I got sideswiped by grief yesterday. As I was readying the virtual classroom for my next (and last) blogging ecourse, a wave of sadness washed over me. The heavy whirling started in my belly, got caught in my throat, and put fiery tears in my eyes. It felt like…mourning. And it totally caught me by surprise.
Today marks the last first day of How To Build a Blog You Truly Love. I announced recently that this will be the last time I’ll run this course because I’m making room for new adventures. But I’ve been so focused on enjoying this final run and looking forward to new things that I forgot to allow space for grieving the loss of something I love.
I remember this kind of grief catching me by surprise seven years ago, when I left the media company I had launched and grown. I was so excited to spread my wings and leave the corporate grind behind. But a couple of days after leaving, I found myself feeling sad and a little lost, missing the place I’d put so much energy into over the years. It wasn’t that I regretted my decision to leave, but I realized that, in order to keep it together emotionally, I’d only focused on the things I was relieved to be detaching from. I had tap danced around the things I loved about my work, worried that the thought of missing them might reel me back in and convince me to stay.
Same thing with the blogging ecourse. I’ve been so focused on getting this last course up and running that I hadn’t allowed myself to also see how much I’ll miss it. Truth is, this class means so much to me. It was my saving grace at a time when it felt like everything else was falling apart. It gave me a new sense of purpose. It gave me a new revenue stream (a total Godsend after most of my projects fell out from underneath me). It gave me a new platform to help women find their own inner sparks – artfully, intuitively and joyfully.
As I was working on class content yesterday, I felt so fulfilled and excited for the next group of women about to be part of this journey – but sad that it was the last time I’d be combing through these lessons and sharing these insights. Though I’ll continue to teach other courses, there’s nothing like your first one – and seeing how far it’s come, how far I’ve come, how far so many past participants have come makes me wistful. But hanging on to everything I love makes it awfully hard to move forward.
To teach this final edition with total joy and to feel fully present for all these wonder women who have signed up, it was important for me to (finally) honor how sad I’ll be to see it go. But every ending is a new beginning. I will lead this class one more time with a deep sense of gratitude and awe for the gift it’s been in my life – and then dive into the deep end of my next chapter.
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Note: Want to join us? How To Build a Blog You Truly Love runs through Oct. 25th. You can register at any point during that time frame (though sooner is better) in order to be part of the online community, get my interactive guidance and receive a 350+ page PDF of all the content and contributions from 18 superstar bloggers including Kelly Rae Roberts, Andrea Scher, SARK, Maggie of Gussy Sews, Aimee of Artsyville, Amanda of Kind Over Matter and more! Here’s what we’re covering these next six weeks:
Week One: Defining Your Purpose + Passions Prepare to stretch yourself this first week, as you dig deep into the purpose of your blog. Lots of soul-stirring self-reflection!
Week Two: Creating a Space That Feels Like Home The look of your blog says so much; we’ll explore the design of your blog and how it reflects your personality and purpose. So many fun little details many bloggers don’t think about!
Week Three: Crafting Authentic Content + Staying Inspired Ever worry that you’ll run out of topics? Ever wonder how much is too much to share? Or if you can swear on your blog? Ever felt like you’re not always writing from the heart? We’ll address all of that and more. And we’re all going to step out of our comfort zones, writing and sharing brave posts in a class link-up (one of my favorite parts of this course!).
Week Four: Building Community + Boosting Readership You get to make friends this week. Lots of them! We’ll explore the importance of building your ideal community of readers and supporters – and how to do it. We’re getting the scoop from four bloggers who know a thing or two about building awesome online communities.
Week Five: Promoting Yourself With Love I’ve got lots to say on this topic, having worked both in PR and broadcasting for many years. If you have a hard time shouting your own name from the rooftops, you’re not alone – but you can promote yourself and your blog without feeling like a used car salesman. Promise! Excited to show you how.
Week Six: Blogging for Business + Growing Your Brand I believe every blog is like a mini-business with a brand you need to create and maintain. We can make it totally fun to do – and even explore ways your blog can become a revenue stream for you.
