Love Grows Design Blog

Why I'm Still On Facebook

2014-04-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

There's a whole lot of things I don't like about Facebook. I don't like the unnecessary information and drama that riddles my newsfeed. I don't like that they've gotten greedy and I can't be on there for two seconds without seeings ads and promotes posts. And I really don't like the way they are screwing over small businesses by making them pay to reach the audience that opted to view their content. But they are their own business and can do what they want so whatever, I'll quit complaining.

A month or two ago I was frustrated with the new changes to Facebook's algorithm and wondered if it was even worth it to stick around. It's a lot of work to keep that Facebook updated and running and to constantly be sharing things I'm doing! I didn't want to think that I was wasting my time.

So I put together a little survey for you, my readers, to tell me what social media you use, where you are active, and where you follow me at. A huge thank you to everyone that gave their input and helped me out!

The results?

Facebook had the most active users. Instagram second, Pinterest in third, and Twitter in fourth.
Instagram was the favorite form of social media with Facebook in second.
All but one followed my Facebook page but only half follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
Many did not follow my blog on a reader

I was surprised by these results! I mean, it was no surprise that people love Instagram, but I thought more people would be on Twitter! And I didn't realize so many were still so faithful to Facebook!

And I was surprised to find that Facebook is the only means by which some people have to follow my blog. They aren't on Twitter or Pinterest and don't have a blog reader, so the only way they are going to see my posts is through Facebook. And while some might say that if they don't even know what a blog reader is, they probably aren't interested in following a blog about blogging and creative entrepreneurship. But on the contrary! I'm here to educate anyone that's out there that wants to share their creative passion! They might not know what a blog reader is and they might not understand blogging in the slightest- that's why I'm here! I want to help explain that!

So after I saw these results, I bit the bullet and put a little more effort into my Facebook page. I wanted to really reach these people! Even if it meant posting more times a day just for the chance that they'll see just one of those posts.

And once I started posting more and being more active, I got more involvement! Sure I don't have too many followers and yes, the algorithm and my unwillingness to pay to promote my posts is keeping me from getting even half of my audience to see my posts, I'm still happy to get the comments and the likes that I'm getting. I can see that those who engage more are seeing more of my posts in their feed and they are so incredibly supportive of me and my business! And I love having little conversations in the comments and having others share their thoughts on my wall. It might not seem like much, but it's truly humbling to have others care.

I love how Facebook pages lend so easily to a community. You can simply look at my page and not only see my posts, you can see other people's comments, who is liking my stuff, who is posting their own words on my wall, what other pages I think you should see. I love that it wraps everything up into one space for you to enjoy.

I've also spent some time "liking" a lot of other blogs and businesses that I love and it's so wonderful to look at my business page newsfeed and see so many other inspiring and fun articles, messages, and pictures. It's like a blog reader, Twitter, and Pinterest all wrapped up into one!

I've really grown to love my Facebook page and the community there. It's a shame I didn't appreciate it before it was so hard to engage with my readers, but I'll do what I can now.

If you're on Facebook, make sure you're showing support for the businesses and blogs you love! By regularly liking and commenting on posts, you are more likely to see their posts show up in their feed! Plus, it is so amazing when other people show they care by simply clicking a like button. I don't know about you, but it really means a lot to me. I notice each and everyone one of you and I'm so grateful!

In the meantime, I'd absolutely love it if you liked my Facebook page.

If you need a little incentive beyond showing your love and support for me and getting involved with the awesome things I'm up to, I do have a few plans to reward those that are so supportive and engage with me on my page because I'm truly grateful for you wonderful people!

Do you use Facebook for your blog or business? Leave me a link so I can follow along!

Braid Creative E-Courses

2014-04-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

If you've never heard of Braid Creative, I'm afraid you are missing out. Big time. Tara and Kathleen of Braid Creative are branding and business coaches that work with creative entrepreneurs and they are the sweetest and most knowledgable people. Just check out their blog if you don't believe me.

I've been following their blog for a long time and a good chunk of pages in my inspiration notebook are chock full of notes from their posts and emails. I'm so grateful for people like them who are willing to share their knowledge and expertise with everyone! It has been a huge help for me.

And even though I was aware that they did e-courses, I didn't sign up for a long time. Probably because of money (the usual), time, and I'd never taken an e-course like that before so I wasn't sure if it would be the right way of learning for me. But now that I work on my business full-time I had the time and thankfully the money to take the leap and try it out! I may have gotten a little e-course happy and signed up for three different classes this past month but we'll get to that later.

So I signed up for their amazing class, Dream Customer Catching. Oh my goodness. I'm so happy I took this course. And since I've raved about it on social media, I've had a number of people ask how I liked the class and tell me they've been thinking about taking one!

So I'll say this. If you have EVER considered taking one of their courses, just for a second, I'm telling you now. GO. TAKE. ONE. Do it. Don't ask questions. But if you need more convincing, here's why I loved it.

The class structure was awesome.

As students, we are welcome to work at our own pace to get through all of the lessons BUT we only have 10 days to access the class. This is perfect because I have a tendency to get lazy and procrastinate when I have all the time in the world to get a class done *cough* The 3 skillshare classes I've started and never finished *cough*. So I was able to work on my own time in the evenings and on relaxing Saturday mornings and just had to make sure I set aside enough time that I could finish by the time class ended! No problem at all.

We could leave comments and ask questions.

I loved that in these classes you could leave comments and ask questions and Tara or Kathleen would come in and answer them! They were actually there for us instead of just sitting back and letting us do the work without coming in to help. I loved how personal it was! The comment section was also great because we could read it and ask questions if we wanted to, but if we were clear on everything we could move on to the next lesson!

Have you ever sat in a class while other people are asking sooooo many questions that you don't care about and you just want to move on and keep learning? I feel like that happens wayy too much, especially in online settings where there's people of all different backgrounds and levels. But with this class I was very happy that I could keep learning at my own pace, regardless of where everyone else in class was at.

The perfect teaching balance.

Another reason I loved it was that it was like a regular old college class wrapped up into one. You're reading a lot, just like you would read out of a textbook, there are occasional videos to help explain concepts, and there's homework in the form of great worksheets. I had the chance to work on homework when I wasn't able to sit at my computer but still wanted to get things done! Plus I wasn't driving Josh crazy by watching video after video. It was the perfect balance and kept me from getting bored.

They made everything easy to understand.

No weird jargon. No complex systems they wanted you to use. No boring how-tos that make you fall asleep. They used a lot of relatable stories from their own business as well as awesome metaphors and stories from their creative clients. Instead of a bunch of how-tos that would leave me wondering if it would actually work for me or if they're just talking out of their butt (has anyone else read books and blogs like that or is that just me?), they showed some great inspiring examples to show that it was really possible to reach my goals. It made me really want to do the work because I knew that it would help me to get where I want to go!

The had actionable help, tools, and tips.

They didn't just tell you that if you focused on your target client you would be able to reach them better. They showed us how to envision our target client and specific ways to align our offerings to them. They had helpful worksheets to help us map it out and tips that we could immediately put in place to better our businesses. Throughout class I had a separate notebook out where I was writing down ideas, tips, and action items I needed to do once class was over. And sure enough, once I finished I busted out my notebook and started making things happen. Tara and Kathleen made me want to go out and do and thankfully with all of the specific action items they gave us, they made the doing really simple.

I learned so much.

I've taken my fair share of classes and read my fair share of books. I really wasn't sure how much I would get out of this class when they already share so much on their blog and I've been reading up on this type of stuff for a while now. But oh my goodness. Tara and Kathleen, I apologize for even thinking that. I learned SOO much. There were so many new things I hadn't thought of before that have really helped me get some clarity on what I need to do to be successful! I've already put some new systems in place and have been brainstorming lots of new ideas and offerings that I can't wait to get going! It was just an amazing class and I came out of it feeling so inspired and ready to get to work.

I really can't tell you how much I recommend you take this class! When I completed class on Sunday, I was so pumped! I was so ready to better my business and reach my dream customers! Cheesy, I know. But it's very very true. It was amazing.

So go. Sign up for a class. Their next one is Shape Up Your Content: Tame Your Ideas and Tell People How to Buy You from April 18-27th. You can bet I'll be in class! Hope to see you there!

Use the promo code BRAIDECOURSE50 to get $25 off your class!

I am an affiliate of Braid Creative, but only because I really do love them and all that they do. You can trust that I mean every word I say in this post. The links are affiliate links and I do receive compensation if you register for a class using my links. So thank you for supporting this here blog by using my affiliate links to buy awesome stuff!

Lovely Snippets: March

2014-03-31T07:00:00.000-06:00

If you haven't noticed, it's been a little while since I've done a snippet post. I decided to make this a monthly post as I want to really narrow it down to the snippets I really want to share, not just share many things from each week. So here goes!

Life snippets:

I had a photoshoot with the lovely Tabulous Photography and I'm obsessed! It's all I can do to keep from posting all of these pictures on my instagram every hour! She just perfectly captured exactly what I wanted. Aren't her photos lovely?

We had quite a few lovely days this month with beautiful weather. Our new favorite activity is going to the park where Josh and Bruce play and watch other dogs and I get to sit in the sunshine and read a book. I've missed reading and wish I had more time for it!

I've been feeling a bit stuck in a rut. My work hasn't been as fun as it has been in the past and it's been taking up a lot more of my time and energy. I wish I had more time to work on my personal projects or even just to relax! I'm really craving a vacation. And an assistant. But both will have to wait.

We finally got chairs! For over a year, Josh and I have only had my desk chair and a small futon for our seating. So for over a year, we have not had any friends come over to hang out. It's just impossible! So finally we bought some lovely new chairs and can't wait to start having people over!

We're obsessed with Vietnamese food. We found a great place with delicious pho and bahn mi sandwiches. I crave it alllll the time. And it doesn't help that it's so cheap!

After about two months of watching Chuck like crazy, we are almost finished with the five seasons and it's breaking my heart. I don't want it to end! It's the perfect show- comedy, action, romance, great characters, and lots of nerdiness. What will I ever watch when it's over??

I'm on a class-taking kick. I'm taking two e-mail ecourses, two Skillshare classes, and the Dream Customer Catching course with Braid Creative. It's definitely taking up a lot of my time but I love it!! I'm learning so much and it's really inspiring me and my work. Maybe this will help me out of my rut?

Internet snippets:

I so loved Allyssa's post about blogging vs. being a blogger. I struggled with this for a little while, but lately I've been confident in that I am a business owner first and my blog only supports that. I don't want to sell myself short by calling myself a blogger when my job is really so much more than that!

