Ahhhh!!! I can’t believe I’ve actually been blogging for a whole year! Well technically I started out as Baton Rouge Babe around April 2018 and only made one blog post. Then I changed my blog name Eat, Pray and Rosé officially one year ago this month (Sept 2018). Whenever I changed the name I found myself consistently coming up with new blog posts and I then found it easier to come up with content. Which is a big deal in the blogging sphere!
I thought it would be fun to share things I’ve learned since starting this amazing journey. I want to share how much different my life has become since blogging and kind of where I’m at now with it. So sit back and get comfy because this might be a long one.
1. Blogging Is Not Easy
Let’s start off with this first. One thing I have to seemingly explain to a lot of my family and friends. I’ve been hearing “oh that would be so fun, I could do it”. “Her job seems so easy, just shopping and getting free stuff all the time.” … IT AIN’T EASY FOLKS. Nor, do we get everything for free either. Planning content, outfits, photoshoots, props, and then to actually write the blog post. It’s a lot of work! The amount of time that goes into writing, and editing blog posts and photos. I spend my ‘free’ hours in the evening writing, it’s when I’m most productive for some reason. While, most of the world is relaxing and watching tv, soaking in hot baths, or simply sleeping. I am up on my laptop typing and revising my little heart out.
While, I am super grateful to be doing this, I don’t quite call it my career yet. Maybe I should, I don’t know I’m still wondering at which point do you say ‘okay I’ve made blogging my successful career?’. Blogging takes a long time to make any sort of income, yes there are some who claim to make $20k in their first year but there’s no telling how many factors or hours went into making that kind of moola.
2. Not Everything Is Free
Furthermore, while bloggers and influencers typically get gifted products. We actually pay for a lot of things. For example, this website is paid for by yours truly! Fashion bloggers, have things to pay for like outfits, props for special photoshoots, and majority of the products I share with you guys are paid for by me. Sometimes, the amount of money that goes into this business has made me question if it’s worth it? Like why buy clothing when I could probably save my money? The answer is simple, because I love doing it. I was made to create, and I love creating outfits and content!
3. The Long Journey
This topic goes along with the “I made $20k in my first year of blogging”. I think people assume bloggers make great money, which I know there are plenty out there that make the big bucks. With that being said, when I started I had no idea that you could make money from it (LOL). I started because I was a stay at home, and I had just shut down my online boutique. I needed something to do more or less. Furthermore, the answer is yes you can absolutely make money; but don’t do it just to make money! If that’s your reason ‘why’ then you just don’t need to do it period.
Blogging is a journey, it takes a while to get started. It takes months for your content to be seen, or to even be worth being seen. You can put up blog posts, but how do you get people to view what you’ve just spent hours or even days working on?
4. You Need A Reason Why.
Why start blogging? What do you want to write about? What are you trying to share with other readers on the internet? These are all questions that you can answer if you have your reason why. Why do I blog? Because I love fashion, and love to help other women feel confident. I love to help others find affordable clothing that makes them smile when they look in the mirror. I want to be a resource not just another person pushing and trying to sell things on the internet.
5. Bloggers Vs. Influencers
I hope I don’t offend or upset anyone with this one, but it’s something I’ve learned over the past year.
Blogger: noun. A person who regularly writes material for a blog.
Influencer: noun. A person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media.
That’s all I’m going to say on this topic.
6. “It’s Not A Real Job”
Listen, I don’t know if I can call this my career. I would love to, I absolutely love blogging. But I have no idea where it’s going to take me a year from now. One thing I can tell you, is I put in full time hours for this. I have a schedule for when I do my photos which takes about two plus hours somedays. I have a schedule for writing, emailing, try-on sessions…etc., So while to many, blogging doesn’t fit into other peoples perception of conventional careers. If you feel like ‘no this is what I’m going to do’, and it makes you happy then do it sis and own it!
I have always been more timid about telling friends and family about my blog because of what they would say. While most of them have been so supportive, others have not. But I absolutely love it so much, I really don’t care what the narcissist’s have to say about it.
7. People Love To Hate
I will never understand why so many people leave hateful comments or messages, but it happens. The best we can do is ignore and move on. Don’t let un-happy people stop you from doing what you love. Actually, don’t let them have any bearing on your life. I think some people wish they could have the life of a blogger but instead of saying that they leave hate around. 🤣
8. Never Compare
Ugh, I struggled so much with this. I use to compare myself to everyone around me. Family & friends and I just could never understand why my life wasn’t like theirs. Well that’s because we on two different journeys sis! Also, not everything is going on in the inside the way it looks on the outside. I can’t stress enough DO NOT COMPARE yourself, to anyone ever. Especially other bloggers and influencers. It’s hard to see you started actually blogging before others and somehow they have 20k followers in one year? Well there are so many factors into Instagram and how to get followers it’s unreal. I just tell myself, one day you’ll be there and when you’re there at least you know you did it right. Slow and steady wins the race every time!
9. Consistency Is Key
Being consistent is hard, but when you plan your posts and really start planning and taking things serious, it works out much easier. Being consistent is what gets you seen on google, and same with social media outlets and SEO. People want to know when they go to your website that you have something new and exciting for them.
10. Being Honest
Always be honest, whether in the real world or blogging world. Being honest with your readers and followers is the most respectful and powerful thing you can do and/or be. It’s important that your readers and followers trust you and gain your trust on things.
Where I’m At Now
I have to say, that a lot has changed for me since I’ve been blogging. I have met so many wonderful women, and personally the blogging community has been nothing short of outstanding support. Meeting strangers on the internet is how I’ve found some of my closest girls! Starting out, I didn’t have a lot of confidence. I’ve always been really insecure about everything, and blogging has made me really step outside my comfort zone. I’m doing things now I would’ve never imagined doing even a year ago! For example, taking photos in front of people was so embarrassing. Now I really don’t care, I set my tri-pod up and do my thang.
Meanwhile, this has been a long journey its also flown by. It’s been a learning process, and has made me grow more into the woman I’ve wanted to become. It’s pushed my anxiety and I’ve had to break down some of my introverted walls. Which at the end of the day, are good things. How can you grow as a person if you don’t step outside the lines of comfort?
Check out some of my other blog posts below 👇🏼
