Search #NashvilleBlogger and you will see that Nashville is home to many aspiring and established bloggers from different genres and focuses. I’m one of those newbie bloggers and my friend Kay Elle is an established blogger that I grew up in Nashville with. On October 12, we met at a burger bar in Brentwood and discussed creating a network where bloggers in the city could support each other, collaborate, and exchange ideas. One delicious strawberry milkshake and a lot of laughs later, the Nashville Blogger Xchange was born. On Thursday, November 16 we held our first event. Yes, we did it that quickly and somehow it was pretty flawless.
The first Nashville Blogger Xchange was held at The Lab Nashville, a co-working and event space located in Germantown. The Lab was started by Nashville natives, Joshua Mundy and Robert Sherrill. The Lab was a natural fit for our event as they have a similar mission of being an incubator of growth and a place to fuel people’s ambition. Our food for the evening was sponsored by Chef Batts/Cookies for Keith. Keith is also a Nashville native that I went to MLK Magnet High School with. Are you sensing a theme here yet? It has been great to see him turn his passion into a business like so many of my hard working friends in the city. He just happens to have a passion that fills your tummy and warms your soul. We also had Besos Del Sol Sangria to warm our tummies for the evening.
Passion is what is needed to make any dream a reality. Ask anyone that was sitting in that room last week. We had four amazing panelists share their journeys as bloggers. The panel featured Amber from Native in Nashville, Brittany from PocketsandBows, Jasmine from Jasmine Sweet and Tomiko from PassportsandGrub. These four women all have different niches and each brought a different perspective and different insights to the table. We discussed the hurdles of growing a following, sustaining a following, changing your niche and partnering with brands. The audience was engaged and eager to learn from the panel.
Our Panel: Tomiko, Jasmine, Brittany & Amber
I am the daughter of two educators so learning is something I continuously strive to do. I believe that your craft is never perfect and can always be improved in some way. I also believe that its better to collaborate than compete. As I said last week, “there is room for all of us.” We might even be better if we work together. That was the goal of the first Nashville Blogger Xchange and will continue to be as we move forward. In a few short weeks, we sat down with a vision and made it a sweet reality. How? We had passion and determination to make it work and share that passion with others. Be persistent in what it is you want to achieve and you will make it happen. Don’t ever let your passion waiver even in the toughest of times. Passion is what will get you through those times. And last but not least, it doesn’t hurt to have a friend along for the journey with you.
Are you a Nashville blogger and interested in attending our next event? If so, follow myself and Kay Elle on Instagram. Send us a message and we will let you know about the next meet-up. Also, be sure to support all of our sponsors, The Lab Nashville, Music City Photobooth, Chef Batts and Besos Del Sol Sangria.
Nashville Blogger Xchange Co-Founders Kay Elle & Leigh Love
A guest in the Music City Photobooth
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