Celebrating 17 years of running a blog!
Glad 17 KERFday!
As we speak is my weblog’s seventeenth birthday! I used to be lately on a zoom name and advised the particular person my web site was “16 or 17 years previous, I misplaced depend.” Afterwards I appeared it up – 17 years it’s!
A few of you’ve got been following me since these very, very early days. You most likely keep in mind bowls of oatmeal with a peanut butter spoon floating on high earlier than I went to my PR job, the RD days after I wrote weblog posts between lessons, 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 right this moment, that quantity is 7935 posts plus 382,493 feedback and 265,000 photographs shared. GEEZ!
In honor of 17 years, listed below are some ideas / enjoyable information / reflections about running a blog into the teenage years.
17 Years Of Running a blog
Selection Is Key
For me, writing about quite a lot of matters is such a key part of holding issues fascinating. Lengthy-time readers know that I’m going via phases primarily based on what is going on in my life. I went via two huge 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 at least one area of interest subject. The specialists would inform me that’s hurting my visitors and they don’t seem to be fallacious. So it’s an excellent factor most 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 becoming bored, which I do assume creates one of the best reader expertise.
Construct A Way of life, Not A Firm
After I began my weblog in 2007, I used to be solely in search of a artistic outlet. I had no thought it was attainable to earn cash on the web, and I scoffed on the thought 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 one more 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 break up second, I had a twinge of jealousy over how a lot cash her web site have to be making to assist these issues, however then I had a quick actuality examine that going to an workplace on a regular basis was precisely the life-style I didn’t need. What has at all times been most necessary to me is to have the ability to put my artistic vitality and time into one thing that would assist or encourage others whereas additionally incomes cash to assist my household alongside the way in which. I’m eternally grateful for the flexibleness this job gives to let me greet the boys once 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. After I joined Beautycounter. After I created Digital Litter and Bloom. When Beautycounter closed. And lots of extra methods. Having range of revenue, platform, and income channel means when one thing is down, one thing else is usually 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 actually sophisticated issues. Weblog mates and I usually reminisce in regards to the days after we “simply needed to weblog” 3 times 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 photographs 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 one of the best app/web site EVER INVENTED!
Flexibility Is At all times Prime Precedence
Lengthy gone are the times after I would come residence from an occasion and keep up an additional hour to put in writing a publish about it. Since I worth flexibility greater than the rest, I’m working a minimum of 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 greatest digital assistant, Hillary, who helps me behind the scenes in so some ways, so I’m able to take day without work to journey or if my youngsters are sick. (I wrote this publish in 2018 after I was fascinated about going again into extra real-time posting.)
Leaning On Weblog Mates
Conversations with different bloggers are at all times so inspiring. I recognize Anne, Brittany, and Teri for his or her willingness to share concepts and assets all through the years. Within the earlier days, I used to be a part of a bunch known as “KABU: Kick Ass Blogger Union” (haha) and we supported each other slightly than compete. The very best colleagues are open books. All of us do issues a bit of bit in a different way, however all of us be taught from each other.
Keep True To You
^^ This tremendous corny phrase actually does sum up the whole lot about working a weblog for nearly 20 years. On the finish of the day, it’s important to do you. Not everybody goes to love you – and that’s okay! You possibly can’t fear about what different individuals are doing or drive their model onto you. You possibly can’t fear about what the trolls are going to say as a result of something you do is fallacious. You must be genuinely you.
Thanks
Thanks for following together with our household’s story. Thanks for exhibiting as much as learn posts, click on hyperlinks, depart feedback, and write private emails and DMs. The instances when you’ve got reached out have meant a lot to me. Thanks KERF household <3
