How I Became A Full Time Blogger // Pink Star Pajamas
I guess I should start off this post by saying you really never know what anyone else is going through. I started my blog almost 6 years ago with the sole purpose of getting invited to New York Fashion Week. Yes, I succeeded in that and have since turned my blog into a business, but every person who’s sent me crying face emojis telling me how jealous they are of my life or that I’m so lucky to be a full-time blogger probably doesn’t know how I got here.
Some bloggers go full time because they married wealthy, some were born rich, some have natural success and no longer need their 9-5, and others just make the plunge and hope for the best. And me? Well, here’s my story.
After slaving away at a Devil-Wears-Prada-like fashion job, I was offered an opportunity I couldn’t resist, to completely switch industries and be a part of starting a company’s New York branch. The best part? I would work alongside my sister. We had six months of bliss. Our focus was building brand awareness by attending the trendiest trade shows, covering them on social media, and building business relationships. We spent our days admiring the incredible city views from our office, creating content, and brainstorming how we would take the company to the next level. It was the dream job, until it wasn’t. Unfortunately, the company ran into some financial problems, so after six months, our office was relocated to a small windowless space, our positions were refocused, and about a year in, the New York branch was closed completely.
Some people do their best work between jobs, but unfortunately, I let the stress get in the way and didn’t take advantage of my free time. Instead I immediately went after a new freelance position. Getting hired was a dream come true and I spent the next year working on one of my absolute favorite brands. After about a year, the company ran into some money trouble and had to completely restructure. Unfortunately, many teams were let go and the company decided to outsource the freelance work I was doing. (Funny story, I now freelance at the company they hired.)
I was pretty distraught about the turn my career took and frankly couldn’t handle the thought of going through another job hunt and interview process. I was also on the verge of getting engaged, so I had no time to search for a new job. Going full time with my blog wasn’t my dream at the time, but I was forced into it, ready or not. With city rent to still pay, my only choice was to rely on my blog to get me through the next few months while wedding planning. Blogging had always been supplementary income for me, so I was not even close to ready for the transition. I had yet to create a formal business plan or strategy and I honestly wasn’t disciplined enough to be self-employed. The worst part of it all was the pressure to succeed. Blogging became a chore and it took awhile for me to get the magic back.
Since then, I’ve taken on various freelance projects, but now freelance comes second. I am a full-time blogger and the projects I take on work around my schedule. Running a blog is seriously hard work and I can’t say it’s all rainbows and butterflies, but every day when I wake up, I am so grateful to call this my job.
