It’s no secret that blogging is my true love. I even love blogging about blogging, haha! Within these last 18 months, I’ve shared some blogging lessons, social media dos and don’ts and what I learned during my first year of blogging. For a fun post, I talked about fashion blogger language I hate and by request, I talked shared how I balance blogging with a full-time job. Yep, I hope I get to do this for a living, make a career and great money out of it. I mean, I get to write, create, teach and discover and I’m obsessed with it all so why not right?
I’ve been enjoying this challenge of trying to maintain this blog with a day job. However, little did I know that I would learn much more than just blogging by living out my passion. So if you’re a new or aspiring fashion blogger, take a short cut by learning from my experiences and let’s talk about what being a fashion blogger has taught me…so far.
It is my hope that my experiences can help YOU!
Shopping Habits
One of the first things I learned when I started taking blogging seriously was to change my spending habits. As a fashion blogger, to make money, I have to spend money. However, I don’t get to spend as much as other bloggers who have their parents help them or have disposable income do. Not only have I been able to change perspectives when it comes to spending my money on shopping, I’ve been learning how to restyle outfits with clothes I already own. Quality over quantity is my style motto!
Creative Challenges
Blogging has challenged my creativity and has forced me to constantly think outside of the box. Aside from shopping, this is quite possibly my favorite part of being a blogger. I’m always thinking about how I can tell a story while incorporating clothes and products as I create my content. It’s been so fun to work on projects with brands that have a connection to my personal life. Talk about trips down memory lane!
Time Management/Organization
I’ve learned that I cannot function without virtual folders and lots of it. From my email to my affiliate back offices, my dashboard has tons of folders! Now, the paper receipts is the hard part, ha! In all seriousness though, because I have a day job, it’s really important for me to learn how to manage my time during the weekends to make sure things get done for the blog. I’ve learned what times to shoot outfits and flatlays, schedule posts and plan content. I can’t say I have it all down, but I’m getting there.
Conducting Business
From sending emails to politely decline a collaboration proposal to learning how to create an invoice, this part of blogging has been the most challenging for me. I’ve hated anything admin for as long as I can remember. And I know why. I grew up helping my mom do paperwork for everything so I really loathe tackling my inbox, taxes, etc. However, I will say that being a fashion blogger has taught me to learn how to teach others to take me seriously as a professional.
Belief in Oneself
As I turn down partnerships that don’t match my voice nor my brand, it’s helped me to believe in myself more. Considering I’m a small fashion blogger, it’s surprising to me at how many times I’ve turned down proposals.
Taking a stand when a brand comes knocking at your door with money is difficult, but knowing who I am is priceless.
Who I am, my voice and my journey to build the brand I want is that important to me that I will turn down a proposal that just doesn’t fit the SSD aesthetic. I just can’t work with a brand when I don’t like their products nor their company. I find it insulting to waste that brand’s time and money in addition to being rude by lying to my readers/followers just to collect a paycheck. It’s just something I can’t do and will always stand by!
Personal Growth
I’m not the type of person to get jealous over someone’s success. For me, when I see someone succeed, it really pushes me outside of my comfort zone even more so. When I see my favorite bloggers/vloggers living their best life, I’m very well aware that it didn’t happen overnight for them and that they really work their tails off behind the scenes. Heart, hustle and working the grind is something I admire so I let others’ success push me to grow as a person and as a fashion blogger. I know I’m far from who I’m meant to be as a blogger, but I love chasing who I want to become because of those who went before me.
A Journey of Self-Discovery
Considering I blog outside of my 9-5 job, my journey of self-discovery has been quite enlightening. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t regret the fact that I should’ve taken this blog seriously six years ago. I feel as though if I had started it all those years ago, I would’ve discovered my identity earlier on and set deeper roots in it. However, I can’t spend the majority of my days thinking these thoughts. Instead, I use the feeling of regret to keep pushing myself harder. Maybe that’s why I have a hard time taking self-care days! Actually, as I’m typing this, I have a headache and am very sleepy, but here I am making up for lost time!
I hope my post has helped you today, especially if you’re a very new blogger. If you’re thinking about starting a blog or are a new blogger, but have a hard time believing in yourself, I understand.
However, I implore you to just do it.
Honestly, no one cares more about your blog more than you do so why not? Let me tell you, when you stop caring about what others think, that’s when you’re happiest. Stay in your lane, never use what others are doing to be a copycat and as cliché as this sounds, be yourself. I mean it. You doing you is the only way to stand out from the crowd in this vast and very saturated industry.
If you can’t stop thinking about it, chances are, blogging is truly your passion so DO IT! And in case you need to know where to begin, check out my monthly series on blogger resources I’ve discovered to help you get started!
Being a fashion blogger has taught me a lot. If you’re a new or aspiring blogger style blogger, what have you learned?
Leave me a comment below on your blogging journey and if you have any encouraging words for others, please feel free to give some advice too!
SHOP THE POST
Rebecca Taylor White Dress c/o Clothehorse Anonymous | Metallic and Nude Block-Heel Sandals (old, love these wedges for summer!) | Crossbody Bag (old; still lusting after the LV Pochette Metis) | Stud Earrings (old; similar earrings, love these stud earrings,) | Lip Pencil in Spice | Liquid Matte Lipstick in Sell Out | Sunglasses (old; loveee these $14 sunglasses!)
DISCLOSURE: Clotheshorse Anonymous is the first fashion company I partnered with when I started She Sweats Diamonds. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to begin to create the style portion of this blog. A huge thank you to Clotheshorse Anonymous for choosing to partner with me and I don’t just mean on this post!
All thoughts and opinions are my own. As always, thank you for supporting my sponsors!
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