Have you ever been totally frustrated as a blogger, wondering why no one is reading your stuff or why other bloggers seem to get all the glory?
When I was a new-er blogger, I felt the same way. In fact, one day, I was sitting at the kitchen table in my parents’ house totally frustrated and frankly, pissed.
For two years, I’d been blogging my little heart out, and I hadn’t made a dime. I started doing some research and I asked myself:
What Was I Doing Wrong?
I saw all these other bloggers who were completely killing it in terms of income, and I knew I could do it too. I knew I had the work ethic and the desire to make money from my blog and my writing, but I just didn’t knowhow.
After all, people told me they loved my blog. Friends and family read it, and I even got a comment or two from total strangers back then.
So, if everyone liked it, why I couldn’t I make it bigger? Why couldn’t I earn an income from it and work from home like so many other people were doing?
I didn’t know the answers then, butI was determined to figure it out.
I Found The Guru
After all my searching, I cameacross someone named Jon Morrow, and my life was changed forever.
Now I don’t mean to be all dramatic about it, but it’s true. Jon has been teaching a class about Guest Blogging for years (which has now morphed into a total empire.) His class teaches you how to get the attention of editors for top blogs and magazines, and he is an absolutely fascinating human being. For one, Jon is incredibly talented and hard working. His course taught me so many unique tricks that I never, ever would have figured out by myself. Even his free PDFs, like his ultra popular Headline Hacks PDF, helped me create better and better blog posts.
Oh, and Jon Can’t Even Type
You know what says a lot about Jon and his empire? He did all this while being physically disabled. Yep, he is CEO of his company and runs a millions-of-dollars a year blogging business from his wheelchair. He can’t even type. Everything he does is voice activated. And he’s freaking brilliant.
So, whatever excuse you have in your mind about why you don’t have the time or can’t write or are too busy to build your blog, that should humble you (as it did for me.)
The Investment
So, at the time Jon’s blogging class was $500but he has improved and consolidated it since then. Now, it costs less and you can break down the cost into a few smaller payments, which is greatso more people can access it! At the time, spending a few hundred dollars was so much money to me (let’s face it – it’s still a lot of money to me now!) However, when I came across Jon’s class sitting at the table that day, I was totally broke but I went for it anyway…
Even my mom asked me what the heck I was thinking. She just couldn’t fathom why I would spend money on a blogging class. Would it even be worth it? How did people make money from blogging anyway?
Spoiler Alert: It Was the Best Investment of My Life
In Jon’s course, I learned the right way to market my blog, how to approach bloggers and editors who ran HUGE websites, even though I was just a little tiny blogger myself. He also taught me how to search for guest posting opportunities as well as media opportunities in unique ways using tricks and websites that I had never heard of. Again, even if you don’t want to invest inhis class right now, he still offers tons of free resources like the Headline Hacks which give you examples of how to create blog posts titles that are more likely to go viral.
Anyway, the result of all of this investing in myself was my very first writing job online! Inmy search for guest posting opportunities, I came across a job ad for a contributor writer position, basically like guest posting except someone was paying me to do it. I used everything Jon taught me about pitching and interacting with other bloggers, and I got the job! I remember e-mailing Jon to tell him and he wrote back SO EXCITED for me. That meant so much, knowing that he was so busy and had so many students, yethe took the time to write me back.
I Was Hooked
The day I got hired for the first staff writing job was over 4years ago. Since then, I have gone from making $10.00 per blog post writing for that first client to making over $100,000 per year writing for dozens of blogs across the web and partnering with national brands who I feature on my blog and on my social media accounts.
In the 4 years since making the investment in Jon’s course, my work here online has grown substantially. Because I learned how to approach large sites to get published, one of Jon’s areas of expertise, I was able to get published on The Huffington Post and U.S. News and World Report.
Two years after my first Huffington Post article got published, I had a camera crew in my house filming me as an expert for Good Morning America. This is something that would have never happened had I not grown my blog, because my writing here and my blog helped me to become known as an expert in my field. I even moved nearNew York City for two years and got a talent agent, something I didn’t even know was possible for regular people like me.
I thought talent agents were just for celebrities, but I was wrong. Bloggers are influencers, and brands want to work with us to help spread their message. Last week, my talent agent helped me negotiatea five figure deal with a global company.
It’s truly astounding to me that this is my life now. If you would have told me that this was possible, that I’d be able to stay home with my two small children, play outside with them during the day and come home and blog at night andstillearn six figures a year, I would have said you were crazy.
It Started With One Decision
All of the amazing opportunities I’ve had from this blog and from being a staff writer for other blogs started with mydecision that day to find out how to improve my blog and my income. I just had to get pissed off enoughsitting thereat the dining room table, wanting to join the club of bloggers who worked from home and made killer incomes.
I should note, I’m not saying all of this or listing my media appearances to brag.I’m saying this to show you that in a few years I went from being totally broke and having my credit cards declined at Walmart to being a full fledged entrepreneur and mother who can support an entire family on her own blogging income.
Trust me, there is nothing magical about me and no secret sauce. I just took one class and I really worked hard at it. It paid off, and I know ifI can do it, you can too.
Essentially,once I invested that few hundred dollars in myself, it has paid me back literally more than a hundred fold in the last few years. I even did a stint as a virtual assistant working for Jon back in the day, calling new students and telling them all about the class, which was a real eye opener to how to run a successful business. Plus, I got to learn more about Jon, and I trulybelieve that he’s the real deal.
So…
So, long story short: I was broke. I was mad my blog was so small after two years of working on it. I did some research and found Jon Morrow. I took his class and implemented all of his lessons to the T.He hired me as his virtual assistant once I graduated from the class. I learned so, so much. I’m a full time blogger now and I get to stay at home and raise my kids and write at night.
And yes…
All that from one frustrated day at the kitchen table.
All that from just a little bit of hoping I could do better and be better and a strong desire to make it all happen.
So remember, anything is possible, and everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe today, right now, is your somewhere.
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If you want to learn more about Jon Morrow’s course,just click here. To access his free Headline Hacks PDF go here, and to learn more about how to get published on the Huffington Post, go here.
His course has been updated and changed over the years, and he offers some payment plans so you can get started with very little investment.Or, check out the free Headline Hacks guide just to get a feel for how Jon works. 🙂 Good luck!
So tell me, how long have you had a blog? Have you ever taken a blogging class? Share in the comments below!
