Gearing Up for Podcast Movement

On Friday morning, I’m jumping on an airplane and heading to Fort Worth, TX, for the 2nd annual Podcast Movement conference.

Podcast Movement 2015

I went to PM14 last year, and am definitely looking forward to going again this year and reconnecting with some friends and making new ones as well.

While me going to a podcasting conference and talking shop with other podcasters from around the world may not be of much interest to you, hopefully I’ll be able to learn a few things that I can implement once I get back from the conference to improve the Diz Runs With podcast. I think the show is about as good as it’s ever been, but there is certainly room for improvement and hopefully I’ll learn a few tricks of the trade along the way.

But the thing I’m most looking forward to is the people.

Online Friends I Met IRL at PM14

There are a lot of podcasters that will be at the conference that I’ve “met” online over the past year and half, and it’s always fun to actually meet people in person.

And the same is true with running.

The virtual running community is amazing, and I do my best to make it a little bit better everyday with new posts/tweets/podcast episodes.

But if you’ve ever had a chance to meet some of your online running buddies in person, you know how cool that is.

I was able to meet Nicki, Angie, and David at The Blue Ridge Marathon in 2014. Nicki even volunteered to come pick me up at the airport when my flight got in. Not bad, for someone that I’d only “met” through twitter up to that point.

I’ve also been able to meet some twitter running friends via Skype calls, either to just simply have a chat or to record an episode for the show.

And earlier this summer, I had a chance to run with Bill at the Echo Half Marathon.

If you ever have the chance to take your online relationships offline, I’d definitely encourage you to do it. Whether that’s at a big conference, a race, or just a chance meeting, hearing a voice and seeing a smile is a great way to turn a “social media” relationship into a true friendship.

That said, if you’re ever in Central FL for a race or a Disney vacation, you’d better let me know so I can find you and say hi in person!

Have You Ever Met Your Online Friends in Real Life?