Friends! I’m super excited to have Hayley Morgan, blogger, shop owner, mom and author of ( most recently ) The No Brainer Blog, with us today on behind the blog. Like I told you guys a few weeks ago, I learned a lot from her book so I was stoked when Hayley agreed to share a bit of her blogging story and tips with us.
So what’s your blog all about?
Short version: Inspiring women to create lives of more passion and less fuss.
Lng version: No, really. My blog really is just there to inspire women to create lives of more passion and less fuss. There are a lot of ways I try to do that…some ideas work, not all of them do, but it’s the place I’ve committed to “showing up” to…it’s my workplace.
When did you start blogging + what made you decide to go for it?
I started a personal blog in late 2006, but really made a go of Tiny Twig in January of 2010. I decided to go for it because I saw other women who were successful at blogging and I thought it was something that fit my skill set.
Walk us through your typical day. How much time per day/week do you devote to your blog?
Oh, my typical day. :) There isn’t a whole lot typical when you have 3 boys (another boy coming in January!).
I wake up (or am woken up) at 7am to get my first guy on the bus by 8am. From 7-7:30, I spend time reading Scripture and particularly engaging with the She Reads Truth community. After that brief quiet, the next half hour is the craziest part of my day, lots of reminding and prodding and lunch-making and hat finding and coat zipping. After he hops on the bus, I take a deep breath and get my middle son started on an activity he’s been scheming while I’m getting #1 ready for school. I also generally hear #3 rustling in his crib about that same time. I work to get both of them taken care of and settled.
Then, I scan social media, schedule my tweets for the day, and make a to-do list. I work on content creation and “fire-fighting” from about 8:30-10:30 while my little guys are playing happily around the house. At 10:30, I generally take a break to put #3 down for a nap and get #2 working on a project at my desk. At 11, I normally handle administrative work until lunchtime.
The afternoon looks a lot the same as the morning juggle!
How do you manage your time + stay organized?
Admittedly, I could do better at this! I am not a routine person, so my days generally look very different from each other. Each morning I make a to-do list and then prioritize that list with “have to do’s” and “should do’s”. I also regularly “close up shop” when my husband gets home from work–unless I’m working on a large project under deadline. I find that knowing there is an end to my day helps me accomplish more during the time I do have to work.
Each morning I make a to-do list and then prioritize that list with “have to do’s” and “should do’s”
How do you keep your imagination flowing + get past creative funks when they do sneak in?
I keep an Evernote notebook full of possible post ideas and regularly “clip” items I find or thoughts I have in there. When I’m in a rut or need a quick post idea–I mine that notebook and nearly everything I need for the post all ready to go.
Do you have any quick + easy post ideas for those days when you’re short on time or inspiration?
This is something I’m working to develop in 2013! ”Filler posts” don’t come naturally to me, because I’m all about communicating ideas–but the reality is, sometimes it’s needed when you blog daily!
What are a few business/blogging resources ( online or offline ) that have been beneficial for you?
I love Michael Hyatt’s blog, Pugly Pixel, and good old Google!
Do you consider your blog a business or just a creative outlet?
Definitely a business! I couldn’t devote the time it takes to run all of my online activities if it wasn’t contributing to my family’s financial health.
How has blogging influenced your life + relationships?
Blogging has opened my eyes to how many creative and enterprising women there are in the world. Sometimes it’s easy to feel alone and like you are the only crazy person who thinks of a billion ideas a day! :)
How much of your life offline do you share on your blog? How does this effect your readers’ ability to connect with you?
I remain somewhat guarded because of my personal comfort level with public vulnerability. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to go about this–but I do think you have to choose. I have made peace with the fact that this may sometimes not allow readers to 100% “know” me, and for the trade-off, that’s okay with me!
What has been the key to success for you as a blogger? Especially when you were new to the blog world.
Making connections with bloggers of similar size–y’all will grow together. Understanding and diversifying revenue streams. Putting myself out there to “bigger” bloggers to just get on their radar.
Any further advice for fellow bloggers?
Read my book The No Brainer Blog. There is lots in there! ;)
