Though this post is more of a personal one, I am quite excited to share a wonderful experience. Recently I received an invitation for a Blogging Workshop and I wondered if I truly need to attend one and what would I learn from it. But a small nudge from the lady who was conducting this workshop made me attend and I must say it was a Saturday well spent.

The Women Blogepreneur workshop experience was a combination of different emotions for me from friendly, helpful, creative and most importantly surprising!

A little back story about Me: 

In 2016, I started my writing journey with a review of a restaurant for a popular restaurant platform, Zomato and within a few months of writing I realized I enjoyed writing and decided to start my own blog. Fast forward a few months later , my blog was up and running though I know the difficulties I had while setting up my blog with absolutely no assistance. I learnt from the many mistakes I made over the course of time and today I am quite of proud of what I have achieved on my own.

I am quite aware that food blogging especially in Bangalore is a very crowded scene and I have spent the last 6 months working hard to learn the tips and tricks about designing, Social Media, branding, reading articles / blogs / websites to ensure the content I put on my blog give my readers an engaging read. Now I was ready to invest more time and effort and take it to the next step for myself and my blogging.

About the Speaker: 

Though in the food blogging arena for a while now, I am more of a restaurant and product review blogger and I have not ventured into the recipe creation space of food blogging.

I have heard about a popular food blogger, Priya Shiva and got connected with her on Facebook recently. I was quite impressed with her blog Priya Kitchenette especially for someone who seems to have created her own style with an amazing food blog which specializes in vegetarian food recipes.

A glance at her blog would definitely keep you hooked with her simple yet delicious recipes. Priya started her blogging with a intention of posting a recipe everyday and she now holds the record for blogging everyday for one whole year, and also is the winner of the ‘Best Food & Drinks Blog’ at #WIN15 Blog Awards organized by Blogadda.

On a bright and early Saturday morning, I made it to Hotel Royal Orchid, the venue of the workshop. The turnout for this workshop consisted of beginners, newbie bloggers,experienced writers and entrepreneurs who wanted to learn the nuances of blogging.

Blogging Workshop Content:

During this day long workshop the attendees were given guidance and directions to help them set up their first blog.

Subjects covered included setting up a blog, blog design, creating great content, structuring blog posts, understanding social media and its advantages,photography and branding. 

Sessions also covered tips for building a social media presence and monetizing a blog.

The workshop also included a few activities with brands set up by Ms.Priya for her sponsors –Preethi Kitchen Appliances  and Vaya India.

A very interesting part of the workshop was the affiliate marketing session conducted by Ms.Tulsi, the Co-founder of Spice Safari.

My Experience: 

This workshop was not about far fetched ideas, complicated suggestions or making you figure out things for yourself instead she was ready to guide everyone present there every step of the way.

Face-to-face workshops are a great opportunity to share thoughts and ideas and this workshop allowed me to share my experience about blogging journey and how I balanced everything along with my family.

The workshop can be mind boggling and intense for a beginner but eventually is incredibly helpful and informative. Being taught the basics of blogging and social media by someone who blogs for a living is truly enlightening. 

She has gained a loyal follower in me as she keeps her advice realistic and I wish her the warmest of wishes for her future endeavours.

Final Thoughts:

Everyone has gone through a phase where you were new to blogging or social media and needed all the help you can get. This workshop not only assisted in this but also formed a small community of ladies who support and encourage each other.

Success does not happen overnight but it needs hard work, passion and consistency.

A special mention to the hospitality partner of the event – Hotel Royal Orchid where it is always a pleasure to return to. Their staff were always at hand and a thank you for the interesting lunch spread at their all day dining Cafe – Limelight.

Among the ladies present at the workshop, I had the opportunity to meet a very unassuming and quiet lady, Divya Haldipur who is a self taught baker and runs her own business by the name Itsy Bitsy Bytes. She was nice enough to get one of her creations for our group which was sinful!

I am very glad to have been a part of this get together and I can’t wait to start implementing everything I learned into my own little blog! 

Always remember – One Can Never Stop Learning!