I am so trying to be better about explaining what I do to others, but sometimes I really just blubber and have no clue what to say especially to people who really don't understand blogging or creative online businesses. I'm having to learn how to be better at explaining what it is I do to both friends/family and potential clients, and this advice from Braid Creative couldn't have come at a better time.

I've been obsessed with the blog Clients from Hell lately. It's the only blog I read not only every day, but multiple times a day. It just helps me to laugh at the frustrating things that happen to us creative entrepreneurs instead of wanting to pull my hair out.

Like I said, I've soo been needing a break lately. I'm finding that my "stuck in a rut" feelings are becoming more regular so I think that's a sign I need more regular breaks. I can't wait to implement Kyla's advice and schedule some breaks! My first one will be this Friday and I'm so looking forward to it.

In the time that I've been a solopreneur, I've discovered something- boundaries and rules are incredibly important. They help keep you professional and avoid getting abused or overworked. I love the rules that Leah says you need and her specific advice to help you implement them.

I'm actually a bit obsessed with keeping track of my business money. I do it all by hand because I really love taking the time to look at everything I'm doing and really focus on my goals and being better. I so loved this post from Meredith about organizing money where she gives some great tips and tools to help keep better track. You better believe I'm using that printable of hers.

What a crazy month March has been! Can you believe we're getting so close to summer? I really can't wait!

Cultural Cooking Blog + Social Media Design

2014-03-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

You guys remember this moodboard? It's still one of my favorites. I absolutely love the whole feel of it all. And maybe it's because I'm really partial to travel and food, so of course I love Ksenia's whole blog!

I met Ksenia a few years ago at a past job and she is just the greatest! She has a bright and fun personality and is super friendly and I'm so glad I could work on this design with her! Of course we had to incorporate her bright personality into the look. You seriously need to get to know this lovely lady!

Meet Ksenia of "Cultural Cooking"

Tell me a bit about you and your blog!

I'm a busy young woman working full-time and going to school full-time. In my free time, I love being outdoors, traveling, and cooking healthy delicious food. I make something new that I haven't tried before every week. I also enjoy reading, going to museums, and running.
My blog is a collection of easy vegetarian recipes from all over the world adapted for an American kitchen.

Why did you start your blog?

I started a food blog in the efforts to help my readers choose healthier food by not sacrificing the flavor. I want my readers to be excited about incorporating vegetables into their meals and cut down on meat. I like to make my food look exciting. I want my readers to want to make it and realize that eating healthier food is not that hard! All they need is good recipes :)

What are your goals with your blog?

1. I'd like to promote meatless lifestyle and help people change their eating habits for the better.
2. I'd like to be be motivated to continue this lifestyle by being involved in this blog and by getting feedback and participation on my blog.
3. I'd like to eventually make some money.

Why did you want a redesign?

My first blog looked very amateure. I knew I couldn't build up audience using my old blog.

What did you learn throughout the design process?

I was able to focus on the main goal of my blog. I defined direction and made my blog more specialized. My old blog was all over the place. The new design made me want to be a better blogger and continue learning about continue learning about blogging!

How do you feel about the completed design?

I absolutely love the completed design and woudln't change anything. Bethany created a brand for my blog. The blog is so fun to visit now. It features the recipes very nicely and encourages people to want to make them.

What is your favorite part of the new design?

My favorite part is the colors and simple design. I love the way the blog title looks and how it catches attention.

Get to know Maru better! Check out these great posts from her blog

Red Velvet Brownies
Delicious Vegan Lasagna
Indian Stuffed Peppers
Baked Lemon Cheesecake

This project was so much fun and I'm so glad I got to work with the lovely, Ksenia! She is so passionate about what she does and I'm so happy I could help her create a beautiful space to house her wonderful work! Definitely go check it out! Her blog is chock full of awesome recipes you should try! You can also see more about this design in my portfolio!

Quit Competing and Comparing

2014-03-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

I was recently going through my website analytics when I found something that surprised me as well as confused me, and no this time it wasn't links from strange Russian gaming sites. There were a few links to my website from a number of different analytic comparison sites. Quite a few really. And I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

It took me a bit to process these feelings and feel out how to express them here on my blog. But here I am.

Sure, I felt a little uncomfortable that people were searching through the details of my website, everything from platform details, social media statistics, my IP address, and of course all the stats from page views to unique visitors. I personally don't put a lot of meaning into numbers because I know that relationships matter most (at least they do for me) but I don't really like having others pick through my numbers and judge me based off of them.

The thing that bothered me most, however, was that somebody felt the need to compare themselves to me.

I'm a competitive person. If you've ever played a board game with me, you know. I grew up in a house where everything was a race and beating my brothers was the ultimate prize. I did track and running as a kid, football as a pre-teen, and intense academic competition in high school. I love a good game and I love trying to win!

But my business is not a game.

Throughout my time of pouring my heart and soul into this business, I've discovered that I am unique and have something special to offer. Sure I might have competition- people that work in the same field and try to attract the same clientele- but I know that there's enough work to go around and that people are going to be attracted to the unique experience I offer. I've learned to let go of my competitive nature, at least in my business, and have felt so relaxed and free!

Why compare myself to anyone? I'm doing my best work and I know my clients are happy. What else matters?

It makes me sad to think that other bloggers, creative entrepreneurs, and designers are taking such efforts to compare numbers and statistics to others- damaging their spirits and keeping their minds off of what really matters.

And I know that all bloggers and business owners have struggled with this at some point or another. We want people to favorite our Etsy shop to make us look more successful, we want more readers to validate the blog we work so hard on, we want to have as many page views as so and so. It's tough, especially in the world of blogging and business where everything is quantifiable. I've thought about these things way too much myself and I know I'm not the only one.

But there are only two possible outcomes for this type of behavior:

You will find out that you are "better" than someone else.

Good for you. You have more readers and page views than someone else. Now what? Your life goal is complete? You can feel more at ease knowing that you've won? What happens next?

You will find out someone is "better" than you.

You will feel less than. You will start holding yourself to a crazy standard, one that you know nothing about. What if they don't have as good of relationships with their audience as you? What if they started their business two years before you? What if they are blogging for a living while you are blogging part time? What if their numbers are a result of many giveaways they've hosted? The numbers are only half of the story.

Or maybe you think this will motivate you to work harder and do what they do to increase your numbers? Don't. Don't trade in your authenticity to do what someone else is doing to gain followers. Be honest with yourself and stay true to yourself and your blog. No one wants to follow a blog or partner with a business that is motivated by competition- they want to work with someone that is passionate about what they are doing, the stories they are sharing, and the products they are creating.

I have no idea what the people who were checking out my statistics discovered. Maybe they "won" or maybe they "lost" or maybe they just don't care and wanted to see what platform I was working on. I have no clue.

But no good comes from comparing ourselves to others.

You and I are unique. You have something special to offer. No one is like you, so there is no one you should be comparing your numbers too. You are more than just a number on your sidebar. You are the voice behind the blog, the heart that goes into each product, the passion behind the hours you spend doing what you do. And you have so much opportunity to grow!

So next time you find yourself checking out someone else's sales or readers or page views or followers and comparing yourself, take a step back and remember that you are unique and you are growing. Comparison will only hurt you. Your hard work is not a game- don't treat it like one.

Building Relationships In The Blogosphere

2014-03-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

One of the greatest parts about blogging is meeting new people and forming new friendships! I've been so lucky to have met some wonderful people through blogging, both offline and online, who have been such great friends and wonderful supports! These friendships are so special- having someone who understands my goals, dreams, and struggles is so huge! And I'm so grateful to have these friends by my side through thick and thin.

And besides the obvious benefits of making friends (please tell me I don't need to list them for you) it will really help you move forward in the blogosphere!

They will naturally want to share your work because they love you!
You can ask them for help and advice!
You can post on each others blogs!
It sets you up for really great collaborations!
You can share and give of your talents and abilities to help each other!

But many bloggers, especially shy introverts like me, have a hard time knowing how to genuinely connect with others and start up friendships online! Trust me, reaching out to others (especially when I'm not with them in real life) does not come naturally to me so I've had to learn a lot! And this is what I've found has really helped me to get to know others and start up friendships in a natural and genuine way!

1. Remember: Networking doesn't win you friends.
I hate when people refer to connecting with other bloggers and creatives as "networking." No good friendship is going to start based on elevator pitches and business talk. Friendships start when you open up and share about real stuff people can relate to! So be real. This is about making real, genuine friendships, not making new business connections that will further your career.

2. Get on Twitter!
Twitter is a great place to share little thoughts and snippets of your life and start a conversation! Of course you can use Twitter to promote your blog, but also share the real stuff! Talk about your awesome date night or the movie you just saw or how you're feeling a little stuck in the rut. That real talk is what starts conversations.
And respond to other people! Even if you feel like they are way out of your league and won't care about what you have to say, say it anyways! Just respond with your genuine thoughts- if you liked the movie too or that you're jealous about their date night. Join in the conversation and keep it going!

3. Comment on their blog
Show your support for what they're doing by leaving genuine comments on their blog! Just like with Twitter, you can keep the conversation going by sharing your thoughts on the subjects you write about. Plus, everyone feels really good when they get comments. Show that you care about their hard work! Comments go a long way.

4. Respond to their comments
Show appreciation for those that are reaching out to support you! At the very least, say thank you for their sweet comment, but even better keep the conversation going! Be open to others that would like to better connect with you by taking the time to respond to them when they have the courage to reach out to you.

5. Send them a nice email
A nice email never hurts! If there is a blogger out there that regularly post things that speak to you or if you seem to have a lot in common or you just like them, send them an email and say so! Just open up and share what's on your mind and get a conversation going! At the very least, you'll be remembered. And don't worry about whether or not they'll have the time to reply or if they'll think you're weird, just put yourself out there! What do you have to lose?

6. Meet in person!
If you ever have the opportunity, meet in person! If you visit their city or if you go to events or conferences, meet up and get to know each other in person! It might seem a little strange at first, almost like you're online dating, but you've already talked so much online and you'll have so much to talk about! It will all turn out to be very natural and fun. At the very least you can talk about blogging. Give it a shot and put yourself out there and meet someone new!

I promise. If you take some time to reach out to other people and make some friends, blogging will get a whole lot more fun!

What are some ways you love connecting with other bloggers online or offline? Have you made some great friendships?

Business Lessons from Amusement Parks

2014-03-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm a huge fan of amusement parks. I love roller coasters, churros, running from attraction to attraction, people watching and cotton candy. So obviously I've been to my share of amusement parks and carnivals and there's a few things I've learned along the way!

