Style, Speed & Sustainability! @FordCanada #FordFarmToCar I'm Impressed!

When I thought about Sustainability and Cars it was mostly limited to gas consumption, emissions and recycling, but not any more.

Certainly not after the #FordFarmToCar Sustainability Breakfast at the BConnected Conference. Not only was I pleasantly surprised to see Ford's innovative efforts to find, develop and use sustainable materials, but also by the unique way Ford decided to present this information to the attendees. We were treated to a delicious breakfast, with a menu created from food products Ford is currently using or testing for use in their vehicles, and a collection of #FordFarmToCar recipes bound in such a way that additional recipes can easily be added. 

While we enjoyed our scrumptious breakfast we gain insight into how Ford is currently incorporating, and testing various food by-products, oversupply and biomaterials for use in the their vehicles.

I just kept thinking over and over again: I did not know that! 

I love Ford's commercials, and social media engagement. It's interactive, personal and positive. Anyone who reads my blog knows it's no secret that I believe a brand should be more than just about their bottom-line, at least if you want my business. That's why I was so surprised I didn't know more about the #FordFarmToCar initiatives. Even more surprising is this isn't new. 

Ford started using plastics made from soy as early as 1940!

Currently Ford uses soy for headrests and seat cushions, rice hulls to reinforce plastic materials, wheat straw reinforced plastic, coconut coir, and cellulose from sustainably grown and harvested trees and plants. On top of the biomaterials and food by-products being used, Ford is currently testing uses and ways to incorporate sugar cane, tomatoes, corn, bamboo and algae into their manufacturing and vehicle production. 

I respect the fact when Ford was asked tough questions in the Q & A portion of the presentation, they didn't shy away from tackling them head on, in terms of what they are doing, how they are doing and why they are doing it. This included questions around the issue of reallocating farming resources to grow for manufacturing rather than food. Efforts to develop innovative ways to fully utilize all parts of a plant and use food by-products such as tomato skins over reallocating farming for food resources to farming for manufacturing purposes really appeals to me. 

This type of approach to sustainability and an openness to discuss concerns, answer questions and encourage feedback has a direct impact on my purchasing decisions. I see it as a win win win. It's good for me, good for Ford and good sustainability practices. In my opinion we all, including brands, have responsibilities around our Earth, our carbon footprint and finding ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink how we consume. Efforts to use, test and develop sustainable options for the vehicles they make is an example of how Ford takes responsibility. Well done Ford! 

For more information about Ford's approach to sustainability and its use and research into sustainable materials refer to Ford Motor Company - Sustainability Report2014/2015, which includes information on sustainable materials. And for some of that personal and positive engagement I spoke of follow Ford Canada and their social media team on twitter Ford Canada, FordCraigSilva , and Matt Drennan-Scace to name a few. 

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about #FordFarmToCar Sustainability Breakfast.

Note: I was not compensated for this post. The purpose of this post is merely to share with my readers. All opinions are my own. 

Five W's and How of Attending @BConnectedConf April 2016 #BConnectedConf

Everything You Need to Know About BConnected Conference 2016:

Five W's and the How:

What:
BConnected is a Digital Influencer Conference perfect for those wanting to learn how best to use social media to expand their digital influence and reach, market and showcase their blog, small business, or brand, and understand and keep up with social media trends.BConnected Conference 2016 itinerary includes:
4 Keynote Speakers,
9 Hands-On Learning Sessions,
Round Table Sessions,
and a Brand Exhibitor Hall
Wait! There's More: a 2-day conference pass also includes:
Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks each day,
a Friday night Tour, Sip and Socialize Event with Ottawa Tourism including a Haunted Walk,
a Saturday night BConnected Social BlowOut Party benefiting the Canadian Continence Foundation, hosted by Derick Fage, which will include a DJ, a Candy Bar, a Selfie Booth, a Silent Auction and more.
Free Head Shots by Barnyard Studio du Coin,
morning BodyGym Fitness classes with Fitness with Jules,

and a swag bag.

When:

The BConnected Conference takes place April 23-24th, 2016, which is a beautiful time of year in the Capital. You'll want to come in early for the Friday night Haunted Walk and maybe stick around for the Sunday night Bloggers Dinner.

Where:
The Marriott Courtyard - Ottawa, is the revue for BConnected 2016, and part of the unique mix of galleries, shops and restaurants that make up the historic Byward Market.

Why:

Investing in your professional development is a great reason to attend BConnected 2016, but the return you'll get from that investment will be so much more. A conference is a perfect way to network, meet contacts, interact with social media experts, learn how to improve your social media skills, and gain insight into the best ways to utilize social media and digital marketing to achieve your goals. A conference presents a unique type of environment and interactive learning experience.

Who:

Who is BConnected for? It's for Bloggers, Small Business Owners, Home-Based Business Owners, Digital Influencers, and anyone who wants to learn more about social media and digital engagement, influence and marketing.

