October is nearly over, and that means in just over two weeks geeks from all over will be descending on Los Angelas.  BlogWorld’s bi-annual conference hits the west coast this year with a vengeance, and judging by the lineup it’s going to be a fantastic conference.

It’s funny though.  I always joke around with attendees because I’m sort of an anomaly.  Everyone attending BlogWorld is a blogger, podcaster, or new media professional, and then there’s me.  As I like to tell people, I’m the mechanic in the room full of car enthusiasts – I’m the silent sentry that’s ever vigilant on keeping their websites up and running, performing well, and looking nice.  Not that I don’t blog, or podcast, or engage with social networks; it’s just that I’m so busy giving that my own blog suffers.  The old saying goes, “The cobbler’s kids shoes are always the worst” and that rings true every time on my own blog, podcasts (when I am recording them) and twitter account.

BlogWorld for me is a change to recharge.  I’ve heard it mentioned before that BlogWorld is what South-by-Southwest was before it got huge – not that it’s necessarily small!  But whereas people at SxSW can get by with a party pass and a couch to crash on, BlogWorld is definitely more speaker focused – you’ll want to attend sessions just to see what all the fuss is about.

Plus, because of the nature of the conference, you get the chance to meet people you’d never otherwise see (other than online).  Chris Brogan, Jason Falls, Darren Rowse, Guy Kawasaki – I could go on and on but these are people who are in the trenches living and breathing this stuff every day and you and I get to meet them.

BlogWorld NY, earlier in the year, was a turning point for me as a speaker.  I’d always loved (and still love) doing WordCamps and BarCamps, but this is the major leagues and the expectations are high.  I was honored to see a packed house with people stuffed into the doorway trying to get in.  It truly vindicated me as an influencer (at least, I’ve tried to live up to the hype).

So for me, BlogWorld is a chance to get away from the “doing” that goes on day after day and get a fresh perspective.  It allows me to meet people who are doing the day-to-day magic that I strive to do, and see that 1) They’re normal people, just like you and me, and 2) They are willing to impart their knowledge.

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If I’ve piqued your interest, you’ll be happy to know that there are two ways you can attend.  You can hop on a plane and show up, or you can attend virtually.  If you want to attend in person (and believe me, it’s worth it if you can) then you can use this link to get 20% off (or click on the button in my sidebar – both lead to the same link).

Virtual tickets are new-ish to BlogWorld this year, but they’re super cool.  You get access to all of the recorded sessions, plus some behind-the-scenes interviews, videos, and all of that other stuff.  Plus, it’s a lot cheaper because you don’t have a hotel or airfare to contend with.  You can grab a virtual ticket here and join in from the comfort of your own bedroom.

I hope to see you there – and if you are planning on attending, look me up.  More than likely I’ll be the one wearing the awesome fedora and talking to people about WordPress 🙂