Please excuse me if it sounds like I compare every amusement park on earth to Disneyland. That's exactly what I do.

Make your terms clear

Josh and I were so excited to go ride the very best ride at the amusement park and as soon as we got there, we sprinted to that ride to wait in line. Because it was the best ride, it was a rather long line and we ended up standing there for about an hour. Once we were finally only ten people from the front, they made a quick barely audible announcement about not having cubbies for our bags and waterbottles and we needed to rent a locker outside of the ride. WHAT?? Why had no one told us this before? Why were we suddenly hearing about this when we were at the very front of the ride? Josh had to quickly run our things downstairs and pay for a locker we used for a whole three minutes and made it back just in time to get on the ride. Talk about inconvenient!

Make your terms clear to your client so there aren't any surprises! If there are certain issues that come up on the contract, make sure to point them out so your client is sure to read it before they sign. Consider making guides and schedules for your clients so they will know what to expect the whole way through!

Small talk and friendliness

One of my favorite things about Disneyland is how friendly all the cast members are! It's a huge difference from all the high school kids at other amusement parks that couldn't be paid to act like they enjoy their jobs. The Disney cast members are nice and smile all the time! They are so willing to help you out if you need anything or have any questions. When we went to Disneyland for our honeymoon, they were always so excited for us and made us feel so special! It really added to our experience and cheered us up when we started to get tired and cranky after walking around all day.

Make your clients feel welcome and comfortable! Ask them about their day and get to know them a little better. Take some time to connect on Twitter and Instagram so you can talk about other things besides work. Make the experience more fun for your clients and they are more likely to remember you and return!

If something goes wrong, please the people

There is nothing worse than waiting in line for over an hour to get on a three minute ride when the ride shuts down. This is a pretty common occurrence and we've experienced it at a number of different parks and theres two things that happen. On one hand, everyone is told to leave while they fix it and we get to walk off in a huff having wasted an hour of our lives. On the other hand, we've been given passes to come back to the front of the line as many times as we'd like when it does come back up! Obviously the previous left us with a bad taste in our mouth and on one occasion where this situation happened to us three separate times in one day (we only rode two rides in the six hours we were there) I ended up crying on the way home about a whole day of vacation wasted and I wrote a very angry letter.

If something goes wrong, do what you can to please your clients! Don't just say "Sorry it didn't work out!" and leave them hanging, give them all the help you can! If you can't work with them, give them references to people who might! If something they wanted isn't possible, do your best to make up for it by giving them something better! Always leave your clients feeling happy and spoiled.

Make things simple and convenient for customers

Like the experience with the lockers, that park made things neither simple nor convenient. To ride any of the bigger rides (also known as the only rides we wanted to ride) we had to rent out lockers where you had to pay for the entire two hours of rental and then keep renewing it. This was highly inconvenient as we were going to be walking all over the park and didn't want to leave our bags in one place! What about our water or our phones or our cameras? These are types of things most visitors need and they were making it impossible to keep our stuff with us at all times. I won't even get into the greedy way they nickel and dimed us out of our entire vacation budget!

Get to know your clients and the way they work and make things convenient for them! If you know your clients tend to travel a lot, make sure your emails, documents, and materials are responsive and able to be checked out on a phone. If your clients have a lot of the same questions and they're having to email you to get the answers, include that information on a FAQ page or a process guide. Pay close attention to their needs and help them out!

Go the extra mile

On our honeymoon trip to Disneyland, Josh and I got cute buttons that let everyone know we were newlyweds! It was so much fun to wear them and have people ask about wedding and congratulate us. On the last night we were there, I wanted to ride "It's A Small World" for my first time. It looked so pretty all lit up and the line wasn't very long. When we got to the front of the line, the cast member noticed our "Just Married" buttons and squealed with excitement! She then had us stand to the side for a moment to let a group of people go in the boat and kept us waiting. Then when the line was completely empty, she gave us our own boat to go through quietly on our own. It was the greatest and so sweet! Now "It's a Small World" is one of my favorite rides.

This cast member had zero obligation to give us our own ride, but she wanted us to have a great experience so she did a little extra work. Do the same with your clients! Get excited with them and show that you care by going a little bit out of your way for them. When it's their birthday, send them a nice note. Create nice client packages to send out when a project is complete to thank them for their business. Give them extra perks and help here and there. Show you care about THEM, not just the project you're working on and it will really make a difference!

Launch Party Details!

2014-03-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

You might remember that six months ago (wow, has it really been that long?!) I did a relaunch of my business! I was getting ready to make a big push with my business which included quitting my job to pursue my passion full time and wanted a clean slate and a big boost of energy to get going! So I planned a big launch!

It was a truly amazing week that overwhelmed me with the love and support others had for me and my business! It was incredible. And I really loved connecting with and spoiling my readers! Beyond the fact that it was a lot of fun, the launch was hugely successful!

I've had a number of people ask about the results and details of how it went down so I thought I would finally share!

The party in summary

The week that I launched my new website and blog design, I hosted a virtual launch party on all of the Love Grows Design platforms. I had announcements all over my social media beforehand to build up excitement and to get people ready to get involved!

Each day of the week I had a different giveaway, all of which I hoped would appeal to all of my followers whether they were bloggers, creative entrepreneurs, or just friends that were following along. I also wanted each gift to be a representation of me and the things that I really love and go along with what I do! So I gave away...

Two awesome prints from The Poster List
A collection of goodies from Rifle Paper Co., Bando, and more
An Etsy gift card
The books Creative Inc. and Blog Inc. as well as an amazon gift card
A few different iTunes gift cards

Each giveaway was done on a different platform so as to involve everyone, no matter where they were following along. And rather than force everyone to follow me everywhere to enter, I had a simple way of entering that got everyone more involved. Things like sharing their opinion on Facebook, replying to my newsletter with a confession, leaving a heartfelt blog comment.

At the end of the week, I sent out party favors to those that had been super supportive of my business. I wanted to give a special thank you to those that had really been there for me (and weren't just around to get free stuff).

Overall it was a lot of fun and so many people got involved! It was great to meet new people and connect with them!

The work

Oh boy it was a lot of work. I started preparing for the launch while I was still at the beginning stages of creating my new website. I did a lot of brainstorming and information gathering. An entire notebook was dedicated to the launch. I was constantly making lists of things I wanted to include as party favors, the posts I wanted to share the week of, the people I wanted to give a special thank you to. So much thought went into it!

The most work was the week of! Thankfully I didn't schedule any client work so I could focus solely on the crazy week that was happening. I was writing posts not only for my blog but also for my social media that I hoped would attract as much engagement as possible. I also wrote out an email where I asked for responses. Between replying to many email responses and blog post comments (which I was incredibly grateful for!) it was a lot of work. But what kind of party would it be if the hostess didn't talk it up with the guests? I wanted to really be there and be involved.

There was also a lot of hands on work that I was so grateful to have a husband to help me with. Simple things like addressing packages, tying twine around products, packaging up my business cards all pretty-like. So much work went into the little details!

This was all in addition to the actual work of launching like, ya know, creating a website and redesigning my blog and getting design packages up and running and marketing to potential clients.

The cost

Yes, it was a lot of work. But it was also a ton of money. Because I was doing a whole new rebranding, I was buying business cards and promotional materials all at once and that got a bit pricey! Especially since I'm very picky and wanted gold foil and quality paper for those business cards. If I were to do the launch party today it wouldn't be too expensive as I already have my business cards and materials, but since I didn't then it was a huge chunk of money all at once.

I also paid for shipping for twenty party favor packages that went out, not to mention the different favors that went into each package and buying twenty of each them. AND not to mention the little details like twine and tissue paper and cute pens to write with. I really wanted the whole thing to be a great branded experience!

As for the giveaways, I only received one giveaway product for free (thank you Posterlist!) and all the others I paid out of pocket for and since I only wanted to offer products of real awesome value that would be useful to anyone. That ended up costing me a lot.

I dropped upwards of $300 on the launch alone, not including the $325 business cards. Thankfully I had a second job and I have a good habit of hoarding my business earnings so I could afford it, but I did have to set a pretty tight budget after that!

The results

It turned out to be so good! Yes it was tons of work and money, but it was oh so worth it! Even just writing this post is getting me all amped up thinking about it and I so want to do it again!

Since I hadn't blogged much before the launch, I didn't expect the amount of attention it all received. Friends and family were sharing my work with other people which was not a requirement to win a giveaway, they just genuinely cared and wanted to share the fun with others!

I received lots of comments on both my blog and Facebook and received lots of emails, both in reply to my newsletter as well as just to congratulate me! I met so many new people and discovered lots that had silently been there all along.

And for being a virtual party, it was very social! There was a lot of interaction between my readers and talk on Twitter. It was wonderful! I really felt like we had a little community going and I was so happy to bring people together!

Why do I think it was so successful?

I think the difference between my launch party and other giveaways I've seen was that I truly wanted involvement rather than people liking my Facebook or following me on Twitter just to get entered into the giveaway. I didn't care about the numbers, though I'm so grateful that many wanted to join in and follow along! What mattered to me was creating a community and sharing things that mattered.

I made each giveaway about the content first and THEN about the giveaway rather that putting all the focus on free stuff. One of my favorite things about the whole week was the participation in this post. I was so grateful to have so many people participate in the post and share their deepest darkest thoughts. It was truly humbling. And this was definitely not an easy entry to a giveaway as I asked everyone to share a confession. I had so many comments from people sharing truly deep feelings! I really felt like it created a close community, kinda like we were at a slumber party sharing secrets. I thought that was pretty amazing.

I truly wanted this to feel like a party with friends, not just a ploy to get more followers. That wasn't what it was about at all. And overall, I think I was successful and I'm so happy to see that so many that participated in the launch week are still by my side today!

I'm so so grateful for all of you that participated and continue to support me and my work! And don't worry, I'm brainstorming more fun ways to pay you back :)

Did you attend the launch party? What did you think about it?

Sweet, Fun, & Fabulous

2014-03-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm almost finished wrapping up another blog design that I just can't wait to share! This design has been a little out of the norm for me- lots more fun accents and girly details than I'm used to. Just look at all of this pink! And I love it. This design is so fun and absolutely perfect for my client who wants her blog to be a happy and fun place to share lifestyle topics like fashion, fitness, beauty, and celebrations! I really can't wait to show the design as I think it perfectly matches my client and her theme! I love it when I get to go outside of my comfort zone and try new things I'm so happy I got to work on this design and make that happen! Keep your eye out for the finished result!

from top right, clockwise
1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

Start Slow and Small

2014-03-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

From the outside, blogging looks like a lot of fun- a great way to meet people, a way to share a passion, and maybe even a great way to make money! It might even seem easy. While yes, it may come easier for some it, blogging is not easy. So even though you may way to jump right in and get started with blogging and connecting and marketing and making money, I promise you're going to want to take it slow.

