Blogging not logging

Blogging not logging.  I guess a blogging conference is hard to explain to some people.  When I told someone that I was going to a blogging conference, they looked at me with a funny expression on their face and said, a "logging conference?"  Can't you just picture a row of those rotating logs (from the old movies) with people walking across the logs.


While I learned a lot about blogging, social media, and animals and received tons of great swag, I have to say that I didn't have to balance on any logs.  The big balancing act for me was having a chance to learn more about blogging and also check out Salt Lake City, Utah (seriously, after flying more than halfway across the country -- how could I not do some site seeing!). 


Although the conference subject matter featured animals, the information provided applied to any type of blogging and social media.  I learned so much and I can't wait to incorporate what I learned into HelitzerBlouseGirl.  


The highlight of the conference -- seeing my 18 year old daughter, Rachel Shubin who writes Sandpiper Cat Blog treated as a serious cat blogger.  Rachel met so many wonderful people at the last BlogPaws conference and had the chance to see them again and meet more people.


The second highlight of the conference -- meeting all those people Rachel knew (ok, so I knew a few of them already, but I can't believe how many great people I met or got to place a face with a blog!).  Ingrid King of the Conscious Cat, Pamela Haines with Moo Kitty Finds a Home, Crystal and Moki of The Wobbly Cat, Deb Barnes of Zee and Zoey, Stephanie Harwin of Catsparella, Angie Bailey of Catladyland, Janea Kelley of Paws and Effect,Robin Olson of Covered in Cat Hair, Teri Thorsteinson of Curlz and Swirlz, Caroline Golon of the Happy Litter Box, Kate Benjamin of Modern Cat, Tamar Arslanian of I Have Cat, Amy Palmer of Seabass Cat, Peter Wolf of Vox Felina,  and Debbie Glovatsky of Glogirly and so many more.  


What could be better than the evening when Rachel and I spent about three hours outside chatting with Pam Haines, Crystal Fogg, and hanging with the awesome Moki the Wobbly Cat, realizing that it was 10:45 p.m. and we hadn't even had dinner yet!

Getting to hold Moki the Wobbly Cat

The third highlight -- exploring Salt Lake City -- from Temple Square and the Desert Book Company, to a great little coffee/tea/art gallery we happened upon, to the amazing farmers market around the corner of the hotel, to Retro Rose (http://www.saltlakecityutah.org/retrorose.htm), a beautiful antique store (store cat included and a lovely young college student who helped me check out all the vintage advertising pens and pencils) and to be lucky enough to be in Salt Lake City during the Utah Art Festival.  Of course, I must mention being able to walk out the hotel door and be surrounded by gorgeous mountains!  I love Salt Lake City!

Retro Rose antique store cat

sand sculpture at the Utah Art Festival

A look into the future of HeltizerBlouseGirl:  posts, pictures, and reflections about the Helitzer Blouse Company; more interviews in the day in the life series (featuring local Fairfax businesses, local Cape May companies, and interviews with the intesting people I met at BlogPaws.


Please let me know if you would like to participate in my day in the life series -- lostcatjulie@gmail.com

BlogPaws

Today, I'm travelling to Salt lake City, Utah, to attend a blogging conference called BlogPaws.  The conference focuses on pet blogs, but I'm sure I will learn a lot about blogging in general.  My daughter, Rachel, who inspired me to blog, just graduated from high school.  The trip is her graduation present.  You can check out her blog at -- http://www.sandpipercatblogspot.com/. 

So be on the lookout for new blog posts from me.  I plan to do some historical posts about the Helitzer blouse business and to continue my day in the life series with  posts featuring small businesses.
 

A day in the life of Ingrid King, author, blogger, cat expert and Reiki Master Practitioner

Ingrid King, self employed author, blogger, cat expert and Reiki Master Practitioner, wakes up happy to go to work.  She does what she loves and she is good at what she does.    

Ingrid wrote the award winning book, Buckley’s Story:  Lessons From a Feline Master Teacher, about her beloved tortoiseshell cat, Buckley. 

Ingrid’s award winning professional blog, http://consciouscat.net/, provides daily insight into the lives of cats – it is a go to blog for anyone seeking reliable, useful, and entertaining cat info.  Ingrid’s tortoiseshell cat, Amber, was the inspiration for The Concious Cat, which currently features Ingrid’s current torties, Allegra and Ruby. 

HBG comment:  I think many of us out there in blog world aspire to have a blog like The Conscious Cat! 

