Celebrating 17 years of running a blog!
Blissful 17 KERFday!
As we speak is my weblog’s seventeenth birthday! I used to be not too long ago on a zoom name and informed the individual my web site was “16 or 17 years outdated, I misplaced depend.” Afterwards I appeared it up – 17 years it’s!
A few of you might have been following me since these very, very early days. You most likely bear in mind bowls of oatmeal with a peanut butter spoon floating on high earlier than I went to my PR job, the RD days once I wrote weblog posts between courses, the Nice Harvest days, the BERF days.
If you happen to haven’t been round lengthy, take a look at:
In that tenth anniversary publish, I had written 6844 posts. As of at present, that quantity is 7935 posts plus 382,493 feedback and 265,000 images shared. GEEZ!
In honor of 17 years, listed below are some ideas / enjoyable details / reflections about running a blog into the teenage years.
17 Years Of Running a blog
Selection Is Key
For me, writing about a wide range of matters is such a key part of maintaining issues fascinating. Lengthy-time readers know that I’m going by phases primarily based on what is going on in my life. I went by two large child phases, loads of Dwelling Neat Dwelling phases, some entrepreneur phases. What I like most about my weblog is that I’m not restricted to 1 area of interest subject. The consultants would inform me that’s hurting my site visitors and they don’t seem to be unsuitable. So it’s a very good factor most site visitors isn’t my finish recreation. However writing in regards to the matters on my thoughts means I’m writing creatively and never forcing it or losing interest, which I do assume creates the very best reader expertise.
Construct A Life-style, Not A Firm
Once I began my weblog in 2007, I used to be solely searching for a inventive outlet. I had no concept it was doable to generate profits on the web, and I scoffed on the concept of doing so when my dad introduced up placing advertisements on my web site. (He inspired me to look into it, and I’m glad I finally did!) In fact, as time went on, producing revenue to cowl my internet hosting prices and possibly some groceries turned a bit extra interesting.
A number of years in the past I listened to a podcast interview for an additional blogger who began across the identical time as me. Within the current time, she had dozens of full-time staff working for her and a flowery workplace. For a cut up second I had a twinge of jealousy over how a lot cash her web site should be making to help these issues, however then I had a quick actuality test that going to an workplace on a regular basis was precisely the life-style I didn’t need. What has all the time been most necessary to me is to have the ability to put my inventive vitality and time into one thing that would assist or encourage others whereas additionally incomes cash to help my household alongside the way in which. I’m eternally grateful for the flexibleness this job affords to let me greet the boys after they get off the bus every day or make a journey when the invitation arises.
Studying to Pivot
All through the years I’ve pivoted and branched out in methods I couldn’t have predicted coming. When my advert community contract with Foodbuzz ended. When model sponsorships moved from blogs to Instagram. Once I joined Beautycounter. Once I created Digital Litter and Bloom. When Beautycounter closed. And lots of extra methods. Having variety of revenue, platform, and income channel means when one thing is down, one thing else is commonly up. Who is aware of what’s subsequent!
Running a blog Has Gotten A lot Extra Sophisticated, However Additionally A lot Simpler
A contradictory sentence? Including the above branches has definitely difficult issues. Weblog associates and I typically reminisce in regards to the days once we “simply needed to weblog” thrice a day. There wasn’t all of the social media amplification and so forth. However in some ways issues have gotten a lot simpler. I used to take all of my images on a Canon Mark II that I haven’t touched in years now that iPhone cameras are so nice. Apps like Asana and YNAB have made monitoring duties and accounting so organized. Canva is the very best app/web site EVER INVENTED!
Flexibility Is At all times Prime Precedence
Lengthy gone are the times once I would come residence from an occasion and keep up an additional hour to write down a publish publish about it. Since I worth flexibility greater than the rest, I’m working at the very least a month forward on seasonal / evergreen content material. After which I write extra time delicate posts the week of or the week after the occasion. I even have the world’s finest digital assistant, Hillary, who helps me behind the scenes in so some ways, so I’m able to take time without work to journey or if my youngsters are sick. (I wrote this publish in 2018 once I was interested by going again into extra real-time posting.)
Leaning On Weblog Associates
Conversations with different bloggers are all the time so inspiring. I respect Anne, Brittany, and Teri for his or her willingness to share concepts and sources all through the years. Within the earlier days, I used to be a part of a gaggle known as “KABU: Kick Ass Blogger Union” (haha) and we supported each other quite than compete. The perfect colleagues are open books. All of us do issues just a little bit otherwise, however all of us study from each other.
Keep True To You
^^ This tremendous corny phrase actually does sum up the whole lot about working a weblog for nearly twenty years. On the finish of the day, it’s a must to do you. Not everybody goes to love you – and that’s okay! You may’t fear about what different persons are doing or pressure their model onto you. You may’t fear about what the trolls are going to say as a result of something you do is unsuitable. You must be genuinely you.
Thanks
Thanks for following together with our household’s story. Thanks for displaying as much as learn posts, click on hyperlinks, go away feedback, and write private emails and DMs. The instances when you might have reached out have meant a lot to me. Thanks KERF household <3
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