I cannot believe I have been a blogger for 6 months now! I have found these past 6 months to be such a learning experience in so many ways. I truly felt like I have found the perfect career that makes the most sense for me & my family as well. Glitz & GlaMOM has brought me so many new experiences, so many new challenges, so many rewarding moments, & has brought my family so much happiness!
First lets talk how to get it done while being a mom, a full-time SAHM. I was a School Counselor until my oldest babe was born. I have been a SAHM mom for years until Glitz & GlaMOM. I was perfectly fine, perfectly fulfilled, perfectly happy being a SAHM with my babes. Glitz & GLaMOM only became a possibility because I am able to balance work with being a mom first & foremost. As the girls are in school more, it gives me more time to focus on work & I can gradually do more & more. Now, that being said…..
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH TIME IS REQUIRED TO BE A FULL-TIME BLOGGER UNTIL YOU ARE DOING IT. Blogging is the type of career that can be 24/7 & literally never stop. There is ALWAYS something else you can be doing. There is another email you can be sending, another engagement to make on social media, another contract to look over, another photo to take…and then edit. Blogging is NOT a 9-5 job. Its a from when you wake up, until you pass out at night type of job. The work is never done, the work is never complete. I try to work very early & very late to accommodate my kids & spend the most time with them as I can. Ill sleep one day right?
Time management & being organized is SO important. To make this work I have TONS OF LIST, ON LISTS….ON LISTS….My iCal is my life. My planner is my life. I need these things to stay on top of mom life, wife life, work life. Having a schedule & sticking to it also really really helps.
There are certain misconceptions about blogging that I want to clear up! I have heard very wild & sometimes unintentionally rude comments about blogging as a career that are simply not true.
1) Blogging is “easy.” This is a very, very hard job. While it is extremely rewarding (I’ll talk about that later), it is WORK. There are so many elements that go into blogging. Most bloggers, myself included, utilize an editorial calendar that helps you map out content for weeks ahead of time. This is not just a wing it & go type of job. You can send & respond to 100s upon 100s of emails daily. You have to negotiate deals, & review contracts. You have to make sure your pictures are high quality. You have to write in a way that makes an audience care what you have to say.
There are so many parts of the job. Managing multiple social media accounts is WORK, writing blog posts is work, everything that helps you be successful is an incredible amount of work & time spent.
2) People you know will try to “use” you because you have a platform. This is something that sounds harsh, not always mean or mean-intended but a truth that must be said. I was told a good piece of advice when I was a guest on a radio show a few months ago. The radio host told me that since you have a platform, people will try to use you, see what they can get from you, try to take advantage of you. He warned me to be aware, be careful of peoples intentions. I am so glad he spoke to me about this because unfortunately I have experienced it. I have been put multiple times in awkward & uncomfortable situations where people wanted to use my platform for some kind of way that made me feel used.
I think some of those people do not understand that your blog is your BUSINESS, not a free way for people to advertise theirs.
Now I want to talk about how awesome the last 6 months have been! In the past 6 months I have:
-been a guest on a radio show & multiple podcasts
-been offered & started filming my own TV Show
-met some fellow bloggers who ROCK & have been so helpful in my own journey
-learned so much about this new blogging world & how to make it become something useful
-how to create content on a website (& actually build html, coding, etc, WHO AM I?)
-shared so many wonderful & memorable experiences with my family because of Glitz & GlaMOM
If you are thinking of starting a blog:
1) Make sure you OWN your blog. I use self-hosted WordPress.
2) Make sure to create your social media accounts right away to get the handle you want
3) Create a logo, theme, color scheme to match your vision
4) Find FB groups that support your niche & to get advice. There are tons of blogging for beginner groups.
5) Find fellow bloggers in your niche, befriend them, ask them questions
6) Learn about SEO
If there is interest, I would be happy to share more in-depth of how to get started! Let me know!
All in all the past 6 months have been AMAZING. I have seen that my group of friends is THE BEST. They truly, truly, truly SUPPORT THE HELL OUT OF ME! They are my posts, share in my success, & I know they are happy for me! My parents & hubby have been there supporting me, helping me, & believing in me. Those are the things that are truly most rewarding,
Thank you to everyone who has supported me from the littlest to the biggest ways! I truly appreciate it so much.
Have you thought about blogging? What would you focus on?
