WRITERS

WordCamp with Bluehost: The Gift of a Lifetime

We’re in the middle of “the giving season” and there’s nothing like receiving a gift and wondering what’s inside. Some gifts go beyond your wildest expectations. The WordCamp giveaway that Bluehost chose to send me to was one of those. This life-changing event started with some extraordinary people.
I wish I could introduce you to everyone at Bluehost. Their team was energetic, fun, kind, and genuine. From hugs-at-first-meeting to side-splitting laughs on the way to the after party (at the amazing Science Adventure Center) I felt like family with the crew, and I couldn’t be more thankful for them.

WordCamp itself: incredible. The Music City Center was as unique as it was grand. Over 1,000 people with different specialties, passions, and skills came together for the WordPress global community event. I met so many individuals committed to sharing their strengths to make WordPress the exceptional organization that it is.
 
 
 
My catch-phrase for the weekend: “I’m new.” I didn’t go to school for website development. I’ve loved blogging on WordPress, but I’m not a techie guru. I had a lot of questions, and not one of them was met with an eye-roll or deep sigh. People were not only excited share their expertise and opinion, many of them wanted to keep in touch. One girl explained to me (after an awesome Nashville hot chicken lunch with her group) that it’s “the WordPress way.”
 
The speakers and variety of topics covered at WordCamp were so vast, I really don’t know how to narrow down the focus. I learned about how to run a successful online business, create a financial forecast, use great tools and plug-ins, about Gutenberg and many of the things developers troubleshoot and innovate to make everything run well. It’s an intense amount of work! Another cool thing was…
 
 
 
Everyone could help. The final day of the conference was “Contributor’s Day.” Anyone could go, join a team, pitch in if you wanted to. I sat with a team to learn the ropes, and I found a typo! I know it’s a small contribution, but I enjoyed being a part of making something great even better.
 
I was thinking about my original post tonight; about why I wanted Bluehost to send me to WordCamp. I wanted to take a new step – the next step with inventing my story. And I wanted to encourage others to do the same. On my trip, I discovered through talking with people about their stories that I am not alone.
 
The Bluehost team, every Uber driver I met in Nashville, real techie gurus, moms, dads, authors, speakers, CEO’s, and even a nurse practitioner dedicated to ending cancer – there are many people in the world with stories full of hope and invention. When we grow & work together, amazing things truly happen every day. Thank you, Bluehost for the gift of a lifetime.
 
My challenge to you this week is give the gift of a listening ear to someone else’s story – then encourage them on their way! And check out Bluehost if you are looking for an awesome web hosting company. They partner with WordPress, and they have made a huge difference in my life story.
 
 
 
Keep inventing your story, and Merry Christmas!

Uncategorized

Dreams Do Come True – Thank You Bluehost

Grab your guitars y’all – we are going to Nashville, Tennessee!

Bluehost was true to their word. I took the challenge to enter their WordCamp US 2017 Giveaway on my last blog post – and I still don’t believe it, but I won!

I’m so excited (and amazed!) at this incredible gift. Here’s the low-down on how generous they’ve been with this giveaway:

  • A roundtrip flight to Nashville, TN
  • 4-night stay in a hotel
  • WordCamp backpack full of essentials for WordCamp ($150 value)
  • 1 entry ticket to WordCamp US
  • One $250 gift card for expenses during WordCamp US

YEE-HAW!

I feel like you can move my life into the fiction section of the library now. Seriously! Did this really happen? Yes, it did. Can it happen for you too? Keep stepping in the direction of your dreams and yes! Doors will open up for you. Keep inventing your story!

What is WordCamp anyway?

WordCamp is a community organized event that connects WordPress enthusiasts from all over. At the conference, speakers empower and equip attendees to grow in excellence and expand horizons. It’s a fantastic way to connect with cool, motivated people who make a difference every day. I’ve never been there before, and I can’t wait to soak it all in.

If you want to kick it up in Nashville with WordPress & Bluehost, follow their blog like I did, and stay up-to-date on what they’re doing. It’s a fantastic resource for anyone with a website. And you can still sign-up for this year’s conference. If you come, I would love to meet you!

I will definitely share more of my story with you as everything at WordCamp gets rolling. So far, in my excited flurry to connect with them, I accidentally gave them the wrong phone number to contact me! Bluehost couldn’t be cooler, and I am just thanking God that I get to hang out with them in a few weeks.

In the meantime, thank you for journeying with me.  I want to hear your success stories too, so we can celebrate together. What has been a catalyst in your story so far?

Happy Inventing!