The Dark Side of Blogging

This week something happened that doesn’t happen often. I got mad. Not to say I don’t have bad days, but I rarely get in a pissed-off, mad-at-the-world mood. But this week I did.

Don’t get me wrong- I have days where I wish I kept my cool with my kids, or wish I stayed calm or got more done, but I don’t get truly angry very often.

I also typically try to keep my emotions in check, but today they were most definitely not and my poor husband had to bear the blunt end of my rant/venting session.

What made me mad?

The Dark Side of Blogging

Not my blog specifically (I love you guys, my readers, and I love to write) but the idea of blogging, the profession of blogging and all the things that happen behind the scenes that readers never see or hear about. The things that bloggers get sucked into and are forced to deal & compete with.

To preface, I should explain that the part that made me most angry is the perceived “selling out” of bloggers in various ways. This made me upset because I pride myself in writing ALL my own content, doing all my own research, making sure each article is super high quality and everything I ever link to, suggest or promote are products I personally use and love.

It makes me mad when I see other bloggers not extending their readers the same courtesy.

Here’s the thing…

From the outside, health bloggers often appear to be perfect human beings who cook gourmet meals three times a day, have impeccable style, washboard abs, and an incredible personality. We aren’t (at least not all of those things all the time).

Think about the pictures posted on facebook or instragram. You put your best foot forward. So do bloggers, but many of us are even more “filtered” since we are potentially exposed to and judged by thousands of people each day.

I sincerely hope that no mom ever comes to my blog and feels like she isn’t good enough because it seems like I “do it all” or “am a great mom all the time.” I assure you I’m not. I have laundry baskets full of clothes in my bedroom right now and yesterday’s clothes are still on the floor. We’ve eaten organic hotdogs three times this week because the Wellness Mama Cookbook (and dealing with Amazon) has taken over my life.

I don’t always cook three meals a day. Occasionally, I order Pete’s Paleo or from a local Japanese restaurant out of sheer convenience.

I don’t always make my own detergent and cleaning supplies. Sometimes it’s just easier (and saves time) to buy (natural) products at the store or online.

Sometimes I cry because of comments I receive on my blog or facebook (sometimes happy tears, but usually tears of sadness, hurt, or pain). I’m very much not a perfect mom. Nor a perfect human.

I blog to share things that have made my life easier or better and to hopefully help other moms, but I hope that everything I write encourages and uplifts and never makes another woman feel like she isn’t doing enough or isn’t good enough.

If you’ve ever felt that way- trust me…. you are good enough. You are doing enough. You are a great mom, and one lesson I’ve learned the hard way lately is that your children, your family, need you. Imperfect, wonderful, you.

Back to Blogging Though…

Certain things I’ve seen in the blogging world lately have really upset me because I felt like they crossed that line with their readers. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with bloggers making money. But I do have a problem with:

I have a problem with bloggers making money in a non-genuine way at the expense of their readers.
I have a problem with incestuous back-room affiliate deals. I have a problem with “I’ll promote your product if you promote mine.”
I have a problem when people duplicate my blog exactly for themselves, the design, every post and picture on the site, strip out my affiliate links and add their own, then claim everything as theirs.
I have a problem when other sites pull every post and picture of mine to use for themselves… to get more traffic so they can charge more for ads.
I have a problem with people copying content (both my content and that of others), stealing ideas and writing in an unauthentic voice solely for the goal of pushing more content out to the search engines. This annoys me because it isn’t about Google. It is about you. The readers. I don’t write for Google, I write for you!
I have a problem with the 100+ emails I get a day from people asking me to promote their stuff to my “list” (the people who subscribe to my email newsletter)

I don’t have a “list.” I have readers. I have friends. I have you. And you are the most important part of blogging to me.

And you know what? I’m not the only one who feels this way about the dark side of blogging.

I’m extremely aware, appreciative and grateful every single day for the amazing community that has grown through Wellness Mama. It is so much bigger than me. It is a group. A sisterhood. A family of moms who quite literally have the power to change the world. I don’t take that lightly. It annoys me when I see bloggers in the industry who do.

For me, blogging is really about creating a change for our kids. It isn’t about the money (though if that happens, it is great since we have six kids to feed, clothe and put through college one day) but that isn’t the goal. It is about making a healthier future for my children so they have decades and decades of health after college and so I get to live long enough to meet and enjoy my grandchildren.

