It's My 4th Blogaversary!!!
Do you know what today isssss? It’ my Blogaversary! *cues Tony! Toni! Toné! That song never gets old. It’s been a great 4 years so far and I have enjoyed the journey! I have hosted a successful event called The Glitz Mix, I’ve hosted a series called The Creative Link Up Series and I have adopted the title of Professional Bruncher with my brunch reviews and monthly blogger meetups over brunch. I’ve learned a lot over the years and decided I would share the 4 Important things I’ve learned while blogging.
Success does not happen overnight.
The goal is most definitely success but hey it doesn’t happen over night. As a blogger we all want the thousands of followers because in our minds, more followers mean more brands and more ways to monetize your blog. What I’ve learned is that it’s better to have quality over quantity. It’s better to have engaging followers over a bunch of randoms. Susie from New Orleans who’s into fashion is going to go out and buy that dress you just posted and not Bob from Timbuktu. The followers will come…just be patient.
Besides with my little 2000+ plus followers I’ve gotten to work with a few brands and some were paid too chile! I especially had fun working with a brand called All Things Hair and attending Essence Beauty Carnival on their behalf! Check it out here.
2. It’s Important to have a Tribe.
Women who empower one another….they do exist! I have always been the type to support and luckily I have been blessed with genuine friends who support me as well. Now I’ve had to let go of some foes but chile that is a topic for another day. Although I can talk to my friends about any and everything, I thought it was important to have a tribe of bloggers who could relate. For example, a doctor can tell me all about their day and how he or she cut a main artery in a patient but was suppose to cut …blah blah blah and I may be listening but I guarantee you another doctor will be able to engage and relate more.
The first two bloggers I connected with were Kineatra of NaturallyNex and Samjah of Style & Energy. The vibe was just really good and it inspired me to create The JD Brunch Series which is a monthly blogger meet-up. It’s been a year and a few months since the series has started and the tribe has been getting stronger. It’s a group of encouraging ladies and there isn’t any competition. No one is catty, (yuck, sidebar I can’t stand an insecure catty female…ughh Like why be jealous of someone’s winning season?! Your time is coming…chill sis…ok back to the post..) we support each others events and share information freely. It’s also great to have someone to vent to who understands the highs and lows of being a Black Blogger. Having that support system just makes the journey a little bit easier.
3. Blogging is expensive and time consuming.
Listen…ya girl done spent a pretty penny on clothes, photographers, and brunch over the years! This is a blog but it is also a business and you have to invest in your business. However, navigating through the years, I have learned how to spend smart. Most photographers will workout a deal based on the amount of times you shoot per month. There are also some who are looking to build their portfolios and are willing to collaborate. If I don’t receive clothing from a brand, I’m not shopping unless I have a coupon! Try to buy in bulk to save on shipping. Also the best coupons can be found around the holidays.
I have a 9-5, in a sorority and a couple of side hustles so finding the time to blog can be hard at times. Anytime I am not feeling motivated, I remember how much effort I’ve put into someone else’s business and realize I need to keep that same energy with my own.
4. It’s okay to start over.
It’s okay to rebrand. I feel like every year I’ve added something new to my brand. I started off just wanting to do fashion and I have evolved into a Professional Bruncher, Event Curator, Social Media Content Manager and Lifestyle Blogger. The most important thing is to remain consistent and never give up.
I want to thank everyone who has supported me along this journey and I hope you will continue to rock with your girl!
What I Wore!
Leather Jacket | Fashion Nova
Dress | Fashion Nova
Boots | ASOS
Purse | L’Jai Amor
Photo credit : The Optimist Dreamer