What a year it has been!!! I’m so super excited to be at year 6! I still can’t believe it! It was this month 6 years ago I barked on a journey. I was scared and had zero ideas of what I wanted to do but I knew I wanted to write. Happy Blogiversary to Toitime!
Blogiversary the Early Years
I started this blog from a nudge from my therapist. I’m not ashamed of it. It’s a part of my story! I needed a creative outlet and writing was natural for me. Without knowing what site I wanted to start the blog on, leaned into WordPress. I didn’t even had a laptop until 2 years into in. I blogged from my free WordPress site from my phone. Yikes! I mean my phone wasn’t the newest on the market at the time.
So when people say to me that they can’t start because they don’t have the equipment I remind them often about how I had an idea and ran with it. If I can get all the way real, I wrote my first blog while working at a temporary job I took to bring in holiday money because I was a full stay at home mom!
Copy Cat
The way I wanted this blog to run was to sound like me. I wanted it to have a conversational flow. Being told by someone I trusted and looked up to how I wouldn’t be received! It needed to be more like a novel. I mean in my mind I’m saying what? People don’t have hours upon hours to read blogs. They needed the information and move on. Knowing I didn’t want to play the copy cat game, I was crushed. I wanted my blog to be about me. I mean I named it ToiTime for goodness sakes. So I stuck to my guns and kept the flow I had envisioned!
Tough Crowd
I didn’t start off with the numbers I have now. If I had 100 people read the blogs I was all types of excited. I’m an excited person. I wasn’t even aware that I was like a micro blogger. I was glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone. No one told me that in order to build I was going to have to be consistent. Often times I would blog once a week or maybe twice a month. I didn’t have a schedule and I didn’t have a blog plan. It wasn’t until I started reading other bloggers about their pitfalls that I realized I had to be consistent and choose a schedule that worked for me.
Juggling Act: Blogiversary Ups and Downs
I had my son who was a preschooler and a school age daughter who needed my attention. I was newly pregnant with the 3rd child too. Life was a juggling act. I wondered how I would work, juggle my 3 kids, and be a wife? It was hard. My heart was in the blog and so it was never hard to do. However finding the time was difficult. I had to write when the kids took naps or late at night. By the time I didn’t know I could write and set the blog to come out at a specific date and time like I do now. All of the blogs I would release was in real time. Talk about stress?
Let me Upgrade You
After I got my “sea legs” I finally had a laptop, and I was well on my way. Since those phone days I have a full on studio in my house equipped with backgrounds if I need them, photo blocks, lighting, remote, IPhone 12, all of the necessities that a blogger would need. I have editing apps and programs and all of the bells and whistles. I didn’t have an ounce of that prior to. You can see the graduation of my blogs. I’ve learned about SEO, managing social media channels, etc. Deciding it was time to brand had been a journey. As well and have worked with amazing PRs and companies galore. I’ve started the podcast Conversations with Toi, and become a speaker too!
Help along the Way
I have a supportive partner in my husband. When I say I need something else even if I get it he’s been the one who doesn’t have an issue with surprising me often times with random equipment that I’ve needed. I’ve always made it a point to use Christmas etc to ask for those things I’ve needed. That’s why when my friends ask me what I need I’m honest. I have no shame saying Amazon gift cards, etc because I pour back into my business. I’ve had a great network of other bloggers I can ask questions. Let me say to the bigger bloggers I’ve come into contact who didn’t think it was small to help another person out! That’s hard to come by where people are more interested in competition than collaboration.
Helping Hands
I’ve had the opportunity to work with amazing PR and I have to shout out Kory Aversa of Aversa PR and Brandon Szeker. I can’t imagine the light that has been poured into me from these two. I’ve never experienced Philadelphia like I have now. I’ll be in Philly for 10 years but haven’t seen the city like I have in the last 3 years!!
Email by Chance
People ask me how I met Kory Aversa. Simply put I met him by sending a chance email. I went to Philadelphia Christmas Village with my family and blogged my personal experience. I went on Philadelphia Christmas Village website and found their PR and sent an email with the blog. There was no expectation of what I wanted to come from that email except to see if there were other opportunities to come back and blog it.
Knowing what I know about Kory now, I know that was the busy season. He emailed me back and history was made. I’ve kept the same cadence-attend the event and give a less than 24 hour turn around. It’s my signature. I’ve been to so many media events it’s hard to count! I love meeting new people and networking.
BlogHer
I know people be looking at me with a side eye but BlogHer has been such an important part of my journey. I took a chance, met great women, and now I’m apart of the SheMedia Partnership. This allows me an opportunity to monetize my site. I get one on one assistance on making my site grow. I’ve seen leaps and bounds since being introduced to them. Women supporting women is what I’m all about. Helping women monetize their business that’s the type of backing we all need. I’ve had my first speaking engagement with them. I’ve taken quite a few trips with them as well. Linking with like minded women matters!
So here’s the things that I’ve learned in this year:
- Work smarter and not harder-it’s true
- Don’t be afraid to say no to some opportunities
- Never leave money on the table-negotiate like a boss
- Balance is key
- Numbers are great but dedication and hard work will open more doors than popularity
- Be you and never apologize for it
What are my goals for year 6? To keep striving to be better. I’m not a hard head with learning. There has been some amazing bloggers who have been there and done that. I’ve learned some tactics from others without having to change to fit the other bloggers way of moving! To continue to grow my brand.
Support in my Blogiversary
How can you support me? Follow me on social media and interact. I promise I’m nice in real life and love interacting with my community:
Share the blogs. I cover quite a lot of topics so if something touched you or may touch someone else, share it! Cost: Free99
Thank You
Special thanks to you, my readers (my community)! You are all the way amazing. This growth in this year has knocked me off my little feet and a blogger loves when the community is behind them rooting them along! I hope to stay grounded and always do what I can to encourage someone else. If you’re looking for a sign that it’s time for you to step in your own journey no matter what that might be, this is it!
How it Started v How it Ended
I started with no laptop, crazy schedule, 3 kids in tow, over 30, didn’t have any answers, balancing work and life, mental health healing, and yet I made time for what was important to me. I’ve had to put my money behind this. Spent hours up editing and writing. There were so many moments when I’ve cried not because it was hard, but because I’ve had to start over a thousand times from losing files! It happens! I recently went from a .com to a .org since Covid. I’m now self hosted and it was hard but it’s worth it. I’ve worked odd and end jobs in the past to make life happen and still not give up on my dreams. When you find what brings you joy and purpose it shows! Take a chance on you!
Thank you to my amazing family and friends! You are true MVPs! I’m so honored to have you all in my corner you have no idea! Cheers virtually to another great Blogiversary!
PS. BlogHer has their virtual food conference this Friday at 1pm. It’s free…register here!
Oh and another one (in my DJ Khaled voice)…
November 20th at 3pm BlogHer Planet! It’s free, register here!
