If attending a blog event, conference or retreat isn’t in the cards this year, there’s still a way to get in on the action. Here’s how to get yourself to the best blogger conference you’ve ever been to.

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The Best Blogger Event You’ve Ever Been To

In-person blog conferences, retreats and workshops are always a great time. Whether it’s meeting up with long-distance friends, making new connections or learning from the best in the business how to level-up your business, there are so many great reasons to attend a blogger event.

But it’s not always possible. Life is busy, people get sick, stuff just happens. Not to mention, travel can be expensive — you may want to spend your well-deserved earnings another way.

And besides the time and budget element, it is easy to get disenchanted with blog events. There are sometimes the same speakers over and over again with sessions about repeat topics, or you may feel too advanced for the information shared. I get it.

Whatever the reason, if going to one of these events isn’t for you this year, why not plan your own? I know this sounds weird, but bear with me. It’ll be a choose-your-own-adventure retreat of your own design, and it’s probably going to be the best blogger event you’ve ever been to! And it’ll be low-budget and low-effort, with all the speakers you’ve ever wanted to learn from.

Who: You!

Let’s start with who’s going to attend. You are, of course! But you can certainly invite friends to do this with you, either in-person or virtually, or go it alone. Honestly, alone might be nice — you can learn all the things you want to learn, without any input from anyone else. Sounds good, right?

So, who else will be there? The people you’ve always wanted to learn from, teaching your sessions. And you can’t forget the dedicated, wonderful person who is organizing it all! Once again: That’s you!

What: Blog Conference Sessions

If you’re anything like me, you’ve signed up for tons of courses and webinars over the years, maybe even subscribed to podcasts, bought ebooks or opted in for email mini-courses. Have you finished them all? Did you do the homework yet? If not, that’s a good place to start!

1. Set some goals. What do you want to get out of this?
2. List all the courses, webinars and podcasts you’d like to take but never have time for.
3. Add anything else you’d like to learn.
4. Research people you’d like to learn from.
5. Prioritize! What do you want to learn the most? (Hint: The one you are most excited about is probably the thing you really need to learn…)

You absolutely do not need to pay for a new course, unless you want to. If you don’t already have a backlog of resources to learn from, you can totally do this with lots of free information on the internet. Check YouTube, your favorite podcast listening app and sites like Skillshare and build your dream conference schedule filled with all the things you’ve ever wanted to know from the best experts in the field.

When: Whenever You Want

Pick a time: When are you going to do this? Ideally, do it at a time when you will be able to dedicate the time to yourself. Maybe it’s while your kids are at camp this summer or the week they go back to school. Maybe you treat it like you’re actually traveling and take a few days “off” of your normal schedule.

Make your own schedule: First, decide how much time you have. Full days or half days? Then, go through the material you’d like to learn, and identify the lessons you’d like to focus on. Most courses have an outline and you can check the length of videos and episodes to allot enough time for everything. I recommend planning it out hour for hour, then set a timer so you can move on to the next “session” on time and stay on track.

Don’t forget to eat! You might want to plan out your meals. Make it special, too! Just like you would if you were traveling. Maybe you order sushi for lunch one day or go out to that restaurant you’ve been wanting to try one evening. And be sure to stock up on your favorite snacks, too.

Whatever you decide, set aside the time, and hold it sacred. This is important — your discipline is what will make this the best event for you. Do your best to get all your work done in advance so you can really focus on this. Don’t be afraid to put your phone on mute, and tell your friends and family you’re unavailable during this time.

Where: Your Couch… Or?

This part is so up to you, but I suggest doing it away from wherever you usually do your work. If you normally sit at a desk, spend the week on the couch or at the dining room table. Somewhere comfortable. Most TVs these days can beam your computer screen or phone via Airplay or ChromeCast, so you can watch your sessions while you take notes or work on homework.

But you don’t have to do it at home. You could snag an Airbnb or hotel room, or even head to a coffee shop every day. If you’re headed on a vacation anyway, maybe you could spend 2 hours each day doing your own thing. Be creative and try to squeeze this in when you can.

Why: Why Not?

Building your own dream conference is game-changing. There are so many reasons to do this. Conferences are great for inspiring you to make big pivots in your business strategy, and this could be a big turning point for your business. Just like making the time to go to the gym is good for our bodies, making time to invest in our businesses is usually worth the effort.

CEOs of small businesses wear so many hats, and there is usually so little time for dedicated CEO time. So I totally get that you may not want to go hat-shopping to learn new things, I do. But perhaps it would be worth taking a class on growing your team, or even growing your traffic to make more money to grow your team. That’s the kind of knowledge that could really change your business — for the better.

One More Thing

After your retreat, be sure to take time to implement the things you’ve learned. Make some time to reflect on where you’d like to shift focus in your business, then prioritize the things that will make the biggest impact the soonest.

If you do a DIY conference of your own, I’d love to hear how it goes! Tag me on Instagram @graceandvinestudios.

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