The First Thing I Did In Business Was Blogging (And I Wish I Had Stuck With It)
Believe it or not… All of this started with just a simple Blog on a Wix website. I started my business with blogging.
Yes, the first thing I did in business was blogging. I started a blog for my company, Inclusive Fitness. It was a blog for parents about child development and physical literacy. I absolutely loved that blog. But I was extremely perfectionistic about it. I would take weeks to write a post. So, there weren’t very many posts on it. My degree is in Psychology with a concentration in Child Development and Disabilities. At the time, I was working as a Behaviour Therapist for kiddos with Autism and a Physical Literacy Leader at the Pacific Institute of Sports Excellence.
But neither of those allowed me to really impart knowledge the way I wanted to. I have always loved writing so much more than speaking. I loved creating things, which I did a lot of for both of those jobs.
But, as I often do, I kept thinking… What else can I do with this? How can I make money from this?
So, I took to Google and started exploring things. I stumbled across The Female Entrepreneur Association. They had a membership where you could learn specific skills about online business. I wanted to learn how to improve my blog and possibly make money from it, so I signed right up for it and dove in. It was in this membership that I discovered Virtual Assisting.
I was thrilled. Not only could I continue writing my blog, but apparently, I could write a blog for other people? I knew I needed to keep honing my skills and learn as much as I could. I am a big proponent that if you’re going to offer something, you should start educating yourself and working on the skill. I took Advanced Placement English in high school, English courses in university, and wrote a whole lot of things in university, too. I had my blog, but I needed to learn the strategy, so I was off to the races, learning as much as I could about blogging. I feel suspicious when people dive into offering a service they’ve never done before.
I finally started my business January 1, 2018.
It took one month of networking, but I finally found my first blogging client… And I got paid for it, too! I wrote a weekly blog for a real estate company in New York. Never having been to New York or knowing anything about real estate did not stop me. I love learning new things, and thanks to university, I was a great researcher. I was so determined to do a good job. They kept me on for a couple of months until they decided they didn’t want a blog anymore. But I was riding the high of that first client.
However, shortly after that, in the Spring of 2018, I got it in my head that I couldn’t make a full-time living as a blogger for people. So, I started doing admin assisting work. I knew I didn’t love it, but at this point, I wanted to be full-time online and thought this was what people would pay for. And it worked!
I will forever be grateful for my time as an admin assistant because it allowed me to leave my job and work fully for myself. I have had some wonderful clients (and some not great ones), and I have learned so much over the years.
I never truly felt grounded, though. I offered a number of services, including Launch Integration, Project Management/OBM, and even tried a small stint as a Wellness Coach (I didn’t love that, I realized, because I’m not big on sharing my knowledge verbally).
But I do often wonder what would have happened if I had stuck it out with blogging. Ultimately, there’s nothing I can change, but sometimes I do wonder.
After a few years of trying things out, I had my full circle moment with blogging…
Around 2022, I had a little, intuitive nudge that I just needed to give writing another shot. I wasn’t happy with Wellness Coaching, but I wasn’t completely fulfilled with admin assisting either. So, I listened to that nudge and started offering writing again.
I always knew blogging and other forms of ghostwriting and content writing were my deep, joyful passions. And I’m pretty thrilled to say that I currently blog and write for other people. I have had the pleasure of writing a lot of really neat blogs and digital resources for a variety of people; some on topics I know well, like wellness, and others on topics I have to learn a lot about, such as quilting.
In 2023, I also took a chance and dove into book editing. I have done a lot of education (including a certificate) on editing and grammar, but I am one of those few weirdos who really love the heavy detail work of editing. I love the rules and patterns of grammar, and of course, I feel that has made me a better writer too.
Why Are Blogs So Powerful?
Here’s the thing… A lot of people say that “blogging is dead,” “no one reads blogs anymore,” and that “short-form content is king.” But I disagree.
My clients and I have gained a lot of traction, leads, and conversions from blogging. When done strategically, blogging can be a wonderfully powerful tool that serves a double purpose.
They act as education that you can send people to when they’re looking to learn something specific.
They act as conversion tools. Not only do they boost your site’s SEO, but they also can help you increase your email list, register people for your waitlist/program, sell your low-ticket products, etc.
Blogging is a lot more evergreen than short-form content. While I think short-form content is important and serves a specific purpose, I am a bigger fan of blogs. Short-form content fizzles out after a few days, but with blogging, it can last months, you can repurpose it on various platforms, it stays relevant (as long as your topics are time-based), and you own it. You don’t need to worry about using a banned hashtag or trying to figure out the trends. Just write what you want.
It’s not too late for you to start a blog
I always say, “The best day to start something is today.” There’s nothing you can do about yesterday or last year, but you are in full control over what you do today. The best time for you to start your blog is the moment you decide you want to.
It’s not too late to start blogging. Blogging is still alive and well.
Is now your time to start blogging?
If you’re looking to start a blog that generates passive income on autopilot, there’s never been a better time. Passive income streams and taking off. People are realizing the value of their time.
To learn the exact strategy to starting and writing a blog that makes you passive income, check out my new guide. Let your blog become your team's best salesperson. You don’t need to be stuck making 3 posts a day, on multiple platforms. Instead, write 1 blog a week (or bi-weekly) and let it become the gift that keeps on giving.
Want a blog, but you’re not much of a writer?
Learn more about my ghostwriting services now. You can still have a blog that publishes regularly, without having to write it yourself.
If you’re interested, let’s chat and see if I’m a good fit writer for you!
