Newbie bloggers share their journey – Part 1

Starting your first blog can be daunting, I get a lot of emails from people with a variety of concerns.

To help ease the way I have asked some of my blogger clients to share with you the highs and lows of starting a blog. These will be shared them with you over the next few weeks.

First up we speak to Paula from Soul Cuisine and Nancy from Woman Glow both who started their websites earlier this year. Read their interviews and if you like what you see, check out their websites, subscribe and watch them as they grow.

Paula Johnson Soul Cuisine

www.soulcuisine.co.nz

What is your website about and who is it for?

My website is about health & wellbeing, spiritual & personal growth, travel, retreats and amazing people who are doing inspiring things…

It’s for people with enquiring minds. People who are interested in being motivated and inspired and who are looking to reach outside their comfort zones to help themselves.

Why did you choose that topic?

Initially I didn’t know what I was going to base my website on but then I had a ‘light bulb’ moment and remembered how much I enjoy sharing information with people I come into contact with.

My website is what I’m interested in myself. I have been involved in the health and wellness and personal growth industries for some time now. For me, education is empowerment and I hope to bring that to others.

What made you decide to jump into creating a web business?

I would love to get to the stage where I can work from home or while travelling so I’m not dependent on being employed in a job and tied to one place or situation. Having a web based business is ideal for this.

I value my freedom so am working towards that, all but very slowly.

What were the biggest challenges?

My biggest challenge was making up my mind!

First there was deciding on what to create for my website, then came the name and then the design template. I took hours deciding on these three main (key) areas as I wanted it to feel right and keep me excited and motivated.

The rest was relatively easy.

My biggest challenge now is trying to grow my subscribers and making the time to market on social networking sites.

And trying to attract people to click through to affiliate links to start earning some income or attend workshops etc.

What were the most exciting things that have happened so far?

Through a ‘callout’ I put on SourceBottle I met a wonderful young woman (Yvette Raby) who is putting together a book with her photographer friend (Chris Sheils) about inspiring people who have overcome adversity in their lives.

She read my story on my site and is including me in the book! Yvette and Chris recently flew out from Melbourne specifically to meet me and do a photo shoot for the book – amazing (and way cool)!!

Plus I also love hearing feedback from people that say they love my site. It’s very reassuring as most of the time you have no idea if it’s working or not.

What would you say to other people who are considering setting up their first website?

Do the Website Launchpad course – definitely!!

Have a good idea of what you want to create and take time choosing the name. You need to be happy with it and it needs to feel right for you.

What can we look forward to in your plans for the future?

I would like one day to be the site of choice where relevant businesses come to showcase and advertise their products/information, retreats/workshops, without getting too over the top with advertising… I still want it to be informative and inspiring.

 

Nancy Liddle Woman Glow

www.womanglow.com.au

What is your website about and who is it for?

My website promotes ageing naturally and with increasing self-confidence in older women (like me – baby boomers).

Why did you choose that topic?

I chose it because it’s what I needed in my own life – after the breakdown of third marriage and my confidence was zilch. I started out sharing how crap I felt and thought that perhaps other older women might be going through the same thing and might appreciate what I was going through.

I tend to be very honest in my self-disclosure and I thought that might be helpful to others.

What made you decide to jump into creating a web business?

My decision to jump in blogging came from picking up How to Retire in 12 Months in an airport shop. I read it and being a writer by nature, it clicked with me that that was how I could channel my creativity.

What were the biggest challenges?

The biggest challenges are wondering if anyone is reading my honest accounts. Also stepping out of my comfort zone into a business-frame of mind – I haven’t got a natural business head.

What were the most exciting things that have happened so far?

The most exciting things to happen so far are small successes. The Facebook page is coming into its own as a real source of information for women. The website is slowly developing into itself – I changed the format of it a while back to clip its unruliness.

Putting (Google) Adsense ads on it was a major success for me, realising that it didn’t matter if I’m not rich and retired in one year was a good feeling, it took the pressure off the website.

I have also had personal successes via reiki and got the perfect job while continuing to work on my site. It’s been a massive year so far.

What would you say to other people who are considering setting up their first website?

SET IT UP! It will take time to turn into itself so don’t thrash yourself if you aren’t achieving millions of readers or dollars – that could take some time.

I don’t have a specific product to sell, so if you’re in that position, then blogging will be a labour of love in the beginning. That first year will help you figure out what the heck your site is all about. Take the time to let it grow, but SET IT UP!

What can we look forward to in your plans for the future?

My plan for the future is to have a big launch with a fashion show for older women. I haven’t considered anything before now because I have been solitary at home, but having a real job gets me out and about.

I would like to have real women model local shops’ clothing and making a big night of it. Then donate money raised to Good Return, an organisation that lends money to women around the world to start up their own businesses and gain financial independence.

That’s all in the pipeline. I haven’t pictured more yet, small steps and patient ones.

 

Who are your favourite newbie bloggers?

 

Posted on September 17, 2012 in Escaping the Rat Race, Getting Started, The Retire Young Course, Website Launchpad (Tags: New bloggers, Online Sales, the retire young course, Training Course, Website Launchpad)