Why?

You may find yourself unprepared.

I've worked with a number of clients who want to start their blog right away, but just haven't gotten a handle on the way it all works and end up more confused and overwhelmed than anything! They don't know basic blogging terms to communicate with other bloggers or designers, they aren't sure how to connect with their readers, they haven't taken the time to explore the platforms they're using, and they spend more time googling how to do things than actually blogging!

Burnout.

More often than not, new bloggers find out that it's not as easy as they thought and by overwhelming themselves with trying to take on sponsorships and marketing and blogging six times a week, they get burned out and start to see it as a chore and it's no longer fun!

That's no way to get started. So let me give you a few tips for getting started slowly but surely and you'll be more likely to enjoy it and learn what you need to to be successful in the long run!

1. Start with a slow posting schedule.

While yes, posting more often is great for getting yourself out there, don't overwork yourself at the very beginning! You'll want to take things slow and get used to blogging before you commit to posting six times a week. Start out with two or three times a week, maybe even once a week if your posts take a lot of work. Take your time to get used to posting regularly and you can increase your frequency once you get more comfortable! And if you try posting more and find yourself overwhelmed, it's okay to slow it down! Focus on quality, not quantity.

Consider making an editorial calendar to get into a good habit of preparing for your posts.

2. Build relationship with other bloggers.

One of the greatest parts of blogging is building relationships with other bloggers! And honestly it's the best way to really get going- you'll build up a tribe that supports you and what you do and they want to naturally share what you're up to! Plus you'll have people to go to for advice and help when you need it. And trust me, you'll need it! So take some time to get to know other bloggers. Comment on their blogs, send them a lovely email, and support what they're doing as well!

3. Master one social media/marketing platform at a time.

A while back I had a client who was starting a blog from scratch and when I asked her what social media she wanted to use to promote her blog, she responded by saying "Everything!" This is not a good idea. While you may want to reach every person in every way, you will not be able to handle it and it will be lots more work than it's worth. Instead of signing up for every social media under the sun, start slow and pick the ones that really matter to you (or the ones you know your target audience hang out at) and focus your time on learning and growing there. Once you've developed a good audience and know the ropes, you can move on to other platforms and get comfortable there! Take them on one at a time and don't run more than you can handle!

4. Don't jump into sponsorships and making money.

I know many people that find the sponsorships and money-making factor of blogging really appealing. I get it! Having people pay you to write on your blog is pretty awesome! But it's a lot of work and there are a lot of obligations that go with it. People pay you to share their business/blog with your audience and if you don't have a sufficient audience to share with, they won't be paying you! So focus your time and energy on building up your blog, sharing your passion, and connecting with your readers and other bloggers! Once you feel like your blog is in a good place and you're growing, that's when you start thinking about making money.
If making money is the only reason you'd like to start a blog- don't. Blogging is not for you. It is not easy and it's slow going. And no one follows a blog that is focused on the money- they want a blog that is passionate about what they do!

If you're interested in starting a blog, check out this post on the things to do before you get going!

For you experienced bloggers, what were some struggles you had when you first got going? Did you find anything that surprised you?

The Power of Reaching Out

2014-03-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here and there over the past little while I've had some particularly bad days. Days that make me wonder if I'm ever going to reach my goals or if I'm even on the right path or if the things I'm doing are just plain stupid. Everything seemed to be conspiring against me and for the first time since I started working on my business full time, I just felt like everything was going wrong.

Then out of the blue, one of my designer friends who supported me as I was getting started in the business sent me an incredibly touching email. She told me how impressed she was with how far I've come and that I'm definitely going places and that she is so proud of me.

Her email could not have come at a better time. I read the email over and over again and let it light up my soul. It gave me the boost that I needed to keep pressing on and have confidence in myself and my work. I had no idea that I simply needed someone to open up my eyes and remind me that things are great!

I should mention that this isn't the only time this has happened. I've had friends randomly Tweet me to tell me they love me just when I needed it. I've had letters come in the mail when I'm feeling really alone. I've had many a person reach out to me when I express any sort of sadness. I've been very blessed by lots of friends, many of whom I've never even met in real life!

Never ever underestimate the power of reaching out.

I'm so grateful for the encouragement and support of my friends and readers and I've wanted to offer the same. Lately I've been trying to be better about reaching out. To email a blogger or designer I love and tell them how much I admire them! To send letters thanking those that have been so good to me and to remind them of how awesome they are. To Tweet people who might be in need of a little dose of encouragement.

Reaching out is not my strong suit and sometimes it takes a lot of courage on my part just to send a Tweet to someone I admire. But they might need it! And what if my little Tweet brightens their day and lifts them up? What if I could accomplish that with 140 characters? And forget the Tweets, think of what a letter could do!

So I'm going to be better and show my gratitude by passing on the same love. And I challenge you to do the same! Take some time this week to reach out to someone and give them some encouragement. Let's make this world a more loving and encouraging place.

Productivity Tips For Rough Days

2014-03-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

Please tell me you relate to this.

Wake up in the morning and instantly think about the many things you have to get done.

Check email and feel incredibly overwhelmed by what is in store for the day.

Sit down at desk and wonder where to even begin.

Two hours later you have been working and working yet still feel like you've gotten nothing done.

Three o'clock rolls around and you're exhausted and could really use a nap but you have no time.

Instead you self-medicate with caffeine.

Five o'clock rolls around and you still feel like you've got nothing done but you should really quit working.

Ten o'clock comes and it's probably time to stop. Even though you still aren't done. Oh well.

While most of the time, my routine helps me avoid this, days like these here and there are just unavoidable. And for a while there, they were happening way too many times that something had to be done about it. I started to take note of all the things that were keeping me from getting stuff done as well as the things that motivated me to work harder and faster.

And this is what I've come up with. Some things I discovered are really simply yet really effective. Try these tips out for yourself and see if they work for you!

Adjust the temperature

I've found that if the temperature is too high (above 70 degrees for me) I start to feel sleepy and get too comfortable. And then I start imagining how comfortable my bed would be. And then I wonder if I should drink some caffeine to wake up. But I don't need caffeine! I simply need to turn the heat down so my body wakes up and my blood stays moving to keep me warm.

Sit up

I'm much more likely to get more done when I'm sitting up at my desk instead of on the couch or slouched down in my chair. If I start to feel tired or slow, I need to get to my desk or even out to a public place where I won't be able to lounge.

Set a timer

This is great for when I have a lot to get done that SHOULD be able to get done quickly. Things like answering emails, writing up documents, posting a blog post, stuff like that. I'll set a timer for a half hour or maybe an hour and just work as fast as I can. Knowing I'm racing the clock keeps me from getting onto Twitter or Facebook and I generally work faster than ever. If the time is up and some emails are still unanswered, I move on! Oh well! I've got more to do and I know I worked fast and hard. I'll try again later in the day.

Listen to upbeat music

Put together a playlist of music with a good beat that will keep you moving along and happy. Depending on the type of work I'm doing, I sometimes need to listen to music I don't know well or things I can't sing along to so I don't distract myself by getting TOO into the music. Just let it play in the background at a moderate level to keep you energized and going going going.

Set a to-do list

This is not the time to add lots of unnecessary items that could be done on another day. Mark the three most important things that need to get done and focus on those first. Only write down the things that are important and need to get done (or started) that day. If you already have a blog post scheduled for tomorrow, do you REALLY need to write one for later in the week? Can it wait until you are less busy? Keep the to-do list by your side and mark it off as you go along to keep you motivated.

Surround yourself with work supplies

Put away the phone and the iPad and the book you're itching to read. Surround yourself with things that will keep you on task- pens and paper and your to-do list and planner. Whether or not you'll need them, these things will help remind you that there's work to be done!

Take advantage of your power hour

Like I mentioned in my day in the life post, figure out what times of day are best for certain work or when you are feeling most inspired. Take advantage of this time and plan to get as much work as possible done then!

If you feel like you need some extra help with being efficient with your time and to get work done, sign up for this productivity e-course from CMR strategies! It's packed full of actionable tools and tips that will help you take advantage of the time that you have and get more work done. It's only $40 and when you think about all the time it can save you to earn MORE money, I'd say that's a pretty good investment! You can sign up over here!

What are some strategies you have for staying productive on days when you're feeling overwhelmed?

I am an affiliate of CMR Strategies' Productivity E-Course and I do receive compensation if you purchase their course through my link. Thanks for supporting this here blog and business by purchasing these awesome courses through me!

Jacob's Scarves Branding

2014-03-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I'm only just now showing you this project I worked on at toward the end of last year. It was one of my favorites! Kiri is a lovely young lady who is on a mission to change the world one scarf at a time! She does some amazing work and is so passionate about what she does, it's so inspiring! And I'm so lucky I get to work with her again to create the blog where she will be sharing more about her mission and the wonderful things she is doing. But in the meantime, I want to share this logo design and branding project and let you get to know Kiri a little bit more! She's truly a gem.

Meet Kiri of "Jacob's Scarves"

Tell me a bit about yourself.

My name is Kiri and I own Jacob's Scarves! I'm currently living in Provo with my handsome bearded husband, and attending school at LDS Business College.

I love sunshine, Santa, blueberries, and the world.

My dream in life is to make an impact wherever I am - and to change the world.

Tell me a bit about your business.

We sell beautiful scarves to help underprivileged children receive an education.

We believe in passion, enjoying life, kindness, dreaming wide awake, and adventure!
We believe in making a difference.

Why did you start your business?

Jacob's Scarves was started while I was living abroad in China. I was teaching English, and leaving in the same building as the sweetest little boy, Jacob. It seemed unfair that although his family was hard working - they simply wouldn't have the funds to send Jacob to school. Because of this, his future wasn't bright, and his choices were limited.

Something needed to change.

Thus, Jacob's Scarves began. Currently we are sending Jacob to attend school to receive a bilingual education. Something that will change his life for good.

What makes your business unique?

We are unique because we are more than a simple fashion scarf - we are a movement. We sell, to give back.

We also will be opening a blog soon where we want to focus on inspiring the world. Helping people just like you, to achieve their biggest dreams and change the world by doing so. We want our scarves to inspire passion, adventure, dreams, kindness and hope.

