Only 5 things I learned at BarkWorld? Surely there’s more! Yes, but I know you all. You’ll wander away before I’m done. Squirrel!
- Everybody stands for something. If you don’t, you should. Bloggers need a platform, and I’m having to choose mine. Yes, I blog for Jones Natural Chews, so we had a conversation about the cause nearest and dearest to the owners’ hearts, but I had to determine mine. Had to ask myself if it resembles theirs. Do our values line up?
- Not all dog owners are created equal. That sounds obvious, right? But several speakers talked about the shift in this country from dogs just being animals, to dogs being the new children. We treat them far differently than we once did. That being said, there are plenty of people who still think of dogs as animals.
- There’s a dog product on the market for every blessed thing you can imagine. Seriously. And I brought home a bag full of them. I’ll show you some product in just a minute. Y’all, there’s a butt load of money in dog products. Be it large manufacturers or handmade, unique items on Etsy, there’s money to be made. Go! Make stuff! Geez.
- Chickens can be trained to do agility. YES THEY CAN! I’m so excited about this one! And there’s video proof! Y’all, do a search on YouTube for chicken agility training. Really.
- I’m not a blogger, really. I’m a social influencer. We’re the next wave of journalists. People trust us to some degree. Well then.
Is that not spectacular?
So what does all this mean? First, my platform and my bosses’ are aligned. Jones Natural Chews donates to shelters, especially the shelter in their town of Rockford, Illinois. I love my rescue pups and will continue to work with and talk about rescue organizations. Does this mean I won’t discuss other causes for dogs? No. But I will hone my focus to be primarily rescue.
What kind of dog owner am I? I love my babies, but they’re dogs. I feel for them when they hurt or are afraid. I do. But I’ll place my children and husband above them. Unless I think the people in my home are mistreating the animals. Balance. Tough stuff.
Dog products – I’ll talk about them, as long as they don’t compete with our product, the Jones Natural Chews. Here, let me show you some I brought home:
Cool, huh?
Chicken agility speaks for itself. Expect me to be setting up a course in the backyard in the spring.
Social influencer! We heard this term over and over this past weekend, and it’s truth. We influence others in real life as well as in cyber space. How do we put our money where our mouth is to influence well? Get involved. Do the research. Do the heavy lifting. Be consistent.
Yes, there’s a Petey video at the end. Little thing is getting so big. I’ll see y’all Monday!
Until I write again …
Flea