I like to think/hope that I don’t have the amazing community that has developed here because I’ve written good articles about certain topics, but because I care about you. Because I want an actual (online) relationship with you. Because I care about the future for your kids as much as for my own.

I don’t want to be a “celebrity” from blogging (as some bloggers seem to want). In fact, this would utterly terrify me and get me so far out of my comfort zone I wouldn’t know who I was anymore. My goal isn’t to make millions, it is to HELP millions.

Someone else could copy my writing, copy my posts, copy all my ideas, but it wouldn’t be the same because the passion isn’t there. Because the world doesn’t need another blog post about how to make lip balm or magnesium body butter (which I did invent, btw), but the world needs more passion. It needs more people who care. If that is you- I am forever grateful for you… really! If you are passionate about your own goals, your own life, your own family and their health… you are changing the world more than the bloggers you see making tons of money and looking perfect on Instagram.

Because here is the deal… at the end of the day, it isn’t about me (and I’m super glad it isn’t!). I don’t use my last name. Not because I’m ashamed of it or have something to hide, but because it isn’t important (and because I value privacy for those six small children I mentioned). And because the movement, the “wellness mama idea”, is so much bigger than me.

I’m here because I want to make a change, not become famous.

My Blogging Struggle

It takes an incredible amount of time to make Wellness Mama what it is. Researching for posts. Taking photographs. Writing. Editing. Moderating comments. Social media promotion & communication. Etc.

It costs a lot of money to keep it running. Design & development costs. Hosting. Upgraded servers when traffic grows. Premium plugins. Email service. Etc. Etc. Etc.

The list goes on.

I’ve struggled with the fact that I could implement ads with the click of a button and make much more money that would help support my family and help fund a charity I’ve wanted to start for a long time (to provide sustainable food and clean water worldwide and to help distribute leftover food from farmers markets to soup kitchens, schools and food banks), but I’ve never made the jump because I personally hate ads and feel this would be “selling out.”

I want to make sure I’m always focused on you, but sometimes I don’t know the best way to do this. I make sure I don’t use spammy tactics to try to sell you things you don’t need. I don’t white label products that I didn’t create to make money. I moderate every comment so that the community is an uplifting and healthy environment for you to learn. I prominently display my affiliate policy so that readers are aware of my quality standards, practices, and promotion requirements.

I’ve struggled with the fact that I’m very much imperfect. WellnessMama.com has grown beyond my greatest goals and expectations. The blog gets a lot of traffic and in turn makes money through some of the products and resources I recommend.

I still feel like a failure because I’m not the perfect mom or the perfect wife. I think we all do. I’ve said it before, but I don’t think any mom goes to bed feeling like she has the whole wife/mother thing under control. I know I don’t. In fact, every day, I stress because of this incredible community that I love so much. Because I don’t always look, act and behave the way a “perfect” mom should. I think we all do.

So- long story short. Thank YOU so much for reading. For putting up with my rant. For caring about your family and the future of our children and our world.

At the end of the day, I don’t give a damn about just having your email address on my list. I want you to actually adopt the healthy changes I write and email about. To put in the time. To make a lasting change for your family. To say that your family’s life has improved because of changes you made. That is what matters to me.

2014 has been a tough year in many ways. The blog has grown. A lot. But I’ve made mistakes. I promoted a course (against my intuition) for someone that wasn’t a good fit… because I was too competitive. I started promoting an essential oils company (against my better judgement) because I thought there was an opportunity to help some friends make money. I self published the original Wellness Mama Cookbook, even though I had numerous offers from traditional publishers for upfront advances. And it’s wreaked havoc on my thyroid condition.

At the same time, 2014 has been an incredibly wonderful and rewarding year and I am grateful for everything this year has brought. I’ve made awesome friends who started as online friends and are now real life friends, like Heather, Genevieve, Emily, and Kelly (go check them out- they are amazing!). People like Sean, Steve & Jordan, Mary, and Christa. I finally found an amazing doctor who has helped me find answers for my thyroid struggles. And I finally finished writing my book!

My Pledge to You and a Question

So here is my pledge to you: I’m going to stop trying to be the “perfect” mom on the blog and social media. I’m going to stop stressing about answering every comment and start deleting those that don’t meet my requirements. I’m going to spend more time with family, even if that means I don’t post quite as often. I’m going to only create the most valuable, most helpful things I can and share those. I’m going to stop deleting posts because I feel like they aren’t good enough or might be met with resistance. I’m going to stop censoring my writing to meet the “squeaky clean Wellness Mama image” and let the real me shine through.

