Today’s guest on the podcast has been with us once before. On Episode 2, I spoke with Rachel Martin and her business partner, Dan Morris. Together they operate Blogging Concentrated. In that episode, we alluded to the fact that Rachel has her own business, a blog called Finding Joy. She's come back on the show today to talk about her business: FindingJoy.net
From Hobby to Business
Rachel was introduced to computers at an early age by her father, who taught her to code when she was 8 years old. She had a real affinity and love for technology, and an early stint on a site called Homeschool Blogger gave her the confidence she needed to start her own blog.
Around 5 years ago, Rachel realized that her writing could support her family and since then, her blog has been a business and not just a hobby.
Rachel made some decisions early on that helped her focus on what was important to her. For example, it was much more important to her to build a community than to do enough sponsored posts to make an income. She was willing for the income to build more slowly in order to stick to her priority of building relationships with her readers.
First Steps to Monetizing
- One of the first things that Rachel did to monetize was join an ad network. She was thrilled when she made $35 in her first month!
- The second thing that she did was to write an ebook and put it up for sale. She clearly remembers the day that her phone started beeping like crazy because people were buying the book. She made a few hundred dollars that day on her ebook sales.
And it caused a huge mindset shift for her. She realized on that day that she could produce well-crafted content and people would pay for it.
I think a lot of the battle in monetizing is getting over the hurdle of “are we enough?” ~Rachel Martin
Overcoming Hurdles
Going from a stay-at-home Mom to a traveling businesswoman brought with it a lot of guilt for Rachel. But memories of her Grandpa and the hours he spent in the fields at harvest times gave her a new perspective. He spent many an overnight out harvesting his crops. It was seasonal and it was seen as love for his providing for his family.
As female entrepreneurs, we have to learn to see the difference between harvesting and planting. When it is harvest time, the work is done in order for us to provide for our family and to show our love for them by that provision.
Another hurdle that Rachel faced is common to most online entrepreneurs. That’s the battle to maintain boundaries while working from home. She is adamant on determining when it is work time and when it is time to shut the computer and say, “Enough.”
Work is a good thing, and it was good for my children to see me step up and provide for them. ~Rachel Martin
Building Community
Rachel's tips for building community around your blog and social media channels:
- Be present. Being available gives you credibility.
- Be open. People want to know that they are connecting with the “real you.”
- Be grateful. Tell people when they do a great job. Express appreciation.
Remember that your readers could choose from many different sites on the internet, so if they take the time to reach out to you…reach back.
Real audience building means investing in people that are showing up at your door every single day, and saying “thank you” to them. ~Rachel Martin
Defining Success
Rachel says that her personal definition of success has changed in the past couple of years.
Today, she defines it as “waking up content.”
From living for years with crippling financial fear, Rachel has taken a personal motto of
“Fall seven times…stand up eight.”
[ctt template=”8″ link=”3dgfP” via=”no” ]Success is no longer fearing the falling; it is deciding to stand up again.[/ctt]
Her advice for women beginning an online business is to
- Learn from the past.
- Learn things every time you fall down. But don’t let it define you.
- If you are thinking, “I am failing”, then replace it with, “I can do this.”
- Focus on the future.
- Focus on your goals, Dream big. Articulate those dreams.
- Live every day with focus.
- Allow yourself to be joyful right where you are.
Links From Today’s Show:
*We do use affiliate links whenever possible to keep this site and your educational experience ad free. Read our full disclosure here.
- Rachel’s Blog
- Rachel’s Community on Facebook
- Rachel's daughter's photography business
- Blogging Concentrated
- Go Go Air
- Homeschool Leaders Retreat in Mexico
Be sure to listen to Episode #2 of this podcast to learn more about the Blogging Concentrated.
Today’s Sponsor:
More value for the price than any other online business coaching, Katie takes women who want to create products or start earning income with their blogs and teaches them how. The monthly personalized coaching and community involvement with other members far outweighs even the extensive resource library. Check out The Blog Connection today!