We are much, much more, than a scarf.
(But it doesn't hurt that our scarves are the cutest and comfiest scarves of all time. ;)

Why did you want a redesign?

Jacob's Scarves needed a redesign to freshen our minds and hearts. I wanted Jacob's Scarves to appear as I see it: Successful. Bethany's design achieved that. Now when people look at our design they will see our orange and blue colors, the world, our motto, and our name. They see everything we are.

What is your favorite part about the new design?

I LOVE the world in the background. Which is funny because at first I wasn't too sold on the idea. But it opens up so many opportunities for us and it's personally inspiring for me.
And I love the colors. I don't know what it is about that blue and orange, but I can't get enough!

Go check out Jacob's Scarves and get yourself a beautiful new scarf while contributing to something truly special!

The Importance of Categories

2014-03-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

I've talked before about the importance of having a niche in blogging, but another important thing to have on your blog that goes along with your niche is categories! If you take a look at my sidebar, I have a little list of subjects that I regularly talk about. While I don't ALWAYS post in those subjects, they are the general categories of my blog and it has been so important not only to my readers, but also to me! Let me explain why exactly categories are so great.

Showing your readers what you're about.

I've mentioned this before, but it is so helpful to have your categories displayed in your sidebar to show what you're all about. When I find a post with design tips on Pinterest, I'll go visit the blog to check out the post. More often than not, I look into the blog a little more to see if I want to follow along. If I'm on this post featuring design tips but I see the categories in the sidebar include fashion, beauty, and makeup, I won't really be interested in following along. And it's fine that they gave design tips! But I know that design isn't their usual topic so the blog itself isn't for me.

On the other hand, if the blog had featured categories like design, creativity, and branding then of course I'd be following along! Make it clear to your readers what you're all about without forcing new readers to read your entire about page.

Keeping you on the right path.

Sometimes you might have post ideas that don't exactly fit your niche. Maybe you're all fashion and you want to post a recipe that you tried and loved. These categories can help you stick to your niche and write posts that are relevant to your blog and audience. If it doesn't fit any of your categories, should you really be posting it? And sometimes the answer is yes! It's okay to branch out and write posts that aren't your usual topics. It gives some variety! But if you notice a trend and you're regularly posting outside of your topics, it might be time to start doing some rethinking.

So a few tips for you for creating categories and sticking to them.

1. Choose 5-10 subjects that suit your niche.
Any more than ten and you're going to overwhelm your readers or show them that you really might not have a niche at all. And more than ten and your sidebar is going to get too busy.

2. Take some time to figure it out!
It's okay to change around a bit before you establish what feels right. Maybe what started out as an "interior design" category has morphed into "organizing your home." That's fine! Just go with it.

3. Feature them in your sidebar.
Show off those categories in a nice clear list. Make it clear! Don't use the cloud that features tons of different tags and makes it hard to read. That makes it harder for your readers to figure you out quickly.

4. Limit yourself to how many non-categorical posts you write.
Set a standard for yourself on how many posts you'll have that don't fit your niche. Maybe one off topic post every two weeks? Every month? Figure out what feels right to you and stick to it so you meet the expectations you have set for your blog!

Take some time to figure out what feels right for you and get to those categories so you can create that brand experience you've promised to yourself and to your readers!

Have you figured out your categories? What rules have you set for yourself?

Questions, Answers & Thank Yous

2014-03-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling so grateful as of late for the many people that have supported me, reached out to me and become my friend. There's quite a few of you lately! It is such a warming feeling to get on Twitter and have many people sharing my hard work, giving me shoutouts, and just plain making me feel good. And man, the comments and emails I've received lately have been a huge boost for me! I can't even express how grateful I am to so many of you have and I'm so blessed to call you my friends. You are what makes blogging so fun!

And speaking of friends, I've had a few ask me to participate in some fun stuff! Both Kory and Bri have nominated me for The Liebster Award and Latrina tagged me in a game of eleven questions! I'm thrilled to have been thought of in the first place and so happy we can all be getting to know each other better!

So today I've picked out some questions from each of these lovely ladies to answer for you! (I didn't think you'd want to read a long list of Q&A...)

And I've always had such a hard time picking people for things like this. It's that awkward moment of picking teams in elementary school- I don't want to offend anyone!

So instead, I'll share the questions I'd like to as you and you can pick one or more to answer in the comments. Please, please participate! I'd love to get to know you more!

1. What is one food you're constantly craving?

2. What do you collect?

3. What would you do if the zombie apocalypse happened?

4. What is one thing you really love about yourself?

5. What is a movie you could watch over and over?

6. Desert island- who do you want with you?

7. What is your favorite Friday night activity?

8. What is a favorite memory from last year?

9. What is a goal you're currently working toward?

10. What's your favorite thing to order for breakfast?

I can't wait to see what your answers are!

The Benefits of Working Out

2014-03-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

No, this blog is not going to turn into a fitness blog.

I hate working out. I really do. I do not enjoy going out to the gym full of bros that check out girls in tiny bike shorts and sports bras. I don't enjoy sweating my brains out. I don't consider a run "fun" and I certainly don't like the embarrassment of not being able to run for three minutes next to the girl that's been going at full speed for thirty minutes. I have flat feet, bad knees, and asthma. Working out is not fun.

But I like working out. Let me rephrase. I enjoy the benefits and results from working out.

No, I have not lost tons of weight and I'm have not become a body builder in the last six months that I've been working out regularly. But I have seen so many positive things come out of working out regularly that I don't want to give up, no matter how much I hate putting on my spandex and going to the gym.

1. It keeps me active in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle.

I work at a desk all day every day and tend to spend much of my free time on the couch relaxing after all that work. Trust me, I'm not a very active person. My hobbies include going out to eat, seeing movies, and reading- all while sitting. Working out keeps me active and moving. I feel more awake and alive and my blood gets moving when I work out!

2. I get to take a mid-day break.

Working from home on my own business, I don't usually give myself a lot of time to just relax and take a break. At my old job, I could take an hour to go grab a nice lunch and forget about work. Now, my hour break is my workout! Once I've accomplished a lot and need a little break, I go out for a midday workout to forget about work for a minute. It helps break up my day and keeps me from getting bored.

3. It clears my head for new ideas and inspiration.

For two reasons. First is that I'm forgetting about work for a minute while I get out of the house and work on something else. It clears my mind of distractions so I can come up with new ideas. Second, I listen to lots of podcasts while I work out that give me new ideas!

4. It gives me a big boost of energy.

Working out gets my blood going and gives me the energy I need to make it through the rest of the day without naps or Mtn. Dew. It especially helps having that energy boost in the middle of the day so I can avoid those mid-afternoon sleepies.

5. I am healthier.

I can feel it! I've been sleeping better, I've had more energy, I've been less moody, even my skin feels healthier. And working out regularly motivates me to eat better as well. Overall my life and body have improved since I started working out more!

6. I'm proud of myself for working towards my goals.

I think this is the best part. I'm so so proud of myself! I may have mentioned this before, but I really really don't like working out. And the fact that I'm doing it anyways and have been pushing myself harder and harder and trying new things makes me so happy and I know I can push myself in other areas of my life! And it's a pretty awesome feeling, knowing that I set a goal and have been more successful in reaching it than I ever thought!

So while I may hate putting on those spandex pants and dealing with the sweaty bros at the gym, it's worth it. And I'm going to keep at it! Here's to working towards goals and having great results stem from them!

Do you workout? What are some benefits you've had?

The Best F Words Blog Design

2014-03-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Wow. I just have to say, I have the greatest clients. They always have the best ideas and are just so inspiring! My friend Lauren especially. Remember her moodboard? With a start like that, of course the rest of the process was going to be amazing. I just love the feel of the whole design and I couldn't wait to put it all together and make it come to life! And I couldn't be happier with the result. It's so different from anything else I've ever done- just check my portfolio! I'm so lucky to have clients who help me expand my horizons and try new things. But enough about my thoughts. I want you to get to know Lauren! She's truly a gem and you'd be lucky just to know her.

Meet Lauren of "The Best F Words"

Tell me a bit about yourself.

Hi there! My name is Lauren and I'm the voice behind The Best F Words! I'm a California native who loves the ocean but I'm currently living in the mountains of Utah while my husband finishes his schooling. I got my undergraduate degree in Religious Studies in May of 2011 and later that summer I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After taking the plunge into the baptismal waters, I took another plunge when I fell in love with the man of my dreams and married him in August of 2012. Our family has since grown, as we introduced a baby girl into our family in September of 2013.

Tell me a bit about your blog.

The things that are most important to me are my family and my faith. At The Best F Words I blog regularly about those two things and occasionally throw in posts about other meaningful topics.

What makes your blog unique?

The Best F Words is unique because I strive to write quality content. The focus is without a doubt on words. This is a blessing and curse because the mass majority of people don't really want to read posts with excessive depth BUT for those who do, there is some really fantastic engaged conversations that happen which has created an amazing sense of community.

What are your goals with your blog?

At the most basic level, my goal is pursue something I'm passionate about - writing.

On a deeper level, I want that passion to inspire other people. What form that inspiration comes in is totally up to the reader. If they are inspired to learn more about breaking religious stereotypes or are inspired to breastfeed their baby while being a working mom or are even to pursue their own unique passion that's great! I sincerely and simply want people to leave The Best F Words feeling inspired.

But ultimately, I have a self serving goal too. I want my writing to reach people - I would love to see my writing published in a magazine, newspaper, or online journal.

Why did you want a redesign?

I wanted a professional design because I wanted a professional presence. I wanted my readers, The Best F Words community, potential sponsors, and perhaps even potential publishers to take me seriously. I knew they wouldn't do that if they were distracted by a design that wasn't top notch.

I also wanted a design that would reflect the type of mood I was hoping The Best F Words to provide; intimate, cozy, friendly, warm, sincere.

What did you learn throughout the design process?

Throughout the design process I learned that no matter how much I Google different HTML codes I am not, and never will be, a blog designer. A designer is truly an artist and that is something that just has to be part of one's genetic makeup! I'm not an artist; I'm a writer.

How do you feel about the completed design?

I love it. It is everything I could have hoped for and more. I feel like it represents me in the best way possible.

What is your favorite part of the new design?

I love that The Best F Words' design is simple yet would be impossible to duplicate because of it's subtle intricacies. It's unique and I don't know a single other blog that has something even remotely close to it design wise.

Get to know Lauren better! Check out these posts from her blog

Daddy Dearest
A post about missing my deceased dad while being grateful my baby has her dad.
Five Reasons Why I Love Being A Working Mom
Fearlessness
A post on how rejecting fear results in faith.

