When I think about what really made the difference in my blog and my business I know that it really came down to three things. And I’ll let you in on a little secret: they all have to do with your mindset.
I don’t like to mess around, so I won’t bore you with a long intro. Check out my 3 game changing blogging tips below:
#1: DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE SEEN
In the beginning it can be really weird to tell people about your blog. Especially if you want to do it full time. It can feel kind of like you’re trying to get attention. Also it’s just plain awkward to be like “hey friends! I’m blogging now so go read my opinions and my inner most thoughts and see how I present myself to the world”. But essentially, that’s exactly what you have to do. When I first started blogging I never told anyone and I never put any of my writing on my Facebook or other social media. I was embarrassed to say that this was something I wanted to do professionally. I was embarrassed to have people read my stuff and judge me or think I was trying to sound like someone I wasn’t. But mostly I was scared that if the people in my life knew that this was something I was investing my time and energy into and then it didn’t work out they would think I was a failure. And super lame.
I was allowing this fear of failure to stop me from even trying. I was allowing it to pick up my dream and place it on a shelf to collect dust for years just so I could avoid the potential embarrassment and frustration that comes with not getting it right the first time.
This mindset sent a big message. It said “I’m not going to share my dream with anyone because I’m definitely going to fail and I would prefer to fail alone”. To me, subconsciously, my failure was inevitable. No wonder it took me so long to monetize my blog!
If you don’t believe you’ll be successful, then you won’t be. If you don’t believe your friends and family will take you seriously, it’s because you don’t take yourself seriously. If you don’t put yourself out there then you’re telling the world that your voice doesn’t matter and you don’t have anything important say.
You have to put yourself out there. You have to tell your family and your friends. Put it on your LinkedIn. Talk about it openly. If blogging full time is something you really want then you have to be a blogger. Not someone who hides their dreams from the world.
#2: STOP LOOKING AT EVERYONE ELSE’S BLOG & INSTAGRAM AND GETTING DISCOURAGED
This is a toughie. I still grapple with it sometimes. In fact I just posted a whole piece about ditching the social media envy on my blog, you can read it here. Following other amazing women who went after their dreams, have overcome the fear failure and who are living the lifestyle you want can be super inspiring. But if you’re not in the right mindset it can also make you feel like a loser.
Which it totally shouldn’t! You should feel proud and excited and grateful for all of your accomplishments and this beautiful life you’re creating. You should feel empowered by their stories and take their successes and use them as reminders that it can be done.
And listen, the thing about social media is that it is heavily curated. My Instagram is 100% planned ahead. I rarely post an in the moment photo and all of my images go through edits so they are all cohesive and have a similar theme. I post pictures that are pretty and chic and branded. I don’t post pictures of me hungover in bed, sipping on ice water with a beehive for hair. My blog is my business and brand and my social media is an extension of that. There are a lot of less than glamorous parts of my life that I don’t always share. The same is true for all of the beautiful girls posting pics of their amazing brunch dates and what they’re wearing for a fancy event. That is just a sliver of their lives, so keep that in mind.
#3: TREAT YOUR BLOG LIKE YOUR BIZ
This is huge. Like, write this down. Frame it. Make it your mantra. Your blog is not your hobby, unless you’re cool with just using it as an outlet and not making any money from it. Your blog is your business. Think about how differently we treat our jobs and our hobbies. If I wake up with a tummy ache and was planning on going hiking in the afternoon chances are I’m not going to power through the pain. When I’m in the middle of my work day and I experience that sleepy, mid day day slump and my bed starts looking more and more appealing I go for a run, take a shower, have an iced coffee and get back to work. I’m not messing around.
The thing about blogging is that the more time you invest in it, the more profitable your blog will be. At least in the beginning when it’s just you running it. So if you want to quit your job and blog full time but you spend an average of 1-2 hours a week on your blog and you post every other week, you probably won’t be seeing your page views or your bank account blowing up anytime soon.
This was a decision I had to make 5 months ago when I was figuring out what to do next with my career. I was working as a retail manager, doing a temporary assignment that was coming to an end and was presented with some exciting new career opportunities by my boss who was super supportive of my growth at Victoria’s Secret. But I knew in my heart that it was time for me to stop playing small and to be brave. I had monetized my blog and could see the path to the entrepreneurial lifestyle I wanted but I was terrified of failing. I was scared of taking a chance and it not working out. But I also knew that my blog couldn’t get any bigger and couldn’t become a real business if I didn’t give it the attention it deserved.
So I took the big leap, I went for it and I am still reaping the benefits of choosing to turn my blog from my hobby into my dream job. And you can too. I believe in you.
I hope these mindset shift tips are helpful! It’s such a huge part of creating your dream life and can really be the thing that either makes or breaks your blog. You have to believe it’s possible. You have to take action. You have to be determined to make it happen. The Universe rewards big, bold, risky moves.
If you’re ready to make yours then schedule you free consultation call with me! There’s no better time than right now. We can talk about my 90 day 1:1 coaching program that will help you grow and monetize your blog so you can finally kiss your unfulfilling 9-5 goodbye!
There are only a few spots left so if you think this might be the right next step for you then hurry and book your call here!
This is the last week to book your calls so schedule it asap so we can get moving! Plus the price goes up after this month so I want you to be able to take advantage of this exclusive pricing.
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I can’t wait to chat with you 🙂
Have an amazing Monday lovelies!
Xoxo,
She
2 comments
Amanda
OMG…I’m pretty sure we are the same person. Reading the first part actually made me cry because that is EXACTLY what I am dealing with right now. I keep telling myself “Maybe when my blog picks up and gains popularity I’ll tel people about it”. I was going to copy and paste the sentences you wrote that stuck out most to me, but let’s be real, the entire section hit me hard. This has really left me inspired. I’m currently taking your 5 day course and just know that I am going to learn so much from you <3
Sheila
I’m so happy it resonated with you! This totally made my day 🙂 it can be totally terrifying to put yourself out there but I can speak from experience that once you do your entire world will change and suddenly there’s all of these possibilities you just didn’t see before 🙂 I know your blog is gong to be amazing! Thanks for joining the challenge 🙂