User post: Professional mom blogging--living the (exhausting) dream
Today is Sunday and I am so tired. Thank you God for way back when calling one day of the weekend an official day of rest. I've never needed it more than now.
As an almost full-time stay at home mom, I'm just exhausted from making three meals a day, keeping the house from looking like something out of Hoarders, grocery shopping and other errands, fulfilling "room mother" and other volunteer duties at my children's school, driving the kids to and fro, cheering at soccer games, and appearing at an impromptu teacher conference for behavior (sigh).
As an almost full-time working mom, I also had a full week of work...from my house. Often in my pajamas. Doing what I love: writing. But also doing the other stuff too that comes with the working-world territory: conference calls, team meetings, brainstorming sessions, trainings, and hundreds, thousands of emails. This coming week I'm traveling to New York for a quick 24 hours of meetings and to appear at a media event to help mothers in need. Don't ask me what I'm packing and have you seen my train ticket?
Three years ago I dreamt of finding a career that allowed me to write, generated a reliable income, and made it possible for me to work from home and still function largely as a stay at home mom.
I got my wish. Being an online writer from home rocks. There's not much sleep involved, but do you know many moms who are that well-rested?
So how did it happen? How do you become a professional mom blogger from home?
I have had a lot of lucky breaks in the online world.
I started a hobby website but treated it and committed to it as if it were "real" work.
I had the ability to treat to a hobby blog as work because I am a privileged, pampered princess.
Privilege
Let's just get the privilege part out of the way. I decided to leave my traditional office job after the birth of my first kid about seven years ago and work as a stay at home mom. My husband fully supported and encouraged this decision. I spent four years solely taking care of the kids and checking out lots of great kid-friendly destinations in the area. I actually attended puppet shows and nature centers and family fun fairs and didn't blog about them.
Usually because I was too busy breastfeeding and breaking up a tantrum.
Then I decided on a whim to detail some of that information in blog format on the web. And post daily. And spend a ton of time promoting it. There would be no direct income from the website, save some minimal advertising revenue (but after expenses and deductions, no net pay). Oh, and I still got to have fun with the kids except I met more people and got to do more and expand my own horizons as they left babyhood and started school.
How freaking spoiled am I?
Most parents that decide to spend as much time on a venture will be directly making money from said venture. But because my husband works to support us, I was able to create a free resource while I stayed home with the kids. Just because I wanted to. Maybe spoiled is the wrong word. I'll trade it for blessed.
Now that I'm several years into this blog and readers been so supportive and loyal, it has led to great career opportunities. And my husband's encouragement and support has made it possible. I didn't have to take out a loan from the bank to start this up, but my husband and kids have lent me DAYS UPON DAYS of their time and patience in the name of Mom's personal desires.
Thus, I see my personal involvement in professional mom blogging as a privilege. I am not knocking it. I love it. I'm just counting my blessings.
Work
But to have a blog that is a professional realization of your goals, I believe you have to work really hard at your website. This hard work is true whether your goals are
the creation of an effective community resource
obtaining a mainstream media writing gig
an investment towards professional freelance writing
sponsorship by major companies
getting a book published
the promotion of a business through blogging and social media
the desire to write a funny and entertaining blog
Whatever bloggers asprire to, they are posting all the time and striving to make their posts engaging. They are responding to their readers. They are promoting their websites, reading other blogs, networking in the community and using social media.
Sometimes they advertise, attend in-person events, host events out of pocket, purchase new technologies and supplies, hire graphic designers and other professional services.
But one thing's for sure - they are always writing.
So it's not all pretty-pretty-princess events and freebies and swag suites (and disclosures), there is a lot of hard work involved.
But it's sure not digging ditches. (See 'privilege' section above.)
Luck
Then there's Lady Luck. You never know when a media executive will find one of your entries funny enough to offer you a job. Or when a social media expert or company executive will be searching for exactly the brand of crazy you're promoting on your webpage. Or when that earnest public relations pitch in your email box will lead to a relationship that blossoms into a fabulous opportunity for your career goals. Etc.
There are SO MANY thousands of blogs out there. The fact that anyone is reading anyone else's website at all, and not simply typing away at her own, is a complete mystery. Every great connection is a stroke of luck to be valued.
In Conclusion - Love for the Blog
I believe that if you begin a blog and pour your time, maybe your money, definitely your family's patience and your heart into your tiny corner of the Internet, one post at a time ….
Sure, you may get invited to some cool events …
You may receive some swag …
You may obtain some (very very relative) "exposure" …
You many find a real-world job you love ...
But you can DEFINITELY
document this time in your life
enjoy a creative outlet
gain great friendships
participate in wonderful communities
crack people up & dress 'em up right
provide hope (and write books!)
fund raise for a cause (and friend)
photograph your friend's birth
re-consider that blog & contemplate a new venture
have fun
make a difference
COMMUNICATE
Blogging. I recommend it.
And to do it daily, I feel very blessed.
Jessica McFadden writes about resources for families at her personal blog, A Parent in Silver Spring, is a contributor to the Yahoo! Mother Board and is an editor at Nickelodeon's ParentsConnect.