If you're thinking of getting a new blog design, check out my blog design packages! I'd love to give your blog a beautiful new look that will be the best reflection of you and your content. Let's work together!

Before You Start A Blog

2014-03-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today's post is for those of you that have been sitting back and wondering if you should start a blog. Maybe you've been toying with the idea for a while or maybe you've decided it's for you and you just haven't quite made the leap yet.

It's so exciting and blogging is great and I hope you enjoy it! But before you set up your platform and get posting, here's a few things you should probably do to get started on the right foot.

Get to know the blogosphere!

There's no better way to learn how to blog than following examples! Dip your foot into the blogging world and start following some blogs. And follow them everywhere! Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest! Observe how often they blog, what they blog about, how they encourage community, how they get their name out there- study them! See how it all works and see if it's something you want to take on!

And develop relationships. One of the greatest things about blogging is making new friends and creating community! Make some friends and find a support group- the people that will support you and your blog and will want to help you out!

Develop your categories/niche.

Consider the niche your blog will have- the special subjects you'll talk about and categories you'll write in. Think about what gets you fired up and what special message you have to share with your readers. Make a list of five to ten topics you'll write about and brainstorm posts! Make sure you're ready for your niche and have lots of ideas to keep you going.

I don't recommend you start blogging with the intention of just writing about whatever you feel like on any given day. It will get old fast and you'll lose momentum. You will have to solely rely on bursts of inspiration and trust me, they don't come around as often as you'd like. Have a plan and be prepared with general categories and topics you'll always be able to talk about.

Write, write, write!

Brainstorm original content that gets you excited to blog! Get in the groove of writing regularly about your topics and get an arsenal of posts ready to go for when you launch your blog. Take this time to develop your voice and figure out what unique quality your blog will have. Create an editorial calendar to use when you launch so you can manage overwhelm and be prepared with post ideas.

Get to know the technical side.

Get your blog set up and take some time to get to know the platform. Aubrey has a great post that defines blog design elements to make it easier to figure out your own design or hire someone else to do it for you. Do some Googling and use the resources your platform has available to help you get started. Getting to know your platform will make it smoother and quicker to post and will help you focus on what really matters- your content!

You have this great chance before you launch your blog to play around with your design. You can see if you like your sidebar on the left or the right or what you want your comment form message to say. Take advantage of this time you have to get to know your blog before it's out on display for everyone to see!

You can also find a whole slew of blogging tips I've published here on this blog (and some are linked here for your convenience) and there are so many other great bloggers who have great tips to share! Do your research, look around, and take the time to learn all there is to learn while you get started in the wonderful world of blogging!

For all of you expert bloggers out there, what do you recommend someone does before they start a blog? And do you have some good advice to share with beginning bloggers?

Editorial Calendars: Discovering What Works For You

2014-02-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've been blogging for about four years now and throughout this time I've heard again and again and again that I need an editorial calendar to better plan for blogging and have a nice posting schedule.

But I was a nonbeliever.

It's not for me.
I can't work with a tight schedule.
I like to wait for inspiration to come and then post it right away.
I barely have time to post let alone make a calendar.

Instead I just had a file full of potential post ideas and I would try to write as much as possible and schedule them if I planned that far ahead. And it seemed to work for me.

But sometimes I would take a class or read a particularly inspiring post about editorial calendars and I'd try! I'd print out a little calendar and plan out my posts or just write a few dates down and what I would write. But it never stuck.

Plans would change, I wouldn't have time to post that day, I had better ideas for my posts, or I had no interest in writing on the topics I scheduled out. And in the end I would decide that it wasn't for me and I would quit. Back to winging it.

But now that I have more time in the day for blogging, it was easy to see that my spontaneous posting "schedule" was not very efficient and I was wasting more time than I needed to. My posts were sporadic and I would use writers block as an excuse to just not post for a day or two.

So I decided to take one last shot at an editorial calendar and I went out and bought a pretty little planner to help motivate me. And it's working!! It's crazy, I know, but I've been using this notebook for about six weeks now and it's going great!

Let me tell you why.

1. I keep a separate notebook of blog post ideas.

I have a small pocket sized notebook that I take with me everywhere. In it I record any blogging ideas that come to me while I'm out and about. It's so important for me to have as I hate when ideas slip away- instead I can keep them all captured and save them for when I'm ready to use them!

2. I dedicate a long time each week to working on my calendar and writing out posts.

I love blogging on Sundays. As I don't work on Sundays and instead spend my time relaxing, I have lots of time and room in my brain to let new ideas come in. It's the perfect day for blogging!

So I sit down for a long time with my little notebook and my planner and I plan out my editorial calendar and work on whatever posts suit my fancy! This way I only have to create the image and format the post before publishing!

3. I create an outline.

I made sure to buy a planner that has lots of room on each day to write notes and create an outline of what I want to say in each post. This way, I can write down everything I'd like to say so when I'm not feeling too inspired or interested, I can see what was on my mind and jog my memory of inspiration.

4. I make a checklist.

Next to my post outline, I create a little checklist with

-Scheduled

-Facebook

-Twitter

-Pinterest

This helps to remind me to follow through with the post by making sure it gets published and then sharing it afterwards.

5. I make any other blogging notes/reminders.

This includes guest post deadlines, collaboration notes, reminders to share old posts.

One important thing for me to remember is that it's okay to switch things up! If it doesn't feel right to post something on a certain day or if you have something more appropriate come up, post it! And if you're way too busy to get your posts scheduled, don't worry about it. Your calendar is not set in stone! Just stay organized!

Pretty much a little monthly calendar wouldn't cut it for me. Though it might work for some people, it took me a long time to figure out what was going to work for me! I'm not going to pretend like my method will work wonders for you. But my big suggestion?

Figure it out. Having a calendar for your blog is so much better than trying to wing it. It helps keep your organized, prepared, and stress-free (for the most part). Do what you can to figure out what works for you!

If you have problems committing to certain dates, write your post ideas down on sticky notes so you can move them around!

If you like to wait for the inspiration to come, take that time to draft it out and then schedule it on your calendar!

If you don't have much time for the planning, think of it this way- by planning it out you spend less time sitting in front of a computer with writer's block and spend more time publishing.

Whatever it is that's keeping you from getting organized, figure out a way to make your calendar work for you! And feel free to add my routine to your list of options.

Have you figured out an editorial calendar that works for you? What methods do you have?

Don't Be That Commenter

2014-02-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Caution: Snark and sass ahead.

Comments are pretty interesting things, ya know? They can be the source of great insight or of pleasant conversation or of really hateful remarks or just plain craziness. We've likely had the crazy comments and heck, at some point we've probably been the crazy commenter. So can we just take a moment to celebrate the craziness that is comments and acknowledge the many types of commenters out there?

And to make this a teachable moment, I'm just going to simply tell you not to be this commenter. And if you have, it's okay. We'll forgive you. And it's not too late to change your ways.

Let's go!

The spammer

"I do not recognize who you're however definitely you're going to a famous blogger in case you aren't already. LINK HERE" *

Why thank you! I think?

Worse than the spammer

"Hey! I'm hosting a giveaway for ad space over on my blog! Go check it out! LINK HERE"

Come on! Not even a weird non-grammatical compliment?

The one upper

"Oh I went there two years ago and got a PRIVATE tour of it."

I give up. I'll never be as cool as you.

The all-knowing

"These tips are great but here are ten of my own on my blog that may or not be better than yours."

I give up again. I'll never be as smart as you.

The editor

"Nice post! And people probably won't notice, but you should've been saying 'Effected' not 'Affected'."

Seriously? Thanks for making me look like an idiot!

The one who can't find your email

"Loved the post! By the way, I've been meaning to ask you if you'd like to sponsor my blog? My rates are........"

This is not the time nor the place.

The self-appointed mentor

"The writing on your blog is getting better!"

Oh... I actually though I was a great writer...

The copy and paster

"I love this post! Good job!"

What was a good job? Wait a minute, you wrote the same thing on my friend's blog!

The s*** starter

"To the person two comments above, how could you even think that? You're such an idiot."

Oh snap... I seriously hope I don't have to get involved in this...

The terrible speller

"Eat mor chikin. Steak eaturz we see u."

Oh hold up! The Chick-Fil-A cows commented on my blog!

The one that got left out

"Aw.. I wish I was invited to this get together. Looks like it was fun. And I was totally available that night..."

There's probably a million reasons why you weren't invited, but this is definitely one.

The one who didn't actually read the post

"Looks like you had so much fun in NYC! So jealous of your trip!"

I didn't actually go to NYC... I was just posting pictures I found of it...

The one who really should be writing your posts

"These are great and all, but here are five more recipes you should add to the list. And I don't think #3 should've been included."

You're right. Let me hand over the reins and you can start doing the writing.

The grandma

"Honey you look so happy. Give me a call this week, okay?"

Oh grandma... I guess commenting on my every picture on Facebook wasn't enough.

*This is the only comment of the bunch that I've actually seen on a blog. My blog to be specific.

If you want to see some less snarky and more information + reasoning behind why you shouldn't be THAT commenter, check out Livy Smith's post on comment etiquette!

So how bout it? Any commenters I left out? Have you gotten these types of comments on your blog?

Quit Apologizing and Stand Your Ground

2014-02-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

The other day, I read this post by Braid Creative on how we creatives need to quit apologizing so much. When I started reading it, I wasn't sure what they meant. What am I apologizing for? Why would I feel the need to apologize so much?

I quickly learned not only what they meant, but that I'm the EPITOME of what they meant. Queue the embarrassment. I feel the need to explain that my job is my passion but that it's still work. I hate hate hate promoting myself because I feel like other people will hate it. And I apologize WAY too often for my completely rational and normal business practices.

While I do struggle with every point they mentioned, it quickly became very clear to me that my apologies for my rates and processes are hurting my business. My apologies not only cause my clients to lose respect for me, but also feel like I'm a pushover. That's no way to run a business!

It's time to cut the apologies and start standing my ground!

A FEW COMMON EXAMPLES:

1. When clients are slow to respond to my emails, rarely read through them all the way, and regularly fail to answer my questions.

My apologies-

"Sorry to be bombarding you with so many questions!"

"Sorry the process is taking so long!"

"Sorry to be showing up in your inbox so often."

What I should've/wanted to say-

"I've numbered all of my questions for you, if you could make sure to answer all of them as quickly as you can so we can keep moving forward."

"I understand you may be busy, but if you could be a little quicker in answering my emails, we can get this project done quickly and I'll be out of your hair!"

"I know you think I sent that last email for kicks and giggles, but I really do need you to answer my questions and preferably in a timely manner. Please and thank you."

