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I shared my idea to start an Unexpected Journey a few days ago.. and a very big part of that journey is attending #steemfest this year...


After sharing my goals many people approached me and told me I should enter the #steemfestdreams contest. If you aren’t familiar with this great contest yet, check out the original post here (you still have time to enter!) It is an amazing initiative and a great opportunity for an individual to win a trip to steemfest 3. I have been aware of the contest, absolutely loved the idea and have been trying to support the project (in the small way I can) since it was announced, but I really had no intention of entering it myself.

Why?

Well, I never really considered myself as someone that would be deserving of winning a sponsorship.. I mean, what do I really have to offer to steemfest (or steemit for that matter) that would make anyone want to sponsor me to attend such an event? I wasn’t trying to be negative in anyway.. Just not something I ever even considered.


Then, (after being called out for my self deprecating tendencies) I realized that that attitude is exactly what I was trying to get away from… I am working on a journey of self growth after all, and thinking I am unworthy in one way or another is sort of going against what I am trying to achieve. So, after much nagging from @hiddenblade (yes, I just called you out), I decided I should at least write a post about why going to #steemfest is important to me and what my goals of attending are.

Full Disclosure

The truth of the matter is that I am committed to going to Steemfest whether I win this contest or not, with the goal being to pay for the trip with Steem. I do have a bit of a good head start though.. you see, since starting this platform I haven't made many withdrawls of the steem I have earned, both through blogging and curation efforts. I have either powered it up or left it as liquid steem, It has always been my personal belief that investing in this platform itself was important and so that is sort of what I have done. My plan was to use the decent amount I have already built up (without powering down) and any future earnings to fund my way to steemfest.

But, you don't really post often…

I know! But, I wanted to change that… you see, another part of my Unexpected Journey - Year Of Firsts, is to share more of myself here on this platform and use it as a space to not only encourage others, but to help myself grow as an individual as well.


So, if I started to really hustle ...the idea of paying for the trip in steem really isn't that crazy. Well it wasn't crazy a few weeks ago, with cryptos current condition the goal is beginning to look a bit more difficult to reach.. But hey, I am not giving up.. I am in it for the long haul after all.

So, Why Do I Want To Go To Steemfest?

There are many reasons I want to go to steemfest some involve projects I am passionate about and others involve the potential I think steemit posseses...

The Projects I Want To Bring Awareness To

Since starting on this platform I realized it is only as good as the content that it contains, that might sound harsh.. But the goal is to bring people to steemit after all, not only users… but investors right? The only way to compete with some of the other platforms is to be something that people want to be apart of, and that means making sure great content creators are not only noticed.. But that they stay on the platform. I have become apart of some amazing initiatives that work to do just that…


One of my goals of attending steemfest is to bring more awareness to these projects and hopefully show the true value they add to the platform.

@Minnowsupport

Minnowsupport (found on the PAL Discord Server) was my first home here on steemit, it was where I not only learned the ins and outs of the platform, but also started to build those relationships that we all know are such an important part of it.. And those relationships are still going strong today. I was even awarded (by nomination and votes cast from my fellow minnows) the Make A Minnow title, which gifted me the ability to use 5000SP for one months time to curate the amazing content that I think adds so much value to this platform... all made possible by the team @msp-makeaminnow. They are truly trying to make sure that new users do not feel lost is the big blue sea that is Steemit, helping with the much needed user retention.

@Helpie

Helpie actually was a community project that branched from the PAL discord and the relationships I built there. The idea was to make a community of individuals that would help support each other in many different ways, through collaboration, curation, individual project support among many other things. The goal is to find those individuals that are engaged and consistently adding value to this platform, in their own unique way, and help not only reward them for that... but to educate them, through tutorials and one on one mentoring from other members. Not only does this make better content creators, it educates those members on the crypto side of the platform that some find a bit confusing and most importantly, it builds a village of support around them… which ensures those individuals are much more likely to stay on this platform. It also means those individuals keep improving over time through what they learn and therefore add more value. Communities are essential for Steemit, and Helpie is one of the best.

