Excerpt from article in the aimClear Blog
Posted by Michelle Stinson Ross on November 8th 2010

From the moment the first attendees arrived at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, it was plain to see that #BlueGlassFL was a different kind of industry event. The atmosphere was more reminiscent of an ultra-hip class reunion than a button-down business conference… and the distinct sense of an open & welcoming community permeated every session, making the jam-packed two day conference as rewarding as it was memorable.

For the aimClear crew, it was two days of learning, live-tweeting, blogging, presenting & hanging out with industry friends, new and old, under the southern sun of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Our synopsis of #BlueGlassFL, key session takeaways and links to comprehensive coverage can be found at #BlueGlassFL In Review: Hot Conference Takeaways

Never doubt the power and value of the relationships in life and business. Case in point, thanks in part to a series of serendipitous connections I decided to attend the BlueGlass FL conference.

This strange series of events started quite some time ago. My mother-in-law was visiting us from Oklahoma, and she had never been to Key West. So, we packed up the whole family and went on a little road trip for the day. At dinner time I hopped on my personal Twitter account on my iPhone to comment on how much I enjoyed my afternoon in Key West and hoped to return soon for a longer visit. A few minutes later a response came back from a complete stranger that I should consider staying longer than a weekend. I love a good conversation, so I responded back. That initial contact led to adding a tourist company in Key West as a social media client.

What does this have to do with BlueGlass? Hold on, I’m getting to that.

As part of my service to that particular company, I was tracking tweets mentioning Key West. Anything that looked like someone visiting on vacation, I sent a friendly reply. One person in particular mentioned that he was putting in some work time while in Key West. Well, I HAD to respond to that! It’s Key West, after all. The very nice gentleman on the other end appreciated my comment and asked if I knew of any good places on the island for dinner. I was happy to oblige. By the time I’d sent him and his family on a jet ski tour around the island, we had become friends.

That friend was the President of aimClear, Mr. Marty Weintraub. Just goes to show that when you extend the hand of friendship, you always wind up in a winning situation. Mr. Weintraub started following my various social media accounts and became interested in what was being accomplished.

On Nov. 2 & 3 I will be joining aimClear's Manny Rivas at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to provide live tweet and blog coverage of BlueGlass FL for the aimClear Blog. El Presidente, Marty Weintraub, will also be present to speak on Nov. 3rd in a session titled, "Advanced PPC Tactics : Styling & Profiling!" The conference promises to be a blast with tons of great information and networking opportunities.



This is exactly why I’m so plugged-in to Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, and social media in general. I LOVE what I do. Every day is a new opportunity to reach out and make connections with all kinds of people from around the world. So, live your life with arms wide open and never fail to be a friend.

Sure, I know we've all heard that one.  But I do think it's all about how you take it.  Are you going to be the type to grumble your way through life, impatiently asking, "Are we there yet," until you take your last breath and arrive THERE, the end of the mortal journey? Or, will you slow down long enough to take in all the sights, sounds, and smells along the way, maybe even pause to converse with the people you meet along the way?



Now I'm no different than most people.  I have my days when I really want to blurt out, "Are we there yet??!!!" because for some reason I or someone close to me has yet to learn a simple life lesson.  And, then, I have my days when I really enjoy putting one foot in front of the other just to see where the sidewalk goes.

At this moment in time I have my mom to join me on the journey for a few days.  No matter what the weather, we are going to Key West to see whatever there may be to see.  I intend to take lots of pictures and soak up every experience I can.  I plan to turn the next couple of days into a couple of amazing chapters in the novel I'm currently writing.

Where is the journey taking you over the next few days?  Are you going to blaze through it and hope it's over soon, or are you going to take the moment to really live?

Yes, Life IS a journey.  Let's live it up!