Where do business and blogging intersect?

A couple of nights ago I took part in a really interesting discussion exploring the relationship between business and blog.  Why should business owners blog?  What might the benefits be?  Where to start? I was a panelist for an event with Crave Calgary, along with two talented locals:  cookbook author and writer, Julie Van Rosendaal and professional organizer, Kirsten Wreggitt.  My thanks to Kim Page Gluckie, local Crave...

How to build engagement on Twitter

Twitter engagement – is it really all that elusive? I was asked by someone recently to share some thoughts on social media, especially Twitter, in the hopes that I would pass along a little advice or a few suggestions.  One of the biggest pieces of advice I gave struck me as funny to say out loud, but I was being honest.  I thought I would write about what I shared here to start a bit of a conversation. As many of you...

Privacy in a social world

Those of us who live with one foot in an online world, and one foot firmly grounded in real life will eventually spend time thinking about privacy. And if you haven’t already, you will now, yes? How do you manage your privacy online? Perhaps you worried about it when first getting online. You guarded your real name, your location, your personal details carefully. Then as time went on, you made connections that turned...

Why write?

Writing does strange things to us. I’m a private person. There are a lot of things in my head and heart that aren’t said out loud, and that don’t ever hit the page.  There are times when honest words are hard to share, and yet, I feel pulled to do it, again and again. What do I gain from sharing what is on my mind, cluttering my thoughts or spilling out of my heart? Why write? In a time when living our lives online can...

Words

Words are tricky. They are conniving little things – whether written in secret, tucked away for safekeeping, or groomed for public viewing.  They can be even more difficult when shared with others, or spoken aloud. A word, a sentence, can be all we need for a conversation to begin – for anything to begin, really. Or it can be all that is needed for an ending. Do we give enough respect to these words that are written...

Update on the Sask film industry

My Saskatchewan includes the Saskatchewan film industry. Does yours? Today, again, I am supporting the Saskatchewan Film Industry.  They have taken to social media to share their story, to update their communities on what has been happening lately, and to call for change. I’ve pulled together a few links to help others see why this issue deserves attention, support, and momentum! Here’s why you’ll see me...

The Good Earth Food and Wine Co. – Wine Coun...

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit the Niagara wine region with Wine Country Ontario during my Blissdom Canada conference.  I have already written about my first stop of the wine excursion, if you missed that post you should be sure to pop back and read it as well. Our second stop came later that Sunday morning, when we were warmly welcomed by The Good Earth Food and Wine Co.  The sun was warming us nicely, and we...

Flat Rock Cellars – Wine Country Ontario tou...

Raise your hand if you love wine… While in Toronto for Blissdom Canada last weekend, I had the opportunity to take a wine tour out to Niagara with Wine Country Ontario.  It was all part of the Blissdom conference programming – a chance to go on an excursion of our choice.  Now, I won’t lie, as sorely tempted as I was by the wine tour, my first choice was of course an excursion in the writing category...

Toronto recap – what do we stand for?

Four days in Toronto. It feels like I jump into a different existence, then trip back into real life Sunday night.  It feels a world away from my everyday, and yet, I blink and it’s over. Where to start?  There is so much to try to share – it’s all swirling around in memory and snippets of conversations in my brain.  Try as I might, it feels impossible to pull out the details. But try I will. Well, by now...

A community becomes real at Blissdom Canada

You could argue that an online community is just as real as one that exists in real life.  And in some ways, you would be right. We exist, we exchange, we communicate.  We work and create in this online space as in any other.  So why would we go to so much trouble to come together when the opportunity arises? There is a spark between two people that can happen only when they meet eye to eye for the first time, shake hands,...