Join Me For ShiftCon 2014: An Eco Wellness Social Media Conference

For many years, I've been blogging and using social media to connect with other people. If someone were to ask me why I'm involved in social media, I would probably say that there are two reasons: One is to connect with other people, which means making friends, learning from others, and having conversations (both meaningful and frivolous). The other reason is to be a part of social change, learning about how to make the world a better place and inspiring other people to get involved in that change.  On my blog, I talk about that through the lens of parenting and feminism, but there are of course many other avenues to social change as well.

Through the years, I've attended a lot of blogging and social media conferences. I've learned a lot and made some really meaningful connections. But in most cases, I leave with some hesitation because the values and goals of the conference or of the other people attending just weren't in line with mine. The hyper focus on working with brands, especially those that leave a bad taste in my mouth, leaves me cold. For a long time, I've talked after conferences with other people about the possibiity of doing something new, something different, something that would be a true fit for those of us who want to see the world become a better place and don't see a role for multinational earth-polluting, body-polluting, profit-above-all corporations in that change. But I'm not an event planner. I have ideas, I like to teach, I like to learn, and I like to network, but the nitty gritty of booking spaces, and making schedules, and setting rates is not for me.

So I was thrilled when someone else stepped up and agreed to take on that challenge. Leah Segedie from Bookieboo/Mamavation, who I've known for many years and who has worked on a lot of causes that are close to my heart, has taken on the challenge of organizing a new conference called ShiftCon that is going to be held in Los Angeles, California from October 2 to 4, 2014. 

ShiftCon is going to be a great opportunity for you, as a blogger, to:

• Share your ideas
• Connect with other eco wellness changemakers
• Collaborate with others on issues that are important to you
• Network with brands that  value and support transparency, health and eco-friendly values (check out their criteria for sponsors here)
• Learn through the experience of professionals who've been involved in social change and eco wellness issues
• Socialize and share great food (local, organic food trucks!) with other bloggers

I'll be there for sure and have agreed to speak at the conference about some of my experiences navigating advocacy in the social media space. If you are passionate about using social media for good and making the world a better place, get a ticket now. If you have ideas or experiences that you want to share with others, you can also put in a speaker proposal.

A limited number of early bird tickets are on sale now for $297. Once they are gone, the price goes up to $347.

Do you have questions about the conference? Ideas? Are you going to join me there? Leave a comment and let me know.

Comments

[Nat]

I find this comment very interesting: But in most cases, I leave with some hesitation because the values and goals of the conference or of the other people attending just weren't in line with mine FOLLOWED by this So I was thrilled when someone else stepped up and agreed to take on that challenge. Leah Segedie from Bookieboo/Mamavation, -

The reason I find this interesting is that initially I was excited by this concept. An event that is not endorsed by large corporations/brands, but yet when I check out the Website for Leah Segedie it looks like she works with many corporations/brands that would appear to not match your values - Subway, Sony, Lands End.

She also has some part of Fitcation which is sponsored by other large corporations - Dole?

[phdinparenting]

Nat:

Thank you for your comment.

There is a difference between the brands that Leah chooses to work with on a day-to-day basis for her own company and the brands that can sponsor the conference. I'm sure she has her own criteria for the brands she works with, but that is distinct from the criteria that has been established for the conference: http://shiftconmedia.com/sponsors/sponsor-guidelines/

Leah and I agree on the criteria for the sponsors to the conference and it has been transparently laid out on the conference website.

I hope that helps to clarify.

[mumby]

Congratulations! I know you guys will attract a unique crowd with unique conversations! Hope I can go!! xo

[Leah Segedie]

Hey it's Leah. Last year, my network severed ties with about 85% of my previous clients because they contained genetically modified ingredients. That was where I had drawn the line for the network. Since then, we have actually gone further and restricted ingredients in personal care products, cleaning products, etc. Those standards are about the same as the conference. So yes, I've worked for a bunch of companies we would not side with in ShiftCon. Today, that is not the case anymore. They are all my previous clients so I keep them all up there. You can read about all the changes to my business here, http://bookieboo.com/what-we-do-for-brands/.

Good catch! And I totally understand where you are coming from.