I am going to my first blogging conference this year! I am, in equal measure, very excited and terrified! I haven’t mentioned it much up until now but I’m starting to think about what I want to get out of it – learning more about blogging (I’ve been blogging a long time, here and over at Honest Speaks but have always just figured things out as I went along. I’m looking forward to learning more from the experts!), connecting with brands, raising my profile… and meeting some of the people I have connected with online in real life! Which brings me to the purpose of this post…

BritMums has organised a linky for all those going to the conference, to introduce oursleves, get to know each other a bit better and arrange to meet at the conference… I know I need to be more proactive than I usually am about such things so here goes…

Name: Rachael

Blog: Mothering Mushroom

Twitter ID: @mushroomsmum

Height: 5ft 8

Hair: Red/Black provided I dye it close to the conference! Otherwise just black

Eyes: Brown

Is this your first blogging conference? Yes!

Are you attending both days?
Yes, that’s the plan but I haven’t sorted childcare for the Friday yet :-/

What are you most looking forward to at BritMums Live 2014?
Learning new things and meeting some of the people I have connected with online. I live in London so will be going home each night but it’s still two days just for ME! Can’t remember when I last had that 🙂

What are you wearing?
No idea. Ask me nearer the time! It depends on the weather, my mood and whether I’ve managed to shift a few pounds between now and then!

What do you hope to gain from BritMums Live 2014?
To learn more about blogging, especially the technical side as I rely heavily on techy friends at the moment… I also hope to make some of my online relationships more three dimensional! I’m mindful that it’s only two days though and I’ve been advised to plan well so I don’t feel overwhelmed or miss out on things I really want to do.

Do you have any tips to pass on to others who may not have been before?
Well, as I’ve never been before I wouldn’t know! I guess if I was my own (coaching) client I would say it’s important to work out what you want to get out of the day and then think about how you can achieve these goals. And remember to drop your shoulders and smile (I can look very moody when I’m nervous!).

So if you see me (there’s a pic here) looking moody, I’m just nervous! Do say hello – I’m looking forward to meeting you!