Cat Writer’s Association Conference 2018

Ding!  My iPhone announced the arrival of a new e-mail.  Unlocking the phone, I read “CONGRATULATIONS!” in the subject line.  My heart pounded as I read the message.  “You have won a ticket to the Cat Writers’ Association annual conference.”

A million thoughts began to swirl around in my mind.  I actually won?  I’m going to Houston, Texas?  How much vacation time does my husband have left?  What type of clothes should I pack?

With just a week before the conference, my house bustled with activity.  From booking the hotel, to packing, to going over the eight page care guide for our fur babies with my parents, there was so much to do.  Being an active member of the Dog Writers Association of America, I could hardly wait to see what the CWA had in store.

We made the 12 hour drive from Illinois to Texas in record time.  The hotel had its own restaurant and we decided to give it a try.  While we waited for our food, a friendly female hotel guest walked over and complimented me on my cat shirt.  I soon found out that she was also attending the CWA.  We immediately began talking about our blogs and cats.  These are definitely my people!

We made it to Houston…with no problems!

 

The schedule for the conference was packed full of great sessions.

 

The CWA members were so welcoming.  I felt like I was chatting with friends I had known all my life.  We shared photos of our fur babies and talked about our blogs, books, and passion for all things cat.

The first session was entitled Research:  First, Last, and Always.  The panelist did a wonderful job explaining why research is crucial to all types of writing.  They even offered some special tips and tricks along with wonderful resources to help make research a breeze.

 

Panel experts Amy Shojai, Patricia Fry, Arden Moore, and Lea-Ann Germinder.

 

Cozy mystery author Mollie Hunt took to the stage for her session entitled:  Changing the World Through Fiction:  7 (plus 1) Techniques to Effectively Promote Your Point of View.  She delved deep into the world of fiction writing while stressing the importance of maintaining values as an author.  I loved how passionately she spoke about introducing one’s cause into his/her writing.

 

Author Mollie Hunt spoke about adding values in fiction.

 

The CWA Conference keynote was delivered by none other than America’s Veterinarian, Dr. Marty Becker.  His presentation focused on the Fear Free brand that he created to help pets (and their humans) take the stress out of going to see the vet.  Dr. Becker offered up great strategies for attendees wishing to build their own brand.

 

America’s Veterinarian, Dr. Marty Becker!

 

Marketing guru Lynn Thompson shared her knowledge of branding in Brand Yourself!  Presenting a Unified Image Online.  Following a quick break, author/blogger Amy Shojai took to the stage for her presentation:  The Hybrid Author:  Publishing Print, Ebooks, & Audio.  Amy gave great advice as well as links to websites and services that she uses to publish her books.

 

Amy Shojai breaks down the world of publishing.

 

The final presentation on Friday was one of my favorites.  Photographer Rick Reichenbach shared his secrets to taking awesome cat photos in:  Cat Photography Made Simple.  I was blown away at how simple taking photos of my cats can really be.  Reichenbach did a fabulous job of keeping the photographer jargon to a minimum.

As a special treat, CWA attendees were invited to El Gato Cat Cafe.  Having been to Mauhaus Cat Cafe in St. Louis, Missouri, I was eager to attend.

 

El Gato Cat Cafe in Houston, Texas.

 

This cafe is amazing!  The staff was beyond friendly and the cats were simply adorable.  I love the layout and design of the cat rooms.  They are definitely catified.  Jackson Galaxy would be proud.

 

Check out these adorable photos of the gatos!

 

This dedication wall is amazing!

 

I fell in love with this gorgeous muted calico.

 

Toothless dominates the cat bridge.

 

Saturday’s sessions were equally amazing.  Editor Janiss Garza gave an amazing presentation about adventure cats.  She even had her gorgeous cat, Summer, with her.  Summer even performed tricks to the smitten crowd.

Summer dazzled the crowd with her tricks.

 

The final session was presented by Lea-Ann Germinder, President and Founder of Germinder + Associates.  She gave a very informative presentation about storytelling methods that work for brands both on and offline.

CWA attendees were also allowed to attend the CFA Cat Show taking place on the main floor of the hotel.  This was my very first cat show and I absolutely loved it!  All of the owners were more than happy to gush about their cats.

 

Meet Aharon!  Can you believe that this showstopper was left outside by his previous owners?

 

This pretty kitty has only one coat of fur!

 

A judge inspects a kitty contestant.

 

I had a fabulous time at my first CWA conference and cat show.  I’m in the process of completing my CWA application and hope that I will be able to join this group of amazing cat writers soon.  To learn more about the organization, please visit:  http://catwriters.com/wp_meow/

 

Thank you, CWA!

BlogPaws 2018 Review

I had been waiting to attend the BlogPaws conference for years.  My mom surprised me with tickets for my birthday last year.  Since receiving the gift, I began counting down the days until the conference’s arrival.

