’s blog posts and many political blog posts.
My second year was very different. That ‘s when my full blown blog-affair with BlogHer began. It was born during the Feminism 2.0 conference sponsored by Turner Strategies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Whenever I tell this story, I share that BlogHer became my Vale-blog-a-tine during the Feminism 2.0 conference. I attended a session that featured Elisa as one of the panelists. I don’t recall the session’s name, but I do remember how inspired I felt after hearing Elisa speak. We chatted briefly after the session about the value and benefits of attending the BlogHer conference. Our chat is the reason I registered for the conference a week later.
The BlogHer 2009 conference exposed me to a new world of women bloggers that I interviewed with my pink Creative Vado flip camera and smartphone. I also learned new technical skills to support my video blogging and podcasting, and community building strategies to help expand my Internet radio shows on Talkshoe.com and lifestyle social networking sites on Ning.com. I also expanded my digital sisterhood network through my connections with Deb Rox (and her amazing book Five Ways to Blank Your Blog), the Blogalicous co-founders at a beauty party held at a local department store, That Black Girl site founder Corynne Corbett, TheSoccerMommyMyth.com founder Holly Buchanan, Lady M blog founder Monica, Fourth Generation blog founder Olivia, Viva La Feminista blog founder Veronica Arreola, New York City Mama blog founder Carol Cain, Art Slam founder Lucrecer Braxton, Prisoner’s Wife blog founder Britni Danielle, Frugalista blog founder Natalie McNeal, Afrobella blog founder Patrice Grell Yursik, MyBrownBaby.com founder Denene Millner, Blog Rollers co-founders Lorraine Robertson and Christy Glascoe Crowder, SheWrites.com founder Kamy Wicoff (we sat next to each other during a session and traded notes about her new site for women writers; she also signed me up for the site during the session), and many other dynamic women. Several of women introduced me to women bloggers and social media influencers who lived in the D.C. Metropolitan area. Those connections laid the foundation for my participation in the Blogalicious Weekend Conference, She’s Geeky DC Unconference, and Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) DC Conference that were held later that year. All of these efforts inspired me to use my Talkshoe.com radio show to interview women in social media and commit to writing a book about my online experiences with women (now called Digital Sisterhood: Fierce Living Online for 25 Years).
When it came time to register for the BlogHer 2010 conference, I wasted no time. I headed to New York City for another great experience of connecting, building community, learning, listening, sharing, laughing, and dancing. I attended the White House Project one-day conference and learned how women could use their online presence to affect political change. I used my smartphone and Cinchcast podcast to interview a diverse group of women bloggers. Many agreed to participate in my Talkshoe.com interview series. I also hung out with my new and old blogging friends at the Blogalicious and LATISM Social Fiesta parties. Right before the conference ended, I met BlogHer co-founder Lisa Stone in the Expo Hall. We had a very deep conversation about the importance of self-care in the blogger community. Lisa encouraged me to submit a session proposal for the next conference.
By the time 2010 ended, I completed two draft session proposals for the BlogHer 2011 conference. I also utilized everything I learned from BlogHer, Blogalicious, Blogging While Brown, LATISM, and She’s Geeky DC to transform my passion for celebrating women in social media and tech into the Digital Sisterhood Network which included #DigitalSisterhod Wednesdays on Twitter, Digital Sisterhood Radio, Digital Sisterhood Facebook Group, Digital Sisterhood Month (an annual celebration held in December), and the Digital Sisterhood Book Kickstarter Project. It was on like popcorn in my world!
My BlogHer 2011 conference experience was MEGA special. It was a trip of many firsts.
- My first trip to San Diego.
- My first time as a speaker for two sessions, Blogger Wellness (I was able to share my expertise as a workshop facilitator, yoga teacher, and creativity coach) and Peer Mentoring (served as a panelist with a dynamic panel of women — Liz Strauss, Heather Mann, and Vikki Reich).
- My first time using the BlogHer conference board to find a roommate (and I lucked out big time with Chinese Grandma blog founder Lilian Chang).
- My first time hearing Gwen Bell, a global entrepreneur, social media influencer, yoga teacher, and author of Digital Warriorship, discuss her digital sabbatical practices.
- My first time meeting Sofia Quintero, a fabulous author, feminist, and activist.
The BlogHer 2011 conference inspired me to step up my game and submit another series of session proposals for the 2012 conference. Once again, BlogHer selected me to speak. There was a slight twist to the invitation. I was asked to moderate a Podcasting 101 Panel with two digital media rockstars, Jasmin Singer and Deborah Shane. I never would have proposed that topic, however, the BlogHer team saw something I could not see: my thought leadership as a podcaster and Internet radio host.
The BlogHer 2012 conference was INCROYABLE as the French say (or INCREDIBLE for English speakers)! First of all, it was held in one of my favorite cities, New York City. Secondly, I was able to see President Obama’s live address. I’ve got many more reasons that support my INCROYABLE experience. You can read about them by clicking on the links below.