As of today, April 18, 2012, Ingrid’s blogpost about “tortitude” is closing in on 10,000 comments (9717 to be exact).  The tortitude post has led to some amazing friendships (and even romance) between people with the common bond of tortoiseshell cats.  If you don't know what tortitude is, then you probably haven't had a tortoiseshell cat in your life.  You can check out the tortitude blogpost and find out all about tortitude and the unique attitude of tortoiseshell cats.  Here’s the link: http://consciouscat.net/2009/08/17/tortitude-the-unique-personality-of-tortoiseshell-cats/.

HBG:  Can you give me a brief description of your typical day?

Ingrid King:  One of the beauties of being self-employed is that there is no typical day. I’m my own boss, so my schedule varies. My ideal day looks like this:

Get up at 6am, feed the cats, get my first cup of coffee, check e-mail, Facebook, read some of my favorite blogs. Play with the cats (this could be considered research for a future article!), have breakfast, then back to the computer for a full morning of writing blog posts for The Conscious Cat, articles for other publications, and working on my book.

On days when I have Reiki sessions scheduled, I either go visit the client’s home (I see pet clients in a very small geographical area in Northern Virginia), or, if it’s a human client, they’ll come to see me in my home office. I also do remote sessions.

Living in an area of the states known for horrible traffic, you can’t beat Ingrid’s commute, which she describes as going from her bedroom to her office across the hall.    And, some days, Ingrid gets to wear pajamas to work (sorry Ingrid, I couldn’t resist putting that into the blog).

HBG:  What is the best part of your workday/job?

Ingrid King:  Everything! I really love working from home. Writing is my true love, but I also enjoy my Reiki work with both pets and people.

Like most of the self employed workers I’ve featured, the downside of Ingrid’s job is book keeping and the other administrative tasks that come with being self-employed and running her  own business.  HBG comment:  I’m seeing a trend.

For the freelance writing portion of Ingrid’s work, she gets paid usually on a per-article basis. Some publications pay on a per-word basis. Her blog generates income from advertisements. Ingrid charges a set fee for Reiki sessions for both humans and animals.  For more information about Reiki, check out the Reiki tab on The Conscious Cat.

Ingrid doesn’t think of herself as a typical American worker.  HGB finds it really hard to sum up Ingrid’s work in a short day in the life vignette.  She’s a modern day renaissance woman, finding a way to fit all her passions into a small business. 

I love being self-employed and working from home. After working in corporate America for more than fifteen years, and working in a small business (a veterinary clinic) owned by someone else for another eight years, it was quite a change to work for myself. Not having a guaranteed regular income takes a leap of faith, but for me, the freedom I gained by being my own boss has far outweighed any downsides.

And, from what I can discern from Ingrid’s responses to my questions, her biggest job hazard:  cats on her desk!

Work: the 24 hour day.

As part of my day in the life of a modern American worker/small business series, I’ve been describing the typical day at various jobs in the modern American work force.

HBG:  If you saw an ad for this job, would you take it?

Hours:  6 a.m.  (may be called to work earlier) to 11 p.m. (may be required to work later); on call 24/7, no sick days, no vacation days, no holidays, no salary or wages.   Job requires lots of driving, negotiating, planning, balancing, juggling; may involve coaching a sports team; lunch break not guaranteed.

HBG:  Don’t think so.

We all know what job I’m describing – the job of a parent, a mom, dad or both.  A job that doesn’t have defined hours, defined time off, a job that never really has a typical day and a job that’s work description varies with the years; a job that never really ends.

So now that we’re in the 2000s, can’t we just get over the who works harder debate of working moms versus stay at home moms.  We all know that life isn’t fair, isn’t equal, not everybody gets to make choices.  Some of us are rich, some of us are poor, some of us are in-between, some of us have to work at a paying job, some can work at a paying job part time and some can choose to not work outside of the house at a paying job.  

Did you note that I had to put in the words – “paying job.”  If I didn’t, then I might offend someone.  Can we just get over it and call it work with the knowledge that not all work is paid for in money?  

A day in the life of Shawn Warner, owner of the restaurant, Choices By Shawn

The next time you are looking for a great place to eat, stop by Choices By Shawn, located in the historic Moore house in Fairfax City.  The restaurant’s name reflects Shawn’s belief that “people should have a choice of what they want to eat, some people like to eat healthy and some don’t, some have to eat gluten free, some dairy free and I just thought that Choices fit what I wanted to say.”

When asked if owning Choices is the best job she’s had, the owner, Shawn Warner, answers, “definitely.” 

