Why I Started Blogging and Why You Should, Too

In 2009 I was working as a First Vice President for one of the largest banks in the country.

I managed a department with 300+ employees spread across the US, traveled extensively every month consistently racking up 100,000+ flight miles a year on at least one (sometimes several) airlines, and was one of only a handful of women in my particular position in the country.

I had the whole dreamy, corporate package – a corner office with a view of the city, first class seats on nearly every flight, a personal secretary, stock options, annual bonuses and even the occasional meeting on Wall Street.

The perks for a person in my position in my industry were huge.

I’ve been to the Super Bowl; been to Yankee Stadium; met Matt Damon; met Toby Keith; attended several plays on Broadway; sat in the front row at countless concerts; attended a private dinner at Wall Street after hours; had my husband throw the opening pitch at a Cubs game in Chicago; attended the Country Music Awards in Las Vegas; eaten at some of the best restaurants in the country; and stayed at some of the most amazing resorts and spas.

Sounds pretty incredible when I think back on it but…

that whole time I was travelling…

that whole time I was on the road sleeping at hotel after hotel…

that whole time I was sitting on a plane to somewhere…

there were 3 young boys and a husband back home that I was missing with all my heart.

There were times that I cried my way to the airport.

There were times I had to force myself to get on yet one more airplane.

There were times I called home to talk to my boys and fought to keep my voice from cracking.

I was tired of the long days, the endless meetings, and the constant demands on my time. 

I felt like I was in life’s fast lane racing to the finish and the prize was an early death.

All those exciting events and yet there was very little joy in my life.

However, as the sole breadwinner for my family there was just no easy way out.

While eating dinner alone in my hotel room one night I had the bright idea of building a family website.

I wanted a way I could stay more in touch with my children, my parents, and my siblings while I was on the road.

I figured I could use a website to share family photos, write about family events, and give my children something special they might be able to look at online when I wasn’t home. (Sounds like Facebook, doesn’t it? I know, I know…but Facebook wasn’t as big then as it is now!)

The problem was that I had absolutely no idea what it took to build a website.

I also had no idea that this one, bizarre plan – this one journey I decided to take without having one stitch of experience –  would become my way out of that demanding, lonely corporate life.

There was SO much to learn, though.

I didn’t know how one went about buying a domain name. 

I didn’t know you needed to have a “hosting account” in order to build a site.

I didn’t know how to choose a hosting company once I’d figured out what they were!

Then there were the challenges of learning how to use a blogging platform, learning how to personalize a website, and learning how to write blog posts.

The amount of studying was intense but in my research I tripped across something so fascinating that I became obsessed.

I read an article about how people were MAKING MONEY with their blogs doing something called “affiliate marketing”.

Did you know that Amazon pays bloggers to help them make sales?

Neither did I – but they do!

It wasn’t just Amazon, either.  Walmart, Home Depot, eBay, Nordstrom, Nike – retailers big and small pay bloggers (whom they call “publishers”) to help them make sales.

In fact, retailers are expected to pay affiliate marketers $6.8 Billion in 2020.

It’s a BIG DEAL.

This whole, new world I discovered was my light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

I grasped on with all my might because I realized there might be a way I could replace my corporate income AND work from home.

If I could just figure it all out…

And I did.

Just under a year after having that bright idea of creating a family website I quit my corporate job and began working for myself as an affiliate marketer (a blogger!). That was 10 years ago and I’ve never looked back.

Fortunately, because of my corporate background I’m big on PROCESSES.

When you have a documented process for getting something done you can do it more quickly.  You can repeat your steps.  You learn how to make changes to improve the results of the process.

My way of thinking also forces me to pull things apart, study them, put them back together and fully understand how they work. (I’m an INTJ on the Myers Briggs personality types.)

As a result I’ve been able to turn the process of building a successful blog into a set of detailed instructions.

I’ve built more than 30 websites of my own in the past 10 years, sold over 30,000 books on the subject, and coached hundreds of people on how to follow my exact steps.

I’ve heard all the excuses:

• I don’t like to write
• No one would want to read what I have to say
• I don’t want anyone to know my name
• I’m not very good with technology
• I don’t want to be a salesperson
• I don’t have a lot of free time
• I’m too old to build a website (you’re NOT!)
• I’m not anyone special
• I’m not an expert on anything

I get it – I really do.

Remember that crazy, corporate job I had? I built my first profitable website while flying around the country working a very demanding job – and I had no one telling me what I was supposed to do. I was just blindly guessing my way through!

My employer had a policy about what managers could and could not do online so I could not use my real name on my first websites.

I also would never consider myself a sales person. The company that would hire me to be one would be sorely disappointed!

I have always enjoyed writing but when you go publish your writing online it’s kind of intimidating at first no matter who you are.

So, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that:

• Blogging doesn’t have to take a lot of time
• You can use an alias on your website
• You don’t have to write lengthy essays to be a successful blogger
• You don’t have to be a sales person at all to make money
• There’s always going to be some portion of your target audience who is going to appreciate your style, your opinion, and your unique personality
• You don’t have to be artistic
• You don’t have to be an expert
• You don’t have to be popular
• You don’t have to be a twenty-something, technology-breathing, genius
• The ability to create something unique online is incredibly freeing

If I could do it you can, too.

I know because I’ve shown absolute beginners how to build their own websites.

Just follow the steps – (your first step is to pick a niche) and if you get stuck at all CONTACT ME! I am incredibly responsive and approachable (and I bet I can answer your question).