Hi everyone! Lately, I’ve simply been in awe with how much my life has changed since starting a blog. I feel like I have an amazing community, real-life friends, and fun freelance jobs because of it. If you have been following my journey since the beginning, you know that this is pretty much a complete shift for me. I was sad, depressed, and felt lost and without a purpose when I started out. The only thing defining me was my debt, which was a painful reminder of my mistakes. Now, I am excited to write my way out of debt and see what the future holds.
Thinking about all of this got me inspired to start a series called, “How My Blog Changed My Life.” This new series will feature a diverse array of bloggers whose lives have changed because of their blog. My hope is to inspire myself and others through this series. I’m so thrilled to have Kali on board from Common Sense Millennial as my first guest.
If you don’t know already, Kali is a rockstar. She is somehow so talented, gorgeous, and amazingly nice and helpful. And she just quit her job to be a full-time freelancer!
More about Kali: Kali Hawlk is a freelance writer and content manager who recently launched her full-time business. She’s passionate about personal finance, careers and business, and all things Gen Y – she writes about it all on her blog, Common Sense Millennial. An avid runner and horseback rider, she enjoys getting outside as often as possible when she’s not immersed in blogging and helping other small businesses build and manage their online presence.
1. What was the inspiration for starting your blog?
I’ve always been passionate about writing, and for years I had been interested in firing up my own blog. It took so long for me to get started because I had no idea what I wanted to write about. I didn’t feel like I had any worthwhile stories or experiences to share — until I started reading more and more personal finance blogs. (I was trying to do research on how to invest without a financial advisor!) From there, I realized that personal finance was something I had a pretty unique perspective on. I was 23, graduated without debt, owned a home, and was more interested in saving money and growing my wealth than acquiring material possessions. This was the polar opposite of most other twenty-somethings I knew, so I figured I might have something to say on the subject of Millennials and money.
2. What has been the most challenging part of having a blog?
Knowing what to write! It sounds funny, as now a large part of my income comes from brainstorming content ideas and then executing on those, but being confident about my own content that I’m writing, providing readers, and sharing with my network is tough for me. Specifically, I feel I have a hard time balancing valuable, useful content with personal and not-directly-finance-related posts. I want to be interesting and accessible, but I don’t want anyone to be like, “ugh, no one cares about what you did over the weekend.” So I struggle with that fine line of providing posts that are in line with my blog — personal finance, careers, Millennials — with ones that are just light and fun and a nice break in the constant talk about money.
3. In what ways, direct or indirect, has your life changed because of your blog?
My life has changed tremendously in a highly direct way because of my blog! And it’s all in a fabulous way, too. My blog allowed me to launch a new career and a business as a solopreneur. When I was first getting started and didn’t have much experience, I could point potential clients back to Common Sense Millennial to prove that I could talk the talk and walk the walk. My blog stood as my portfolio before I had one, and it also allowed me to make incredible connections in the community. Having a network is crucial to success if you want to launch something on your own — whether you just want to freelance or want to become a fully-fledged solopreneur. You need to have a few fantastic people who can vouch for you, who can help you find fresh work, and who can simply be there for you when you need them. (And don’t forget, that’s a two-way street; you’ll find people who need you, too!)
4. What have you learned from blogging?
Two major things come to mind immediately:
- Practice is everything. If you want to improve at anything, you need to practice — endlessly, relentlessly.
- People are everything, too. As I mentioned above, having a strong community of wonderful people around you is the key to success. You should value your blog readers, your fellow bloggers, and others who are leaders in your field, and treat those people accordingly.
5. What advice would you give to new bloggers who are thinking of starting a blog?
Most people will tell you to “just start.”And while this is great advice — inaction is a terrible thing — don’t be afraid to do a little planning ahead of time. Think about what your niche will be. Think about how you will connect with others in your space (and think about who those people are).
Take the time to learn how to set up your website in such a way that eventually scaling up your blog is a smooth and simple process (in other words, start with wordpress.org if you want to be serious about blogging). Search for a website theme and design that really suits your personal taste and the message you’re hoping to convey.
And then, yes, jump straight in. Start writing and keep writing.
Thank you Kali for sharing your experience!