Hi All,

Join me as I take a walk down BlogHer memory lane. It starts in 2006 and ends with the recent conference held on August 2-4 in New York City. First, don’t laugh at what I am about to share. It’s so retro for 2012!

The first time I heard about BlogHer was on Myspace in 2006. Yes, I was actively involved with Myspace from 2006 to 2009 give or take … before Cinchcast, Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, and YouTube got the best of me!. One of my Myspace friends (forgive me for not remembering who) posted a link about the BlogHer community and conference. My Internet geek curiosity drew me in and forced me to click on the link. What I discovered was a budding community of women bloggers that reminded me of the women I hung out with on iVillages in the 1990s and NiaOnline.com and Netnoir.com’s Women’s Channel in the early 2000s. To be honest, I made that one visit and did not return until two years later.

Click here to read the full recap.

On August 2, I joined over 5,000 women and a few good men at the Hilton New York in New York City to celebrate and experience the BlogHer community and economy!

Since returning to my home in Washington, D.C., I have:

• Reflected and journaled about my experiences and lessons learned during the conference (was able to write in my journal thanks to the time I had on my Bolt Bus ride home to D.C. and my daily subway rides to and from work).
• Prepared several blog recaps (posted a few on my blog) that I will be using in chapters for my forthcoming book, Digital Sisterhood: Fierce Living Online for 25 Years.
• Talked to my book editor, parents, team of business advisors, and a few friends about lessons learned from the conference.
• Posted my photos of the moments I cherished most and shared them on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Twitter, and my blog.
• Reached out and connected with new and old blogging friends via Twitter (especially on #DigitalSisterhood Wednesday), Facebook, email, and text messages on my best friend, my HTC EVO smartphone.
• Read and was inspired by many recap blog posts and tweets written by conference attendees.
• Begun to map out the follow up work I need to do between now and the end of 2013 (yes next year) to enhance my talents and skills, expand my thought leadership, deepen my connection and engagement within my own network and the online/offline communities that support me, and further develop my revenue generating streams as an author, artist, blogger, coach, speaker, workshop facilitator, yoga teacher, and Reiki practitioner (what a mouthful!).
• Mailed thank you cards to some of the BlogHer team members and people I did not have a chance to meet or deliver a card to (the southern belle debutante and sorority girl inside of me is compelled to write thank you cards …. my mother is responsible for this behavior).
• Organized my small stash of swag with plans to give some of it away as gifts to family and friends (adoring my favorite swag … the Martha Stewart orange journal …. What can I say? The writer in me loves journals and the Martha Stewart brand!).

On Friday morning (last week), I woke up with a deep sense of gratitude for all of the things the BlogHer team and community have done and continue to do. I reflected on how I am a direct beneficiary of their efforts. I remembered the impact their efforts have had on me since my first BlogHer conference in 2009 and the conferences I attended in 2010 and 2011. I smiled at how much I have been able to dream and do as a result of the lessons learned, skills developed, connections I have made, and speaking opportunities I have had. So I wrote an email to BlogHer co-founders Elisa Camahort Page, Lisa Stone, and Jory des Jardins, and members of their amazing team, Polly Pagenhart, Shannon Carroll, Maria Niles, Lori Luna, Amelia Elsbee, and others that was filled with sweet words of gratitude and thanksgiving.

My email talked about how much I value what the BlogHer team does to build and nurture its ever-growing and evolving community, conference, and economy (just love that I can say BlogHer economy … I need a t-shirt to wear in D.C.). I acknowledged how hard it is for them to build a movement, community, business, and economy. I reminded them that because they invest in me I invest in them, and we are ONE! I sprinkled in some of my flowery words and phrases to make them smile and touch their hearts too!

Now I am writing this blog post to say thank you to everyone connected to BlogHer. That means YOU … my fellow attendees, conference volunteers, online community members, speakers, sponsors, vendors, brands, companies, and organizations. Together, we are a movement of passionate and powerful people. May we each recognize, affirm, value, and express our contributions in ways that support our highest and greatest good as individuals, communities, businesses, brands, companies, and organizations!

