Our Second Date with Haven

I met my husband on a blind date. I knew he was my brother’s teacher. I may have even looked him up in an old yearbook (you know, just to see if he was as cute as my mom said he was)… but we had never met in person before that first date.

Our first date was pretty good. Conversation was easy. We had a lot in common. Less than a week later, he sent me a bouquet of purple flowers (my favorite color) and asked me on a second date to see John Mellencamp play at Indiana University (he couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen him in concert before).

You see, he took good notes during our first date. He was a great listener. He paid attention. Our second date was even better – AMAZING, in fact – and more memorable… we were engaged just 9 months later.

Circa 1999

That is kinda how I feel about my second date with Haven. It was even better and more memorable. We took good notes on our first date so we could make even more valuable connections on our second.

The First Date

Like with any first date, I had all the jitters and emotions you might expect pre-first date. I thought about the bloggers I follow and meeting them in real life. I was anxious about meeting other bloggers like me. I contemplated my outfits, whether or not conversation would be easy and my first time in Atlanta, GA.

Looking back we had a pretty solid first date with Haven. I learned a lot, met some good people, made a few connections, and was pleasantly surprised by all the cool swag we got to bring home – good enough that we made plans for a second date in 2015.

DIY Hall of Famers

The Second Date

The second date offers you a chance to branch out and reveal more of yourself. It’s your opportunity to show you were paying attention the first time around. It also allows you to have a good time and get to know people better.

In getting ready for my second date I had much more confidence in packing and prepping (i.e. we arrived with a separate suitcase for our swag this time). I was still a little bit apprehensive but in the year since we had last met I had managed to move my blog to WordPress, and I had a better handle on how to engage with sponsors. I was also super excited to see old friends and explore a new location in Atlanta.

The Swag Bag

Second dates are not without stress or worry. You still want to make a good impression and you still want to be liked. But you want to also make a deeper connection. We were better prepared. We had plans. We had goals.

We met SO MANY great people this time around. Before the conference even began we met up with old friends and met new ones as they arrived at the hotel. With each new person we met, it snowballed into 2 or 3 new faces and plans for dinner or cocktails.

Some of our most valuable time was spent outside of sessions talking to other bloggers. Conversations – over dinner or cocktails, during our Uber ride to the restaurant, meeting informally in the hotel lobby, or even traveling back to the airport – were all so meaningful to our second date with Haven. It’s encouraging to spend time with like-minded people from all over the country. We feel so lucky to have met so many terrific people!

How cute is this sign?!?

Another Swag Bag

We’re back in Indiana now with so many fresh ideas. We are looking forward to growing our blog and our business during the next 12 months. And, we are hoping there will be a third date with Haven. (wink, wink)

Cheers,