You guys, this is what I thought blogging would be like. Me with a laptop, looking put together and working from anywhere. Cranking out content, steadily getting lots of subscribers, taking pretty pictures for my social media accounts. In my mind, this gig sounded cool and glamorous and sorta easy. I mean, I love to write and that’s pretty much all it is, right?
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Ummm, no.
Blogging is incredibly hard. Exhausting. Never ending. Kinda lonely. There’s so much to learn and do and keep up with, you constantly feel like you’re just trying to keep your head above water. Let me tell you, the writing is just one very small part of it! And even though that’s the part most of us bloggers love, you spend so much time and energy doing all the other things that writing becomes just ONE MORE THING you have to do .. not want to do anymore.
But you know what’s harder than blogging? Making money at blogging. Holy crap, you guys. You buy all the courses that will supposedly help you make thousands of dollars in your first months of blogging. You sign up for alllll the affiliate accounts that will accept you. Then you hope someone out there will stumble upon your little blog and click on your link and maybe actually buy something. When they do, you cheer for that $1.87 you made from selling something on Amazon, because HEY. That’s real money! But you gotta sell a lot of those whatever-cost-$1.87-things to make back your investment costs and start really making an income. Like a whole heck of a lot because you bought about 7 online courses that you haven’t even finished … or maybe even started. (You know it’s true.)
Blogging is a really long and challenging journey, and you have to make the decision to be all in to actually succeed. You have to be the one who doesn’t give up, no matter what. And that’s super hard, because you will want to throw in the towel more times than you want to admit.
I promise I’m not trying to discourage you from jumping into the world of blogging. I’m just trying to be honest and show the true picture behind the smoke and mirrors of what you see in the not-real-life world of beautiful websites and social media feeds. Most of us are sitting behind a laptop with a messy bun and a cold cup of coffee, trying to get through tasks and not forget to pick our kids up from school.
The truth is that blogging requires money and more time than just one person has in the day. Period. And I’ll tell you the thing that gave me the opportunity and freedom to finding success in this crazy business. And by success, I mean not being a slave to my to-do lists, rediscovering the joy in blogging, and making an actual income.
The best thing I ever did is embrace the idea of a real side gig. Never mind all the naysayers or preconceived notions you have in your mind, because we are in a business where multiple streams of income are necessary. So I’m telling you to bite the bullet. Do it NOW. Don’t wait until your blog is ready. Or beautiful. Or full of content. Or attracting thousands upon thousands of followers and page views. Because that side gig will allow you the freedom to do more with your blog much faster.
For me, that side gig is Beautycounter. It’s like an affiliate program on steroids. I make a real income from that side gig, and it’s the reason I’ve been able to grow my blog substantially in the past year. It’s the ONLY reason I have a legitimate income that continues to grow significantly every month. It’s given me the freedom to hire a business manager so I can do the stuff I love and hand off the stuff I don’t. That side gig has allowed me to hire a designer to take my blog and brand to a level I’ve always dreamed of having. Not to mention Beautycounter is an amazing company which has given me a much bigger platform to communicate the message of safer products, something I’ve cared deeply about ever since my years of multiple miscarriage. It’s not just trying to get people to buy lip gloss and eye cream, because I couldn’t do that. Instead I am able to educate about this topic, advocate for safer protective laws, and provide a solution of safer products for a healthier life. This opportunity allows its consultants to make a significant social impact while also creating income for ourselves. Beautycounter is just a really special company doing really cool stuff, and and they’re just getting started..
Maybe Beautycounter isn’t the right thing for you, and that’s ok. You need to find the side gig that works for YOU, that you connect with and ignites a passion within you. But if you’re in the business of health and wellness in any of its capacities, take a look at Beautycounter. I’m happy to tell you the straight up truth about it, and you can read more about it here. Health coaches, nutritionists, fitness instructors, pilates/barre/yoga teachers, bloggers, anyone who has embraced a healthy lifestyle and wants to share that message — this could be a great fit for you.
I personally am bringing three new people onto my team because I’ve set aside the time to mentor them properly. If you’re interested in learning more. let’s chat. It’s just information, no pressure. I refuse to do this business if I can’t do it with integrity and authenticity. And hey, maybe it will just help you embrace the idea of a side gig even if it’s not Beautycounter. There are tons of options out there!
I said I would NEVER do something like this, but I also said I would never have a blog. Clearly I’m really good at eating a delicious plate of crow these days. But seriously — don’t worry about what anyone thinks as long as it’s something that you believe in and works for you. So get out there and find that side gig to make your blog hustle a little easier. Messy bun and all.
