Guest Post:: Lisa from Mummy Manifesto talks e-courses...

What makes me Squee?

Well lots of things in my little world make me squee but one thing in particular that floats my boat is blogging e-courses by bloggers.

Blogging is addictive.

And it is addictive because like green smoothies, selfies and iPhone photography apps, there is always that next big thing in the online world.

You want your tribe of people who come to visit you day after day and to bring more friends with them. You want people to like what you stand for and what you can offer to the world.

The reasons for blogging are varied but usually revolve around sharing stories, finding a voice, visual inspiration or teaching a passion or skill.

But blogging can sometimes be a little disheartening, especially if you see other bloggers getting more comments than you, more traffic or their social media follower numbers are off the charts, while you are still trying to get your mum to like your Facebook blog page.

So I have been blogging for almost 2 years now and have joined in a few free “Improve your blog” emails as well as paying for more experienced blog improvement email courses that make you sit up and inspire you to “go pro” with your blog. I love learning about other people’s passions, creative businesses and how they achieve their goals.

Is blogging a passion for you and can you make decent money out of your blog?

Most of us want to do both and that is where most of these courses are designed to make the most of that opportunity. Think Darren Rowse, (Problogger) Holly Becker (décor8) Natalie Sisson (The SuitcaseEntreprenuer), Marie Forleo (B-School).

* I started learning with American interior design blogger Holly Becker’s Bloggingyour Way 8 week course and then later on Blog Boss 4 week course.

Both of these courses were set up for new & intermediate bloggers to become professional blogging businesses. I felt like I was at university or college again. Each week there was guest posters, podcasts, webinars, exercises to be posted into forums, lessons providing answers to all blogging questions involving social media, content creation, blog critiques etc.   The price was also affordable to a blogger not earning a huge amount of income. They were designed with the interior design blogger in mind and I failed the design exercises miserably (which was rather embarrassing) as I am no graphic designer or creative but still got so much out of these courses in relation to my blog.

 * Natalie Sisson (The Suitcase Entrepreneur) has a free 30 day blogging challenge to get you thinking beyond your blog and creating a lifestyle such as a professional travel blogger or online entrepreneur. This course is more about email marketing, building your email list, creating products or content you can turn into gold for your readers.

* MarieForleo is a marketing genius. She has created a really amazing product by giving away heaps of free content in her Marie TV You-tube videos & blogs and then her elusive online B-school runs once a year for entrepreneurs who wish to “go-pro” and take the next step in their business. A few blogging friends have recently started B-school and already are making changes to their online mindset.

* Everyone in the blogging world knows Darren Rowse of ProBlogger fame. Darren gives away a huge amount of free content on his blogs and then uses e-books, paid communities and blog conferences to create income from his blogs.. I have met Darren and he is a lovely, quiet, unassuming guy who really has changed the way Australia sees blogging today.

The Reality Check

While I have completed 1 or 2 of these courses, I am no blogging guru or bringing in thousands of dollars in blogging sales. My problem has always been the time management issue of kid wrangling three young children, a husband with his own business and my need to keep my nursing registration current with shifts on the weekends.  I blog & write at night while my family sleeps. At the moment, blogging floats between being my hobby as well as getting paid for sponsored posts or freelance articles.

I think you can definitely make income from selling products/services associated with your blog but you need to treat it like a business and you need to act as if there is no fallback plan or security blanket holding you back from achieving success.  I also think that if you can’t afford these e-courses while starting out you can easily find other bloggers with an income model that you can duplicate and adapt it to your blog. 

MummyManifesto Blog  (http://www.mummymanifesto.com)

Facebook  (https://www.facebook.com/MummyManifesto)

Twitter: (https://www.twitter.com/mummymanifesto)

Instagram @mummymanifesto

Some blogging e-courses that you might be interested in:

American:

Holly Becker at Décor8: Blogging Your Way & Blog Boss (http://www.decor8blog.com)

Australian Blogging Courses:

Australian Writers Centre (http://www.thewriterscentre.com)

Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily/Kate: Secret Bloggers Business E-Course (http://www.secretbloggersbusiness.com)

The Media Maid/Katrina Chambers (http://www.katrinaleechambers.com)

Meet Me at Mikes/Pip Licolne ( http://www.meetmeatmikes.com )

Spaces In Between/Rachel : Bright Eyed & BlogHearted   (http://wwww.inspacesbetween.com)

Coping With Jane: Jane Copeland  (http://www.copingwithjane.com )

A note from Ash:

Thanks for this great piece Lisa. I am sure your info will be useful and interesting for many established and emerging bloggers. I have done Pip Lincolne's Blog with Pip course and found it super inspiring and really helped me improve my techie know-how as well as plugging me in with a fab community of bloggers. 

Guest Post: Kirri-Mae Sampson: On going home.

"After this, I was hit (like many) with the realisation that I wanted something a little bit different to what I had. So here I am in my final semester of a Master degree that will help me achieve the things I want."

