Completely happy Seventeenth KERFday! • Kath Eats

Celebrating 17 years of running a blog!

Completely happy 17 KERFday!

At present is my weblog’s Seventeenth birthday! I used to be lately on a zoom name and informed the individual my website was “16 or 17 years previous, I misplaced rely.” Afterwards I appeared it up – 17 years it’s!

A few of you’ve gotten been following me since these very, very early days. You in all probability keep in mind bowls of oatmeal with a peanut butter spoon floating on high earlier than I went to my PR job, the RD days after I wrote weblog posts between lessons, the Nice Harvest days, the BERF days. 

In the event you haven’t been round lengthy, try:

In that tenth anniversary publish, I had written 6844 posts. As of at this time, that quantity is 7935 posts plus 382,493 feedback and 265,000 photographs shared. GEEZ!

In honor of 17 years, listed here are some ideas / enjoyable info / reflections about running a blog into the teenage years. 

17 Years Of Running a blog

Selection Is Key

For me, writing about a wide range of matters is such a key part of conserving issues fascinating. Lengthy-time readers know that I am going via phases based mostly on what is occurring in my life. I went via two huge child phases, loads of Residence Neat Residence phases, some entrepreneur phases. What I like most about my weblog is that I’m not restricted to at least one area of interest subject. The specialists would inform me that’s hurting my visitors and they aren’t flawed. So it’s a great factor most visitors isn’t my finish recreation. However writing concerning the matters on my thoughts means I’m writing creatively and never forcing it or losing interest, which I do suppose creates one of the best reader expertise. 

Construct A Way of life, Not A Firm

After I began my weblog in 2007, I used to be solely in search of a inventive outlet. I had no thought it was attainable to earn a living on the web, and I scoffed on the thought of doing so when my dad introduced up placing advertisements on my website. (He inspired me to look into it, and I’m glad I ultimately did!) After all, as time went on, producing earnings to cowl my internet hosting prices and possibly some groceries turned a bit extra interesting.

A couple of years in the past, I listened to a podcast interview for one more blogger who began across the similar time as me. Within the current time, she had dozens of full-time staff working for her and a flowery workplace. For a cut up second, I had a twinge of jealousy over how a lot cash her website should be making to assist these issues, however then I had a quick actuality verify that going to an workplace on a regular basis was precisely the approach to life I didn’t need. What has at all times been most essential to me is to have the ability to put my inventive vitality and time into one thing that would assist or encourage others whereas additionally incomes cash to assist my household alongside the way in which. I’m eternally grateful for the flexibleness this job provides to let me greet the boys once they get off the bus every day or make a journey when the invitation arises. 

Studying to Pivot

All through the years, I’ve pivoted and branched out in methods I couldn’t have predicted coming. When my advert community contract with Foodbuzz ended. When model sponsorships moved from blogs to Instagram. After I joined Beautycounter. After I created Digital Muddle and Bloom. When Beautycounter closed. And plenty of extra methods. Having variety of earnings, platform, and income channel means when one thing is down, one thing else is usually up. Who is aware of what’s subsequent! 

Running a blog Has Gotten A lot Extra Sophisticated, However Additionally A lot Simpler

A contradictory sentence? Including the above branches has definitely sophisticated issues. Weblog buddies and I typically reminisce concerning the days once we “simply needed to weblog” 3 times a day. There wasn’t all of the social media amplification and so forth. However in some ways, issues have gotten a lot simpler. I used to take all of my photographs on a Canon Mark II that I haven’t touched in years now that iPhone cameras are so nice. Apps like Asana and YNAB have made monitoring duties and accounting so organized. Canva is one of the best app/web site EVER INVENTED! 

Flexibility Is At all times Prime Precedence  

Lengthy gone are the times after I would come dwelling from an occasion and keep up an additional hour to write down a publish about it. Since I worth flexibility greater than anything, I’m working a minimum of a month forward on seasonal / evergreen content material. After which I write extra time delicate posts the week of or the week after the occasion. I even have the world’s finest digital assistant, Hillary, who helps me behind the scenes in so some ways, so I’m able to take break day to journey or if my children are sick. (I wrote this publish in 2018 after I was fascinated with going again into extra real-time posting.) 

Leaning On Weblog Mates

Conversations with different bloggers are at all times so inspiring. I admire Anne, Brittany, and Teri for his or her willingness to share concepts and assets all through the years. Within the earlier days, I used to be a part of a bunch referred to as “KABU: Kick Ass Blogger Union” (haha) and we supported each other moderately than compete. The very best colleagues are open books. All of us do issues just a little bit otherwise, however all of us study from each other. 

Keep True To You

^^ This tremendous corny phrase actually does sum up all the things about operating a weblog for nearly 20 years. On the finish of the day, it’s a must to do you. Not everybody goes to love you – and that’s okay! You possibly can’t fear about what different persons are doing or drive their fashion onto you. You possibly can’t fear about what the trolls are going to say as a result of something you do is flawed. You must be genuinely you. 

Thanks

Thanks for following together with our household’s story. Thanks for exhibiting as much as learn posts, click on hyperlinks, depart feedback, and write private emails and DMs. The instances when you’ve gotten reached out have meant a lot to me. Thanks KERF household <3