It blows my mind that this time 7 years ago I was starting this little ole blog. A place for me to come and write and process what Kyle and I were going through. At the time I never really considered myself a blogger or an influencer by any means, but blogging opened up a whole new world for me. Not only for opportunities to write and bring in money for our family as I worked with different brands, but also the friendships that I made with so many women who were going through exactly what we were. These women became my go to even though we had never met and we lived states away from one another. This little space I had created became such a blessing for us on so many levels.
I have not only made friends with amazing women who found my blog, but also brands that our family absolutely loves. We continue to buy their products and have them in their home because we love them, but also because we love the people behind them.
The influencer/blogger world has increased ten fold since I started blogging. Every corner you turn there is someone new trying to "make it" in the influencer world. It can look like easy work, but let me tell you, it is not. It takes time and creativity to open up a door into your world and let everyone see how you live.
Instagram definitely has become the top place to find influencers and we/they all have their own special little niche. When I started out, infertility was my niche. The niche I never wished I had been in, but never the less, we were there and I was in it for the long haul whether I wanted to be or not. I scoured the internet for women who were dealing with infertility and found so many that I could relate and reach out to. After our infertility journey and finally getting pregnant with Raegan, our niche then turned to family and babies. The niche that we are still in today and riding on this train has been crazy!
Then insert Covid. Having any time to work, schedule posts, write blog posts, make IG posts, had become non existent. I had to start turning down collaborations because I just couldn't handle the stress of being pregnant, running a business, home schooling my kindergartener, and making sure the boys didn't kill each other. The joy of sharing our lives was gone and I struggled finding my way back. I was comparing myself to other bloggers who started around the time when I had. I nitpicked every part of my online presence. My posts weren't good enough, my pictures were awful, there wasn't any consistency with my feed, and so much more. I had to take a step back and remind myself what was really important. Family. It's how this little blog began right? Because Kyle and I wanted a family and finding joy in them was what what most important.
Once I found that joy with them again, I was able to take a breath and recharge. So if you are struggling with keeping up, I challenge you to find the joy with your family. Stop comparing yourself to the influencers online, because believe me, they don't have it all together. Their kids fight, their houses are a mess, and they fed their kids macaroni for the 3rd time this week. Please tell me I'm not the only one!
And if you are looking to get started as a blogger or influencer, just do it! Be natural, real, and don't compare. You will grow your following of those who truly love you, for you! In the end, that's all that matters. Whether its 500K followers or 5 followers.
Be true to yourself. In the end, you and your family's happiness is the most important.