@Curie

The name many know, but some just don't understand right? Curie is a project that I truly believe has made such a difference for so many on this platform, myself included. I stumbled upon it while doing some personal curating and have been a part of it every since. The projects sole goal is to improve the platform.. and it does so through many different initiatives.

Their goal is to find those amazing content creators who are committed to the platform and consistently adding value. They then lift them up, to not only reward them for their efforts.. But to help them find their audience. Because, without an audience, many will not stay on the platform.. we have all seen it happen before. In my time there, I have heard many now successful users say that being recognized by Curie is what kept them here, just when they felt like giving up.

What many people might not realize is that Curie isn't just about curation, it also sponsors many community projects that focus on engagement and user retention, always with the goal on how best to help improve the platform. While also providing services (free for all) including the first search engine, @steemlookup and Becquerel, a submission platform that replaces Streemian (a now closed project) with many more features and more being added all the time. They are truly doing what they can to improve this platform in so many ways.

@c-squared

C-squared is a project that was started by @carlgnash, @markangeltrueman, @randomwanderings and myself, to provide a community where curators on the Steem blockchain can come together and receive support for their curation efforts. Anyone can join and become a curator. C-squared is a voluntary community and the most active and consistent participants take on the role of "voter" to provide a human review for all curated posts before upvoting/resteeming with the @c-squared community account. There are currently over 200 curators and over 30 voters participating, curating posts in six languages. It isn’t just about curation though of course, it is about engagement on the platform as well, so we run a weekly contest to encourage commenting on curated posts.

For me it is an amazing way for us all to come together in support of real posting, by real humans. It is a place for the curation efforts of @minnowsupport, @helpie, @curie and many more to connect as diverse a set of (actual human/nonspammer) new arrivals as possible with established users and communities…ensuring they stay on the platform and continue to add value to it as a whole.

Well, now that you know about all the projects I am passionate about… what is in it for me?

I have met some absolutely amazing individuals on this platform that I now consider friends.. to have the opportunity to meet them in person and make steemit more than just an online platform, but a real life community would be life changing.


I also think that this platform offers many opportunities for individuals to be able to work for themselves rather than work for someone else, which is something that I find absolutely amazing. I have personally seen it make a huge difference in many peoples lives all over the world. Not only helping to pay their bills... but helping to make their personal dreams and goals come true. It is providing a form of freedom for individuals in ways we never imagined.


I would love to brainstorm on not only how to do that myself, but how to make this platform be that special thing for more people. How do we reach those individuals who not only bring value to the platform, but will take it to places it has never been? And those places where it could be a real life changer for so many?

Those conversations alone and the opportunity to share the projects I love, are enough reason for me to want to be in Poland in November…

What Do I Bring To The Table?

This is probably the most difficult part of this contest entry for me.. I could talk for hours about why I think the projects I mentioned above are worthy..but myself? What value do I add to steemfest? What unique abilities could I possibly add?


Well, besides my charming personality ... I think it would be a pretty amazing opportunity to offer a class on herbal medicine and how to make some of the products I have shared here on the platform…





I am very passionate about educating others on how to be more self reliant, and one of those ways is encouraging them to stop buying certain items they could easily make themselves. I am also passionate about using pure ingredients and the healing benefits of herbs, and include these ideals in every recipe I have formulated.. which I have been sharing here on steemit over the last few months.


If I were to win the opportunity to have some of my travel expenses to steemfest covered, it would allow me to offer classes free of charge to attendees of the conference. I could show them step by step how to make certain items and even possibly send them home with their own product … with a custom steemfest label of course. I am not sure if it has ever been done before, but it could be a interesting addition...Herbs and Steemit just seem to go hand in hand...

Thank you so much to all of those who stuck this extremely long post out to the end.. I really did try to shorten it, but I just can't squeeze that much passion into a few paragraphs. Also a big thank you to the individuals behind the #steemfestdreams initiative, and for giving people this amazing opportunity.


Much love and keep on Steeming,

Justine