When we came up with the idea of a new Blog Network Community, we knew there was (is) a large, untapped audience of people who are creative, have something to say, knew what blogging is, but did not think of themselves as bloggers that much.

We’ve been tapping into that large “oil well” of pure creative petro and finding that as we put the message out, more and more people want to join us.

And now, I want to share a personal story, my story, and how Blogging got me on an airplane right now heading to an exclusive Board Retreat.

A few years ago, before I started to blog, I was doing web analytics and search analytics for IBM, but my job then did not include any travel and I was almost invisible in IBM’s complex hierarchy. I did a lot of tedious reporting and developed insights, but I had no channel to funnel my creativity into such that it would be recognized by my superiors and peers.

Then a curious thing happened, I got an opportunity to blog for a blog network and within 6 months, I was considered a “Thought Leader” in web analytics and my blog, webmetricsguru.com, was and is considered an “industry blog” and has even been deemed forward looking by several industry insiders.

Through blogging I became visible to other influentials in related fields and was asked to run for a seat on The Board Of Directors of the Web Analytics Association, whose exclusive retreat I am in route to at this very moment, somewhere outside Boston.

My job at IBM didn’t immedately change much, but I found many doors suddenly opening to me, doors that hat be shut and locked before. I covered many conferences as Press at first and over the last year, I have been asked to speak often.

Eventually, I outgrew my IBM joband moved to a much better postion in another company, but my blogging and Board role, paved the way.

I’m fact, the most important thing I got out of blogging was the reputation and respect that I earned through my hard work, heartfelt writing and frequent posts.

Now, what does my story have to do with you, he or she reading my post right now? Give me a moment to tell you a story, first.

A friend of mine works as a web behavioral analyst for a large advertising company, often she works 14 hours a day, isn’t paid very well, travel is almost never offered, training is almost never provided. Sometimes she works weekends and still, her contrabution to her company is largely unrecognized on any tangible way and her job could be on the cutting block now or soon. I’m no way is this kind of exploitation rewarded or deserved.

But often, there’s no way out, no way a company provides to move from being perceived one way vs a better way.

Do you have a story with any similarities to the one I just described? I bet you do.

Well, the solution could be blogging for us at the BlogSpeedWay of the Internet towards the pot of Thought Leadership Gold, waiting for you, under the rainbow hues of our various blogs.

You see, the bar has been raised. It’s not just about blogging or being a blogger; it is about respect for yourself and the respect others develop for you as they get to know who you really are.

My challange to you, if you blog as a part of our community of blogs, you will be on the Highway towards Thought Leadership in your chosen areas, moving quickly and steadily in the speedway lane to you goals.

Naturally, my friend wants to blog with us. How about you? Ready for the challange?