One of the best part's of my job is connecting and working with talented, knowledgeable and influential people in the interior design industry. From designers to editors to stylists, the opportunity to learn is endless and thanks to people like Jennifer Flores and Lindsay Stephenson, this opportunity is becoming more and more available to everyone. From interior design shows to tweet ups, the decor dialogue continues to grow exponentially. Thanks to online platforms like magazine websites, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and blogs, the talent seen in magazines is becoming more accessible to the mass public. Likewise, talent from all across the nation is being recognized and shared. Enter creator of Rambling Renovators, Jennifer Flores, and Little House Blog, Lindsay Stephenson. These two passionate and driven women have created something to truly connect the design community on a more personal and educational level in Canada: BlogPodium. I was fortunate enough to chat with co-founder Jennifer to find out the ins and outs of this fantastic event. The fabulous founders of BlogPodium, Jennifer Flores and Lindsay Stephenson. 1 What is BlogPodium? " BlogPodium was started when Lindsay Stephenson ( Little House Blog) and I realized we had a lot of questions related to blogging – everything from which photo editing tools to use to how to attract advertisers and monetize your blog. There are some big lifestyle blog conferences in the U.S. where we could educate ourselves about blogging, but none in Canada – so we thought we should start one! With BlogPodium, our mission is: Conversation, collaboration, connection. BlogPodium is a place for bloggers to come together and learn from each other and from industry experts. We also aim to shine a spotlight on the immense design talent there is in the blogging community."   2 How is BlogPodium run? "BlogPodium is a quarterly conference with each conference focused on a different topic. Typically, we’ll have a panel discussion featuring interior design bloggers and experts followed by a networking event. We do want to keep it interesting though so you can expect to see workshops, an online component, and more featured speakers at future events."   3 Who attends BlogPodium? "Our bloggers come from all corners of the blogosphere: design bloggers, lifestyle bloggers, mommy bloggers. We are passionate about good design. We blog about our favourite interiors; products we love; home décor, renovation, or craft projects; and all that goes into creating a home. But BlogPodium isn’t just for bloggers. Our attendees also include members of the design community – designers who want to start blogs, brand representatives who want to work with bloggers, and design media who are increasingly featuring blogger homes and projects in print, online, or on TV."   4 What can attendees expect from BlogPodium? "We hope attendees at BlogPodium find a like-minded community that inspires and encourages them, whether it's learning how to grow their readership, or how to refinish that vintage dresser they found at the thrift shop. Bloggers are incredibly supportive of each other online and we wanted to give them a place to connect offline, as well. We also hope BlogPodium provides bloggers with the real tools and knowledge to make their blogs even more successful."   5 Will BlogPodium ever expand beyond Canada? "We would love to expand BlogPodium and take it on the road, connecting with bloggers from Vancouver to St. John’s at some point. Toronto is such a hub for the design community that attracting bloggers from the east coast of the U.S. is also a possibility down the road. Generally, blogging has no boundaries and there is a lot we can share and learn from American bloggers who have a larger community and more well-known established bloggers."   6 What are BlogPodium's greatest achievements so far? "BlogPodium made its debut at the 2012 Interior Design Show. Being part of such a prestigious event really solidified that bloggers have a vocal and visible presence in the design community. Bloggers have risen as the new influencers, feeding readers a constant stream of fresh ideas on what is new and noteworthy. We’ve had bloggers featured in the pages of Style At Home and on CityLine. Other bloggers have used their blogs to kickstart their decorating businesses and we’ve had bloggers work on prominent marketing campaigns with well-known brands. We measure BlogPodium’s  success by how well we help our bloggers achieve their dreams."   Would you attend BlogPodium?