How:

Register Now! and let the countdown begin. Get those packing lists ready starting with these 6 essential tools for a conference. 

Other Important Stuff:

The BConnected Hashtag: #BConnectedConf

Follow the hashtag and BConnected on twitter, facebook, and instagram.

Sunday 2 - 5 pm

Workshop on SEO and Social Engagement 

presented by Dan R Morris and Rachel Martin of Blogging Concentrated.

(Workshop Fee $20 with 1 or 2 day BConnected Pass, or $60 for Workshop only - includes a snack)

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win 

a 2-day pass to the upcoming BConnected Conference 

and the Sunday Workshop by Blogging Concentrated 

Saturday April 23rd and Sunday April 24th, 2016 

at the beautiful Marriott Courtyard Ottawa in the Byward Market.

Giveaway ends February 15th, 2015

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about BConnected Conference 2016.

Note: I am part of the BConnected Conference Team.

Cost-Benefit Analysis: Attending @BConnectedConfer - An Investment in My Professional Development.

Why Attend the BConnected Conference? 

Prior to my 20 year career as a SAHM I worked in banking, so doing a mental balance sheet and cost-benefit analysis isn't unusual for me. It's certainly a worth while exercise for any business investment including contemplating attending a blogging conference. With the BConnected Conference fast approaching I'm once again thinking about the benefits (many of which are intangible) compared to the time and financial investment to attend a conference.

The concepts of a cost-benefit analysis are pretty straightforward and applying them to attending a conference such as the BConnected Conference helps me to easily see the whole picture. 

In my opinion investing in my professional development always ends with a net gain even if the gain is not immediately realized. 

1. List all potential options.
2. List the potential costs and benefits in a common currency in order to compare and analysis.
3. Compare and analysis the costs and benefits, including possible positive and negative impact on both the participant and non participants, and risks. 
4. Brainstorm over possible ways to increase the benefits decrease the costs and reduce or minimize the risks.

Costs:

• the cost of the BConnected Conference ticket (there are a variety of ticket promotions and options that may reduce this costs).
• cost of the hotel (special rate available until April 1st)
• misc expenses such as parking. 
• meals.
• travel expenses (airfare, gas, train, etc).
• time away from family, and potential child care costs.
• cost of or potential loss of income for time off work for travel and the conference.
• risk of stepping outside your comfort zone. 
• risk of experience not being what you expected. (this risk as well as the comfort zone risk can be reduced by some research into what to expect, managing expectations, and putting mechanisms in place before hand).
• Note: some of these costs may be eligible to claim on tax return to offset expenses against earnings and thereby reducing the overall costs of attending.

Benefits:

• an opportunity to engage with and be part of a group of follow bloggers in real life including the BConnected Team. (chance to establish support groups, mentors and potential partnerships).
• a full schedule of excellent speakers and panels to learn from. (an investment into your professional development).
• an opportunity to network with brands, sponsors and other bloggers (chance to brand and showcase yourself, make contacts that have potential to lead to increased sales income and partnership opportunities).
• a chance to step outside of your comfort zone. (it is important to grow, and challenge yourself. This can sometimes be difficult when your job is mostly online).
• a chance that even if it is not what you expected it may be even better. (there is always something to be learned and to take away from each situation. Manage expectations and then be a sponge and take all the good from this experience you can).
• increased social media exposure. (it is easier to do this when a group is sharing on social media under a specific hashtag, and increased engagement).
• a clear message that you are taking yourself and your blog seriously enough to invest the time and money into making it better. (by an actual monetary investment in you and your blog you are demonstrating to yourself and others both are worthy of that investment).
• the expenses can be potential tax deduction or offset to earnings.
• provides a legitimate reason to get the much needed business cards you have been putting off. (you definitely need business cards for a conference).
• a chance to feel part of a community. (you will never read a tweet the same once you have met a person in real life. It changes the relationship and in my experience it changes for the better).
• a way for others (non participants aka friends and family) to see that this is a job, not just a hobby. When you are at the computer you are not "playing on twitter" you are a brand and business and should be treated as such).
• a chance to get away on a business trip at a beautiful venue that doesn't have to include family, but can if that is what works for you to increase benefits and reduce costs.

BConnected Conference 2015 will be my 5th blogging and entrepreneur focused conference and 

for me the biggest benefit for attending a conference is it forces me to decide whether I am serious about this or not. Nothing like a cash investment to get you to focus. 

Three months after I started blogging I attended my first conference. It was terrifying but it also changed everything; not just how I and others looked at my blog but also how I looked at myself. I saw all around me strong independent men and women doing their thing and that was inspiring. I also realized by talking to others at these conferences there were quite a few who saw me the same way; strong independent and doing my thing.

