To Blog or Not to Blog, That is the Question

When I worked in magazines and TV, the question I got asked most was who my favorite (or least favorite) celebrity was. Everywhere I went, I was inundated with “What’s she like?” “Are they really a couple?” “What’s the latest gossip?”

My how times have changed. Now, the questions I get asked most are about blogging. If I make money (yes), how I make money (affiliate sales, sponsorships, ads, consulting and freelancing), how I take such good photos (I’m always ready, take a ton, edit almost every one… More on that here.) but most of all if they should start a blog and how. I can’t go to a wedding, birthday or holiday party without being cornered about the business of blogging (As I was prepping this post, I received yet another message from someone looking to start and asking for advice, which I’m always happy to give!) so I’ve been meaning to do this for awhile now but figured I’d wait till the start of the year since we’re all are eager to cross off our list of goals and dreams and, for many, that includes blogging. It’s actually when I started too.

Three years ago, on a whim, I started a tumblr with this post. I was at home with my newborn, aching for an outlet, experimenting with cooking for the first time in my life, had all these anecdotes (and photos!) about motherhood and figured why not? I thought it’d be good for me and maybe a few of my friends would find it useful, entertaining or humorous. Little did I know, I’d begun the early stages of a business and new career.

I also didn’t know just how much work and what a tremendous learning curve it would be. Had I, I probably wouldn’t have done it. Does that mean I regret it? Absolutely not. It’s been one of the scariest, hardest and best things I’ve ever done. I’m on my way (as slowly as it may seem to me) to having my dream career. I get to create, write, collaborate, travel, photograph, experience, produce and event plan, all aspects I’m super passionate about, on my own terms. It’s what I make of it. If I feel like hustling, working weekends and till 2am some nights or weeks or months in a row, I do it. But if I want or need to step back, take a break, vacation, time out, I can do that too. I get to live my life, doing things I’d already be or am doing and, often, get paid for it. For a work-from-home mom, it’s the ideal gig. And, like my past life, there are plenty of perks: free trips, products, events, etc.

But it’s not without its drawbacks either. These past several years have been an emotional rollercoaster. Like any self-employment, athletic or creative career, there’s a major head game associated with it. The amount of times I’ve wondered what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, if I’m any good or if anyone cares is unquantifiable. I’ve lost lots of sleep and probably years off my life worrying about this little site.

Then there’s the comparison game. I came into this late. The pioneers, the people with hundreds of thousands of followers or more, started eight or so years ago. They were the first of their kind and were able to develop a dedicated following that they’ve built over the years before all the competition. These days, blogging has become a billion dollar business and those genuinely interested in creating content, sharing their lives and going on a journey with their community like myself (I was always the journal writer, scrapbooker, photographer, yearbook and magazine editor, producer, so it comes naturally and I truly feel like I’m in the right lane in life.) have joined the fray along with those just trying to make a quick buck and score some free swag and the two groups combined add up to a lot of people. It’s an over-saturated market and increasingly hard to make a dent. How do you get yourself noticed, move the needle, grow your audience- and traffic- and build your brand?

These are questions I’m still answering. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves. Now that you’ve heard my experience, here are some initial questions for you if you’re seriously thinking about blogging.