Food Blogging

Blog Income Report November 2019

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Blog Income Report November 2019 : Find out how I made $5064.21 through my blog with various strategies. 

blog income report november 2019

All I can say is that I am BLOWN AWAY at my income this month. I thought I was so far away from a month like this but this month proved that anything is possible and is the kick in the pants I need to do something I’ve been thinking about for a long time.

SEE ANNOUNCEMENT BELOW!

Blog Income Report November 2019

Here are some noteworthy things that happened in November:

  • This month was a unicorn: November is the month with the highest earning potential for food bloggers give or take. With that said, I expected my income to be higher than usual, but not THIS high.  As grateful as I am for this, I must be honest and say that most of the reason this month was so good is because of ONE POST that went viral.  In fact, this one post probably was responsible for making $1500 in November, crazy right? Obviously there is a huge upside to this because I made a lot of money, boosted my confidence and proved that something I worked hard on LAST YEAR paid off. The downside is that as soon as Thanksgiving passed, my traffic dropped back down dramatically and so did my income. Like I said above, the confidence this gave me was truly needed because it proved to me that ANY post can become a unicorn but the chance of that happening is low if I don’t start cranking out more content. Clarity comes from ACTION. 
  • I hired help at home: In my last income report I talked about how I was looking for someone to come to the house for 10 hours a week so I could work. We are SO thankful to have found a wonderful girl that I completely trust with James.  Not only is she great with him, but in her downtime she helps with tasks around the house.  This is SO worth every penny and has allowed me to go to coffee shops to write posts (like I am right now) and also have time I can count on that is dedicated to growing this side hustle even though I am still finding my groove. 
  • I boosted a post on Pinterest: Last year I experimented with boosting one of my Christmas posts to see if it would help get traffic.  It definitely did help, but I really wasn’t ready to spend the money that would bring in a LOT of traffic.  This year I paid $5 a day for 2 weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. I still have to dig into the analytics to see how much it helped, but I am certain it did play a part in this months success. 
  • What am I going to do with the extra money?  Well, because we have hired help at home, my business is technically in the red which means there actually isn’t any “extra” money.  However, I know how valuable it is to invest in other tools even when it’s risky.  For this reason I am investing in a better keyword research tool and will also have someone to help me write a couple optimized recipe posts per month so I can save time and crank out as much content as possible. 
  • Partnerships: I said yes to a few partnerships and sponsored posts this month.  I wasn’t expecting to, but I really wanted to flex this muscle to see if it drove people away and if it’s something I am comfortable with.  When it comes down to it, I really am not comfortable with sponsored work because of the stigma attached to it which I TOTALLY understand. With that said it has made the work I take on have even more strict standards going forward as to not lose trust or respect with my readers. 

With all of that said, this was the push I needed to . . . 

Make the leap into Full Time Blogging

But wait, there is a lot I need you to know.  The main thing is that I am in no way, shape or form financially ready to do this. I struggled A LOT with this decision for a few reasons:

  • Obviously I made a lot of money this month but it’s already returning to pre-unicorn month levels with absolutely no guarantee that it’ll ever be like that again.
  • I spent so much time and energy building my personal chef business in a brand new city from the ground up. I am so damn proud of myself and it has become a part of my identity.  Leaving this behind was a TOUGH decision to make but ultimately taking this risk is the better option at this time. 
  • I have a LOT less time to work on the blog. Just like every other mom, I am wondering why the hell I wasted SO much time before baby.  I could have done so much more to get more content up and create resources.  At this point I have 10-15 hours a week to work on the blog and it’s definitely not enough.  However, I do know that as time goes on naps will get longer and sleeping will be extended with my little guy which means I will eventually be able to gradually work on things more.
  • I felt guilty. I have a KNOWN income source as a chef that has done pretty well for me. And now I am winging it each month. It’s not usually how I operate, but I think it’s time. 

Ultimately, it is the best decision when all things are considered because:

  • I get to be home as much as possible and not miss a moment watching James grow.
  • There is unlimited earning potential.
  • Success begets success.  Having this be my full-ish time gig is important because for once in my work life it will be the ONLY thing I focus on.  I’ve spent so much time over the last couple years being ok at 4-5 things and not really good at 1-2 things.  Even though being a jack of all trades can be a good thing, I found that it was actually hindering my success.
  • I was burnt out on personal chef-ing. I absolutely LOVE my clients and I owe them so much.  However, I feel more like myself when I can be creative making many different kinds of recipes while also continuing to learn things I am obsessed with like keyword research, better photography and becoming a PROFESSIONAL at this.
  • Mike is separating from the military in September which means that if he gets a great job offer that isn’t in Charleston, we will be moving! We don’t know exactly if this will happen but it is more likely than not. For this reason, it seems like the best idea for me to spend that time investing in a business that will travel along with me rather than one I may have to leave behind anyway only to start all over again. 