2. Getting an inquiry in my inbox of someone who has spent all of their time looking for a blog designer within their price range and would love to work with me, if only I could lower my prices or give them a discount?

My apologies-

"I'm so sorry, but I just can't afford to give out discounts right now."

"Maybe if you pitched a few options for discounts and how you would make it worth it for me I could consider?"

"Sorry I can't be of more help!"

What I should've/wanted to say-

"I can't lower my prices, but here are some designers who have cheaper options!"

"I'd love to work with you in the future if you could make it happen!"

"Let me tell you how much time, experience, and education goes into my designs- that'll teach you to ever question my prices!"

3. When clients wish to use my products and services outside of our terms, want to customize an non-customizable design package, or would like to book me for services I don't offer.

My apologies:

"I actually don't really allow that, but maybe if you did THIS it wouldn't be a big deal?"

"So sorry, but I actually can't do that for reasons A, B, and C! Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

"I don't mean to be such a stickler, but I actually can't do that."

What I should've/wanted to say-

"If you take a look at the terms I sent you, in THIS section you'll see why it's not allowed."

"Glad you asked! I don't do that, but I do provide THIS useful service or I can refer you to someone who can help!"

"Seriously? Did you read those terms? Did you even look at my website before you booked me? Seriously? Seriously??!"

Case and point- I'm AWFUL at standing my ground. Granted I'm much better than I used to be, but I have a hard time knowing the difference between being nice to my clients and being a total pushover. It's hard to demand respect as a designer and business owner when I'm constantly apologizing for the things that keep me protected, organized, and paid!

I've made a goal for myself to quit apologizing and to instead be confident with who I am and what I do! Care to join me?

If you're a creative entrepreneur, is this something you struggle with? What are some situations that make it hard for you to stand your ground?

Lovely Snippets // 4

2014-02-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Big news my friends! Drumroll please...

I'm writing an e-book!

And there's more coming after that, but we'll start with the e-book. I've had this idea for a few months now, but first I was taking on more clients and getting used to my new schedule and then launching my live consults and now I finally have the time and I'm working away!

But if you are a blogger, I would really like your help. I promise it's simple and painless. I don't need your truck or manual labor or for you to embarrassingly shout my name from rooftops.

I would simply LOVE for you to fill out this survey! It's only twenty questions only eight of which actually require writing. And though I don't want to reveal too much about this book, this survey will be a good preview into the types of things I'll be discussing.

And if knowing that you'll be doing me a great service isn't enough, everyone that fills out the survey (leaving their name and email) will be entered into a giveaway for a free copy of the e-book upon release! It'll be good, I promise.

If you'd like to get more sneak previews and news about the e-book, I highly recommend you sign up for my letters that go straight to your inbox!

Anyways...

It appears I'm subconsciously dreaming of spring. Flowers and greens are appearing on my Pinterest! I just can't wait for all this snow and crazy weather to end so I can quit wearing sweatshirts indoors. What an insane winter it's been! Please let it be over...

Lisa just recently got a new job, taking her out of her home where she was self-employed and back into an office! I'm so excited for her and I loved her two posts discussing the things she's looking forward to about this new schedule as well as the things she'll miss about making her own schedule.

I could totally relate to Sarah's post about setting rules for her business. I am the same on each count (especially number one!) with the exception of number five. When I'm sick, I have a really hard time letting go of work- I hate being sick and I do my best to pretend like it's not happening so I can keep going about as normal.

The ladies of the B Bar have done it again. The Blogosphere is ripe with negativity and hateful comments. And with the decline in comments on blogs, it seems that the trolls are the only ones speaking their minds anymore. But Victoria has encouraged us to #tellablogger by reaching out to those that we admire and tell them so! I hope these types of posts show bloggers how much I love their work, but I'm definitely going to try harder to show my appreciation for other creatives online.

Verily Magazine posted an amazing interview with Dr. Caroline Heldman, PhD. It was a great interview featuring topics like fighting the system that promotes the objectification of women, befriending and collaborating with other women rather than competing with them, the value of homemaking, and the constant battle women have with society's standards of beauty. I can't wait to see more of these articles from Verily about female empowerment.

Kevin from Thou Swell guest posted over on Milk & Crown sharing some tips for small space living! I live and work in a 500 sqft apartment with very little storage space, so until we can move to a bigger place I eat up tips like these!

What are some links you've found around the internets as of late? Anything you're particularly proud of that you wrote yourself? I'd love to check out more!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Coveting: Books For The Creative Entrepreneur

2014-02-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been going a bit crazy adding things to my Amazon wishlist. It's a problem. Every time someone posts a picture of a good book on Instagram it goes on the list. Every time one of my favorite bloggers recommends a book it goes on the list. Every time I see a pretty book on one of my many trips to Barnes and Noble it goes on the list.

I think it started once I began working from home and the most exciting thing that happens to me is when a book comes in the mail. So obviously I need to keep ordering more books so life stays interesting.

It's an addiction. And rather than work to overcome this addiction, I want you to enable me and then join me. Sound good? Let's do this.

I'm going to share all the books I don't have that I'm currently coveting and since I haven't yet read them, I'll share the Amazon description that let me know I NEED this book. Then you need to give me MORE recommendations because I simply can't get enough! Ready, set, go.

Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All

Too often, companies and individuals assume that creativity and innovation are the domain of the "creative types." But two of the leading experts in innovation, design, and creativity on the planet show us that each and every one of us is creative. In an incredibly entertaining and inspiring narrative that draws on countless stories from their work at IDEO, the Stanford d.school, and with many of the world's top companies, David and Tom Kelley identify the principles and strategies that will allow us to tap into our creative potential in our work lives, and in our personal lives, and allow us to innovate in terms of how we approach and solve problems. It is a book that will help each of us be more productive and successful in our lives and in our careers.

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable, or to dare greatly. Whether the arena is a new relationship, an important meeting, our creative process, or a difficult family conversation, we must find the courage to walk into vulnerability and engage with our whole hearts.

In Daring Greatly, Dr. Brown challenges everything we think we know about vulnerability. Based on twelve years of research, she argues that vulnerability is not weakness, but rather our clearest path to courage, engagement, and meaningful connection. The book that Dr. Brown’s many fans have been waiting for, Daring Greatly will spark a new spirit of truth—and trust—in our organizations, families, schools, and communities.

Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality

According to productivity expert Scott Belsky, no one is born with the ability to drive creative projects to completion. Execution is a skill that must be developed by building your organizational habits and harnessing the support of your colleagues.

As the founder and CEO of Behance, a company on a mission to empower and organize the creative world, Belsky has studied the habits of especially productive individuals and teams across industries. Now he has compiled the principles and techniques they share, and presents a systematic approach to creative organization and productivity.

While many of us focus on generating and searching for great ideas, Belsky shows why it's better to develop the capacity to make ideas happen-a capacity that endures over time.

Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters

Over the last 100 years, the road to success for most everyone has been divided into predictable stages. But three things have changed the path to success:

Boomers are realizing that a lot of the things they were promised aren’t going to materialize, and they have started second and third careers.

Technology has given access to an unprecedented number of people who are building online empires and changing their lives in ways that would have been impossible years ago.

The days of “success first, significance later,” have ended.

While none of the stages can be skipped, they can be shortened and accelerated. There are only two paths in life: average and awesome. The average path is easy because all you have to do is nothing. The awesome path is more challenging, because things like fear only bother you when you do work that matters. The good news is Start gives readers practical, actionable insights to be more awesome, more often.

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work

Franz Kafka, frustrated with his living quarters and day job, wrote in a letter to Felice Bauer in 1912, “time is short, my strength is limited, the office is a horror, the apartment is noisy, and if a pleasant, straightforward life is not possible then one must try to wriggle through by subtle maneuvers.”

Kafka is one of 161 inspired—and inspiring—minds, among them, novelists, poets, playwrights, painters, philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians, who describe how they subtly maneuver the many (self-inflicted) obstacles and (self-imposed) daily rituals to get done the work they love to do, whether by waking early or staying up late; whether by self-medicating with doughnuts or bathing, drinking vast quantities of coffee, or taking long daily walks. Thomas Wolfe wrote standing up in the kitchen, the top of the refrigerator as his desk, dreamily fondling his “male configurations”. . . Jean-Paul Sartre chewed on Corydrane tablets (a mix of amphetamine and aspirin), ingesting ten times the recommended dose each day . . . Descartes liked to linger in bed, his mind wandering in sleep through woods, gardens, and enchanted palaces where he experienced “every pleasure imaginable.”

Brilliantly compiled and edited, and filled with detail and anecdote, Daily Rituals is irresistible, addictive, magically inspiring.

All Marketers Are Liars: The Underground Classic That Explains How Marketing Really Works--and Why Authenticity Is the Best Marketing of All

All marketers tell stories. And if they do it right, we believe them. We believe that wine tastes better in a $20 glass than a $1 glass. We believe that an $80,000 Porsche is vastly superior to a $36,000 Volkswagen that’s virtually the same car. We believe that $125 sneakers make our feet feel better—and look cooler—than a $25 brand. And believing it makes it true.

As Seth Godin showed in this controversial book, great marketers don’t talk about features or even benefits. Instead, they tell a story—a story we want to believe, whether it’s factual or not. In a world where most people have an infinite number of choices and no time to make them, every organization is a marketer, and all marketing is about telling stories.

So what about you? What are some books you've been eyeing or reading? I need more to add to my wishlist!

In the spirit of honesty, I am an Amazon Affiliate and the links to the books mentioned in this post are affiliate links. If you use those links to purchase one of the mentioned book I receive a small compensation.

Business Lessons from the Olympics

2014-02-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

We're nearing the end of the Olympics- the only time I get into sports to the point of yelling and jumping out of my seat. I will be very sad when it's all over and will proceed to count down until the summer olympics, but in the meantime I'm enjoying the games, staying hooked on my TV, and learning quite a lot! Which brings me to....

Business Lessons from the Olympics

Be happy for your competition's successes!
Something that I love seeing is that at the end of a race/game/run/whatever the athletes come together to hug or shake the hand of the winner. I'm sure they're sad they didn't win, but they're excited for each other and willing to hide their disappointment at least for a moment so they can be happy for someone else.

While you are competing for business, you can still be happy for their successes and acknowledge when they've done something awesome! Let down your pride for a minute, stop kicking yourself for not thinking of it first, quit thinking of all the business they'll be taking from you and congratulate them for the great work they've done! Remember there's lots of business to go around and you'll have your day, too. And hey, at the very least acknowledge that they push you to be better and do more!

