Blogging. What are we waiting for?

So, it wasn't like one day I woke up and said to the mirror, "Today is the day I start my blog. Woo-hoo!" No, it was more like I've been thinking about starting a blog for, say, about two years. ("Gotta get my bangs trimmed" is more likely what I said to the mirror.)

I'm Mary Catherine O'Connor. If we haven't met, that name probably has you picturing Molly Shannon as the awkward, uniformed, Catholic schoolgirl on SNL. Glad to say that's not me. But I am a dog lover, beloved aunt (of someone, I'm sure), master lasagna maker, acclaimed buche de noel baker, BFF, big sister and entrepreneur. Since this is my debut blog, I wanted to introduce myself. And I hope you'll ping me and introduce yourself to me.

Can you tell? I like people. I also believe in honest, straightforward communication. I look at blogging as the new gadget (widget?) in my toolbox that can help me connect with more people who think like I do, and to share my expertise and experiences about my business and the business of life.

I've actually done a little research on blogging. (Always want to find out what I'm getting into before I jump into the pool. Must be an occupational hazard of a lot of contract negotiations.) I found out that, according to a 2008 survey conducted by Technorati, the top three reasons that bloggers blog today are (1) to speak their minds on areas of interest, (2) to share expertise and experiences and (3) to meet and connect with like-minded people.* A funny coincidence - I want to do all three!

You see, I've been in the meetings and events business all my professional life, but I'm not just about colorful name badges and making sure the chairs are lined up straight in the general session room. I want my blog to give you a peak into who I am personally, as well as professionally. And, guess what - we have a team of terrific people at Mary O'Connor and Co. whose personalities I am sure you'll want to get to know, too. This blog will also be a chance for them to share their thoughts and talents.

Now, I realize blogging isn't for the faint of heart. I mean, having something interesting to share several times a week, week after week, month after month, and then writing and exposing it to the world is, well, a little intimidating. In fact, it makes me think of the "thrill" of working in an ice cream shop, dreaming of all those incredible flavors to taste all day, day after day… and then there's the site of rows and rows of frozen tubs, day after day, slowly driving me to nightmares about having to taste Sushi Sherbet or Catfish Cream.

But the sea of blogging is growing and maturing, and I don't want to miss the wave. It's an important way that professional people can communicate with knowledge and authority, not just my excuse to post cute pictures of my four adorable basset hounds.

Says David Hornik of August Capital and www.ventureblog.com*:

"I cannot imagine staying current in this fast moving, high tech world without using blogs and bloggers as a powerful filter of the overwhelming torrent of information we all face."

And, according to Shel Israel, social media writer and speaker, co-author of Naked Conversations (globalneighbourhoods.net)*:

"Until recently, 'the Blogosphere' referred to a small cluster of geeks circled around a single tool. Now it refers to hundreds of millions of people using a vast warehouse of tools that allow people to behave increasingly online like they do in real life. We have entered the Age of Normalization in the Blogosphere."

I'm sure there's room in the Blogosphere Pool for one more. And you won't find me hanging out with the geeks. Gotta go get my flippers.

Best,
Mary

P.S.  Stay tuned to this website for some vlogging (video blogging) soon, too. We'll be launching that as soon as I can get into the habit of wearing makeup to the office.


*Quotes and statistics are from Technorati's State of the Blogosphere 2008 Report, http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere/, Technorati, Inc.