My husband and I loaded our tripawd pooch, Penny, into the car and made the four hour journey to Kansas City, Missouri.  Not only was this to be our first BlogPaws, but it was their 10th Anniversary Conference as well.  Penny did a fabulous job traveling.  She slept most of the way there!

                                                  We made it to Kansas City, Missouri!

In the three days that followed, we had the privilege of meeting other pet parents and bloggers.  We swapped stories and business cards and of course, snuggles with their fur babies!  I loved getting to meet with representatives from the various brands that were present at the conference.

So much knowledge was contained within every breakout session.  Speaker Elizabeth Keene taught attendees the ins and outs of using Facebook Ads.  I had no idea that I could drill down and see what other pages my followers were viewing.  My husband, Matt, learned about Blogging with Goals with the team from Dragon 360.

I learned how to use the Tailwind app to grow my followers on Instagram.  Melissa Megginson’s presentation was fantastic and provided step-by-step guidance along with other tricks to customizing Tailwind for maximum effect.

One of my favorite sessions was How to Use Instagram Stories to Boost Engagement and Connect with Your Pack.  The speakers Meesha Kauffman, Marika Meeks, Tori Mistick, and Hannah Zulueta were outstanding.  I had never used Instagram stories before attending their lecture.  Now, I use it almost every day.  Their tips were easily attainable and I wish that the session would have been longer.  There is so much to learn!

On Friday, my husband attended The Art of Smartphone Photography.  Being an avid photographer, he was eager to learn new ways to use his phone to capture amazing shots.  Meanwhile, I was attending the Repurpose for Profit:  How to Create a Content Calendar That Can Actually Make You Money given by Abagail Pumphrey and Emylee Williams.  They had so many great ideas on how to multiple the use of my content to other social media channels.

My favorite event was the 1 on 1 sessions.  Attendees could select one speaker to spend 10 minutes with asking any questions about his/her specialty.  I selected Marika Meeks.  She gave me invaluable tips for growing one of my Instagram accounts.  Marika was very friendly and enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge with a fellow pet lover/blogger.

While we were unable to attend the Nose to Nose Awards due to a scheduling conflict with another conference, a BlogPaws worker was nice enough to let us snap a few pics on the red carpet before we had to depart and head to our next destination.

                                               Time for the conference to begin!

 

                                                     Life’s a beach with Chewy.com!

 

                                       Stealing kisses from Penny at the Merrick booth.

 

                                                     Showing off our newbie ribbon.

 

                                              Chilling poolside at the Frontline display.

 

                                           Striking a pose on the BlogPaws red carpet.

 

                       We loved getting to see our friends Ashley and Baxter from Wayside Waifs!

 

                                  It was an honor meeting fellow author Keri Claiborne Boyle!

 

Penny met a fellow tripawd, Skylar!

 

                         We are proud to support Halo and their #HaloFeeditForward campaign.

 

                                          I donned poop glasses at the Humarian booth.

 

                                    Did you know that #PetsStayFree at the Red Roof Inn?

 

                           We enjoyed a delicious lunch thanks to the folks with Seresto.

 

                                                    Hamming it up with Solid Gold.

 

                                                  Penny loved the food by Weruva.

 

                                     Penny loved hanging out with the large Whimzees.

 

                                             Penny got to meet the famous cat, Coco!

 

                                           Penny needed a quick nap between sessions.

 

Penny loved meeting Rochelle from the Broke Dog blog.  Her dog, Henry, looks just like Penny!

 

                                 Getting more snuggles at the Morrison Foundation booth.

 

                       The lovely ladies at Whisk and Wag made delicious treats that Penny loved.

 

                                         Penny begging for more of Tomlyn’s pill paste.

 

                                    Penny definitely wants the new pop up pool from DOOG.

 

                                          Penny takes a diva moment on the red carpet.

 

                                            Penny helped take notes during the sessions.

 

                 Penny and I were beyond excited to meet Bruce Wayne and his cloned puppies!

 

                                        Penny met an adorable Frenchie named Fira!

 

                           Penny loved getting hugs from the ladies at the Frontline display.

 

                                  Jordan from Pets Empower strikes a pose with Penny.

 

                                  Penny made new friends at the Red Roof Inn booth.

 

                                 Penny tried every flavor of treat at the Vita Bone booth.

 

                          So excited to have shared my book at the Living Room display.

 

                                            What an awesome conference!  Time to rest.

If you have never attended a BlogPaws conference, you are missing out!  Not only do you get to meet passionate pet people, but you get to connect with the brands in a one-on-one environment.  Plus, you will receive a ridiculous amount of swag!  Our official BlogPaws swag bags were seriously heavy.  Several brands also gave away free products such as the Comfort Zone Calming Vest and Lenny Pads, washable pee pads.

I’m officially hooked on BlogPaws!  I can’t wait to attend the conference next year in sunny Florida.