I just want to thank everyone who has been along for the ride thus far. I pride myself on being 100% transparent about this journey and will continue to be.  Like I said, I have no idea what is going to happen but it’s been a while before I felt that feeling where anything was possible and I am HERE for it!

The only thing that will change is that I will be cranking out even more content. I’ll make some great stuff, I’ll make some things that will flop.  I will make things that some of you will love and some of you will hate.  I’ll have a great string of photos and some shitty ones while I am learning and trying. 

All of this is part of growth. 

Old ways won’t open new doors

A note on the metrics below: All of this is income that was MADE in November.  I don’t actually see all payment for this money for about 2-3 months depending on the company paying me. 

Blog Income Report November 2019 | Metrics

Food/Recipe posts that were created in November: 

Amazon Affiliate Income: $182.73

 Mediavine Income: $4028.48

Recipe Development Projects Paid Out: $250

Virtual Assistant Work: $50

Sponsored Work: $553

Hours spent working on the blog: 15

Blog Income Report November 2019 Total: $5064.21

 

Valerie Skinner is a Whole30 approved personal chef & recipe developer that bridges the gap between healthy eating and busy lives by providing simple healthy meals and recipes for you and your family.Charleston Personal Chef Thyme and JOY

Lets Connect!

Check out my Podcast: Food Conversations

Email me: thymeandjoy@gmail.com

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Blog Income Report October 2019

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Blog Income Report October 2019 : Find out how I made $1880.46 through my blog with various strategies. 

blog income report october 2019

At the time of writing this report I am exactly 7 weeks postpartum. I’m happy that things are a little less manic around here as we are a bit more adjusted into newborn life, but it’s still a bit crazy.  Working on this blog while caring for a baby is HARD. Find out why below . . .

Blog Income Report October 2019

Here are some noteworthy things that happened in October:

  • Fitting in Work: It’s absolutely true that motherhood drains you in every way.  However, it doesn’t drain my brain like creative work does.  This month I was bursting at the seams with recipe ideas and ways to improve things around here. Not having the time to carry out things the way I used to has been really tough for me. Sometimes I will get a good chunk of time where I get most of a post done and feel accomplished.  Then sometimes I ask Mike to watch James for a couple hours so I can photograph something and then I feel guilty that we aren’t together.  Sometimes I’ll get on the laptop and the James will wake up 10 minutes later. And sometimes I plan to do SO MUCH and get exactly zero things done. In order to make this work, I need some structure.
  • I am hiring some help: Even though we would save a good chunk of money if I stayed home full-time and just fit work in during nap times, Mike and I agreed that it’s just not going to work for us and we need to invest in some help. I can see the potential this blog has and half-assed working will get me half-assed results. Instead of hiring a VA we are going to hire someone to come into our house and watch James 2x a week in 5 hour shifts. This will allow me to have one recipe testing and photographing day as well as one day to knock out all the laptop work that builds up. It will also give me guaranteed time where I can make appointments for myself or meet up with friends etc. I think this will be worth the money and then some. 
  • In the meantime, I’m STILL comparing: At first when James was born, I found myself being addicted to social media because I was still in shock at how different my life has become.  Now that I am settling in, I feel less of a need to be on it which means less stories and less growth etc. I think right now that is a good thing because it really hurts to see people grow in their lives and careers right now. I know I have plenty of time to get back to it, but I want to be happy for everyone doing well and it’s hard for me right now.  Because of this, I’m thinking about where to draw the line about what I want to share and how often to share and be “on” social media. 
  • Things bloggers do that piss you off:  This month on IG stories I asked everyone what annoyed you about bloggers and influencers who get free stuff and have a lot of sponsored content.  It was pretty eye opening and made me think about how I want to proceed with certain content. Check out everything I learned in my IG story highlights. 
  • Partnerships: With the above said, I am welcoming more partnerships and sponsored content for extra income but also to get out of my comfort zone.  I do my best work with pressure, deadlines and I really want to start working on my photog

A note on the metrics below: All of this is income that was MADE in October.  I don’t actually see all payment for this money for about 2-3 months depending on the company paying me. 

Blog Income Report October 2019 | Metrics

Food/Recipe posts that were created in September: 3ish?

Amazon Affiliate Income: $91.53

 Mediavine Income: $1388.93

Recipe Development Projects Paid Out: $250

Virtual Assistant Work: $50

Sponsored Work: $100

Hours spent working on the blog: 2-5 but barely

Blog Income Report October 2019 Total: $1888.93

 

Valerie Skinner is a Whole30 approved personal chef & recipe developer that bridges the gap between healthy eating and busy lives by providing simple healthy meals and recipes for you and your family.Charleston Personal Chef Thyme and JOY

Lets Connect!

