19 Years of Running a blog – Southern Hospitality

Yearly I do that recap, I exclaim that I can’t imagine I’ve been doing this for therefore lengthy! As soon as once more, I’m saying the identical factor. 19 years is a very long time to stay with something, however this weblog is such part of who I’m now that it could be laborious to stroll away from all that. I nonetheless get uninterested in the social media nonsense, however scripting this weblog remains to be joyful for me and so long as I really feel that method, I’ll proceed with it. I’m nonetheless so very grateful that God noticed match to offer me this weblog again in 2007, once I didn’t know the way badly I would wish it. I contemplate my story a miracle story and the truth that I’ve made such an amazing residing whereas working at house on my weblog is superb. I’ve had 13 years of a very nice full time earnings from this weblog and I don’t take that without any consideration. I thank the Lord for His blessings on my life and bringing me to the place I’m now after that horrible divorce and monetary devastation I confronted again in 2011. I neglect generally that though a lot of you have got been with me for the reason that starting, a few of you don’t have any concept what I’ve gone by since beginning this weblog in 2007.

For those who’re new right here, I went by a horrible divorce again then (2011) and misplaced nearly every thing I had, fully beginning over from scratch. I actually had a paid for automotive, my furnishings and a (very) few thousand {dollars} left within the financial institution. All the pieces else was worn out from being married to a really misleading con man. I’ve by no means shared the total story and possibly by no means will, nevertheless it haunted me for years as I considered all I had lived by and escaped from. So sure, my story is a miracle to say the least! God rescued me from a horrible scenario. For those who’ve by no means learn all my weblog story, I’ve it recapped for annually I’ve been running a blog and that is the nineteenth episode of my weblog story. You can begin with Half 1 when you’re curious how I obtained began. Half 5 is when my life blew up and I moved again house with my dad and mom in 2011 to start out my life over. After that, my weblog actually began getting traction and grew a lot throughout that point. All 19 elements are on this hyperlink. I feel folks actually prefer to cheer for the underdog and that was me for awhile.

So what did 2025 usher in weblog world? Nicely, much more adjustments to say the least. I informed you final 12 months that my visitors was happening and as soon as once more, this 12 months is similar. In comparison with final 12 months, I’ve misplaced 37% of my visitors which translated to a lack of advert income of 34%. I nonetheless have 3 methods I generate profits: my advert community, Raptive, together with affiliate fee and dealing with manufacturers, so these are nonetheless going nicely. I take advantage of from my advert community, so when it goes down, it reveals in my earnings, however total I’m nonetheless doing nicely and might’t complain. Though my advert community earnings goes down, I’m nonetheless grateful to make what I make and having the ability to work from home on a part-time foundation, whereas nonetheless making a full-time earnings.

With the push of AI everywhere in the world, Google searches now favor AI outcomes and don’t present all of the blogs and web sites that a lot of their info is coming from. They do an AI overview and actual reside web sites are pushed down the web page and so we’re all dropping clicks to that. It’s a disgrace that that is occurring, however there’s not so much we will do about it. Our advert community tries to do what they will to offset these adjustments, however it may well solely accomplish that a lot. Change is inevitable on the web and I’m certain it is going to proceed to vary. Many blogs have simply up and closed after going by one other Google change and dropping extra visitors, however I’m not closing store simply but. I’ll proceed to push forward and do that on the tempo I need to do it and I’m nonetheless grateful that it’s bringing in earnings. My efforts to run the weblog should not large and I nonetheless solely spend perhaps 5 hours per week working issues. My overhead is low as nicely, with a internet hosting website and electronic mail service as my important bills and people are lower than $200 a month. I do have an accountant, who pays my quarterly taxes for me and does my enterprise and private returns, in order that’s an expense as nicely, however she’s price it.

If I actually wished to work more durable, I might work on promoting you all extra stuff, however that’s not the place my coronary heart is, so whereas I’ll proceed to share garments and wonder gadgets or house decor finds I actually like, I cannot pursue affiliate hyperlinks anymore than I already do. It’s simply not what I need to do, to always share hyperlinks with my viewers. I do know ladies who’re making a whole lot of hundreds of {dollars} sharing affiliate hyperlinks they usually will need to have an viewers who buys every thing. You all purchase, however definitely not every thing on a regular basis. I for one get uninterested in all of the gross sales pushes everywhere in the web. Plainly Instagram has change into a gross sales pitch from each angle. I simply can’t think about shopping for all new garments always simply to model them and promote them, however that’s what occurs with trend bloggers. It could stress me out to try this on a regular basis.

Adverts and fixed influencer hyperlinks do get previous, so I can think about our readers are uninterested in it too. Instagram total has gotten so tiresome, though I nonetheless scroll an excessive amount of on there. I see a lot dancing, play performing skits, pranks, cute infants and pets, and usually folks doing every thing they will to get consideration and draw followers. It appears there’s nothing that individuals received’t do to get consideration and achieve followers. Perhaps it really works, I don’t know, nevertheless it’s not what I’m going to do. I don’t see lots of the folks I really do observe, however plenty of random accounts that I’m not fascinated with. All doing loopy issues with outlandish antics. Perhaps they do seize consideration, however I can’t think about doing that stuff on a regular basis simply to attempt to keep related and make a residing off it. Even the over 60 crowd like me has their very own antics they do to be observed. Carrying underwear and bikinis and exhibiting off their our bodies that they’ve labored laborious for, I’m certain. No thanks! I’ll simply be regular, even when it’s boring. No underwear or bikinis on-line for me! I wouldn’t need to always do movies both so folks will have a look at me. Social media certain has its downfalls too!