  

Kirri-Mae Sampson

On Going Home: Kirri-Mae Sampson

I had no idea what it was to “squee” over something when Ash first mentioned it to me. Turns out I did though, I just didn't KNOW that I knew. Ya know?

I took a trip north to Brisbane recently and the moment my dear ol’ dad met me at the airport and I climbed into his car, I was consumed by the warm and the fuzzy (the first signs of an oncoming squee). From here he drove us back to his work; he’d just ducked out during ‘smoko’ to pick me up. We pulled up in the car park, he tossed me the keys, gave me a little cuddle and a “Nice to see you petal, pick me up at 4:30,“ and back he went to his work bench. No fuss, and no wasting of words. What a dude.

I jumped into the driver’s seat, checked the tank, it was full. I exhaled happily, plugged in the iPhone, cranked the new Beyonce album…yep….and drove myself home. “Home” in this case, being my parents’ and my family home.

I waltzed in to the empty place with my bags and dumped them in the middle of the kitchen because the pantry is always the first stop. It did not disappoint. Full to the brim. I checked the fridge; same story. This is the part of every visit where I side step between the pantry and the fridge, plates are unnecessary, because fresh produce and snacks go straight from their freshness vessel INTO MY FACE. A couple of rice crackers, some blueberries, a sweet biscuit, a peach, a carrot dipped in hommus, some strawberries, three jatz biscuits. At this point my digits were just not enough so there was a quick pivot to the drawer behind me where I was able to arm myself with a fork (it didn't seem right shoving my fingers into the olive jar) and a knife, because there was BRIE AND CAMEMBERT IN THERE! Then I drank some milk. I don’t even know why. It’s like a crazy frenzied state, and then just as suddenly as it began, I was struck with a slight ill feeling in my belly. I assume that was the result of the outrageous combination of goods that were all hanging out in there together. 

I popped the used utensils into the dishwasher, which had the sign “I'm dirty, load me and wash me” on the front, as opposed to the “I'm clean, empty me” sign. I grabbed my bags and back I went to my old bedroom. While the room has long since been cleared of most things that might resemble my teenage self - a new bed with fresh adult-like linen, empty closet, new side tables and lamps - it would have been much more difficult to erase my beautiful (not really), bold (overpowering) feature wall. The smack of deep bottle green that hits your face when you walk in is the result of a can of paint I received (at my request) for a birthday one year. Feature walls. What were we thinking. I fell back on the bed, and napped the next hour away in some kind of food coma. It was glorious.

All of this bliss took place during the first hours of touching down in Brisbane. This weekend back home rocked and I was squee-ing left, right and centre. And here is why; I (like many) did the student thing straight out of school, then I left it behind (like many) for a few years of full time hard work, and a salary that (almost, but not quite) matched. After this, I was hit (like many) with the realisation that I wanted something a little bit different to what I had. So here I am in my final semester of a Master degree that will help me achieve the things I want. It’s been amazing. I have loved almost every moment of it (there are always a few sticky bits). But along with the study, came the student lifestyle, mi goreng noodles, way too much bread and rice, riding my bike because I can’t afford petrol, taking stock of my household possessions and the ones I could part with to pay rent, etc, etc. We've all been there.

The POINT is going home was rad. I know the weather, I know the roads, I know the people, I know the fridge and the petrol tank will be full, I know that the car has been regularly serviced and will start when I tell it to, I know that my mum will probably book me in for some kind of specialist appointment that I've been putting off, and she might take me to the movies. I know that I will see my brothers and their lovers and we will all give each other shit and laugh, Dad will pretend he is indifferent to my presence but we will know this, in fact, is not the case.

This is all stuff. It’s all great. And it makes me squee.

I also make things. 

Etsy - www.etsy.com/au/shop/kirrimaDe

Facey - www.facebook.com/kirrimaDe

Insta - @kirrimaDe

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[A note from Ash...]

Here are some of Kirri's wonderful creations! She has been super modest about her talents so I felt the need to step in and say something! Be sure to check out her Facebook page and Etsy shop above! 

If any of you are heading to Big Hearted Business this year, Kirri and I will be there so be sure to say hello! Kirri will have a little bag full of her creations for you to buy (she doesn't know that yet but I'll word her up).

x

Lily Mae Martin :: Artist :: Beyond SQUEE!

Georgia :: Lily Mae Martin

Lily Mae Martin is one of the most talented artists that I have ever met. Her work is simply breathtaking. I actually have a physical reaction to it. Maybe that's due to the very personal and truthful depictions of real people, or maybe it's because it's just bloody unreal and so so beautiful. She clearly has amazing talent but what has struck me in conversation with Lily is that she works so hard at her craft and invests fully in the process. I cannot imagine being so dedicated to something but as Lily would attest, she can't NOT make art. 

I had a chat with Lily Mae a couple of days ago and she very generously answered a few questions for The Squee. After reading this and viewing some of her pictures I am sure you'll agree that Lily May is worthy of a super squeaky SQUEE.