I am a glorified conference junkie and I am proud to say it. But don't let this post fool you---I cannot in any way attend all the conferences that I want to go to.

This new portal continues to help the NAACP with their goal to stay on the forefront of social media and spreading their message to a younger audience who is ready to take the lead in the ongoing Civil Rights Movement.

I believe if someone is nagging you about your Klout score, or using that data only to determine how "influential" you are or to decide whether or not they want to work with you, then they are doing themselves a disservice.

After several months of planning, Show Me the Blog Social Media and Blogging Conference is almost here. After last year's inaugural conference, I challenged myself once again to organize another conference, this time without any hiccups or snafus.

Time well tell if Google + can sustain itself in the future as a viable social network. Right now, I am remain unimpressed, but we also know how fast things can change in social media.

Every once in awhile, someone comes into your life and you have no idea why---you just know that you are thankful for them being there for you no matter what. I feel the need to use this blog post as a way to say thank you to a special person who has made all the difference in my life.

I am not by any means stepping on a high horse, because trust me, I am guilty as charged. But what would life be without Facebook? What could we be doing with that 53 billion hours other than sitting on Facebook, refreshing our screens to see if anyone has liked our latest online manifesto?

I am so excited to be going to my first ever BlogHer Conference taking place this year in San Diego, the motherload of all blogging conferences for women.

As some of you may have noticed, I am kinda sorta addicted to attending conferences and events, especially those of the social media and blogging persuasion. Blogging and social media have become my passion and I enjoy gatherings that celebrate the genres as well as encourage learning, networking, and growth.

I gathered together my chicks: Kesha, Robyn, Roshini, Sharon, and Karen for two days of tweeting, Facebooking, Google +'ing, Flickering, and much, much more. Why? To show the influence that women have in social media in the area.

But just like any new thing on the innerwebs, there are always those that simply don't get it---I mean, how many times did you have to explain to someone how to use Twitter before people finally caught on? Google+ has its advantages and I can see it being one of the most used social networks, especially since they learned from their unfortunate Wave debacle in 2009.

I had the pleasure of seeing Guy at the recent Shecon New Media Expo, and he spoke on his book 'Enchantment' and how doing so can help improve your brand, your voice, and your life.

Don't you just love this place? As I blogged a few weeks ago, I am in Miami this weekend for the Shecon New Media Expo which is taking over South Beach. I am so excited to attend this conference as well as getting the opportunity to meet other bloggers and social media folk that I have been corresponding with online for some time now. And the schedule of presentations and speakers is outstanding! This is a must attend event for sure.

Last month, I appealed to you to vote for me for the 2011 Black Weblog Award for Best Lifestyle Blog. And you guys heeded my cries because I received word on Monday that The Cubicle Chick is one of five finalists for that Lifestyle Blog category. I appreciate everyone who took the time to nominate me, and now the voting process has officially begun.

Conferences are a good way to network, build morale, learn new and interesting techniques, and build your brand. Here are a few tips you can use to get the most our of your next social media/blogging conference: