As you know, I was incredibly nervous before the Learn to Blog seminar. The Marketing Director at Healthworks realized this, so she suggested that we meet at Bouchee before the seminar to go over the format of the talk and enjoy a cocktail to relax my nerves.
Bouchee serves authentic French brasserie cuisine in an upbeat and beautifully designed setting. They have a wonderful outdoor patio for that authentic cafĆĀ© experience.
But, Hannah and I sat inside at the bar instead.
I couldn’t decide what type of wine I wanted to drink, so the bartender gave me a sampling of three Chardonnays. Fun! š
The Chardonnays were from Sonoma, Columbia Valley, and Burgundy. I liked them all, but I really loved the Chard from the Columbia Valley. Mmmm!
After a drink to calm my nerves, we headed to Healthworks for the seminar. Hannah kept the event very informal by setting it up in the small cafe area.
Of course, there was food at the seminar!
I was starving, so I dug right in and prepared a plate for myself.
The seminar itself went pretty well. About 10 women attended, which made speaking in front of a group much easier. I was still super nervous, but I rambled my way through it. I talk a lot when I am nervous!
Hannah opened up the talk with brief introductions and then went on to explain the new blogging program at Healthworks. In the next few months, Healthworks is taking the program and the blog in a new direction.
From now until October 14th, interested bloggers may apply to receive Healthworks Club Cash credit when they blog for HW. Bloggers will be able to earn up to $35/week in credit to use for personal training, fitness sessions, spa services, or cafĆĀ© products. Sweet! Good thing I like to blog! š
All Healthworks members and employees are welcome to apply. Full details and a link to apply can be found by clicking here.
Next, I talked about the history of Carrots ‘N’ Cake, why I started blogging, and how I got started with Blogger and then WordPress. The women had a lot of questions about blogging, so we covered photography, coming up with strong post titles, how the blog can motivate you and keep you accountable with health goals, and tips for increasing readership. I think I did a good job answering their questions. I actually felt like I knew what I was talking about!
A number of the ladies were actually readers of my blog, so it was cool meeting them in person.Ā Melissa and I snapped a photo after the seminar, so be sure to check out her recap. Her blog has a fun name too! š
I was so relieved once the seminar was over! It actually wasn’t as nerve-racking as I had expected. Everyone was so nice and really wanted to learn about blogging, which made the whole experience much more enjoyable– even fun! (I never thought I would say that about public speaking!)
Before heading home, I grabbed another plate of food. I guess had I worked up an appetite!
I arrived home a little after 8:00 pm, ate a quick dinner, and plopped down on the couch with Mal and Murphy. My energy was shot.
After a great night of sleep, I’m feeling much better this morning. I think my internal clock is finally back to normal!
Breakfast post coming soon!