Happy 1 year anniversary to my blog! (it was actually on the 9th but oh well)
It's been a busy year. Hopefully you've followed along with me on my blogging journey and you've enjoyed it! I know I have.
I started my blog because YouTube videos take way too much time to edit...like, for real. I wanted a way to share all of my quirky anecdotes and my favorite things with everyone. I tried making videos, but the "beautuber" (beauty-YouTuber) space was so oversaturated and it was so time consuming. I work 12 hour days and don't have a normal schedule. I needed something I could take with me and do from anywhere.
People always asked me where I got my clothes, what makeup/skincare products I like, coffee places, etc. I loved sharing my new finds with everyone.
What I didn't realize when starting a blog is that you open a door to even more opportunities than just sharing your favorite lipstick. You build a community, you have a platform, people with a smaller following ask you for advice on how to grow. I didn't even think about mentoring people on how to start a blog. I've always been a teacher and I think it's partially my calling to mentor young girls.
My goals from day 1 have shifted. I wanted to share a matcha recipe and a face mask... now I want to build a brand and help people build theirs. It's a super empowering feeling when someone reaches out and says my caption or blog post changed their day.
I would love to start a course of some sort to help people get started with their blog. Something that answers all of the questions like "where do I start?" or "how do I talk to brands?" or "how do I make my instagram more appealing?" These are all questions I had when I started.
The biggest thing I learned is that there are no right answers. There are guides and tips, but no real rule book on how to blog. I didn't even know what I wanted my niche to be when I started. I just did them all until I could narrow it down. (which I was told was a big no no from other bloggers, but it worked for me)
Blogging is something you have to be passionate about and consistent with. There's no right or wrong, there's not one thing that'll make people follow you and one thing that won't. It's a connection. People will follow you if they connect with you. You could have 2 followers, but if you say something that speaks to someone, they'll follow you over someone that's disingenuous with 3K followers. That being said, the people on instagram that travel and drive range rovers may get 3M followers because they're sought after, but they don't speak to people the same way. They're not building a connection with people. They're building a relationship based off of lust and envy.
That may not be true for everyone and I'm not saying having 3M followers makes you disingenuous. My point is, don't feel bad if you have a small following. You'll get there. But, don't want it for the wrong reasons. Be true to who you are. Have an honest voice.
I thought it was all about looking cool and having funny captions that are simple but also make you laugh... (rolls eyes) I didn't know if people would think I was funny or lame. I didn't know if my quirkiness was cute or embarrassing.
Once I started, I made a promise to myself that I would be myself. And if people connected with it, those are the people that I want to follow me. There's always going to be a want for more followers or a hunger for a more popular blog, but that's life. Everyone always wants to be something they're not. Cooler, thinner, more popular, or just to fit in.
Growing up, my family didn't have a lot of money. We lived in a duplex apartment that was super old. Only one parent worked. I wasn't always able to have the coolest clothes or the newest phone. My parents are so good to me and they've always tried their best to give me everything I wanted. There's always going to be someone with more. I grew up having that insecurity. Thinking no one would like me if I didn't drive a BMW or throw crazy parties. Movies make it seem like you have to be a hot rich girl to have a fun life. I wasn't okay with being adequate. I didn't understand that high school was just high school... I have a best friend that always kept me grounded. She was the type to never care what anyone thought. She was always true to herself and I always admired that. People loved her for her and thought she was cool because she didn't give af about what people thought of her. That is the way to live.
So, before you start a blog and think you have to be perfect and skinny and pretty and say all the right things and wear all the right clothes; just remember, be you. No one relates to a perfect person because no one IS a perfect person. We all have flaws and insecurities and things that make us different, that's what makes us real people! If you're trying to lose weight, take people on the journey with you. Be vulnerable and open. Be honest with how you're feeling. People are going through those same struggles and would love to hear that it's happening to someone else.
Don't get to caught up in your number of followers or the "look" of your photos. Be you. That's who I'd want to follow :)
