VancouverMom.ca recently named its 2018 list of Top 30 Vancouver Mom Bloggers. Now in its 9th year, Vancouver’s most anticipated blogger event is happening on June 19th!
In 2016 I was nominated and chosen to be one of Vancouver Mom’s top 30 Vancouver Mom Bloggers and I want to share a bit about what being part of this group has meant to me.
Here’s the 2016 group, one of the fantastic photos taken by Michelle Morelos Photography.
2015 marked my return to Vancouver after 20+ years living abroad. My work as a chef on yachts had taken me to The Bahamas, Dubai, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. I lived in Florida and California, and had been a resident of the United States since 1998. I started my blog in California after my daughter was born, and had made friends with other bloggers in the Palm Springs area, but I only knew a few in Vancouver, one of whom, Scarlett Ballantyne, nominated me in 2016.
Community
Two things happened immediately upon being included in the Top 30. First, I was immediately part of a big community of women who support each other’s online endeavors, and often see each other at local events. I’ve been on the move my entire life, and whenever I pause someplace, the first thing I do is connect with people, and find my tribe. Writing can be a very lonely gig. I was telling my cousins yesterday that most days I commute to work, from the bedroom upstairs, to the office downstairs, but sometimes I don’t bother and just work in my bedroom.
Being part of a community that gets what I do and why I do it helps alleviate some of that isolation, even if we only communicate online.
Public Relations
The second benefit of being in the 2016 Top 30 group was that my website got a ton of exposure, and got me placed on a lot of local public relations company lists. PR companies reach out to bloggers on their lists when an event needs to be promoted, or when a brand they rep wants to run an influencer campaign. Being on the pr lists has brought me a lot of fun opportunities, like taking Offspring to Odysseo by Cavalia during Media Week when we were treated like VIPs, as well as the chance to write sponsored posts for big clients like Nestle.
The 2018 Event
The 2018 Top 30 have been announced and there’s going to be a terrific event VINTAGE: A Celebration of Vancouver’s Top 30 Mom Bloggers on June 19h, from 7:00– 9:00 pm at the University Women’s Club of Vancouver at Hycroft.
The event will feature a wine-tasting from the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association.
Get your tickets HERE.