With the first day of BlogFest behind us, it’s on to day number two. The morning started off with a Bootcamp workout with Sweat Pink, Maureen Faherty and Caroline Earle… but for me, it started with sleeping in. I know, I know. But with the next two sessions being with Celebrity trainers, I needed to be on my game and smelling fresh. Ha. So slept in until 8am and rolled into the sessions looking so fresh and so clean ready to feel inspired and motivated.

Listening to Cassey Ho, Blogilates

I don’t remember when I started following Cassey and Blogilates, but I know she was one of the first social people I was intrigued by. I definitely wasn’t one of her “first” followers, but I know it was early on and before she quote, unquote: “blew up.” I never worked out to one of her videos, but having a marketing and design background, how she approached social media caught my attention. Her story was great to listen to and how she started out making videos for her students so that they could workout with her after she moved and it just sort of grew from there as she made more and more and always did it with a smile and character. She has since moved into more ventures with activewear and books, but her approach to marketing herself and Blogilates has always been top-notch.

 

 

Keynote by Jillian Michaels

You know the name and you might be familiar with her from her time on “Biggest Loser.” I never watch the show, but for some reason, I had a preconceived notion that Jillian Michaels is a kick-ass, no excuses trainer that pushes you to your limits — which may be how they portrayed her on the show: fair or not. But I was unaware at how passionate she is about her role in the fitness world, how inspirational she can be, and how she has transitioned herself over the years through success and mistakes. It was a funny feeling in the room as everyone was super excited to hear her speak — and several people said during the Q&A that their perception of her “before” she spoke drastically changed after we heard her tell her story. You could almost feel this entire shift through the room… it’s one of the weirdest things I’ve experienced and many people relayed similar feelings afterwards. I walked away feeling inspired.

 

 

If you like it, then you better put a ring on it

Once Jillian left the stage, the room was a buzz. Everyone was chatting and you could feel that there was an energy in the room. Lisa, of Merrithew Health & Fitness hosted a Tweet Break and when she said are there any runners in the room, my hand SHOT UP and she gave me a shout out on the mic… I laughed and it made me truly smile that she knew who I was — although being one of the few guys in the room, I was probably easy to spot. Every person in the room received a Fitness Circle and was walked through a couple exercises with @STOTT_PILATES. We also received a DVD in our welcome packets with additional workouts.

 

Business of Blogging

After feeling inspired and having a quick workout with our circles, we were back to learning about blogging with some big names: Ashley Long, Jessica Mishra, and Katy Widrick. It might not be something that we think of right away, but it IS something that is very important: the legal side of blogging. Ashley shared some great insight into how bloggers can (and should be) protecting themselves. There was also important information about taxes and the numbers behind blogging that Jessica shared and it might not be something that we think about, but blogging can be a business and many of us should take the right steps to make sure we are treating it like one if that is your goal.

Katy Widrick — I knew she was incredibly smart and I know that she helps out bloggers with questions all the time, but I was SERIOUSLY impressed. If she was already a 10, she is now an 11 in my book. With my marketing and design background, she was speaking my language and delivering it to the room like a boss. No joke. She was covering important information, but sharing it in a clear fashion that was easily understandable. It’s a talent to take lots of detailed information and deliver it a clear manner. I made it a point to remember to tell her how great she did — and thankfully, I remembered and did.

Check out her blog, it’s full of amazing information on Marketing, Media Kits, Social Media, etc.

Bootcamp with Kasey, PowerCakes

This was also part of the reason I didn’t get up early, because I knew that I was going to be working out with Kasey, aka: PowerCakes. As I have said before, I don’t really workout that much apart from running, but I wasn’t going to turn down a chance to workout with Kasey. If you are unfamiliar with Kasey, check out her blog. She inspires, teaches and does MORE with community and charity. Most importantly, she exemplifies how beauty and strength can (and should be) portrayed in our society. Strength comes in many different ways and finding YOUR path is something everyone can get behind. In her own words: Be True To You™ – that’s trademarked, don’t sue me Kasey.

We partnered up and I got a chance to workout with Shannon — badassfitness.com and she is so much fun. Incredibly strong and I was deathly afraid that the “Badass Drill Sergeant” was going to kick my ass when I started crying screaming “I’m tired,” but she was a great workout partner. Kasey led us through a full-body circuit workout and it was a great way to break up the day. I’m glad I made it and wanted to give a shout out to HumanX for hosting us and putting us through an effective California-style workout.

 

 

Bloggers Telling All

The next session after lunch was a light-hearted one that I think many of the room was excited for. It was a panel with Monica, Julie, and Gina — three successful bloggers answering questions and sharing their insight into the world of blogging at a professional level. The great thing is that even though all three of these bloggers are successful at what they do, they approach it in their own way and create their own path towards success. The constant was to do your own thing and be authentic… it was a constant theme in how they share their story. They don’t ALL do the same things in terms of sharing content, but they each reach a large audience by being true to themselves.

 

 

Under Armour: I Will What I Want

We got a chance to listen to Under Armour talk about their “I Will What I Want” campaign and get a peek inside how UA is redefining marketing the female athlete in a major way and doing it on their own terms. Bay Area (and national) superstar Shauna Harrison was there and I’ll talk more about her later as some of us were fortunate enough to workout with her Saturday morning. If you want to see an inspirational video with Misty Copeland, check out this one — it’s all the things.

Yoga with Tara Stiles

Everyone that attended the  “Showcase Sanctuary Featuring Tara Stiles,” received a pink yoga mat from Reebok and was treated to an amazing experience with one of the biggest yoga instructor names in the industry right now. Once she got past the Warrior pose, I was pretty much a goner, but I’m glad I sat in towards the back and was able to move through a few poses. There were definitely some advanced moves that I wasn’t able to hang with, but the “sanctuary” part of the title allowed many of us, towards the back to find our own special places and enjoy the experience. Whether it was a simple downward dog pose or lying on our backs and taking a moment to rest, all were welcome and all were celebrated. I was going to strike an awesome pose in the photo… but didn’t want to show off.

 

Lightning Round and Closing Party

BlogFest ended with a lightning round where several people gave a talk matched with a presentation that changed slides every 30-seconds. It was a fun way to take a look at some of the bloggers around us tell their story, in their own way. Afterwards, there was  closing party where many of us took the opportunity to get to know each other even more and celebrate the two-day fest that we all experienced. Some of us said our goodbyes and some of us took the opportunity to talk to each other for the first time. It was a great way to close out BlogFest. Some of us would be sticking around for the last day of IDEA World, but BlogFest had come to an end and it was an experience that most of us are glad we were a part of for the inaugural year. I can only imagine that it will be LARGER in years to come, which is a crazy thought.

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Did you miss Day 1?
Day 1 at BlogFest — all the selifes

Scheduled for Wednesday:
Idea World Day 3 — includes workouts with Under Armour and Shauna Harrison, Les Mills Grit, and Learning about Fitness Writing

GIVEAWAY ENDING:
Nike Women’s Marathon giveaway ends this week.

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Which type of workout do you prefer: yoga, circuit training, bootcamps?