Living authentically – true to yourself, real with others – takes a whole lot of courage. Blogging authentically takes it to a new level; it’s not always easy to share you life with strangers, to open your heart for all to see, and to be willing to receive feedback for the things you share and believe.
That’s my favorite thing about my How To Build a Blog You Truly Love e-course {BBTL}, which launches today: I have the total privilege of watching hearts open, minds expand, opportunities arise, confidence soar as participants move through the course – which is as much about owning and loving your story as it is about the ins and outs of blogging.
It’s been such a joy to watch participants from last year spread their wings – some launching blogs for the first time, and others finding new focus and passion for the blogs they’ve been writing for years. To honor all of those brave bloggers who took the course then and those who have signed up this time, I asked four past e-course participants to give us a glimpse of their courage to change and grow. I hope you’ll visit their sites, show them some love and be inspired to go out into the world today being authentic and wonderful you.
What a delight it’s been to watch the Renee Yemma’s total makeover! Once she got clear on WHY she blogs and HOW she can help her readers, she re-branded and re-launched her site as The Calm Mama. And I’m so humbled by her kind words:
“Before signing up for Liv’s blogging course, I had tried to find everything I could on how to get my blog flowing on a consistent basis, but I still felt stuck. Once finding Liv and her course, all of my ‘stuck’ feelings melted away and I found myself more connected to my blog than ever.
I changed my title, wrote more consistently, changed my template and connected more to my true passions – food, doodling and photography. I truly connected with what I want to put out in the world in the most authentic way.”
Last spring, Cate Mezyk of WildRuffle sent me a note asking if I thought my course could benefit someone like her – a blogger who already loved her blog, knew what she wanted to write about and simply wanted to grow her readership. I sincerely did think she could benefit and told her so. She signed up. The changes she’s made since then have been subtle but powerful – and I love seeing how consistently focused she is on showcasing her passion for fashion. Here’s Cate’s take on how she’s grown as a blogger:
“There were lots of things along the way that helped – I changed the look of my site, I went to being self-hosted, I connected with the other students regularly.
But here’s the biggest takeaway for me: I’m never going to be the girl who analyzes what sort of key words I should be utilizing, or picks topics just to draw a larger audience to increase my SEO. I love to write, I love fashion, and I love supporting and promoting small businesses – that’s what Wild Ruffle is all about. This course helped to define who I am as the writer of my blog, and see that simply being me is bound to draw in the readers I’m looking for.”
I’ve loved watching the transformation of Jennifer Richardson’s Ripplespeak blog. She has moved it, re-designed it and been so brave with her eloquent posts. And she’s maintained friendships forged with fellow participants. I love skimming through her comments, too, because it’s evident her readers really take her messages to heart. Here’s what she had to say about class:
By really diving in to our exercises on recognizing your purpose and passions, Skye McClain of Neathering Our Fest realized the topics she was writing about probably wouldn’t hold her interest {or readers’} in the long run. She made lots of brave changes – and here’s why:
“I originally started blogging to document the process of buying our first house and all of the DIY projects that would ensue quickly afterwards. But then I found blogs like Gussy Sews, Choosing Beauty and my sweet friend Cassie’s Live. Laugh. Love blog. I realized then that my “niche” wasn’t really a DIY & home improvement blog and that wasn’t where my heart found happiness. When I heard about BBTL I just felt drawn to it. I knew it would help me figure out what I wanted my blog to be about. It showed me, very clearly, that the purpose for my blog was to meet, encourage, and inspire others. Before I figured this out, blogging seemed like a responsibility. Now my blog has become a blessing to me and many others.”
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How To Build a Blog You Truly Love launches today, but registration will remain open through January 20th. Minnesota peeps, I’ll be on Twin Cities Live at 3pm today talking about blogging. Fun!!
