One Year Later…..
Finish line approaching: it has officially been one year since I launched my brand new website by Design Powers. And in that year, I have attempted to honor the commitment I made to create 12 months of blog content.
When I was researching website development companies, I overwhelmingly heard your website must include a blog section. In a world with diminishing attention spans and social media character counts, I was surprised blogs were still a thing.
I was prepared to be told I needed to develop my therapist Tick Tok presence. I was expecting to launch Instagram and YouTube channels. But nope, blogging is what I heard I needed to do over and over again.
Blogging seemed so early 2000’s.
Blogging is apparently how the internet, and specifically the titan of web searching, Google, prioritizes identification of a business when people use that handy search bar.
For those wanting an in depth and more factual explanation about this entire SEO and blogging concept, Design Powers wrote a great long form article on it.
That’s how old I am, its not even called blogging anymore…..
In researching website companies, I also was pitched a ton of content creating services where I didn’t even have to write the blogs. For a fee, I could pay a content creator and provide them with my vision and ideas. Several days later, the completed blog would appear in my inbox for review and approval.
My 12 year career in higher ed just couldn’t stomach paying someone to write for me. My old campus dean persona started screaming plagiarism and fabrication.
Also, it didn’t really fit with how I ethically wanted to represent myself.
I naively thought, how hard could blog writing be?
Have these blogs even accomplished anything?
In the past 12 months, my attempts at blog writing or long form article creation have been, well, interesting.
My blogs are quasi life observations, with an exploration of my own personal growth, and an attempt to throw in a lot of therapy words to drive search engine traffic.
Writing them has resulted in some wonderful consequences.
Surprisingly, I enjoy the disclosing life lesson blogs.
I have cried while writing at least a couple. And the tears were not just the result of trying to figure out how to post the damn things.
My friends have shown up in some incredible ways. They have allowed me to write about them, their children, and have become a part of my loyal 15 person fan base.
As you read in March, I am really lucky to have some incredible mom friends.
The blog writing also resulted in a not unexpected demand.
Mia demanded a blog focused on her after I wrote the soccer focused blog on Jack.
I should have seen it coming and just published her’s first.
Have I enjoyed blogging?
There has been something cathartic in writing about some personal experiences and learning about myself in the process.
Despite working in a field where people share intimate details of their lives, I am actually not much of a sharer in my personal life.
There have been some blogs that provided me some final closure on parts of my professional life that need to not be seen in my rear view mirror while I continue to navigate my path forward.
I am so happy to see the hearts and comments when I do post. Even if it's just one thumbs up, it feels validating.
Validating because it is something I created all on my own. And for better or worse, it is what it is and I am confident it enough to put it out there.
So even one thumbs up feels pretty good.
What have I learned?
My mom, not surprisingly, reads every one. My dad still has not read the first one.
For people who know my dad and his steadfast support of me, his lack of reading is the surprising part. He also loves to give input so I was fully expecting detailed content feedback.
In his defense, he primarily uses a flip phone so all of his web viewing is on a desk top.
Or it could be he is sidetracked by rewatching Kevin Costner’s eulogy of Whitney Houston…..a blog topic for another day.
I have learned how to ask my family for help.
Not just with content but draft review. Even the dog continues to listen attentively when I read my drafts out loud.
This writing project has increased my deep gratitude for my family, specifically ALL 5 of the kids, inspiring my content. And Chris-for edits, inclusion, and most importantly telling me I should keep going and believing I am doing this well.
I have also learned that, shocker, it is okay for me to not meet a goal.
A year ago, I committed to Evelyn, my web designer and all around bad ass woman entrepreneur extraordinaire, I would write one a month.
Let's be honest, I remain a little in awe of her and wanted her approval when I set that goal.
What actually happened? I missed two months of blog writing and may have adjusted the posting date on at least one.
Did my business dry up and the website crash?
No, probably because they did not teach me how to actually crash the website, thank god.
What did happen?
I reached my busiest period ever the months I didn’t post, so the lack of content did not turn prospective clients away.
Not meeting my blog writing goal also validated that I don’t have to actually meet every goal I set.
Not meeting a goal, didn’t crash my business or my world.
Will my blogging continue?
Well, yes. Long form content writing is still a major building block of SEO. And unless I take over Google, it appears it will remain that way.
Personally, I have found my own psychological rewards in disclosing my thoughts and experiences. I remain surprised at my bravery in sharing them.
Professionally, if my blog writing pushes even one person who is uncertain about therapy to seek out any therapist, then it is worthy to continue.
Lastly, I can’t let my fan base down.
Thank you to my 15 reader fan base.
I hope to keep you all reading in this next year and thank you with appropriate glasses of wine.