- BlogHer12 Recap #1 – Seeing President Obama
- BlogHer12 Recap #2 – Moderating Podcasting 101 Panel
- BlogHer12 Recap #3 – BlogHer Gratitude
The most important thing I received from this year’s conference is a greater understanding of what the BlogHer community, conference, and economy mean to me. My understanding solidified itself in a BLOGHER acronym. See below.
To me, BLOGHER now means
B – Building community through meaningful and mindful connections, conversations, collaborative partnerships and projects, and commerce that generates revenue and valued added exchanges for myself and others.
L – Learning and sharing information that helps me and others grow to our fullest potential.
O – Opening my heart to be inspired and energized by the stories I hear from fellow bloggers, keynote speakers, and representatives from brands, companies, organizations, and marketing/PR firms.
G – Giving back to others by sharing what I know and affirming and supporting others’ efforts.
H – Having fun and celebrating digital sisterhood and digital brotherhood bonds with new and old blogging friends.
E – Embracing and valuing the power, presence, and passion of my own voice, creativity, expertise, thought leadership, entrepreneurial efforts, social good causes and campaigns, and definition of success.
R – Remembering that my return on investment (ROI) from my BlogHer community and conference participation is rooted in my attitude, intentions, choices, personal responsibility, and actions.
So there you have it! My walk down BlogHer memory lane from 2006 to 2012! Hope to see you at the BlogHer 2013 conference in Chicago!
With deep gratitude and digital sisterhood in my heart,
Ananda, your digital sister
#BlogHer12 Recap #3 – Ananda’s BlogHer Gratitude
Happy Friday!
Last week I joined over 5,000 women and a few good men at the Hilton New York in New York City to celebrate and experience the BlogHer community and economy!
Since returning to my home in Washington, D.C., I have:
- Reflected and journaled about my experiences and lessons learned during the conference (was able to write in my journal thanks to the time I had on my Bolt Bus ride home to D.C. and my daily subway rides to and from work).
- Prepared several blog recaps (posted a few on my blog) that I will be using in chapters for my forthcoming book, Digital Sisterhood: Fierce Living Online for 25 Years.
- Talked to my book editor, parents, team of business advisors, and a few friends about lessons learned from the conference.
- Posted my photos of the moments I cherished most and shared them on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Twitter, and my blog.
- Reached out and connected with new and old blogging friends via Twitter (especially on #DigitalSisterhood Wednesday), Facebook, email, and text messages on my best friend, my HTC EVO smartphone.
- Read and was inspired by many recap blog posts and tweets written by conference attendees.
- Begun to map out the follow up work I need to do between now and the end of 2013 (yes next year) to enhance my talents and skills, expand my thought leadership, deepen my connection and engagement within my own network and the online/offline communities that support me, and further develop my revenue generating streams as an author, artist, blogger, coach, speaker, workshop facilitator, yoga teacher, and Reiki practitioner (what a mouthful!).
- Mailed thank you cards to some of the BlogHer team members and people I did not have a chance to meet or deliver a card to (the southern belle debutante and sorority girl inside of me is compelled to write thank you cards …. my mother is responsible for this behavior).
- Organized my small stash of swag with plans to give some of it away as gifts to family and friends (adoring my favorite swag … the Martha Stewart orange journal …. What can I say? The writer in me loves journals and the Martha Stewart brand!).
This morning I woke up with a deep sense of gratitude for all of the things the BlogHer team and community have done and continue to do. I reflected on how I am a direct beneficiary of their efforts. I remembered the impact their efforts have had on me since my first BlogHer conference in 2009 and the conferences I attended in 2010 and 2011. I smiled at how much I have been able to dream and do as a result of the lessons learned, skills developed, connections I have made, and speaking opportunities I have had. So I wrote an email to BlogHer co-founders Elisa Camahort Page, Lisa Stone, and Jory des Jardins, and members of their amazing team, Polly Pagenhart, Shannon Carroll, Maria Niles, Lori Luna, Amelia Elsbee, and others that was filled with sweet words of gratitude and thanksgiving.
My email talked about how much I value what the BlogHer team does to build and nurture its ever-growing and evolving community, conference, and economy (just love that I can say BlogHer economy … I need a t-shirt to wear in D.C.). I acknowledged how hard it is for them to build a movement, community, business, and economy. I reminded them that because they invest in me I invest in them, and we are ONE! I sprinkled in some of my flowery words and phrases to make them smile and touch their hearts too!
Now I am writing this blog post to say thank you to everyone connected to BlogHer. That means YOU … my fellow attendees, conference volunteers, online community members, speakers, sponsors, vendors, brands, companies, and organizations. Together, we are a movement of passionate and powerful people. May we each recognize, affirm, value, and express our contributions in ways that support our highest and greatest good as individuals, communities, businesses, brands, companies, and organizations!
With deep gratitude and blessings,
Ananda, your digital sister
PS: I am feeling really good due to a Starbucks de-caf venti Cafe Americano with
three pumps of raspberry and my own rice milk, my comfy and cute Ann Taylor Loft dress, and Pandora.com playing in the background! LOL! It’s just that kinda day! Can you feel me?
Ananda Leeke 