Passion Meets Conference at Mom 2.0 Summit

I would rather fail at my dreams of being a writer than succeed at being a lawyer.

In her opening keynote pannel at the Mom 2.0 Summit conference in Houston, TX, Gretchen Rubin shared the realization that helped her make the leap from her career as a very successful lawyer to that of a writer. She is now the voice of The Happiness Project and author of the bestselling book by the same name.

I wanted to open my post about the conference with that quote because I feel it sums up the feelings we have as entrepreneurs. It’s the cord that binds us together, whether we’re leaving the corporate world to write or starting our own company to make and sell a new product. The two days I spent in Houston were filled with conversations of passion… the kind of passion that says I’d rather fail at what I’m doing than succeed at something I don’t care about.

About a year ago I asked the twin sisters of 5MinutesforMom.com “If I could go to any blog conference, which would you suggest, for me?” These women knew me well enough to know I didn’t just blog for fun and that if I went to a conference I’d be looking to learn something and to network. Their hands-down suggestion was the Mom 2.0 Summit conference.

And so, I had dreamed about, and even saved money to attend this conference. For over a year I dreamed of going. Then, I got sidetracked with Blissdom. I’d hear great things about that conference, and many of my friends whom I had not met in person would be there. And so, I entered a contest, won, and went. It was a blast. But, I felt a little disappointed that I had spent my money (travel/lodging) on something other than my dream, and that being just two weeks before Mom 2.0 Summit I would probably not have time to save more money, or the time to take off again so soon.

A bunch of craziness happened, and around 9pm the night before I would have to leave, I found out I could go. By 5am the next morning I was on the road. A friend graciously agreed to keep my son, and the same gals I rode to Blissdom with let me ride with them again, and crash in their hotel room. I felt a little guilty about leaving my family again so soon, but I couldn’t help the excitement over being able to go!

The atmosphere at this conference was electric. All around me people were making connections, sharing ideas, teaching, and learning. The keynote speakers breathed wisdom to the room and the excitement grew. The first session I attended gave me the chills. I actually walked out of there feeling like I could float… yes, it was called Design As A Core Component of Your Brand and Identity, and yes, I’m a geek.

You’d think with a name like Mom 2.0 Summit men would be scarce. But, that just wasn’t the case! The number of women did outnumber the men by quite a fraction, but the men were present! And, they were enjoying themselves. The conference was very business like. The sponsors, speakers, and organizers treated every attendee with the respect of a colleague. We were all there to grow and connect, and it was evident.

I can’t wait to share with you the connections, work opportunities, and wealth of knowledge I accumulated this past week! And, I can’t thank the beautiful Elizabeth Irvine and her friends at Weil Baby enough for the chance to attend this conference.