Check out my Podcast: Food Conversations

Email me: thymeandjoy@gmail.com

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Join my community on Facebook

See what I’m pinning on Pinterest

 

Blog Income Report September 2019

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Blog Income Report September 2019 : Find out how I made $1626.35 through my blog with various strategies. 

At the time of writing this, I am nearly 4 weeks postpartum and my life just EXPLODED.  I knew having a newborn and adjusting to being a mom would be hard but there are so many other things I never expected.  More on that another time . . . 

I will say that about 2 weeks after, I found myself missing work which is a testament to my personality and also says a lot about how I will get things done going forward. 

Blog Income Report September 2019

Here are some noteworthy things that happened in September:

  • I HAD A BABY: Baby James Michael Skinner was born on September 17th after 36 hours of labor turned into a C-Section.  Life has been a whirlwind trying to learn this little guy and trying to adjust to life as parents. Recovery has been difficult for me and my emotions are all over the place still, but I recognize that this is the absolute hardest part of parenthood and we’re both trying to get through it but also enjoy it at the same time. 
  • I thought about work early: Before I gave birth, I told myself that I would allow myself ample time to not think about work because I had no idea what kind of person I was going to be.  Turns out, I am exactly who I thought I was. Taking care of a newborn is exhausting mentally and physically. My brain is 100% on James and it’s hard to focus on much else.  Thinking about work in those tiny blips of time I have has actually allowed me to take a break from the mental part of having a child but actually getting to work has been a challenge.  I don’t have a set time or set schedule to do ANYTHING right now and that’s been hard to handle mentally and emotionally for me since I was in FULL control of everything I did just one month prior. Luckily I did schedule out October and November, but I am hoping that I will be on more of  a schedule so I can get some things in line for December. 
  • In the meantime, I’m comparing: Being on social media even MORE is something I did anticipate since a lot of the time I only have one hand to do anything and because it’s my only connection to the outside world.  The problem with this is that I get to see what everyone else is up to and get to see them working and doing the things I can’t do and succeeding etc. No matter how many times I tell myself I need to “stay in my own lane” and “what’s meant for me won’t pass me”, it’s not that easy to believe!  To be honest, I almost decided not to even post blog income reports anymore because I feel embarrassed about where I am at but I feel like this journey is a valuable piece of my life and seeing the ups and downs will let me and others see how far I’ve come and also how the journey is very much NOT linear. 
  • SEO Rankings Dropping:  Now for some practical stuff,  the more content you have, the better chance you have of it ranking.  I’ve had just a few heavy hitter posts carry me through and now with the new google update, the rankings are dropping pretty fast!  This makes me nervous because I was hoping that Q4 would be a big growth spurt for me, but it may only be keeping me afloat at the same level.  Again, more content will help this, but obviously it’s not something I can do right now. 
  • Partnerships: I find it so crazy how brands reach out to other bloggers.  Some bloggers get reached out to by the SAME brands and others are completely different. In the last month and a half I’ve gotten reached out to by brands that I really don’t see others get reached out to.  Just goes to show you that everyone is different and everyone’s VALUE is different.  While there’s a lot I turned down because it wasn’t in line my life, I also did accept some awesome partnerships I never thought I would get! I really want to get comfortable with this concept and in a way that suits everyone involved.  AKA I don’t ever want to be an annoying commercial and I hope any of you would tell me if that’s the case! 
  • The Future of This Blog: before I gave birth, I came up with a plan to really ramp up this side of my business in every way. I have SO many ideas and so many creative things I want to share and really do feel renewed. I feel truly blessed to have an income source that I can work on from home doing something I love.  At this point I feel like my personal chef business will end up being the side hustle and the blog will be the main focus for a few different personal reasons that I will share at a later date. In the meantime, mom life is at the forefront and I will have to just accept that whatever I get done is icing on the gluten free cake. 

A note on the metrics below: All of this is income that was MADE in September.  I don’t actually see all payment for this money for about 2-3 months depending on the company paying me. 

Blog Income Report September 2019 | Metrics

Food/Recipe posts that were created in September: 2+

Amazon Affiliate Income: $111.41

 Mediavine Income: $1214.94

Recipe Development Projects Paid Out: $250

Virtual Assistant Work: $50

Hours spent working on the blog: 2-5 but barely

Blog Income Report September 2019 Total: $1626.35

 

Valerie Skinner is a Whole30 approved personal chef & recipe developer that bridges the gap between healthy eating and busy lives by providing simple healthy meals and recipes for you and your family.Charleston Personal Chef Thyme and JOY

Lets Connect!

Check out my Podcast: Food Conversations

Email me: thymeandjoy@gmail.com

Follow me on Instagram

Join my community on Facebook

See what I’m pinning on Pinterest