Back in skinny jeans

Imagine Making Six Figures From Your Twitter

As you know, like many, I got monetization on the brain. How can I make some money fast and now with what I got? Well, apparently, according to Magpie, an ad network for Twitter, I can make six figures like enough to buy a whole town home here in Silicon Valley which is some big coin with my current number of Twitter Followers which is over 39,000 now. It's so wild, and I am very grateful!

But as exciting as this Magpie opportunity sounds, there are realities to consider, and some Jedi Mind tricks. Over at The Everyday Blogger, I wrote up my two cents on Magpie for those of you looking at other ways to make money. People are definitely getting creative!

Open Letter to Fitness and Health Brands Pitching to Bloggers

On average, I get pitched 4-5 times a week, from some PR rep for a “large fitness or health” brand wanting me to blog about their fabulous {insert product name}. Having worked on both the corporate and agency side of marketing/PR/advertising myself for 12 years, I can tell you that at least 80% of these pitches I get frankly suck.

I know, yes, yes, that is not a nice PC thing to say. But truly, the majority of pitches I get are really awful or completely miss the mark, and surprisingly many of these pitches are coming from high priced PR firms representing very well known brands you’d think would know better, but apparently not.

But, I’m not here to complain about the bad pitches, nope, I want to help you big brands do a better job at pitching us fit bloggers because I can only see more pitches coming my way and coming the way of the fit blogosphere.

MizFit, and I talk constantly about the pitches we get because most often it’s the same brands. So, MizFit and I decided to do a joint open letter where MizFit would speak more from a trainer’s perspective and master of the fit blogger comments, and I would echo sentiments from the marketing/business perspective. So here we go:

Yes, blogging for bucks is worth it, but...

...like anything you want to succeed in, you have to be committed, focused, find a topic you're passionate about, and be patient. It doesn't matter whether we are talking about blogging to make some money, reaching your fitness or weight goals, or building a life with a spouse, work is involved. In our instant gratification culture and Perfect Girl screaming down our necks, no one wants to hear "work" or "it will take time, maybe years."

If you look at every single person who has ever achieved their dreams, have become successful in their fields, or are just blissful people doing what they love, every single one of them had an "overnight success" that took them years and immense dedication to achieve. Here's some examples:

Fairy God-SugarDaddy, "I'd like an Orange Nano please"

Apple eye candy is the best. It brings out the desinger in me. The new Nano iPods are out, and I'm drooling. LUV, LUV, the colors especially the purple and orange one. Don't normally like orange but me likey this one. It matches the trim on my New Balances. That Nike + iPod is starting to look really tempting now. Anyone got the N+iP combo? Thoughts?

Part II of II: Blogging for bucks, do ad dollars go more to popular blogs or purposeful blogs?

In Part I, I contemplated during my blog hiatus: “Do you want to be popular or purposeful?” My answer is, “I want my purposefulness to be popular.” Can you tell I’m an idealistic dreamer who wants it all?

What helped me get clarity was a comment from reader Dana who left this quote:

"Often the only way to make a hard decision is to come back to the purpose."  ~David Allen

I felt like God dropped a clue in my lap because the quote reminded me to go back to my life purpose, “why am I here?” When I say I want my purposefulness to be popular I mean I want to be a source of light for the masses and be paid the value in return for the results I produce. I’m big on meritocracy and you’ll see why.

Part I of II: Blogging for bucks, do you want to be popular or purposeful?

I’ve been blogging for a living for almost 3 years now, and recently, I took a 3 week hiatus because I was burnt out. This girl was beat and cranky. But at a higher level, I was feeling like I was at a crossroads with my future in blogging, and with my future with my current blogs, Back in Skinny Jeans, and Noshtopia.

“Step away from the Publish button”

I needed time to step away, relieve myself of the pressure of posting 5 days a week, and to really decide as a blogger if I want to be popular or purposeful because one thing I’ve learned in my Pro blogging experience is that the answer to that question can make a significant impact on what you blog about, how you blog, and how you monetize. As well, the answer can impact your brand identity, and influence what kind of advertisers choose to advertise with you or not. The answer can also influence your future, and I’ll get into why.

After 1,910 posts, it’s time for this Pro blogger to take a Hiatus

Last week, a couple of pigeons started building a nest in the rafters of my porch, and I named them George and Mathilda. They are just the cutest things. What’s odd is that there are plenty of ducks and crows in my complex, but almost no pigeons. Watching George and Mathilda build this nest for their future babies, and hearing them coo is heartwarming and is helping me feel more grounded since lately I’ve been feeling a bit unsettled.

