Just got back from the Successful and Outstanding Blogger Publisher Conference in Chicago, and am proud to say I have at least 50 new friends, and at least 50 other new people I can share ideas with. If you’re looking for a full recap of the day in one article, Easton Ellsworth has a great recap called Thoughts on Better Blogging.

I’ll share a few things I learned at this great conference, and how I’ll apply them to my life.

5 Things I Learned at SOBCon: Phil Gerbyshak

1. Smiles and Hugs are Powerful Medicine – Friday night at conference kick-off, Christine Kane performed and proved why she is my favorite musician. And I thought it couldn’t get better. And then Wendy Piersall bounced into the room, and hugged EVERYBODY! Thank you Wendy! Your energy is inspiring! Check out my Flickr photo gallery for many smiles and hugs, and know that 1 smile, 1 hug, can change the world! It changed mine!
2. Knowledge Sharing is the Life to Live – If you’re thinking that someone out there is going to steal your ideas, then you are living a scarce life my friend. 110 people at Conference, and 110 different ideas on how to improve your business. WHOA! Share what you have, and you get more. It’s quite simple. Thanks to everyone who shared their ideas with me. Rodney Rumford, the fact that you shared as much as you did about a fairly new company still in alpha inspires me. Thank you!
3. I’m a Publisher, NOT a Blogger – Mike Rohde said it best when he said “Why do we define ourselves by our medium. People with websites don’t call themselves “websiters” why do we call ourselves “bloggers?”" Liz Strauss talked about this, and then David Armano really made this point. Think about what others value that you do, and talk with their vocabulary, not in “blog speak.”
4. Open the door and let ‘em in – When you write, make sure you leave some room for others to talk, or you’ll be writing alone. And isn’t more fun to write with someone amazing who inspires you like Lisa Gates? So leave some room, and don’t tie it all up neatly. This is a place for you to continue the conversation, and help me improve.
5. BE BOLD – Lorelle VanFossen reminded me of something I know and talk about, but that I don’t always do: BE BOLD! (NOTE: I am working on a bold move that will be done by September 1st. More on that soon.) Life is too short to be meek, so we must be bold and take action today. We are so close to breaking through, we just need a small push. Partner with someone who will push you to take action if you’re afraid. YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE! Kammie says this all the time: Let your passion meet your purpose and GO GET IT! I’m almost there friends. Thanks for continuing to support me on the journey
   

I could go on about what I learned, and I will be writing a few articles around some of the ideas I learned, but for now, I wanted to ask a few questions:

• What are you afraid of?
• What’s the worst that can happen?
• What’s the best advice you’ve ever received and why was it so good?
• How can I help you make it better?
• Anything else I’m missing?

Thanks to all my new friends who shared their life with me this weekend in Chicago, and to all the new friends I know will come into my life the rest of this year. If you’d like some photographic memories of what I did this past weekend, I managed to take pictures with many awesome people this weekend. I posted them at my Flickr photo gallery. I hope you enjoy them.

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