By Teresa Bell-Kindred – Founder of Nanahood.com
When I arrived home from the BAM Conference my husband asked me to tell him how it went. My reply was, “If I started right now and talked non-stop for 24 hours I still couldn’t tell you everything that happened and how absolutely wonderful it was.”
For years I have dreamed of a conference where women writers and bloggers my age came together and shared knowledge, ideas and dreams. BAM (Bloggers at Midlife) happened for the first time in Nashville this year and it’s going to happen again in 2016, this time in Vegas.
I have been blogging since 2009 and while I love what I do there was always something missing, a lost piece to the puzzle. Now I know what it was; networking with other bloggers my age. As much as I love my family, my community and my friends, there are many of them who think blogging is in the same category as playing online games, scrolling through Facebook or checking your email. They just don’t get me, but the women at BAM do.
If I told my family that BAM trended twice on Twitter they wouldn’t have a clue what that meant and that’s okay but it’s so awesome to be around people who do understand!
Writing and blogging are very solitary professions and most of the time I like that. I love losing myself in the world of words; trying to find just the right phrases to paint a portrait of thoughts and feelings. There are, however, times when I don’t like the solitude. When I was a high school teacher I could discuss education with my co-workers and I learned so much from them. We went to teacher meetings and attended conferences together.
There was a camaraderie between us and I miss that. I didn’t know just how much I missed it until BAM.
BAM, and the women who were there, validated what I do more than anything else ever has. Not only did I come home inspired to be a better writer and improve my blog professionally, I came home encouraged by other women my age who are facing the same challenges as I am. It’s such a wonderful feeling to know that I’m not alone. There are other women like me staring at computer screens and working hard to make a positive difference in the blogosphere.
If you are age 40+ and like to write, or if you have a blog or have thought about beginning one, step out of your box and into BAM. You won’t believe how good it feels to find your tribe and be with other women who are reinventing and redefining their lives. Click here for more information about BAM visit http://bloggersatmidlife.com/ or if you already know you want to go you can purchase your tickets here.
ATTENTION GRAND Readers: You can save 20% off your ticket by using code word TWENTY
About the author: Teresa Bell Kindred
NanaHood-The Second Half of the Motherhood Journey
Five years ago in southern Kentucky a blog was born, NanaHood.com. Teresa Bell Kindred created NanaHood as a way of connecting with other grandparents to celebrate the joy of grandchildren. At the time she began blogging she only had one grandchild but since then 4 more bundles of joy have arrived!
“My husband, Bill, and I love children. When we married we wanted 4 children but the 4th one turned out to be twins so we had 5. Our identical twin boys will be 23 this year so all our babies are grown. We are hoping for lots and lots of grandchildren!” says Kindred.
Writing is nothing new to Teresa, she has always loved to write. She’s published several books including Mom:PhD (a leadership book for mothers) and wrote a magazine column called “Kindred Spirits” for Kentucky Living Magazine for 13 years.
“Blogging is a wonderful opportunity,” said Teresa. “NanaHood has blessed me in so many ways. I’ve met so many wonderful people who love being a grandparent as much as I do.”
NanaHood features guest bloggers from around the world, shares recipes, travel experiences and of course, news about grandchildren and grandparents.
NanaHood has attracted the attention of some big name brands like Verizon and Marie Callender’s foods. Teresa worked with both of those brands in successful advertising campaigns in 2012 and 2013.
“Blogging and social media are so much fun. I love visiting other blogs and websites like GRAND to keep current on vital information. Social media keeps you thinking, keeps you young and provides awesome outlets for bragging about those grandchildren!” says Kindred.
You can find Teresa at NanaHood.com, https://www.facebook.com/pages/NanaHood-and- theNanaBlogs/179831745558, Twitter @nanahoodyears, Google +-https://plus.google.com/u/ 0/+TeresaKindred/posts, and Pinterest-http://www.pinterest.com/tbell1956/