It goes without saying that every Blogcademy class brings out an eclectic mix of characters but Washington, D.C. was in a league of its own. In this particular audience, we had:

1. A real life princess (with an awe-inspiring wardrobe to match).
2. A 12 year old Girl Scout (in floral print Doc Marten boots).
3. A hip hop artist (all the way from Miami).
4. A pug (though I’m not positive she was taking notes).
5. A professional fire-spinner (enough said).

It was one of our best classes all year….and I nearly missed it. The Friday before class, I was sitting in LA, waiting to board my flight when it got delayed. And, delayed again. And again. If I got on it, there was no way I’d make my connecting flight so I booked another ticket from my phone as I watched it board. The stars aligned and I made it to D.C. at 2 a.m. Needless to say, I wasn’t feeling fresh-faced the next morning! But, all that was pushed aside when our class began trickling in. They were beaming, incredibly welcoming and excited to learn — their energy was truly infectious.

During class, we have a lot of students who are wondering where to start. They have full time jobs, they have families, they have side businesses…their lives are very full before blogging even comes into the picture. We always remind them that it’s not about being the best blogger ever right out of the gates. It’s about taking the time to develop your voice and style. There’s no race to the finish line.

The most important reason to begin blogging is because you love it and as you find more time, you can work more posts into your schedule.

Mel was such a bright spot in our class, making the rounds and chatting with everyone on breaks — she’d traveled down all the way from Nova Scotia! And, we always love a student who’s perfectly on brand. 😉

There’s never a lack of style in our classes, that’s for sure! Running a blog that stands out from the pack really comes down to being unique and owning who you are.

Oh, Anna! Our youngest student ever, she’d been working towards earning a Girl Scouts badge for blogging. Anna came to class ready to take notes and kept right up. All I have to say is…she more than earned that badge!

Look at those smiles! I think even Harpo the pug was smiling!

Thank you to our awesome mix of D.C. sponsors including Remixed By Jacki head scarves, WordPress For Beginners books by Reeta Krishna, Pink Samurai hand-knit scarves, Crown and Glory sparkly ears and of course, OSI for printing our custom tote designs!

And finally, a special thanks goes out to Erica, the most kick-ass, organized intern in all the land! We adore you!

2015 Dates

We’re only doing a handful of live 2015 dates so snatch up your tickets as soon as possible if you’d like to join us in LA, Austin, London, San Francisco, New York, Melbourne and Sydney to learn about blogging, make some new friends…and take plenty of ridiculous photos. After all, learning should be fun!

Photographer: A Muse Photography.
Intern: Erica Baker.