It’s been a little over 90 days since I completely rebranded and relaunched my blog. I worked on this baby for about a year (with six months of focused on design, which I had to start over on, but let’s not talk about that though) prior to the launch and I’m so happy and proud of how far I’ve come. However, I’m not completely content with my progress. Maybe it’s because I know my potential, that I can do better. Anyone feel me on this?
Today, I wanted to share with you what I’ve learned since my blog relaunch. If you’re in a rut or thinking of starting over, keep reading as I’m sure we’re in the same boat.
My Voice
Since my blog relaunch, it has been difficult to write exactly like how I speak in real life. As a communications major, I had a tough time writing my posts because it was important to me to sound like a professional. Why? I have no clue! As I thought about it, I realized, “No, I don’t have to sound like a ‘professional’ because I can sound however I want to sound!” That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
So, as of yesterday, I told myself, “Screw it! I’m just going to be me!” If I want to be funny in that post, I’m going to be funny. If I want to be tame, I’ll be tamer. (Is that even a word? Tamer?)
And you know what? It feels good. And freeing. I’ve never wanted to sound like someone I’m not. I just want to write like how I would talk to you if we were on a hanging out on coffee date. The best part about being a blogger is that you’re documenting what you want, including your voice. I’m pretty excited to see how my style and voice will evolve over time!
Personal Style
Believe it or not, the style portion has been the most difficult for me to write about since I’ve relaunched this blog. I’m currently figuring out my style and what I like. I’m finding that I’m gravitating towards neutrals and classics more and more as I browse my go-to online shops and gather inspiration from my favorite bloggers. Problem? As I’m going through my closet, I’ve found that I hardly have any classics/basics. I know. I’m not sure whether to categorize this as a wardrobe fail or a fashion blogger fail. I talked about this with one of my favorite bloggers I follow, Kim just this week. It’s so hard when reworking your wardrobe to have a good foundation because it’s boring to buy basics. To me, trends are much more fun to shop for!
But I promised myself that I would only focus my future purchases on classic pieces like a structured blazer (I just ordered this blazer in a similar color for a fraction of the price), a good pair of denim, a crisp button down blouse, black pumps, etc. To make the buying process less boring, I’m looking to buy classics with a twist, like this ah-mazing blouse I came across on Instagram! I think I drooled a bit when I saw it. I’ve decided to share investment pieces as I add them to my closet. Obviously it’s going to take awhile, but I’ll do a mini haul when I can!
Blog Topics
To be honest, I started my blog over and over again because of “you have to find your niche” advice I read from blogging resources. After fighting myself because “Why do I have to focus on one topic? Why can’t I write about everything?”, I just said, “Screw it,” and relaunched with the intention of writing what I love and my interests. It feels great because I know not everyone is going to see eye to eye with me and that’s okay. It’s my blog and I’m rocking the whole “you do you” thing. I ended up deciding on these four topics:
Boss Ladies
I absolutely love finding amazing women who are doing it all and then some and look up to these women so much. As a growing entrepreneur, I wanted to write about what I’ve learned, what I wish I was taught and the progress of my own journey. It’s always great to look back and see the progress you’ve made. More importantly, I hope my journey helps someone else.
Health & Wellness
My car accident this past November has really messed up my health and my routine. It knocked me off course for the last six months and the only way to keep myself from being depressed about it is to write about health in every aspect: food, recipes, athleisure, events, my transformation, etc. My focus? Progress over perfection.
Lifestyle
I’ve always been pretty good with making friends online, building those relationships and then meeting them in real life. For the readers whom I may never meet, I wanted to create a category where you can get to know me. I want to connect and relate with each of you by sharing my personal life. It’s my hope that this blog becomes a place where women can not only come for inspiration, but for support.
Style & Beauty
Finding your personal style is hard especially when you’re in a rut or find yourself on the opposite side of the style spectrum. For me, my taste has changed significantly over the last two years. From dressing in brights to loving neutrals, that’s a pretty big leap. As I’m “rebuilding” my closet, I’m leaning heavily on Marianna and Lydia for inspiration. For beauty, I’m looking to Sabrina and again, Marianna.
Personal Time
My time away from Facebook has helped so much with balancing my life. I’m learning that there’s a time and place for everything and that personal time is so important. Time to rest and recover is essential to keep the passion not only flowing, but from dying. Sometimes you just have to take a step back and take care of yourself to recharge. From there, look at the whole picture and then make necessary changes to keep the fire buring. As I regain my physical and mental energy, I can’t wait to continue providing you value and inspiration with passion and vigor! Vigor. I love that word.
If you’re a blogger, I hope today’s post resonated with you in some way.