It’s been one year since I took a leap of faith and decided to work on my blog full-time. There’s been plenty of heartache, stress, days spent questioning my sanity, and tears. But there have also been plenty of rewards. I’ve learned about blogging as a business, met amazing fellow bloggers and mentors, took an HTML class, got a better understanding of WordPress, expanded my knowledge of photography, attended Career Contessa webinars, and ultimately began mapping out what I would like to do in the future both with my career and this site.
The past year has not been easy. It has been one of sacrifice and struggle, but it also taught me more life lessons than in any prior year. I wish I could say that after one year I had all of the answers to life’s most difficult questions. But I do not. I can say that I have zero regrets about quitting my full-time job and trying to embark on this new, more challenging path. If you’ve been thinking about pursuing your own creative endeavor, here are some tips to help you along.
It’s harder than you think: I (incorrectly) assumed that if I build it, they will come. I thought all I had to do was announce to the world, ‘Hey, I’m here,’ and brands would come running to collaborate with me. Not so. Prior to leaving my job, I had been approached by a few brands here and there. I had also found my voice and decided to pitch to brands that I loved and with which I wanted to cultivate a relationship. I found the latter strategy to be hit-or-miss, but I would absolutely encourage you to reach out to brands if you’re inclined. If you are going to pursue a creative life, you always need to remember why you started. There have definitely been days where I’ve thought ‘what am I doing?’ And there have been weeks where I have felt utterly uninspired. But at the end of each day, week, and month, I always remind myself that I love what I am doing. Even if I don’t have 50 comments on every post and brands banging down my door to work with me, I enjoy the creative life and for the first time, I can say that I am happy and fulfilled doing what I love.
Know your worth: In the beginning, I was so thrilled to have a brand reach out to me, that I would write a post for product. I felt that I needed to ‘pay my dues’ and get my name out there, so I was always happy to partner with them. It wasn’t until I decided to work on my blog full-time and met with a mentor from Career Contessa that I started charging for my work. Later my photographer said it best, “you do yourself and your industry a disservice when you work for free.” My credit card company would not be happy if I sent them a piece of jewelry or a pair of jeans instead of actual currency. So why should I work for that? There is nothing wrong with saying “yes” to this type of arrangement, so long as it benefits you (i.e., a product that you could use and would have bought anyway). Otherwise, I would suggest asking a brand what their budget is and having some type of fee schedule for your work.
Save…save…save: Obviously, blog work is not the same as receiving a paycheck from your 9-to-5 job. If you are planning on devoting all of your time to your blog, make sure you have at least 12 months of living expenses saved up (the more, the better). You will also likely be spending money on photography, props for shoots, accessories, clothing, etc. So know going in that it can be a costly endeavor. Also, if you find that working at home is too lonely or isolating, take on a side-gig for extra income or a part-time job. It can help you to establish a routine and keep you from spending too many days cooped up at home.
Creativity & Inspiration: Loving what you do is a good start, but there will be plenty of times when you sit down to write and nothing comes to you. Or you don’t feel inspired to write anything at all. That’s okay. Like anything else, you will have good and bad days. I found the jump from writing three blog posts to five blog posts a week to be a challenge at first. Some weeks, everything just seemed to flow better than others. This is where having an editorial calendar can be helpful. Plan ahead and think of topics that you would like to cover. Even better, write drafts of those posts when the thought comes to you. A lot of my blog topics come to me at night, and I’ve been known to whip out my iPhone and start writing down a few paragraphs. They won’t be perfect, especially if you’ve just awoken from a sound sleep, but they’ll be a good start. Then when you’re lacking inspiration, you have those posts to refer to.
Don’t get discouraged: As I mentioned in the first point, remember why you started. Blogging isn’t as easy as it looks, and blogging as a business is definitely not easy. Many people do not realize all the work that goes on behind-the-scenes, from creating and editing content to shooting gorgeous images and promoting your work. You’ll probably have friends and family who see no value in what you do or do not consider it a legitimate career. If you love what you’re doing, try to ignore the nay-sayers and keep on doing you!
What tips would you add?
*Image courtesy of PicLab
Thanks for sharing your blogging journey! I totally agree that your works counts for something so I’m glad you are charging for your services. I have stared to doing the same thing as well. Wonderful post!
http://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! I always appreciate your comments and support. I’m glad you have started charging for your work, too.
I loved this! And though I’m not a full time blogger, I can totally agree with every point. Especially knowing your worth. I’ve received way too many emails from brands asking me to publish a post about their product in exchange for ‘social media exposure.’
