Why I Finally Started A Blog And Why I Wish I Had Years Ago

The first time I remember hearing about a blog, I was around 16 years old and I LOVED the idea! I naturally thought there is no way in heck I would ever actually write my thoughts down and push them out for the world to see.

Back then they were very new to the world and most people blogging used them more as an online journal than a source of information.

I come from a big family in a small town in Illinois. When I say small, I mean 500 people small. So I never really considered myself to have anything special to write about.

However, when I became a stay at home mom, I felt incredibly alone and isolated. I had to work through so many struggles to truly find joy in motherhood.

That seemed like something I could write about. Surely other moms were struggling. It just seemed like nobody wanted to talk about it.

I wanted desperately to connect with moms struggling in the same way and let them know that

1)They are not alone
&
2) You can find joy as a mom AND still pursue your dreams

I am a high 3 on the Enneagram so by nature I am a hustler. I always had a good job and loved working.

After I had my second baby, we were in a need of a little extra income since I quit my job to stay home with my babies. During my research on how to make money from home I stumbled on a few different MLM opportunities and decided to give it a go.

I became a fitness coach and made money right away. I was obsessed with the idea of making money on your own terms. I COULD have my cake and eat it too.

I ran two successful MLM businesses and learned everything I could about social media marketing. The problem I always ran into with MLM’s was that I always found myself burned out over promoting the same product over and over again.

I knew I wanted to make money from home, but I wanted to do it on my terms. I wanted to truly share my story and help other moms like me.

After I closed down my last online business, I spent 4 months taking a huge break from social media.

I prayed for direction, brainstormed, and had many conversations with my husband. I started to think that maybe I would just close down any idea of working at home and focus on my family.

So I did. I focused on pouring into my family. By then we had three kids and were in the middle of a move.

Still, I had a burning message inside of me that I wanted to share. From a very young age, I felt that I wanted to impact people. I wanted to share my struggles and how I’ve overcoming them and/or are working to overcome them in a real way.

I was finally able to gain clarity and direction during that time of rest and decided that I wanted to start a blog and write about REAL life, in a REAL way.

I sat down today to write to you and tell you my biggest driving factors in starting a blog and what I hope to accomplish.

There is Power In Telling Your Story

Humans are wired for connection. It’s in our very nature to want to share life and experiences with those around us. A blog is a place where you can share your life with the world.

It’s a powerful opportunity to be a light.

I don’t at all think I have life figured out. Heck, Sometimes I don’t even have the day figured out. But I do believe that by sharing my journey of trying to figure life out, I am bound to be able to help or encourage someone struggling in the same area. At least that is my hope and prayer.

To Leave A Legacy

After I shut down my last business, I found myself with extra free time. It felt weird, not hustling during nap time because I had spent the last 3 years building to businesses.

I remember one day I received a complimentary People Magazine in the mail. During nap time I sat on the couch drinking coffee flipping through the pages of a world full of nothingness.

It’s not that I think people magazine is wrong. But the thought of spending the next twenty years reading people magazine or waiting for the next big Netflix original to drop seemed so incredibly shallow. I have always been terrified of not living up to my potential or wasting my life on things that don’t truly matter.

I remember making a decision that day that I didn’t want to be that mom and I didn’t want to be that wife.

I want to leave a legacy for my kids to remember me. And I want them to watch me work hard for what’s important to me.

On the pages of this blog, I will pour my heart. And someday I hope they will look back and see that.

Creative Outlet

Blogging is such an amazing creative outlet. You can literally make it whatever you want it to be. I genuinely look forward each day to be able to sit down and work on something outside of mom life. It fills my soul.

You can write and research any topic and truly I become an expert. All well sharing your journey to inspire others.

To Connect

Mom life is wonderful. That is all I ever heard about it before I became a mom.

It really is wonderful…. but It is also lonely and isolating and nobody will tell you that.

I love my kids, and I love being a mom. But I’ll give it to you straight….. motherhood is freakin hard!! It’s the hardest thing I have ever done.

Yes. It truly is the most fulfilling job I have ever had. It has actually defined what joy is.

Surrounding yourself with a community of moms that ‘get you’ and understand what you’re going through is priceless.

I have met some of my very best friends on the internet and I am so grateful for them.

Blogging is a way to connect with other moms who can laugh and cry with me.

To Create Income From Home On My Terms

I’ve never made it a secret that I intend on generating income while my babies sleep.

My blog is in the very beginning stages and I haven’t generated any income yet, but my long term goal is to be able to create enough income from my blog to be able to pay for school and all the “extras” for my kids.

I know there are many mommy bloggers that are making full-time incomes from blogging and seeing successful woman inspires me so much because I know If they can do it, I can do it.

I want to take my time and do it the right way and I don’t mind putting in the work before I see any income. I have nothing but time and have SO much to learn.

Why I WIsh I Had Started A Blog Years Ago

Mainly because I would have gone through all the learning process before kids. My time is so limited to work on my blog because I want to be present with them.

I wish I would have started that blog when I was sixteen just writing about my life journey. It didn’t seem important at the time, but now I would LOVE to read my sixteen-year-olds self-perspective on life.

And I am certain that in 5 years, I will love to read my 31-year-old self-perspective on life 🙂

XOXO
Colleen