Home is where the pigeons are

Symbolically, pigeons mean messages, home, and marriage. So, I take the presence of my new pigeon friends as a good omen.  The timing of their presence I also take as no coincidence because my lease is up at the end of August and I have to decide what I’m going to do.

As well, I signed up at an online dating site because I’m ready to get back into the dating swing. I have my first coffee date this weekend. It’s been 11 months since Matt and I broke up, and my heart has healed pretty well, so it’s time to take the baby steps into a new relationship because I do want to feel the warm cuddle of a sweetie once again.

And lastly, I have been taking a hard look at what I want to do with my blog business because BlogHer and some activities around the conference really opened my eyes to some things I’ve never thought about before. The good problem I mentioned the other day was about growth pains. I’ll elaborate more in a bit later.

The emotional toll of blogging

I have learned many fabulous things about the business of blogging, but a topic that is not often talked about is the emotional impact blogging can have on a person, positive and adverse.

When I started blogging, I was excited by the unlimited potential to make money writing about things I love. I was thrilled to be my own boss, and most importantly, I was ecstatic about creating a voice online. Gandhi told us to be the change we want to see in the world, and to me blogging is the perfect venue for me to be that change I so eagerly desire to see.

The change I want to see in the world is…

Is blogging as a profession worth it?

I’ve been professionally blogging for 3 years now, making money through my two blogs, Back in Skinny Jeans, and Noshtopia, as well as through blogging consulting work, and on occasion writing for other blogs. By far, professional level blogging has given me the greatest happiness and fulfillment in my entire working life because I get to spend my day fully engaging my talents and strengths on topics I genuinely love.

As well, I have the freedom to work anywhere, any place, at any time of the day, as long as I have a laptop and internet connection. Pro level blogging has also helped me grow as a person, and I have developed relationships with others online and with my readers which at times have gotten me through some of the toughest times of my life like when I broke up with my boyfriend of 3 years, broke up with my business partner, and got canned from a 9-5 job which I got to make ends meat during a blog revenue slump. Although I really miss having co-workers to bond with, I really don’t miss having a boss demanding TPS reports from me and corporate politics.

I also enjoy that I am almost completely void of censorship. I say almost because although I write what’s on my mind, I still do take in consideration a writing style that is attractive to high quality advertisers and mass media appeal. Through Blogburst some of my content does appear on the likes of Fox News, USAToday.com, Reuters, and Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong. I also have had the fortune of having some of my blog posts featured as Editor’s Choice on Yahoo Shine. For advertising, I’ve been fortunate to have high quality ads from well known brands.

Blogging professionally has been very fulfilling for me; however, it is by far, far from easy. The idea of it sounds fantastic and simple, however, is pro blogging, the level at which you make your living from, for everyone? I would definitely say no because it is not just a job it is a lifestyle. Yes, that sounds cliché, but it really is true.  Here are some reasons professional blogging is a lifestyle and not just a job:

Moo: The most amazing business cards that will help boost your personal brand

Yesterday, I received my new business cards I ordered for the BlogHer conference and these puppies made by Moo.com are the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life. I am rarely impressed like this. Look at these cards. They are stunning. (I blurred out my cell # in the picture just in case the stalkers are watching. The lettering is perfect.)

The best part is that they only cost $21.99 for 50 cards each with it's own unique image on one side, and if you are Green conscious, you can have them printed on recycled fibre. For my cards, I used 50 different food shots I used at Noshtopia. Oh yes people! If you tried getting cards like this made at places like Office Depot or your local printing shop it would cost hundreds of dollars, and somehow Moo.com as figured out how to do it for the price of a pair of jeans at Old Navy. The black cardboard box the cards come in is also way cool. I'm telling you the folks at Moo.com are brilliant.

These business cards are so beautiful I almost don't want to give them out. They look like tiny billboards, and something of this quality can only make your personal brand look hot and hip. Creatively, you don't even have to use them as business cards. You could make "We're moving cards", gift tags, bookmarks, inspiration cards, or pictures of the kids to pass out at the family reunion. There are so many possibilities.

If you have some cool photos and need new business cards, you ABSOLUTELY MUST go Moo.com!