With deep gratitude and blessings,

Ananda, your digital sister

In her 2011 Digital Women: from geeks to mainstream presentation that was given at the WIFT International Women Conference for Digital Women, Dr. Taly Weiss, a social psychologist and CEO/Founder of Trendspotting, concluded that “women are dominant digital users – they breathe and live digital.” Dr. Weiss’ conclusion echoes BlogHer’s 2011 Social Media Matters Study findings:

• Eight-seven million women (18 to 76 years old) are now online.
• Sixty-nine million women use social media weekly.
• Eighty million women use social media monthly.
• Fifty-five million women read blogs monthly.

These facts illustrate the power and presence women have in the digital space. When women marry their power and presence, they give birth to digital sisterhood, the feminine currency they use to create relationship wealth through the connections they make, conversations they have, communities they build, causes they support, collaborative partnerships they establish, and commerce they engage in with women they meet online and offline.

They also become Digital Sisterhood Leaders, ambassadors of social expression who share what they are passionate about online. In her upcoming book, Digital Sisterhood: Fierce Living Online for 25 Years (Fall 2012), Ananda Leeke, founder of the Digital Sisterhood Network, writes,

“Without even knowing it, women have become Digital Sisterhood Leaders as they use their social media platforms to advocate causes; to build communities; to create apps, art, books, businesses, products, publications, services, tools, and webisodes; to curate content; to educate and inform; to give voice to their thoughts as subject matter experts, thought leaders, and brand ambassadors; to share information and experiences; to explore and experiment with new technologies as early adopters and trendsetters; to engage in social good; to influence others with their lifestyles and personal interests; to inspire and motivate; to mentor; to network; to tell their personal stories; and to promote and celebrate the expertise, gifts, and talents of others. Based on my online and offline interactions, I have identified 12 key leadership roles they play: advocate, community builder, creator, curator, educator, influencer, mentor, motivator, promoter, social do gooder, storyteller, and thought leader.”

The Digital Sisterhood Leadership Project was established to explore, document, and celebrate the creative ways social media women express their leadership abilities and experiences online and offline. The Project will have a soft launch in May. Its official launch will occur in January 2013. The soft launch for the Digital Sisterhood Leadership Project began with a Digital Sisterhood Radio interview with Dana Theus, founder of InPower Women on May 1. The interview focused on the leadership roles social media women play and tips on how to establish a personal leadership brand with social media. Click here to listen the audio recording of the interview.

The launch also includes a series of #DSLead Twitter chats on May 2, 9, 23, and 30 from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm ET. See the list of Twitter chat topics below. Make sure you follow @digitalsisterhd and use the hashtag #dslead to track the conversations on Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, Tweetchat or Tweetgrid.

• May 2 @9:00-10:00 pm ET: The Leadership Roles that Social Media Women Play
• May 9 @9:00-10:00 pm ET: How Social Media Women Develop Their Personal Leadership Brands
• May 23 @9:00-10:00 pm ET: Social Media Women as Community Builder Leaders
• May 30 @9:00-10:00 pm ET: Social Media Women as Social Good Leaders

In addition, the Project will feature a series of guest blogger interviews with Digital Sisterhood Leaders in May, June, July, August, September, October, and November. There will be more surprises especially during Digital Sisterhood Month in December. So stay tuned for more news in the coming months!

Happy May! Happy Tuesday! Bye Bye April!

It’s a brand new month. What are you looking forward to?

