My Blogging Journey…

Who Would Have Thought?

Ever since I was a young girl, I have always had the “itch” to write. Several months ago, I came across a box filled with a few short children’s stories, poems, and greeting cards that I had written many years ago. I read through everything and in doing so, it rekindled the fire in me to get back on the writing wagon.

When To Start

So my blogging journey began. But, to be exact…on Mar 10, 2019. I had “Googled” how to blog because I seriously had no clue where to even begin. I came across “It’s A Lovely Life“ by Heather and Pete Reese. I joined in on their Facebook page and I was officially off to the races! Don’t get me wrong, for me, the initial process became very intimidating. My husband actually came up with the name “My Angel’s Voice” because I had been telling him all along that I felt very strongly that I was being guided to start writing. He came home from work one particular day and said, ” Name your blog, “My Angel’s Voice.” SOLD!! So it was official, I would purchase that domain name. Keeping my fingers crossed that it was still available. You can check-out the Domain Name Checker on my site.

I had purchased my domain name and signed up for the course with Heather and Pete Reese. Still completely oblivious to what lied ahead, but cautiously optimistic.

Must-Have Blogger Items…For Me

For me, it was extremely important that I had a really good notebook. I was given a really nice leather-bound, journal-type notebook, from a patient several years ago. I always held onto it, actually carrying it in my bag. Figuring that possibly one day I could put it to use. Well, imagine that….the day had arrived.

I also had my laptop, Ipad Mini and cell phone. You have no idea how many times to this very day. I will be working on a post while researching by using my Ipad mini and referring to Google on my cell phone. Multi-tasking!! Business card too! I give them out everywhere! Share to wealth!!! Don’t be shy when letting people know about your website.

Going Through The Motions…

So on a wing and a prayer, I set out to take the course. Luckily, I was able to go at my own pace. I will admit…..my excitement began to turn to frustration when I felt like a fish out of water trying to figure out how to set up my website. I work on a computer every day at work. But trying to “figure out” the ins and outs of setting up my website was becoming extremely overwhelming. I did, however, accomplish setting up my newsletter with Constant Contact. Other than that…..I’ll must admit, I felt helpless. So much so, that I was ready to throw in the towel and call it quits! So, for three weeks I stepped away from the course, my computer…. all of it!

On A Mission…

It was the last week of March when I decided to give it another try. I was so determined to make it work that I set myself a “Launch Date” of April 29, 2019, my birthday. Only five weeks, so, no pressure…right? It took me forever to decide on a theme. Keep in mind that everything was done through Heather and Pete’s course, “It’s a Lovely Life” and my website was set up through Bluehost. It took me forever to choose a theme. I had picked out about ten that I had in my library, before finally deciding upon the theme I currently have. Incidentally, I chose a free theme, but plan to upgrade to the Pro Version eventually.

I work full-time, so I made it a point to work on building my site at least an hour every day and several hours on the weekend. I have the luxury of not having small children at home anymore because mine all grown up and moved on with their own lives.

Photos and Much More

Some of the best “tools” that I found are essential for bloggers is Grammarly. I just love it. You really have no idea how many simple little mistakes that when make with your writing until you are using this awesome tool. For my photos, I use Canva and Fiverr. I also have two apps that have great free photos, Pixabay and Unsplash.

Hustle…It’s The Name Of The Game.

I signed up for the free monthly 10K Traffic course, that is offered monthly with It’s a Lovely Life and continues to do so to this day. I have hustled with Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. It’s imperative to open up all of these accounts for your blog, and then begin interacting on all of them in order to gain followers and connect with other bloggers.

Facebook Groups

I’ve been able to reach out to many people in multiple Facebook groups for bloggers, it’s simply been amazing. I have come to realize in this blogging journey of mine that this is a big piece of the puzzle of blogging. So many bloggers have stepped up to the plate with advice….. and for that, I’m extremely grateful. The very first Facebook Group that I joined was Golden Bloggerz. I have been able to learn from multiple posts that Chris has on his website and Facebook page, and you can too. Joining multiple groups is essential. It helps you to grow your followers, not to mention your helping out your fellow blogger.

Going Live…Hitting The “Launch” Button

I had completed everything that was essential in setting up my website and was ready to start tackling working on writing some posts. I only had ten under my belt when I realized my goal date of April 29th was a few days away. As the day drew near, my nerves kicked into high gear and I panicked, letting my goal date come and go.

Finally realizing that in all reality unless I told anyone, that “Going Live” for me really meant that I was the only one that knew, so three days after my initial goal…May 02, 2019….“My Angel’s Voice” was officially a part of the World Wide Web!

It’s funny how vulnerable you feel when going live…. but exhilarated all at the same time! “Woo Hoo!!”

Affiliate Sponsor

My blog had been live for three weeks and I had fifteen posts when I decided to test the waters to apply for an affiliate sponsor. I googled Target Affiliate, filled out the application and waited. Exactly one week to the day, I received an email “Welcome” letter. My very first affiliate! I was hungry for more. As of this writing of this particular post, I can say to you that I’ve have had my fair share of denial affiliate letters, but several approvals as well.

Posts

Where my posts are concerned. I try to have at least two, sometimes three new posts a week. This is what works best for me. I am very passionate about gaining and keeping my readers coming back for more. I am constantly thinking of new posts to write about, this is where my journal comes in handy.

Lead Magnet

What works best for my site lead magnet is a “My Angel’s Voice” t-shirt. There is nothing better than having my logo shared by my readers and what better way, than a t-shirt.

Never Ending Story…

If you really must know, my story is just beginning. I truly speak from my heart with every single post that I’ve written. Like I said earlier…I am at ten weeks since going live and this will be my twenty-ninth post and have several affiliate sponsors. There is so much more for me to write about, that my heart and mind are like a boiling pot about to over-flow. I’m so proud of how far I have come.

If I were to give any advice to someone struggling with wondering what to do. It would be to take one day at a time, ask questions and take notes. Have faith and confidence in yourself. Because you’re so worth it.

The Tip Of The Iceberg…

So there you have it. What I have accomplished so far in my blogging journey. There is still for me, so much to learn….so bring it on, the sky’s the limit!