Jory Des Jardins President and Co-Founder of BlogHER will appear tonight onCompassionate HR/Social Media at 7:30 p.m. eastern standard time–4:30 p.m. pacific time. Why is this important? Jory gave me the encouragement, empowerment, and enlightenment for me to start blogging. That’s right. Jory did. This is a little known fact about Margo Rose. Most people think I started my blog because of my involvement in the HR Community. While this is true in part, the source of inspiration for me to develop the courage and insight to begin writing came from BlogHER.com.

The world of women owned businesses, women as power brokers, and women as decision makers is of profound relevance. Today, women decide what products we buy, what cars we drive, what hygiene products we purchase, what food is in our refrigerator, and what products we use to do our laundry. Every decision consumers make is often guided by women, and consumer owned companies know this fact. It’s why they jockey for position to be sponsors of the internationally renown BlogHER conferences, the BlogHER website, the BlogHER blogs, and the BlogHER brands.

While I personally find the term “mommy blogger,” demeaning, and a little distasteful, I am pleased to see Corporate America putting money behind women-owned blogs, and small women owned businesses. You see, the women who attend these conferences, write these blogs, visit these websites are prime candidates for the recruitment, and candidate sourcing industry. The human resources industry is also jumping on the bandwagon. Where nationally recognized speakers like Laurie Ruettimann and Sarah White are attending BlogHER10, and go on to Bryan Wempen’s radio show to discuss it, it’s time to perk up your eyes and ears and take notice.

When though leaders like Sharlyn Lauby, and Carmen Hudson are attendingBlogHER10 conferences, what that means is that female blogging conferences are are trending. Sharlyn, and Carmen are nationally recognized experts in the human resources, recruitment and organization development community. They are sought after by people around the world to speak and present at our industry conferences. In a word, these two women are geniuses. I don’t say that capriciously. Anyone who is anyone in our space knows this is true. Why did people like Laurie, Sarah, Sharlyn, and Carmen attend BlogHER10? Isn’t that answer obvious? Clearly it is because it was the place to be.

Serious knowledge brokering was taking place. I’m not talking about light weight fluff pieces, I’m talking about serious business focused sessions about work that has relevance, resonance, and reach around the world. It is time to stand up acknowledge, redefine, and praise Jory Des Jardin for spearheading this movement. She is the reason I do what I do. When I met her last fall, I was writing, journaling, and thinking about starting a blog. I was reading her blog. It wasn’t until I met her at the CincySM meeting that I was convinced it was safe to stick my toes deep into the water.
I asked her a question, a simple question: how does a woman start a blog and gain loyalty and readership? Her answer warmed my heart. She answered, then invited me to personally talk to her after the meeting.

I had just started my blog. While I’ve been online since 1994, on facebook since 2007, and on twitter since 2008, I thought blogging was what famous women did. I didn’t think ordinary HR/OD practitioners like me could do. After the conference, she gave me her card, put her cell number on it, and invited me to call her: me, a gal from area code 513.

You see, that evening I was feeling “fat” and not on my A-game. I went to the meeting because I won the lottery ticket to attend (it was limited to 50 people, and I got a seat–at the table–(HR People will laugh when they read this because they know what it means.) Not only that, I sat in the front row, because I learned in graduate school that the smart kids sat up front. I wanted to make eye contact with Jory, listen with rapt attention, and hang on to every word. I wanted, and did take in her presentation, her wisdom, and the knowledge she generously imparted to our exclusive social media group.

After she gave me her card, followed by a card, I went home and cried. I cried tears of joy because a super star tapped me on the shoulder, told me I could do it, and gave me the courage to jump in feet first. I’m crying as I write this because words can express what it really means when someone famous believes in you. It opens you heart. It makes you feel empowered, and important enough to step up the the plate, and start writing.

Jory is my hero. When I met her in the fall of 2009, she was young, skinny, beautiful, and smart, very smart. Now she is beautiful and pregnant, and blogging, and leading conferences, and still doing it all.

Jory Des Jardins, President and Co-Founder of BlogHER. My professional blogging hero. She makes me want to be a better blogger

Tonight, you will hear her story. You will learn a little about the history of BlogHER, how it was started, how she got to where she is today, and of course a debrief of the BlogHER10 conference. I’m going to try not to get weepy with gratitude and sheer joy, but I can’t promise, because Jory Des Jardins is my inspiration for what all women can be if they put their fingers on the key board, and blog, blog away. Please comment here, tell me how you started your blog? Who was your hero? Who was the first person to empower you to begin?

Your friend,

Margo Rose, Founder and CEO of HireFriday 2.0
http://linkedin.com/in/margorose