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!
That's amazing!!
ReplyDeleteJennifer
Curated by Jennifer
Thanks for reading, Jennifer!!
DeleteCongrats on 3 years being a blogger. It is wonderful you're working as a blogging coach. I think seminars and events are always helpful because we learn something new and get to meet new people.
ReplyDeleteThat's so true! Trends & methods & algorithms change so I always learn something new & try to relay that to clients as well. :]
DeleteCongrats on your 3 years hun! What a wonderful achievement!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Lovely
http://mynameislovely.com
Congratulations! Yes, I agree, attending events is a big help!
ReplyDeleteTake care!
Marie
https://theflowerduet.blogspot.com/
Totally! Attending events helps especially if you have a plan/goal/strategy rather than just attending to attend - for me at least! :]
DeleteWow, this was an inspirational post. Congrats on everything and you've been hustling hard. Very interesting read :)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.chicnpink.com
Thanks for reading, Maria. Let me know if I can answer any questions!
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