100th Blog Post – One Thing I have Learned Since Launching my Blog

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This one kind of snuck up one me.

I was going through and planning out some blog posts I wanted to get up for you guys and I noticed that I was about to publish my 100th blog post.

Because of that, I wanted to do something a little different and reflect on life as a blogger.

I wanted to make the 100th post a special one, because the effort that has gone in up until this point is something to celebrate. This time last year, I knew absolutely nothing about blogging. The thought hadn’t even come to my mind. I was a new twin mom, had just brought the twins home from the NICU, and life was crazy.

I started to develop postpartum depression. I was losing myself in the constant haze that was learning how to change two babies, feed two babies, get them back to sleep, pump for them and then save what little time I had left for myself. The beginning was rough. But it is where the idea for Twins and Coffee came from.

Well, it actually came from my husband. While sobbing and trying to explain what was going on inside of my head, he suggested starting a blog. As a twin mom, it can be hard to find people who relate to what you are going through. He suggested a blog as a way to share my new life and connect with other twin moms.

In the seven years we have been together, that was the brightest idea he has ever shared with me.

Something just clicked and I was soon engulfed in the blogging world and I fell in love. I have never been sure of what my end goal career would be until now.

Reflecting on my life as a blogger from then to now is just insane to me.

It is still SO weird to say that. It is still so new.

Recently I visited a friend after she gave birth and the topic of employment came up. Everyone was sharing what they did. And then when it came to me, I felt so awkward saying what I did.

“I am a blogger. I am building a business from the ground up for my family.”

Everyone just looked at me funny and went on with their conversation.

I have noticed that is how the conversation tends to go. Not a lot of people understand what being a blogger is. They just see it as writing for everyone to see, when in reality, it is so much more.

Being a blogger has put me in some tough spots. In the beginning, you are small. You have to literally build everything from the ground up.  It takes a lot of hard work to get to the point of being added to blogger networks and making money. So that can make times frustrating. You put in all of this work, day in and out, and aren’t getting anything for it. But then it will happen.

You’ll make your first sale or land your first contract and it’ll feel like you have won the lottery.

All of that hard work pays off. And starts to pay off quick. I am by no means the best blogger in the world, nor do I know everything there is to rock as a blogger. But I am overly proud of myself for what I have accomplished over this past year.

If you are someone looking to start a blog, I have some advice for you while I am reflecting on life as a blogger.

 

One Thing I have Learned Since Launching Twins and Coffee

 

DO NOT HOLD BACK.

Do not. Ever. Hold back.

Fight for what you want. If this is something you are passionate about, give it your everything. Don’t stop just because someone doesn’t believe in you or because you aren’t as great as the blogger you are comparing yourself to.

I have found myself time and time again, caught up in the fact that I thought I was going no where. Just to wake up the next morning with a spike in page views, or a new offer in my inbox.

You aren’t “going no where”. In fact, you are on your way up. It just takes time. Especially if you are like me and have two crazy babies and school to balance alongside it all.

How can you stop holding back?

Well for starters, you gotta be yourself. That is what people and companies want to see. Be your wild and crazy self. Something that you’ll find if you live your life and blogging life differently is that it is hard to keep up. Reflecting on myself as a blogger in the beginning- I wasn’t truly myself through my blog. I tried to sound more professional and use bigger words.

I basically wrote like I was writing a paper for school.

Then that got old and I realized that you guys loved seeing more of my personality because it makes me stand out. It’s what makes me different from the 100’s of other mom bloggers out there.

Who knew my sarcastic ass would pay off one day?

Another way to stop holding back is to open up.

Get real with your followers.

As an every day person scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, what do you like to see? I know I love seeing someones truth.

The recent This Is Postpartum movement that swept around Instagram made my heart so happy.

THOSE are the kinds of people I love to follow. I love people who share the real ins of their lives. Not just their pretty Instagram feed.

I honestly loved the meaning behind the thread so much that I went for it and posted myself. My raw, stretchy self, everywhere on the internet.

I wouldn’t have done that for 1,000,000 dollars one year ago. But here I am today, sharing a raw look at my tubby belly for the whole world to see.

 

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A post shared by Twins and Coffee (@twinsandcoffeepnw) on Sep 10, 2018 at 1:29pm PDT

 

That comes back to never holding back and being yourself.

You have to unapologetically be yourself in order to truly believe in yourself, in my opinion. Reflecting on life as a blogger has made me realize just how far I have come.

I have always been a quiet person. I don’t like people getting in and honestly I used to have a hard time just posting pictures on social media. I was always concerned with what others would think or say.

Somehow, becoming a blogger has helped me jump out of my shell and really go for things.

Jumping out of my shell is helping me become a successful blogger.

Holding back closes you off. If you aren’t reaching for the moon, you aren’t going to get what you are dreaming of.

The best piece of advice that I have gotten in regard to not holding back comes from a fellow blogger friend. She told me one day “What is the worst that can happen? They say no?” and that has really stuck with me.

When you are a new blogger starting out, it is hard to find the confidence to reach out to brands and media. It just feels so weird! But you can’t hold back. You have to go for it.

The worst thing that can happen? They say no. Is that bad? NO! You know what reaching out does? It gets their little scopes on you. They might think you are too new and want to see you develop a stronger platform before they want to invest in you. There are a million reasons why a brand may or may not say yes to working with you.

But you have to go for it to find out. You can’t hold back.

Reflecting on life as a blogger has definitely made me realize just how far I have come. Now think about that for yourself. Where could you be one year from now if you started following your dreams today?

“Reach for the moon, and land amongst the starts”