-Dara || http://www.peoniesandhoneybees.com
Yea, I’ve been there too, Dara! In the beginning, I was more than happy to write for free. But I didn’t see much value in it for me after a while. I’m very selective with my time, and I only chose to partner with brands that I genuinely love and want to support.
Great post and points Vanessa! I really couldn’t agree more. It’s indeed harder than I thought of too in the beginning! Blogging requires a lot of time, effort and a true passion for what you are doing. And it’s true that a lot of people do not consider this as a real job (a few days ago, a colleague at work asked me why do I have a blog when I could just play Candy Crush instead…), and I received similar feedback even from my family in the beginning which was really discouraging. On the other hand now, I could’t care less. I think if we focus on what we do and stop this kind of “noise” from the outside, we will save a lot of time and energy 🙂
Saving money is critical too, even though I have a large versatile wardrobe, I could not even think of the additional expenses int he beginning, like props for photos, accessories needed to finish a look properly, etc, you are so right! And I do write on my iPhone at night too hehe!
Congrats on your first year of full-time blogging, I really can’t wait to reach that point too!
Wish you all the best!
xx
Stella
http://www.stellaasteria.com
Thank you, Stella! Blogging is quite the journey, but if you love what you do then it really doesn’t feel like work. This site was the first thing I ever felt truly passionate about and was willing to give up social outings and even sleep for. As much as I love it, I do treat it like a job and try to hold myself accountable for tasks that need to get accomplished. Congrats on all of your accomplishments with your site, and remember to keep doing you!
This is such a great post! Thanks for sharing!
xx
Mademoiselle Coconath
http://mllecoconath.com
Thank you so much!
This is such a great post, Vanessa, and so spot on with how I’m sure many bloggers starting out have felt, including myself. I love the tip on saving BEFORE venturing out into full time blogging because it’s quite expensive and of course, you need to eat! I have to set a budget and fight the temptation for adding so many new, unnecessary, pieces into my wardrobe just for the sake of showing something different, but if my budget doesn’t allow, I have to pass. I also like the suggestion on planning out your work ahead of time, which I’ve found to be SO helpful! When there are weeks that I just can’t do it, I tend to get very stressed and of course, it just affects my entire mood for the week. Thank so much for sharing, beauty, I really enjoyed this post and I hope you’re having a great week so far!
XO,
Jalisa
http://www.thestylecontour.com
Thanks, Jalisa! I’m so glad you loved the post. Saving is important — especially if you are going to take on a creative venture that won’t bring in steady income. There is always something that you will want to buy and share on your blog, but it can be difficult to swing all of the new purchases. Having the willpower to pass is hard — and something I struggle with. Thank you for your support over the past year, and beyond!
Great advice and insights. Your education in blogging could only have come from “on the job” training. You did a great job!
Thank you for your continued support, Sue! XO
Great post, Vanessa! That’s a good point about not just working for a free product.
Jamie
http://treatsandtrendsblog.com/
Thanks, Jamie! I think it’s really important to know your worth — especially when working in a creative field, such as blogging.
Really loved this post! Such great insight!
xo,
Ally
Thanks, Ally! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post.
Great post. When did your first Brand start working with you? And what was it? Did you pitch to them or they seek you?
Thanks, Tina! The first brand I worked with was Warby Parker. They reached out to me and asked me to write a post about their Winter 2014 collection. I had been blogging for about six months at that time.
This is a great post Vanessa! I so admire you for going full time and really appreciate everything you’re sharing. It’s a dream of mine to be at a place where I can make the same leap in life and hearing about your journey is incredibly inspiring! Keep doing what you’re doing and working to fulfill your dreams!
Thanks so much, Kasie! It’s been a difficult, but enlightening journey so far, and I’ve learned a lot not just about blogging — but also about myself. I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed following along on my journey!
Wonderful post Vanessa! I started my blog about a week ago, so this was very helpful to me! Thank you for sharing your journey.
xoxo Alicia
Thanks, Alicia! I’m so glad you found this post insightful. Good luck with your blog and welcome to the blogging community. I can’t wait to check your site out!
Nice post Vanessa. The patience part is the most difficult one… how long would you say you had to blog before you started to see a reasonable monetary return on your investment?
Thanks! The short answer is…I’m still waiting on the ROI three years later. But I didn’t start this site with the intention of having it be a business or to make money from it. It was a much-needed creative outlet, and the connections I have made in the blogging community have exceeded any expectations I had for this site when I started. I hope that answers your question. Thanks for stopping over!
I see… for what it’s worth, it looks like you’ve made some fantastic progress. So keep going. All the best in the future.
Thank you!