Just what else does a blogger do…exactly?

I’m often asked what are the things I “do” as a blogger.  Well, here’s a perfect example of a blogger experience I had last week.  So if you are interested, read along!  I belong to a local bloggers group that tries to get together every month or two to learn from each other, share ideas, share connections, etc.  I basically go, sit, listen, and leave overwhelmed!  I am in awe of the serious bloggers who really know their stuff.  Along with their wealth of knowledge, we have some great members with great connections.  So we are often meeting at locations that want bloggers to learn more about them and/or help them with some extra social media plugs.  Two I’ve attended have been at LaRosa’s and Chick-fil-A.

Earlier last week, a group of regional bloggers was invited to a car dealership in Columbus Ohio for the morning. They were giving us some meeting space so we could hear another blogger speak about Organization and also network with each other.  Not living in Columbus and having never heard of Ricart Automotive, I wasn’t sure what else to expect.  However, I always love a good excuse to shower mingle with some other professionals.  I honestly pictured us all crammed in the front office of some shady car lot showroom.  I thought it would be a great excuse to get out of the house adventure.

And it was!  Ricart is not just a Columbus car dealer, it is a 67-acre campus!  I found the Ricart Mega Mall before I even exited the highway it was so large. The entrance gate has a guard station which directs you to the right place – seriously, it’s that big.  Once inside and settled, I got to meet a lot of new faces who I often see online.  So that was fun.

The organization topic was basically how to live out of your car better!  Appropriate.  And I even picked up a few tips which I’ll share soon.  But then Rick Ricart actually visited for a bit.  He gave us a great history and overview of the dealership.  My skin was tingling as he spoke about working your way up from the bottom, treating employees right, and the importance of employee satisfaction surveys.  For a second or two I really missed working in employee development and employee satisfaction.

After our meeting we were given a tour around the dealership.  The coolest part to me was the “photo studio” they have built on site to take perfect pictures of every vehicle on the lot.  They want you to view the actual car, not just a stock photo from the car manufacturer.  Seeing that in action was very interesting.

And have I mentioned how huge this place was?  They are currently putting in a Subway to keep hungry people happy!

All in all, it was a great morning.  I reconnected with many bloggers, met new bloggers, and learned a lot about Ricart Automotive.  And honestly, I’d search their database when looking for a new vehicle.  Don’t forget, we ordered my minivan from Oklahoma City and then drove to Indianapolis to purchase it.  So a dealership in Columbus Ohio would be no different and their selection was enormous.

So there it is.  A day-in-the-life of what I do as a so-called blogger.  I still really enjoy it.  And the swag bags are totally awesome.  Especially for this event.  It was filled with all kinds of nice goodies.  A definite perk.  Plus we got a sneak peek of their new Zombie commercial. It’s worth checking out.  Very clever.  And all filmed on site with local people and a team effort with the Ronald McDonald House.