I might additionally pitch myself to extra manufacturers and possibly get extra good paying alternatives, however I doubt I’m going to run after that avenue both. I used to get extra natural manufacturers in my inbox, however these have actually fallen off within the final 5 years. I nonetheless get an occasional good alternative, however they’re fewer and fewer with out me pursuing. There are limitless alternatives in getting cash on this subject, I simply don’t have the drive to pursue all of them. From programs, to books, to paid subscription websites, there are numerous methods to hustle and generate profits on-line, however my hustle is much less and fewer yearly. I’m content material to share as I’ve been, taking life sooner or later at a time and never taking all of it too severely. The competitors is fierce on the market and influencers are a dime a dozen as of late, so getting a model’s consideration takes much more work as of late. In addition they need much more for his or her cash as nicely. So with all that in thoughts, I’m fairly content material in the way in which issues are for me in the intervening time. 19 years is a very long time to do something and I’m joyful to be on the semi-retired stage and never feeling the necessity to run the race at a dash. Gradual and regular is my mantra.

With all of that mentioned, I’m nonetheless very grateful for all of God’s blessings on my life. He has allowed me to create and develop this weblog, run it for 19 years, and earn more money than I might have ever dreamed of, far surpassing what I might have ever made within the Company world. I’ve funded my retirement account over these previous 10 years, saving cash each single 12 months (my daddy taught me nicely!) and ensuring that I put cash away for the long run. Now we have no debt and that’s one other blessing. We additionally obtained an inheritance from our dad and mom, one other huge blessing. So many blessings alongside the way in which and searching again, I had no concept once I began writing my weblog story again in 2011 what all was going to transpire. I didn’t know then if I’d make it in running a blog. I had excessive hopes and desires, however nothing concrete but. I had no concept that God would supply exponentially more cash than I misplaced again then, that he would deliver a loving and dependable man into my life and we might get married in 2017, or that we’d be residing such a beautiful life right here and now in 2026. What a blessing it has all been!

In order that’s a have a look at my 19 years of running a blog. What a whirlwind it has been. We’re at an amazing place in life now and plan to do extra touring within the subsequent 10 years, whereas we’re in a position and might do it. I at all times hoped to journey extra, however by no means had extra cash to take action and now we do, so we need to see extra of this huge lovely world of ours. The home is just about completed and we don’t have many extra tasks to do round right here, so there’s actually not much more home and decor stuff to share with you, however I’ll nonetheless be sharing no matter we do round right here. Mark could end off a part of the basement. Whether or not it’s house associated or journey or household, I’ll carry on sharing. You all have been so great to assist me and my weblog all these years and it doesn’t go unnoticed. I might NOT have accomplished it with out an viewers and that’s YOU! So thanks once more from the underside of my coronary heart for following alongside in all of our adventures. We’ve misplaced all 4 of our dad and mom now and also you’ve been right here for all of it. With my 2 hip surgical procedures final 12 months, all the ups and downs of life, you’ve been right here and I recognize you all! So right here’s to a different 12 months of running a blog and no matter life could deliver this 12 months. I’m trying ahead to all of it! With all the massive personalities and grandiose moments on social media as of late, I’m not probably the most thrilling particular person to observe, however I can assure to be REAL! That’s what I can supply probably the most and I thanks for referring to me and my actual life. I’ll at all times do my greatest to level folks to Christ. He has accomplished a lot for me and I need to share Him with you as nicely.

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT ME AND MY BLOG? 

I’ll preserve sharing all of this so you know the way a lot your assist and clicking to my weblog means. It means the world to a blogger so that you can click on over to their weblog to learn their new posts. I often publish 3 occasions per week, perhaps 4 and when you subscribe to my weblog, you’ll get an electronic mail each time I publish. You possibly can subscribe right here, so when you haven’t I hope you’ll. There are nearly 8,000 of you on my electronic mail record, which actually isn’t so much for somebody who’s been running a blog so long as I’ve. I’ve gained and misplaced through the years and that’s the place it’s now, just below 8K. Out of all of you who do subscribe, I get a couple of 10 to fifteen% click on by fee, which suggests, you open my emails and click on over to learn. It could imply the world if each time I ship an electronic mail, you’ll click on over to the publish and browse it. Actually really, that’s one of the best factor you are able to do for me! If all nearly 8K of you visited me each time I posted, it could make an enormous distinction. I do know I can’t get all of you to click on, however that is my urging so that you can do it as usually as you presumably can! I’d love so that you can assist the gals I’m with on Residence Model Saturday and Model Showcase too. I ship these emails out as soon as per week. They’re all nice gals and all of us depend on folks coming to our blogs to learn, so preserve that in thoughts as nicely.

Supporting means clicking the hyperlinks in my emails that exit and coming over right here to the weblog to learn. It doesn’t matter when you’re on a laptop computer, telephone or pill, all of it counts as pageviews, however a laptop computer will most likely be one of the best expertise for advertisements. I do know advertisements are annoying, I so get that. However once more, that’s the principle method I could make a residing doing this and so that you can come and assist me right here means the world to me. Thanks for that! For those who subscribe to my emails, you’ll get one in your inbox each time I publish and you may click on the hyperlink to return over to my weblog and browse it reside. That offers me pageviews and that’s how I make an earnings from my weblog. Many individuals don’t know the particulars of this, nevertheless it’s a reasonably neat factor. I’ve mentioned earlier than how a lot God has blessed this weblog and I don’t take it without any consideration. I had one other good 12 months and I’ve to thank all of YOU for that! Simply the truth that you all come over and browse makes it doable for me to maintain it going.

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