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3 Years as a Remote Worker: Blogging Coach, Social Media Manager, & Travel Writer
Three years ago I put in my two weeks' notice at my full-time office job & started walking a strange, unknown path through remote work. I navigated through finding clients & establishing myself as a blogging coach. I did over 75 coaching sessions with a range of awesome women. It has been a whirlwind of 3 years because each year was completely different.
Half of the year was pre-Coronavirus, but ultimately, COVID-19 caused a bit of chaos. Due to budget cuts, layoffs, and everything that ensued, I lost a couple of clients. But I came out stronger than ever. You can read all about that in my blog post Life in Quarantine as a San Diego Blogger + Social Media Manager.
Read my updates from Year 1 & Year 2!
Blogging + Influencer Events
I made a conscious effort to attend more influencer events. I'm pretty introverted so it isn't inherently easy for me to get out there & chat amongst people. It's something I've never been good at, including when I was in middle school & my mom told me to ask the server for more bread. It took a couple minutes before I could work up the courage to go up to the counter & ask. So it's a consistent struggle, not something new, but something I work at daily. For additional blogging tips and tricks, read how to set effective goals so you get things done.
I attended a grand opening party for Cardellino restaurant in San Diego. Take a look at my experience at Cardellino on my travel Instagram. The eatery is big & open but feels cozy once filled with people eager to eat (this event was in February 2020 prior to COVID hitting the area). For dinner, choose the Fusilli Piccanti Alla Vodka with parmigiano, basil, Calabrian chiles, extra virgin olive oil if you're in the mood for pasta.
Interested in social media management, help, or consulting? Fill out my Discovery Questionnaire & I'll get in touch with you within 48 hours.
If you're in a pizza mood, the Bianca e Verde is out-of-this-world incredible. Panna, mozzarella, roasted garlic, ricotta, broccoli, spinach, parmigiano. For dessert, try the Earl Grey Budino with orange blossom caramel, honey chantilly, biscotti. You know I love Earl Grey tea (although I'm sipping on chai tea as a write this)! The pistachio Mr. Trustee's Soft Serve ice cream is absolutely incredible & really reminded me of the pistachio gelato I ate in Milan, Italy. What would you order?
In February 2020, I also went to 101 Home and Away influencer event in Encinitas. I shared the post on my Instagram account as well. 101 Home and Away has beautiful murals, tasty food & drinks, as well as an open dining atmosphere. Dig the captivating colours & botanical elements of the mural by Jonny Alexander. I love that art isn’t just for museums anymore. You can experience art as you nosh on tater tots. 😇
If you're searching for blogging tips and tricks, read how to find blogging inspiration + blog ideas.
Freelance Writing & Remote Work
Year 3 as a remote worker brought in new work. I dabbled with freelance writing for the first time in a couple of years. I write occasionally for clients & regularly for my own blog, but it was a refreshing challenge to write 2,000+ word articles on education. I had a project for a few weeks with a consulting company for Ivy College admissions. I knocked out several articles within that period with each one requiring a minimum of 2,000 words.
I wrote articles for LOCALE Magazine, a lifestyle magazine with markets in Orange County, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Palm Springs. I wrote an online article as well as a couple articles for their print/web magazine. Read my article in LOCALE Magazine about Top Spots in San Diego You Need to Visit on Super Bowl Sunday.
I was a content producer for TripSavvy for a full year. They had me on the team producing posts, essentially I would review already created posts & ensure they maintained the updated brand standard. So I did a lot of replacing images, finding photos on Getty Images, checking the post for grammar, capitalization discrepancies, etc. I spent a lot of time editing travel content so you could say that fueled my desire to continue traveling. It was already part of my workday!
Travel Influencer
I did a WB Studio Tour Hollywood in Burbank, California to see some behind the scenes from television favorites like Friends & Gilmore Girls. I did some other California travels in Julian. I experienced Milan, Italy; Porto, Portugal; Paris, France; Warsaw, Poland; Sitges, Spain. What an experience. I always look for the best flight deals, so my travels usually revolve around where I can find a good bargain. I went to Mexico a couple of times, spending the most time in Queretaro. Then COVID lockdown started & traveling was off-limits, so I don't have many travels to report. At least it allowed me more time to create content & awareness for some of the destinations I visited!
"What is a press trip/familiarization tour?" you ask. I explain it in this Instagram post & a bit in this blog post.
What is a Blog Coach & Consultant? What is a Blogging Coach?
I answer this in-depth in my blog post if you want to read it, How I Help People as a Blog Coach & Consultant. Short answer: I offer blogging tips and tricks. Blog coaching is often on a per session or per month coaching package rate, depending on the client. Some clients want a deep-dive over the course of one to three months with regular coaching sessions each week & daily email access, whereas some clients just want to consult with me for an hour-long session to go over questions, goals, next steps. To each her own. Clients tend to work with me long-term, often hiring me over & over for various projects or consulting. But just like a comfortable pair of shoes, sometimes, it's not a good fit & that's totally okay! No pressure - for both of us.
Interested in social media management, help, or consulting? Fill out my Discovery Questionnaire & I'll get in touch with you within 48 hours.
Press + Media
I was featured in the media a few times this year which is pretty cool. You can find me in TLC (35 Real Love Stories That Will Warm Your Heart); Parade Magazine (Underrated Towns to Visit in Italy); & U.S. Chamber of Commerce blog!
Read my updates from Year 1 & Year 2!
Tonight is Halloween || A poem
She exhaled listlessly
& her spirit escaped.