Update for 2017: 

The BConnected Conference 2017 is being held April 22-23, 2017 at the Renaissance Toronto located in the heart of downtown Toronto. Isn't it time for you to look at the benefits of investing in your own professional development. In my opinion the benefits far outweigh the costs. 

For some links to posts and resources about attending a conference take a minute to read:

• Worth The Read: Countdown to a Blogger Conference 
• Conference #2 under my belt. BConnected Conference - Different but equally great.
• A Plan to Attend vs Planning to Attend a Conference: Budgeting for a Conference
• 6 Essential Tools to Pack for a Conference: #What2Pack

Be sure to subscribe to the BConnected Blog and follow BConnected Conference on twitter and BConnected Conference on facebook to stay up to date on all the news.

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about the BConnected Conference.

Note: I am part of the BConnected Conference 2015 Community Outreach Team. As part of that team I received a complementary pass to the conference but am under no obligation to write a post about this conference. All opinions are my own including previous posts on my experience at BConnected Conference 2014 for which I attended at my own expense. 

Conference #2 under my belt: #BConnectedConf different but equally great!

 My first first Blogger Conference was Blissdom Canada 2013, and in terms of size a much bigger, busier and established conference than my second. There were lots of bloggers, sessions, workshops, and speakers. I had just started Cathy Thinking Out Loud, and the learning curve was steep as you can see from my post conference post Reflections: Did I Find My Bliss? Tickets have just gone on sale for this year's Blissdom Canada 2014  and I fully intend to be in the middle of all that big and busy again.

Last week I attended my second Blogger conference, the BConnected Conference 2014 . This conference was much smaller in terms of attendees, and it was its debut year. The formats were different, but I found both to be very good value for the cost of the ticket. BConnected was two full days of speakers, and presentations on a very diverse range of topics. Each speaker brought a different perspective, and offered bloggers, brands, and speakers alike a better understanding of each others, role, skills, goals, and perspective. The conference offered each group face to face opportunities to network, engage, and build relationships that have the potential to completely change lives. Who knows what the ripple effect will be? Many of the most valuable things one gets from attending conferences aren't tangible. It is difficult to place a value on friendships and networking opportunities, but they are equally if not more valuable than the information the speakers have to share. I had the opportunity to see friends I had met in the past again, and to met others IRL (aka In Real Life) for the first time. 

I am a sponge .... there I have admitted it. I love nothing better than to sit listening and taking copious notes about a presentation on almost any topic, regardless of whether it applies directly to me or my life. To me this is bliss. All these notes and presentations are the catalyse for future calls to action, and posts, and dialogue. The Bconnected Conference was chock full of these! Worth every cent of the price of admission. Bconnected was a very positive experience for me and I will be back for sure for BConnected Part Deux. Three cheers for the organizers who worked so hard to make it such an overwhelming success!

One last note, which I am sure will not make me any friends, but I am going to say it none the less. It always surprises me when people show a total lack of respect for the both the speakers, and the attendees who have paid to attend, by talking through a presentation. Personally I think it shows very bad manners. I was disappointed to have experienced this at both conferences. If you have an urgent conversation, or merely do not find the current speaker or subject matter to your liking, have the courtesy to leave the room and not disturb others who have paid specifically for that privilege. 

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about the BConnected Conference. 

Note: I was not compensated in any way for this post. All opinions are own, and the purpose of this post is merely to share with my readers my reflections and experiences about attending Blogging conferences.

Blog Conferences: You Should Go! @BConnectedConf coming in April

You know me, I am all about the informing, sharing and linking. So I thought I would take a minute to share with you an upcoming Blogger conference happening April 2014 in Ottawa. Please note that I am in no way connected (LOL connected to BConnected), or being compensated for this post. I simply felt compelled to share my thoughts with those who care to listen. 

I'm a newbie blogger with so much to learn about all aspects of bloggging. If you can relate, and maybe you hesitate to attend a blogger conference because you think you are not big enough, or experienced enough, then you need to understand, that is exactly the reason why you should attend. Conferences give you access to people, resources, and brands, and a forum in which to ask questions, get advice, and connect with those with experience, expertise, and connections. 

I have only attended one conference (Blissdom) and found the speakers inspirational, and the workshops and sessions extremely informative and fun. More importantly I found the connections and friendships I made to be invaluable both in my personal, and my professional (aka: blogging) life. Meeting so many of my favourite bloggers is real life completely changed my online and social media experience. 

Lately I have been seeing tweets about an impressive list of ambassadors for the conference, giving me one more reason to attend the BConnected Conference. I hope I see you there, and please be sure to find me and say Hi if you decide to go.

FYI - early bird tickets on sale now until Feb 16th, 2014. 

For more information about the upcoming BConnected Conference, here is a link. 
BConnected Conference

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about blogging conferences.

Note: I was was in not way compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.

Just saw this: 
Ends Feb 10, 2014
GIVEAWAY LINK - Win a Free Ticket to BConnected Conference