I am looking forward to warmer weather, pedicures with royal blue painted toes, taking photos when I walk in my neighborhood, hanging out with friends, going to the movies at the Landmark Theatre, practicing yoga outside, going to the gym to do my core and strength training exercises, writing my Digital Sisterhood book, the soft launch of the Digital Sisterhood Leadership Project (today and all month), running the Race for Hope DC 5K to raise awareness about brain tumors on May 6, watching Kerry Washington in Scandal on ABC.com, reading Marney K. Makridakis’ Creating Time book, taking my mother to dinner for Mother’s Day, traveling to Atlanta to speak at Spelman College’s Women of Color Leadership Conference on May 16-17, seeing my digital brothers and digital sisters while I am in Atlanta, meeting with my MasterMind Group each week, conducting a social media 101 training for my MasterMind group members, working at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as an artist-in-residence for Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, attending the People of Color Buddhist Meditation Sangha’s monthly meeting, checking out new art exhibits at several local galleries, spending time at the Sunday Drummers’ Circle in Malcolm X Park , decluttering my home, finishing my homework from my financial advisor (finalizing my will, living will, healthcare power of attorney, and legal power of attorney), and visiting with family during Memorial Day Weekend.

April was a BUSY month! What were some of your highlights?

• Enjoyed many mornings with sun salutations and evenings with kind and gentle yoga. My home yoga practice got JUICY!
• Danced to Esperanza Spaldings’ new CD a lot! What great jazz!
• Identified a few new writing spots in my neighborhood.
• Found a fabulous pair of denim jeans that fit me WELL. Thank goodness for Ann Taylor Loft. Our love affair continues!
• Purchased a great pair of Ann Klein patent leather ballerina flats from Macy’s. FINALLY!
• Enjoyed a sweet Good Friday service at All Souls Church.
• Worked with an amazing group of wounded warriors on creative projects at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
• Spent time looking for Mother’s Day, graduation day, and birthday cards.
• Mailed my taxes and received a nice refund that is going straight into my IRA.
• Got some great spring lipsticks and jewelry from Target.
• Treated myself to a scented lotion trip to Bath & Body. Love the orange ginger body lotion and shower gel.
• Started eating oat bran with raisins as an afternoon snack. Helps fight off the hunger pains and sweet tooth desires.
• Went to the DC screening of Scandal, a new ABC TV show featuring Kerry Washington. Loved it!
• Received so much wisdom from Sara Olivieri’s workshop for the DC Fabulous Women Business Owners.
• Discovered the Farmer’s Market crepe at DC Scoop on U Street.
• Attended the Public Meeting for the Northeast Region of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (my sorority) at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Initially, I came to the event to support my mother and soror, Theresa Leeke, the event chairwoman. Little did I know that I would walk away inspired by motivational speaker Willie Jolley and the Duke Ellington Choir. What a powerful night!
• Reconnected with my former coach and mentor C’s Little of the UDL Group. C’s mentored and coached me during the 90s. He invited me to join his MasterMind Group which meets each week. So far, the group is helping me stay on track with my fierce living commitments, fitness program, 5K trainings, Digital Sisterhood book writing, and home decluttering. I AM SO GRATEFUL!
• Had a lot of fun running the 5K Race to Stop the Silence on April 29 at Freedom Plaza in DC. The race raises awareness for child sexual abuse. It was a great way to jumpstart my Spring fitness program. Now I am on fire to run, train, and strengthen my body! Click here to listen to my audio blog after the 5K race.
• Finished reading Dr. Brene Brown’s book, The Gifts of Imperfection. It helped me get back on track with my Digital Sisterhood book writing. Deep bow of GRATITUDE! Click here to listen to my audio blog which features my takeaways.
• Began reading Marney K. Makridakis’ Creating Time. The book is a game changer because it is helping me slow down and appreciate my own sense of time. I so needed to read this book as I write my own book! Click here to listen to my first review of the book and a present moment poem.
• Hung out with friends at local cafes. It was fun to shoot the breeze!
• Took photos of Springtime with my digital camera.
• Decided to launch the Digital Sisterhood Leadership Project.
• Maintained my digital diet for most of the month. It was eye opening. It helped me set some important boundaries with my online time.

Yesterday I learned that BlogHer published its 2012 study of women and social media. What timing! I was hoping the study would come out in time for me to include in my last chapter of my Digital Sisterhood book. The Internet geek in me is jumping for joy. Time to read the study and learn more about digital sisters!

Click here to see the BlogHer SlideShare presentation.

Click here to read more about the BlogHer 2012 Study.

