Joyfully Inspired to Build My Own Empire at #BYOE15

She came! She saw! She set out to build her empire!
 Blogalicious was this past weekend.  I registered months ago, spent months anxiously awaiting the conference and it flew by so quickly. Blogalicious was every thing that I expected it to be. Fun. Informative. Engaging. Encouraging. Inspiring.  I could go on and on.  The theme was Build Your Own Empire and I left ready to do just that.
This was my fourth Blogalicious.  It is kind of like a reunion.  Seeing blogger friends like I Choose The Sun and Curvy CEO and actually connecting in person is great.  The conference was familiar and comforting but this year it was also different.  At first I thought it was because I was not able to go last year but then I realized exactly what it was.  Blogalicious has matured.  This is no longer a conference of social media enthusiasts super excited to meet their blog icons in person and pass out their newly ordered business cards.  Blogalicious is now a community of entrepreneurially focused and dedicated bloggers, and brands set out to create the lives and that they want.
During the sessions, classes, and networking opportunities there was not much focus on blogger basics like getting more followers and page views {not that we don't all want that > sign up here to get blog posts delivered to your email :-)}.  Instead we were focused on growing and financing our own empire.  Step by step guidance was offered on how to sell products from t shirt, to e-books, and webinars.  Opportunities for collaborations and business coaching were presented.  The conference lived up to the Build Your Own Empire (#BYOE15)  theme and we were given the tools to do just that.
This conference left me more introspective than any other.  I shared the sentiments of another attendee who stated she realized she was the only thing standing in the way of her success.  There is so much that we want out of life but it is really scary to go for it all.  To step out and take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself takes courage.  To ask for help or even pay for help feels risky.  Fear has been holding me back. When I look through the many pages of notes I took a conference in the margins I have written notes to myself like "I'm not living up to my potential.  I can do so much more", "Get tough! This is your life" and "There is nothing I can do to fit every one's expectations so live up to my own"
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore was one of the conference speakers.  She said "Be your best self to do your best work"  Blogalicious has given me the tips, tools, and inspiration to do just that.  Chasing Joy will be my best work!
Have you ever been to a blog or social media conference? Were you at Blogalicious #BYOE15?  Did you find it as impactful and life changing as I did?  What feeling did you come away with?