Welcome to the third interview in the Blogger’s Success Series here at LAAB. I created this series to highlight different bloggers regardless of where they are on their journey.
Everyone thinks a successful blog is measured by the amount of traffic or the amount of income you have. However, success is whatever you want it to be.
If you’re contemplating becoming a blogger, define what success means to you and go after whatever it is you hope to achieve. You’ll never know until you try.
To break down stereotypes and to promote the true spirit of blogging, we are going to highlight successful bloggers in many different niches.
I have a few more interviews lined up and today we’re going to chat with Jo and Leisa from Joleisa (They are twins, how cool is that?). Enjoy!
If you’re interested in starting a blog, I’ve written a detailed guide on how to start a blog starting at $3.95. Plus, if you sign up for a 12-month hosting plan, you’ll receive your domain name ($15) absolutely free through this Bluehost link. I highly recommend having a self-hosted blog if you’re serious about earning money online and being taken seriously as a blogger.
Tell me a little bit about your blogging journey? What led you to blogging?
My twin and I, Leisa, are both teachers who became disillusioned with the impossible demands of doing it full time. I eventually resigned my job and one day, while scrolling through Pinterest, I came upon an article by a blogger outlining how you can start your own blog from home and actually make a living doing it! I was hooked and spent one weekend looking into the possibilities. This was in December, and by January I started my blog.
What is the name of your site and what is it primarily about? Your mission…
Our blog is at Joleisa.com – Penny Pinchers’ Paradise and it’s a frugal lifestyle blog. We share ideas related to personal finance, living frugally, and also showing how others can also start making their livelihood from home too.
Do you currently blog full-time or part-time?
We both work part time on the blog, as we work part time too. We enjoy doing the blog together as there are different things that we are good at so we work to our strengths. For example, Leisa enjoys scouting for affiliate opportunities and Instagram while I enjoy making blog graphics and Pinterest. All the jobs, though, we see as our responsibility and we share profits equally too.
What’s your blog’s business model (or how do you earn revenue through your website)?
We only recently started monetising the blog and have had some success with doing sponsored posts, selling products, and also being affiliates for two major courses.
Editor’s Note: I was introduced to these lovely ladies in the facebook group for the Making Cents of Affiliate Marketing course. And if you didn’t know, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing is the common denominator for MANY blogs, regardless of niche, making money through affiliate marketing. If you haven’t checked out the course, I highly encourage you to do so.
What does your typical day look like (from a side-hustle or a full-time perspective)?
On my blogging day (when I have a day off, I start blogging at about 8:30. Outside of toilet breaks and lunch, I do a number of blogging tasks until about 5 pm. Some of these tasks include, but are not limited to Writing blog posts, answering emails, being active on social media, promoting posts, and looking for ways to improve the look and feel of the blog.)
What do you feel is any blogger’s biggest challenge?
We are very fortunate to have each other but the biggest challenge bloggers face is to keep up with all the demands of maintaining an interesting blog, promoting work, and keeping up with social media. This is made even more difficult when the blog is not monetized so they do not see any returns on their investment of time and money.
Where do you see yourself and your blog in two-years?
In two years, God willing, I am sure that I will work full time from home. It will be a place where people turn for ideas to spend less and save more. All my earnings will be directly or indirectly related to blogging. People will recognize our name and brand. I also hope to be able to help a lot of people to start their own blog.
What is failure to you when it comes to blogging (or in other words, why do you think many who start blogging fail?)
I would see failure as continuing to do the same thing every day and expecting to get different and better results! Bloggers fail because they settle into a routine of putting in just enough and expecting that things will improve. You have to constantly step up your game and learn and implement new features, techniques, and ideas. The successful blogger is willing to grow.
What tips would you offer to individuals interested in blogging?
Do some research first. Look for blogs that are successful and the features that are common to them. Get active on social media. Ask for help, but also be willing to help others with whatever limited skills and knowledge you have. Make friends with other bloggers( you must try to form a network of friends that you trust to ask for help- and enjoy the process.
Any other advice or comments?
There are many opportunities that will become available to you when you get involved with blogging. Be prepared to embrace these opportunities. Some of these include traveling to blog conferences, using some of your blog content to write books, coming up with your own products that others will find useful and be willing to pay for, and making life long friendships with people across the world.
Wrapping Thangs Up
That wraps up another success story on LAAB and I’m happy that they took the time to share their journey with us. I highly encourage you to check out their site and get to know them better.
If you’re interested in following them on social media, they can be found on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.