I received a message from Carol. She asks, “I have a question about your blogging- I know now your blog is about teaching and encouraging others to blog. But, I know when you started off, you weren’t teaching…..so my question is…….What did you first blog about? I would love to read some of them from the beginning as inspiration/encouragement. Can you share some of your beginning blogs?“
I love this question. Carol, you’re absolutely right. I didn’t start off teaching blogging. No one ever should teach something they don’t know inside and out.
What Did You First Blog About?
When I first started blogging, I began teaching on how to make a full time income on eBay. I created a course and everything, back when courses weren’t even popular yet. 🙂 But the world wasn’t ready for it and it completely bombed!
Meanwhile, everyone was asking me questions on how to save money. At first, I was annoyed. I was like, “No, not saving money. I’m trying to teach you eBay here.” lol.
But, the questions wouldn’t stop each month. They wanted to know how I was able to have all I had and support my kids and I, while only making $18k/year.
I gave in and started teaching about how to save money and living frugally. I still can’t tell you why exactly, but my posts went like wild-fire and my site become VERY popular VERY quickly. I wasn’t actually prepared for all the attention! I’ve been an introvert for so long. In my head, I ran from all the attention and was self-sabotaging myself, though no one knew it.
The things that I taught about back in my early days are STILL on the blog! Simply go through the pagination at the bottom of my website to see my earlier posts and you’ll see some great stuff or look through the saving money and eBay categories.
Earlier this year, I deleted a bunch of posts off my site. Over 500 to be exact, and I’ve gotten several emails to tell me they want it back. 🙂 SOOO…I am currently paying my host to bring those posts back. It’s a LONG process and I regret very much deleting my posts! I thought it was a great thing. I got the idea from Pat Flynn, and honestly, I just feel like, as qualified as some bloggers are, NO ONE knows your blog like YOU do.
So, when you follow advice, even from the biggest of names, understand that things work differently for each and every blog. While it may work for him and others, it didn’t for me, and you may have a completely unique experience from either of us.
This is the exact reason I stopped following others online. I can’t. Because nothing I read or listen to EVER, like EVERRRRR…works for me. I love Pat Flynn; he’s awesome (very knowledgeable, completely qualified to teach blogging, and puts people over money!!!) But, I just can’t follow anyone else’s advice no matter HOW great they are, because when I do, catastrophe happens!
It’s almost like God is saying…”Hey, stop that…I have a unique path for you. Stop trying to do things like others!”
Another popular blogging piece of advice I hear a lot is how we should all niche down and I think that is THE WORST advice EVER! Like #1 worst advice.
This Saturday, I will be posting a DIY essential oil recipe. On the 14th, I will be posting on how I made money last month. On the 23rd, I have a DIY craft going live. This Thursday, I have a printable going live.
It may seem completely out of left field for those that believe in niching down, but for me, this is who I am. I’m NOT one dimensional and neither will my blog be.
I like teaching saving money. I like teaching blogging. I like teaching about essential oils (I’ve been involved with essential oils back before they got popular). I can’t change who I am and I think the most important thing for a blog is to be true to who they are.
My tagline is and has always BEEN, “Every mom should have the option to stay home with her children regardless of income.”
That’s my focus and while I knew going into blogging that I would, yes, one day TEACH ABOUT making money from home (I been doing that for 20 years now!), my “why,” the reason I blog in the first place has always been to help get moms home.
I grew up with a single mom. She worked so much, never had time for me. I was raised by babysitters all my life, so when my ex-husband of 14 years abandoned us and we ended up homeless, none of that mattered!
I wasn’t going to let that happen to my kids. I believe that EVERY MOM CAN be home with her kids. That includes saving money and perhaps making money on the side for her family. But if I can do it, coming from being homeless, to making $18k/year to making $23k/month, to now having a million dollar a year business, surely, ANYONE can, especially those moms out there that actually HAVE help. If you are married, you are already a step above me, and if I can make money from home, so can anyone else.
Whatever I teach on, on the blog, back then or now or even in the future, will ALWAYS center around getting moms who want to be home, home with their kids and making money online if they want to.
That’s my message.
That’s why I fight so hard.
That’s why I get up in the morning.
That’s my calling, my purpose.
If you want to be home with your kids, you can. I don’t care what ANYONE else says. You can!
It’s my job to show you all the facets of just how to do that, and little by little, topic by topic, that’s what I try to do.