Shawn’s work on any given day could encompass any part of restaurant work.  She’s done every job in the restaurant.  Here’s how Shawn describes a typical day in her life as the owner of Choices:

I arrive at work at 10:30 Monday through Friday, 8:30 on Saturday and 10:00 on Sunday. I get the restaurant ready for service for the day with the help of one of my servers and one kitchen staff, I do my daily financial report, generally make sure that the restaurant is running smoothly that the customers are happy, help the cook with lunch order if necessary. Order items for the restaurant whether it be food, paper supplies, equipment. Make sure all the equipment is running properly, etc.

Most days, Shawn wakes up happy to go to work.  Like most small business owners, she feels stressed when business is slow. 

Meeting new customers, seeing her regular customers, and hearing positive feedback about Choices comprise the best part of her job.  Paying bills and dealing with staffing issues are the downside of her work.

Just like many modern American workers, Shawn’s job isn’t always a piece of cake.  Shawn doesn’t take a salary because she puts all the money goes back into the business. 

 

HBG:  Do you feel that you are a typical American worker?

Shawn:   I think that anyone who owns a restaurant works a lot of hours, and has a lot of headaches.

But being the owner, gives Shawn a chance to contribute to making the world a better place when she uses the restaurant for charity work.  I know for certain that Shawn makes the lives of those with Celiac disease, gluten intolerance, dairy allergies or those preferring vegetarian fare, better, by offering foods to suit those needs. 

I can say from personal experience that you can’t help but feel good when you bite into a piece of Shawn’s fluffy white coconut cake or sip the butternut squash and apple soup or enjoy a delicious burger or salad – oh, the choices!


For more information about Choices By Shawn, here's the website:
http://choicesbyshawn.com/home/

A day in the life of Mindi -- adjunct professor at a large community college

Mindi teaches English as a Second Language (ESOL), as part of the adjunct faculty at a community college.  Mindi receives a salary, wears nice casual clothes, and wakes up happy to  teach her four classes.

Mindi enjoys talking to her students and colleagues.  She doesn’t like when her students don’t do well in class.

HBG:  Do you feel that you contribute to making our world a better place to live?

Mindi:   I feel like I am an ambassador to new immigrants.  I make them feel welcome and comfortable.

Mindi doesn’t feel that she is a typical American worker because she works part time, has a large break between her semesters, and has a lot of freedom.

HBG:  What is the best job you’ve had in your work career?   I hope it is your current job!

Mindi:  I think this job is a great job.  I think I am making a difference in many people's lives.

HBG:  How great is that!

A Day in the Life of Sheri -- senior writer and technical editor

Sheri, Senior Writer and Technical Editor, employed by Aquent LLC (working as a contractor for Aquent’s clients), says she doesn’t feel like the typical American worker because her work doesn’t feel like work (HBG comment:  can you get a better job than that!).

Sheri likes her contractor status because she gets to write and edit for different clients.  Her day varies depending if she is on-site at a client or if she is working at home through teleconferencing and Skype calls.  Her contractor status gives her the ability to do what she loves – write and edit and not get bogged down in management meetings.

Although Sheri has the pleasure of working from home, she doesn’t feel isolated in her job: 

My work as a technical editor is not as solitary as it may seem, because it involves interviewing Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), who may be computer programmers and modelers, scientists, hydrogeologists, government planners, water conservation experts, engineers, lawyers, etc. (This is true for all writing and editing I do. I’ve interviewed law firm partners, business owners and executives, doctors, the adult children of genocide survivors.) Sometimes materials already exist and need to be edited for voice, style, grammar. Many times I’m creating new content. Technical writing and editing is highly collaborative. It requires intellectual curiosity and better-than-average communication and people skills.

When Sheri works on-site at a client’s office, she follows their dress code.  At home, she gets to wear whatever she likes and the big perk is – no shoes!

Sheri’s biggest job hazard:  writer’s block.  HBG:  doesn’t sound like that happens too often.

HBG:  Do you feel that you contribute to making our world a better place to live?

S:  That question is certainly on my mind when I accept new projects. I cannot write or work for anyone or any organization that goes against my values. I do my best to use my writing to do good work. In the past I’ve worked pro bono for a women’s shelter, I’ve written letters for charitable causes, and I just offered my services to Obama’s reelection campaign people in NY. I’m also writing two books which I hope will be educational and valuable to readers.

Sheri is currently enjoying her work at a state water management agency, whose work is to protect the area’s water supply and environment.  How could you not like working for a entity with the tagline: “We do the coolest work on the planet!”