Her body called it quits
& thus, her soul reshaped.
She began a new life
in the pale, grey moonlight.
This was a special time,
it was Halloween night.
She opened her blue eyes
Do you know what she saw?
She looked at her still self;
it was her last hurrah.
Her name was Athena,
like the goddess of war.
She dusted herself off
& arose from the floor.
Her body just lay there,
but her soul was alive.
That's when she decided
it was her time to thrive.
So she floated away
& explored somewhere new.
That's not really something
she would normally do.
Quiet & heartbroken,
cheerless, sad, & somber,
Timid & powerless,
too frightened to wander.
Fearful of everything,
she was not at all brave.
However, that all changed
when she sprung from the grave.
You're probably asking:
"Why on earth should I care?"
The reason is plain but
it may give you a scare.
She would like you to know
that life is not easy.
There are troubles to have;
it won't all be breezy.
Life is quite difficult
until the day you die.
Then you take your last breath
& mutter a goodbye.
Your body soon decays
& you become a ghost.
You'll meet with the others
& you'll all raise a toast:
Cheers to life & to death,
to the haunting we'll do,
to spooking the children,
& always yelling "BOO!"
To tricking & treating,
to pumpkins & to pranks,
to stealing some candy
with no need to say thanks.
To goblins & spiders,
& to the webs they weave.
Because of all of this
our souls shall never leave.
That's why it's so spooky.
No one will hear you scream.
After all, don't you know?
Tonight is Halloween.
Tonight is Halloween
A poem by Carmen Varner
++++++
Wishing you a happy Halloween. Have fun & stay safe!
Did you enjoy this poem? Feel free to share it! What are your plans today? :]
Dark vs. Light || A poem
Look, I don't want to see you
in any kind of vision.
You're haunting, taunting my mind
treating it like a prison.
Well, let me tell you something
you probably ought to know.
You executed me once,
Truth is you softened the blow.
I dream about it often:
I'm flying high in the air,
escaping from what kills me,
but you greet me with despair.
Seems it's inevitable
that you'd stir up a terror.
Karma will get you, I know.
Call it trial & error.
I admit there's no denying
You may have won the first fight
That was then, this is now &
darkness always falls to light.
I am illuminated
by the ghost of the prior.
Consider me as a sun
Burning noble ball of fire.
I shall triumph past darkness,
shining like the brightest star.
My journey doesn't stop here
I'll continue to go far.
Bid adieu to all evil,
the wicked & the corrupt.
This is a revolution;
The intent is to disrupt
you from your malignant plot.
One sip from the holy grail
& it acknowledges that
the good will always prevail.
A poem by Carmen Varner
+++++++++
Ocean || A poem
Ocean || A poem by Carmen Varner
Have you ever wanted something so bad
so so bad
that it brought you to tears?
I don't mean those crying tears.
I'm talking about those tears of passion
& rage
& hope
& yearning.
The tears that mean the most.
The water droplets that fall from my eyes
in moments of pure admiration of the future,
in moments of wonder,
in moments of hopefulness
in moments of stress.
These moments come by stampede,
crushing my hatred
& taking over my soul.
I am not sad.
I am not crying.
These are tears.
These drops fell from my heart
& into reality.
I will try
& then I'll try again.
Then I'll try once more
until I become the ocean
my tears created
& the tide will bring me home.
By Carmen Varner
++++++++++++++
Try. Try. Try. Until one day you DO. This poem is for those of us who have a vision & want to achieve it. This poem is for those of us who have no idea where they are or where they're going. This poem is for those of us who are trying every single day regardless of everything that sets us back. You can do it. We can do it. Nobody knows how far you've come.
What are your thoughts about Ocean? Do you have any passion(s) that bring you to tears? Tell me a little bit about yourself. What are your goals? :]
Wingless || A poem
I wondered wholeheartedly
as the whiskey wooed my wounds.
I wandered within my wisdom
while the warmth of the world
washed away my worries
& the wind whispered wordlessly.
Why wish upon the stars
when I can walk among them?
Why wait for the earth to be woven
when I can weave it myself?
Why worry about worthless wars
when I am waging them within my wellbeing?
I am wingless but still worthy;
I am wild but still working,
willfully but not woefully.
Wherever I will whimsy,
I wondered wholeheartedly.
By Carmen Varner
+++++++++++++++++++++
Wingless is about the internal struggle we have within us. We wage a war upon ourselves by constantly criticizing our bodies, underestimating our power, doubting our self-worth. But we are everything & more. Why wish upon the stars when I can walk among them? Don't idolize others, when you are the star. We are stars, we are worth it. Why wait for the earth to be woven when I can weave it myself? We don't have to wait for our futures because we create it every day. We don't need others to do work for us when we are more than capable of doing it ourselves. Why worry about worthless wars when I am waging them within my wellbeing? All these thoughts & problems rise from our own minds. Change your attitude & stop the war against yourself.
What are your thoughts about being Wingless? What did you gather from my poem? I love to learn how others translate what I write. Let me know. :]
Follow me on social media for more poems & writing:
Bloglovin // Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter
Bloglovin // Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter
Dreams // A Poem
As the night turned to the day
& our bodies turned to dust,
I thought about life's purpose
& what will happen to us.
I pondered about my past.
I wondered about yours too.
Will we accomplish our dreams,
everything we wanted to?
We are dreamers, my dearest.
We've got our heads in the sky,
but I like us like that, love.
We can make it if we try.
So if we end up falling
we can land high on a cloud.
Let's do our best & do it hard.
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