Look About Lindsey has been a thing for one whole year! I remember sitting at a coffee shop with Cole mapping out what I wanted this site to look like after years of the idea sitting in the back of my mind.
And now after many trips, late nights, and lots of hard work, it’s already been a year! It has been a crazy one, reaching almost 6,000 unique visitors across 61 different countries (eek!) but I’ve had so much fun. Here are the things I’ve learned after my first year of blogging.
My family and friends are everything
This blog wouldn’t even exist if I didn’t have such incredible support from my family and friends! From pushing me to get started to sharing my stories with their friends, I owe so much of it to you! And special shoutout to Cole, who manages my website and takes photos of me even when he doesn’t want to. You are the best.
It’s hard to put yourself out there
I remember freaking out when I pushed “publish” on my first post. Writing about yourself and your life and sharing it with everyone is much harder than it looks! I see people doing it online all the time, but when the table is turned, it’s a different story! I used to always wonder what people thought of me (or my pictures or videos), but in all honesty, because I told myself I needed to publish content, I was forced to just do me. This has made me SO MUCH more comfortable with who I am, and not caring so much about everyone else. Who would have thought social media would have made me MORE confident about myself?? In the past, it always made me feel the opposite.
It’s a MUST to have a different story to tell
There’s a lot out there on the interwebs. It would have been so easy for me to start looking at other travel blogs and think “Well, looks like all the other travel bloggers have this covered!” And let’s be real, I actually did think that! But I also had people remind me that I am my own person, and have a different story to tell than everyone else. Finding your niche is so important, and while I’m still figuring this out, I know I love writing about local destinations that are within reach for my fellow Minnesotans. So I’m going to keep at it until life takes me another direction!
I have a love/hate relationship with Instagram
Fake accounts, bots, and quick follower scams. These are all out there and are very real! Instagram is such a crazy platform where sometimes it feels the only thing “influencers” care about is likes, follower counts, and a neatly curated profile. I’ve learned a lot about what people will do to get likes and followers and it is really frustrating. I value authenticity and having real followers who are genuinely interested in the stories I tell, so I promise I’ll never share anything with you that I don’t believe in just to make a buck!
On the other hand, Instagram has introduced me to so many amazing people and gives me a platform to share my adventures, so it all evens out!
Networking will give you life
Speaking of meeting new people, when you’re sitting behind a computer and blogging it’s really easy to feel alone, and it’s inevitable that you will someday need support from others who are in the same boat as you. I quickly got involved in events and networking functions with other Minnesota bloggers, and it is THE BEST thing I ever did! I now always have a support system and we’re able to share ideas that help us all grow. I’ve also met some incredible, badass women who inspire me both in my blog life and my corporate life!
Blending worlds together reduces stress
I never in a million years would have thought this blog would take up as much time as it does. From running a website, to writing posts, editing photos, and publishing content on multiple sites, this could easily be a full time job! (And I now get while so many people choose to do that!) But I also get a lot of energy from my corporate job which demands a lot from me. I’m also not an underachiever, and hate to give less than 100% in anything I do!
Anyways, it got hard for a while to manage both gigs, but I slowly started blending the two worlds together. What I found was a lot more balance in my life. While I’m on work trips, I now find things to do that I can blog about in my spare time. I also talk a lot more about my blog with work people. It has actually built better relationships and creates understanding when I have to leave a work event to post a blog, or want to whip out my camera to take a photo 🙂
This has been such a fun first year of blogging. THANK YOU for being along for the ride! Click below to see some of my most popular posts!
Spending a fall day in Montgomery MN
5 reasons to stay at Green Heron Bed and Breakfast
You have worked so hard…you’re mom and dad are so proud of you! Continue to love what you do, it shows! ❤