I recently took a trip down to the fifth-annual Type-A Parent Conference [aka #TypeACon] in Atlanta, sponsored by Disney Parks.
For those of you who are unaware of this incredible event, Type-A Parent Conference, founded by the magnificent Kelby Carr, is the world’s top conference for parents who blog, plus the major brands and firms who want to engage them. Type-A is where power parent content creators grow their business and connect.
Truthfully, I only learned of the Type-A Parent Conference event just recently, and when I was first approached by Type-A sponsor — MinuteClinic® – The medical clinic in CVS/Pharmacy® — who very generously offered to sponsor my attendance, I was kinda freaking out.
Why? Because I am not a Type-A personality. Far from it!
I’m probably the least “Type-A” that a person can get. Compound that with the fact that I’ve spent a great part the past 13 years in a toxic and turbulent relationship with a woman who has a Type-A personality, I found it extremely ironic, if not absolutely idiotic, masochistic even, that I was actually entertaining the notion of flying all the way across the country specifically to socialize with hundreds of Type-A parents, presumably most of them women.
MinuteClinic – The medical clinic in CVS/Pharmacy – has some of the warmest and friendliest nurse practitioners I’ve ever met.
But, hey, MinuteClinic® was kind enough to offer to cover the ticket, travel, room, and board for me to attend, so I figured I had everything to gain, and absolutely nothing to lose…barring a little quality time spent with my son and a highly contentious marriage/divorce situation on the home front.
In my world, this is what I call a “low-risk, high-reward” proposition. Plus, the Type-A Parent Conference website Frequently Asked Questions page specifically stated that the vibe there was pretty “relaxed and laid back”, despite the event name, so I was all-in.
As the Co-founder and Chief Web Developer of Life of Dad – The Social Network for Dads, I have attended various other parent blogger events, most notably Dad 2.0 Summit, and most of them were great fun as well as incredible learning and personal and professional development opportunities. And, that’s not to mention the personal and business relationship-building that tends to occur at parent blogger conferences.
#TypeACon included a much-appreciated panel of distinguished dad bloggers. (L to R: Ron Mattocks, Fred Goodall, Eric Payne and Trey Burley) …I’m a mere rookie compared to these seasoned veterans! They represented dads very well.
As a relative newbie to the dad blogging game, I’m not even that much of a [quote-unquote] blogger. Truthfully, I think I’ve written five […count ’em…] FIVE blog posts in the past 3 years. I’m definitely more of a coder, web developer, podcaster, entrepreneur, and builder of community who is fortunate enough to interact with countless other talented dad bloggers, podcasters, producers, entertainers, philanthropists, content creators, and social media influencers on a daily basis.
I usually leave parent blogger conferences having made new friends as well as new business partners (or at least potential ones). Indeed, parent blogger conferences always have been and always will be good for business…But also good for my spirit.
Having been a computer programmer all of my life, and having spent the late ’90s in business school and the past few decades working in fast-paced careers in media, tech, and entertainment, typically the last thing I ever want to do is attend yet another workshop or seminar on “social media strategy” or “audience engagement” or “monetization” of pretty much anything, let alone parent blogs. I tend to need very little technical support in setting up websites, building email lists, coding HTML meta tags, and integrating with Facebook and Twitter.
That said, I learned plenty and picked up some prized nuggets of social media wisdom in various Type-A Parent Conference workshops and roundtable discussions.
I’m just trying to be the best ME I can be, y’all…Show love.
Also, I need not be reminded [again] that I should “be honest and authentic” with my audiences. After all, I generally acknowledge the fact that I’m human, and I know I need to “take risks”, “be vulnerable”, “expose myself to failure”, and “be myself”, etc…
Hmm, better yet, a healthy reminder to “be yourself” from a new voice and perspective is refreshing from time to time…
And, being myself, I can honestly say that the REAL reason I wanted to attend Type-A Parent Conference, courtesy of MinuteClinic®, is that I’m fundamentally a very lonely man, a father who’s sandwiched in-between the stresses, struggles, and solitude of fatherhood, marital conflict, and career.
More than anything, I seek human connection, friendship, and a little childlike fun and companionship with people who want [or need it] just as much as I do…People who seem to “get it”.
I need no additional Facebook strategy, nor SEO tactics, but simply a fellow man or woman, oftentimes a stranger, who can look me in the eye, share a story or two, and feel my innermost joys and pains of being a human being. Moments like these allow me to reconnect with myself, and to connect intimately with others.
That’s why I love that Type-A Parent Conference was sponsored by Disney Parks and keynoted by Gary Buchanan, Disney’s PR/Social Media Managing Editor. I mean, who better on the planet knows about human emotion, storytelling, escaping, and reconnecting with your inner child than Disney? The incredible insight and wisdom provided by Disney Parks about their philosophies on marketing, creativity, innovation and imagination were well worth the entire trip. Many of those philosophies even mirror the same values we hold here at Life of Dad.
@DisneyParks party! (L to R: Cool stuff, Mickey Mouse ears, lovely people, fun, Ryan, more Mickey Mouse ears; Not shown: laptop, work)
What MinuteClinic® and Type-A Parent Conference really provided me was the golden opportunity to break away from my laptop, to distance myself from the technical and tactical tedium of running a social network and the day-to-day depression of dealing with divorce, to revel in a bit of rest and relaxation, and, yes, to share quality time with some phenomenal people…mostly women…but guys, too.
#TypeACon gave me some time to ironically silence my iPhone, to slow my tweeting, to stop blogging [err, coding], to learn a few things that made my life better…To throw on some Mickey Mouse ears, to grab a glass of wine, to have a little fun, to spread a little love [yes, LOVE!] and to meet some incredibly great [and good] individuals (parents and PR executives alike) who I hope will be friends for a lifetime.
And, if some business emerges from those forged relationships, hey, so much the better! Even in the unlikely event that no financial dividends ever emerge from them, I’ve already come out way ahead on the deal.
Indeed, I look forward to more deals like this in the future and having the distinct honor and privilege of meeting you there.
My sincerest gratitude to my #TypeACon sponsor
@MinuteClinic #SpreadHealth
About MinuteClinic® – The medical clinic in CVS/Pharmacy®
MinuteClinic® makes health care easier for people with a lot going on. Their family nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide quality care every day, with convenient evening and weekend hours. They accept insurance and you don’t need an appointment. Just stop in when you need them.
Much love to all of the fabulous @MinuteClinic bloggers and representatives!