What happens when hundreds of women bloggers spend a weekend at the BlissDom Conference held in February at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee? Digital Sisterhood in real life (IRL)!

So what is digital sisterhood IRL at BlissDom? I am sure its many things to many people, but here’s what I witnessed.

Digital sisterhood IRL at BlissDom 2012 was women bloggers

• Connecting, collaborating, inspiring, learning, sharing expertise and experiences, growing together as they build community.
• Celebrating each other.
• Supporting social good causes they believe in.
• Networking with each other and sponsors.
• Developing their entrepreneurial and writing skills.
• Shopping for books and handmade goods created by fellow women bloggers.
• Taking tons of photos and recording videos.
• Tweeting and texting from their smartphones.
• Smiling, hugging, laughing, and crying.
• Eating great food.
• Singing, dancing, and listening to music.
• Wearing sparkles and expressing their authentic selves!

Check out photos of some of my favorite digital sisterhood moments below. If you are like me, you probably want to see more photos. So visit the BlissDom Flickr photo group here.

Enjoy the visual expression of BlissDom digital sisterhood IRL!

About the Photos:

Photo 1 & 2 are from the BlissDom Flickr Photo Group. Photo 4 & 13 are from Everywhere’s Heart of Haiti Photos on Facebook. Photo 7 is from Anissa Mayhew’s fabulous phone camera. The other photos are from my digital camera. It works magic at times!

Bliss Chicks - Paula Bruno, Allie Worthington, and Barbara Jones - Photo Credit: BlissDom Flickr Group

Ana Roca Castro and Allie Worthington - Photo Credit: BlissDom Flickr Photo Group

@WellReadWife Mandy, Cecilly Kellog & Ananda

Britton Edwards and Ananda

Ananda, Stacey Ferguson, and Monica Barnett

Lucrecer braxton, Ananda & Tawanna Smith

Quick phone photo with Anissa Mayhew and Ananda - Photo Credita Anissa Mayhew

BlissDom digital sisters getting their groove at the Girls Night In event

Tina LeAnn Erdmann‏ and Ananda

Jennifer Williams and Aminah Hanan

Danica Kombol and Ananda

Monica Barnett, Demetria Lucas, Johnica Reed & Ananda

Jeanette Kaplun & Danica Kombol - Photo Credit - Everywhere Heart of Haiti Blogger Reception

Scotty Reiss and Ananda

Cecilly Kellog and Ananda

digitalsisterhood:

Today I am thinking about Susan Niebur, an amazing digital sister and #dsfierceliving shero who inspires me tremendously. I heard Susan share her breast cancer journey at BlogHer in New York City in August 2010. Watch video of her talk: www.divshare.com/download/12822036-64a. Her words moved my spirit. They made me think of my two grandmothers who lived with breast cancer. When I returned home from BlogHer, I started following her blog, Toddler Planet and became inspired by her fierce living spirit, heart, and courage. She quickly became one of my digital sister sheros.

In January 2011, I met her in person at the Be Blogalicious movie event in Silver Spring, Maryland (photo above was taken of Susan at the event). That was a game changing moment because I had a chance to tell her how much I was inspired by her BlogHer talk and blog.

In October 2011, I listened to Susan share her journey at the Blogalicious Conference held at the National Harbor in Maryland. Later in the day, I was able to hug her and say how much I appreciated her story and work. Susan made her transition on February 6. Her hug is now a priceless gift I will always treasure.

Through Susan’s blog, I was able to witness the power of how one woman used social media to document and share her health journey, build community with like-minded people, give and receive support, and promote breast cancer awareness. She caused me to look for other women who were doing similar things with social media. I found plenty. These women along with Susan inspired me to dedicate Digital Sisterhood Month 2011 to women’s health.

I am so grateful for the presence of Susan in my social media life. Her fierce spirit, heart, and courage will always be remembered. Today I am sending love and light to her husband, sons, family, and friends. She will be deeply missed.

Visit her blog to learn more about her amazing life and journey: http://toddlerplanet.wordpress.com.