Put on a strong face and share what you learned and the good that came out of it all.
It breaks my heart when an amazing athlete that didn't do well is interviewed and it's obvious their heart is broken. What amazes me, though, is that they hold back the tears, put on a strong face, and talk about the good. They share what they learned for next time or all the great memories they had or how the competition deserved the win.

When things don't go as planned, you'll be okay. Instead of wallowing or throwing a fit or getting upset, think about the lessons you've learned and how the experience benefitted you. Don't let the mistakes or fumbles keep you from moving on and doing your thing. Put on your game face, be optimistic, and go out there and try again!

Acknowledge those that have helped you get where you are.
Win or loose, these athletes always take time to show gratitude for those that helped them get where they are. The acknowledge their parents who supported them since childhood, their coaches who have pushed them and believed in them, the sponsors who helped pay for training and the trip there, their teammates who have cheered them on. They rarely take all the credit and are so humble!

You didn't get where you are by yourself. You had teachers that trained you, bloggers and business owners that shared their advice, friends and family who supported your dreams and even bought your services or products. No one likes a proud know-it-all. Be humble and show love and appreciation for those that got you where you are!

Deal with problems gracefully.
We've all heard of #SochiProblems and the crazy things that were waiting for the athletes when they got to Olympic Village. Communal toilet situations, contaminated water, hundreds of stray dogs howling in the morning, unfinished rooms, and more. But what I loved most about all of this was that instead of complaining or crying about it, they were taking funny pictures and laughing about it with their teammates. They were at the Olympics! Nothing could shake their excitement and they took it like champs.

When the internet goes out, or Google shuts down, or our website hosting has a glitch the world doesn't end. Our clients will understand so there's no need to get on Twitter to display your rage. Breathe, be grateful for what is working out, and laugh about it! This is definitely something I need to work on...

What have you learned from the Olympics? And what athletes inspire you?

If you're seeing some business lessons in every day life experiences, I'd love to have you guest post! Get in touch for details!

Image credits 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Who Should You Sponsor?

2014-02-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago at a consultation, I was getting on the subject of sponsorships when my client cut in to casually ask about my experience with sponsors. Well. Uh... Awkward moment. I don't have much experience.

In my last blog, I did sponsorships for about four months or so. And though that might not seem like a long time, believe you me I learned quite a bit!

The first and foremost lesson I learned- sponsorships aren't for me. I just simply do not have the time to work on my business, market my own business on other blogs, blog on my blog, and then be locked into an agreement with other bloggers to support and blog about them. Over those few months of sponsorships, I realized that I was just not able to provide the return on investment I would've liked to give my sponsors. So I quit.

But since then, it has made a lot of sense for me to sponsor other blogs as I happen to be a blog designer and it's an easy way to get my name out in the blogging community.

And since I'm pretty stingy, I'm not willing to throw my money at just any blogger that provides sponsorships. I do my research and get to know the blogger and how they run their sponsorships before I spend my hard earned money. If you, too, are in the market for some real estate in the blogosphere consider these points before buying your ad spot!

1. Are they providing proof that they're worth the investment?

With the many forms of following these days and how so many aren't even measurable, it's hard to tell when a blog has the numbers to justify your sponsoring them. While they may have many Twitter followers, their blog followers may dwindle. While no one wants to be THAT person that cares more about numbers than people, it's hard to justify spending your hard earned money when you might get zero clicks. And clicks are the main reason you invest in sponsoring someone, so it's obvious that you want to sponsor someone that will get you the most click throughs.

Check their blog to see if they show their statistics from both their blog and their social media following. If they don't provide them on the blog, send them a quick email to see if they have a media kit, testimonials, or statistics for you to look at!

2. Are they attracting your target audience?

These bloggers may have incredible numbers of followers, but those numbers aren't worth anything if those followers aren't interested in what you do. When bloggers have similar values and content, their followers are likely going to be interested in what you have to say, too! Think of both of your target audiences and look for connections. The followers of a low-calorie food blog would likely be interested in an at-home fitness blog! Their followers are interested in loosing weight through food and your exercise tips will also help them loose weight! There you go. A perfect partnership.

Study the content of the blog you wish to sponsor to make sure their content is consistently appealing to your target audience. You can also check their Twitter and Pinterest followers to do a little more stalking to see what their followers are interested in.

3. Are they giving shoutouts?

If you're anything like me, you rarely leave the comfort of your blog reader program to check out the actual blog. Instead you are presented with the simple text and photos from the latest blog post and you do not get to see their wonderful design- including that sidebar with the ad space you're coveting. And even when you do manage to see the actual blog, are you really noticing the ads on the sidebar? Probably not.

The best way to get noticed these days is through shoutouts and linkage on their blog and social media. If you get a link in the text of their blog, anyone that reads their blog will see it, not just those that visit the actual site. If you get a shoutout on Twitter, all of their followers will see it in their feed. See my point? You're far more likely to get noticed if there's a shoutout involved.

Many bloggers offer shoutouts in addition to ad space. Check how often their shoutouts occur and what style they are presented in (see below...).

4. Are they being natural with their promotions?

I don't know about you, but every time I see a Tweet with #sponsorshoutout or a blog post that reads "Sponsor Feature" I completely ignore it. Zero clicks. Hardly even a glance. I'm not interested in reading things that someone is only mentioning because they were paid to do so. I want to see something that genuinely inspired them.

But maybe you're like "Well, they ARE being paid to mention them so..." Yeah I get it. You've got to mention them, but why mention them in such an advertisey way? Why not pick out the posts they truly do enjoy and mention them like they would any other great article they found? "LOVED this post from @SoAndSo about friendship! Something I totally struggle with." Or why not include them in their end of the week link list? The more natural the post the better!

Check to see if bloggers are being genuine with their shoutouts as they are more likely to get noticed than the over-promotional hashtag and disclosure ridden posts.

5. Can you see yourself developing a genuine relationship with them?

The best part about sponsorships is the relationships! When working together, you both can develop a friendship where you both are naturally supporting each other- no payment required. You read each other's content, comment away, have conversations on Twitter, and jump for the chance to meet up in real life. THAT'S the kind of partnership you want to start.

Just as you would in real life, take some time to get to know the blogger. Check out what you have in common and start up a conversation! You can also check out how they interact with their other sponsors- are they only interacting when they are promoting or are they naturally talking and having a good time?

6. Are they displaying the ads well?

Though I mentioned earlier that people may not even notice ads in a sidebar anymore, it is still important that you are visually represented well. While I may not usually notice ads in a sidebar, I will certainly notice if the ads in someone's sidebar are an absolute train wreck. Make sure your ad looks attractive and make sure the blogger is enhancing that!

A few red flags to watch out for:

-They display a thousand ads at a time. I generally prefer when bloggers keep it under ten ads at a time.
-The ads are in an awkward spot- in the footer, randomly dispersed throughout the sidebar, etc. Ads should be put in a standard area like the sidebar and not too far down to make sure they are getting the exposure they need.
-No ad type or style standard. GIFs are flashing at you, the simple black and white ad goes unnoticed, the neon ad is blaring out at you, the pixelated ad just looks awkward. Make sure the blogger is regulating the types and styles of ads displayed so your ad isn't crazier than all the others or so simple it will go unnoticed. Then make sure you provide them with an appropriate ad!
-Ads are all different sizes and not aligned. The more a reader's eye has to move around to see all the ads, the less likely they are to actually look at them all and you won't get your exposure. Check to make sure the ads have standard sizes and are well organized and aligned.

Make sure you're giving your money to a blogger that will support you and give you the best value. Take your time to feel out if they are a right fit for you and make sure you're putting your cash where it counts! There are so many awesome bloggers out there to sponsor- now go out and find the perfect one for you!

Megaphone designed by Milky - Digital Innovation from the Noun Project.

Love Grows Design Blog

Why I'm Still On Facebook

Braid Creative E-Courses

The class structure was awesome.

We could leave comments and ask questions.

The perfect teaching balance.

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The had actionable help, tools, and tips.

I learned so much.

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Lovely Snippets: March

Life snippets:

Internet snippets:

Cultural Cooking Blog + Social Media Design

Tell me a bit about you and your blog!

Why did you start your blog?

What are your goals with your blog?

Why did you want a redesign?

What did you learn throughout the design process?

How do you feel about the completed design?

What is your favorite part of the new design?

Get to know Maru better! Check out these great posts from her blog

Quit Competing and Comparing

Building Relationships In The Blogosphere

Business Lessons from Amusement Parks

Make your terms clear

Small talk and friendliness

If something goes wrong, please the people

Make things simple and convenient for customers

Go the extra mile

Launch Party Details!

The party in summary

The work

The cost

The results

Why do I think it was so successful?

Sweet, Fun, & Fabulous

Start Slow and Small

The Power of Reaching Out

Never ever underestimate the power of reaching out.

Productivity Tips For Rough Days

Adjust the temperature

Sit up

Set a timer

Listen to upbeat music

Set a to-do list

Surround yourself with work supplies

Take advantage of your power hour

I am an affiliate of CMR Strategies' Productivity E-Course and I do receive compensation if you purchase their course through my link. Thanks for supporting this here blog and business by purchasing these awesome courses through me!

Jacob's Scarves Branding

Tell me a bit about yourself.

Tell me a bit about your business.

Why did you start your business?

What makes your business unique?

Why did you want a redesign?

What is your favorite part about the new design?

Go check out Jacob's Scarves and get yourself a beautiful new scarf while contributing to something truly special!

The Importance of Categories

Showing your readers what you're about.

Keeping you on the right path.

Questions, Answers & Thank Yous

The Benefits of Working Out

The Best F Words Blog Design

Tell me a bit about yourself.

Tell me a bit about your blog.

What makes your blog unique?

What are your goals with your blog?

Why did you want a redesign?

What did you learn throughout the design process?

How do you feel about the completed design?

What is your favorite part of the new design?

Get to know Lauren better! Check out these posts from her blog

If you're thinking of getting a new blog design, check out my blog design packages! I'd love to give your blog a beautiful new look that will be the best reflection of you and your content. Let's work together!

Before You Start A Blog

Get to know the blogosphere!

Develop your categories/niche.

Write, write, write!

Get to know the technical side.

Editorial Calendars: Discovering What Works For You

It's not for me.I can't work with a tight schedule.I like to wait for inspiration to come and then post it right away.I barely have time to post let alone make a calendar.

It's not for me.
I can't work with a tight schedule.
I like to wait for inspiration to come and then post it right away.
I barely have time to post let alone make a calendar.