Because at the end of the day, I rarely feel like I’m good enough.

I feel inferior because I don’t look like Jennifer Aniston with the patience of June Cleaver and the culinary skills of Julia Childs. I feel imperfect because I don’t have 28 hours a day to get everything done that I want to accomplish.

In the coming weeks:

I’m going to be moving away from most “JV promotions” because they just don’t seem genuine to me.
I’m going to start creating more ebooks, courses, and products. Things that I enjoy doing and things that I wish I’d had when I started out…
I’m going to focus on creating more helpful and useful content for you.
I’m going to focus on enjoying my family and having balance and enjoying things more and stressing less.

This crazy world of blogging has led me to wrestle with several internal struggles lately, and rather than try to face them on my own, I figured I’d ask for your advice (it has never failed me before, so no pressure!).

I Want Your Opinion

1. What do you consider “selling out?” If I were to allow advertisers (carefully selected of course) would your opinion of WellnessMama.com as a trusted resource change?

2. How much of the “real me” do you want to see? Do you want more of the raw, uncensored Katie, or prefer the squeaky clean, “Wellness Mama” image?

3. Do you want me to create more courses, ebooks, and products for you or just recommend others?

4. What type of content and information will be most helpful to you moving forward? How can I best provide simple answers for healthier families for you?

Sources

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About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

759 responses to “The Dark Side of Blogging”

Jenn

November 23, 2014

Katie, I found your blog a few years back when one of my friends on a diaper website linked it during a discussion. Your practical, down to earth ways have been wonderful and are getting easier for me to replicate. I am from Canada, work FT and have three amazing children, one of whom has special needs. The info I have learned from you has helped me from when I speak with his doctors about nutrition and diet to the creams I use on him after his surgeries to help him heal. Your blog is the only one my sister and I can both read, agree on and discuss without fighting. 🙂 I occasionally click on your links but most of them I can’t use as they have outrageous shipping fees but that is just the nature of us being in different countries. I appreciated the ad-free nature of your site but do respect that ads do make revenue for you and so I would be fine with ads. I value honesty and would love to see more of the ‘real you’. Personally I don’t have a lot of time for e-courses and books, I prefer blog posts because they are more concise and with the extra-busy-ness of my time these days, I can start and finish in one reading session. Lol basically when I read one of your bog posts I feel accomplished because I was able to read something in its entirety instead of starting and stopping!
With thanks from a friendly neighbour north of the border who values and respects your hard work and dedication. You rock!!!

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 23, 2014
  
  Thanks Jenn and thanks for reading!
  
  Reply
Tara

November 23, 2014

I came across your site a few months ago after seeing an interview where an actress mentioned she made her own toothpaste. My mind was blown, I had no idea people did that. I went to Google and your site was the first one I came across. Not only did you have homemade toothpaste recipes, but so many other personal products as well. I spent hours looking through everything. I have been having issues for a few years with commercial toothpaste irritating my mouth and was looking for a better alternative. I was also toying with the idea of going paleo and your site really helped me take the plunge. It also made me realize that lifestyle factors other than diet play a part in your overall health. I’m not a mom myself, but I really admire your dedication to making future generations as healthy as possible. I also love how well researched everything is and how you explain why certain things can be good/bad for you.

I wouldn’t mind ads if that will help keep your site going. I definitely look forward to your emails every week. I also think if you feel the need to let more of your personality come though, then go for it! Do what makes you happy! You’ve been so generous with your time and knowledge, you shouldn’t feel restricted as to what you can or can’t say. I would like to see some new ebooks and products. I love finding out about new health products and recipes. I’ve found out about so many things I never even knew existed just from reading your blog.

Keep up the great work! I look forward to the new changes!

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 23, 2014
  
  Thanks Tara 🙂
  
  Reply
sherri clark

November 23, 2014

I rarely comment on any blogging sites, but when I read what you wrote here this morning I felt compelled to put my two cents worth into this long list of replies.
First let me echo what so many others have written here, that your site is my “go to” and most shared of all the health-wellness websites I visit (which is a ton!). Our children are all grown, but I pass along so much of what you share to our grandchildren, as well as using so much of it for myself! I have your app too, (which is awesome), listen to your podcast and have pretty much followed you at all the online summits. Your transparency and honesty are just a few of the things that, I believe, set you apart -along with all the research work you do to provide us with such valuable useful information.
As for the whole issue of Ads on your site, again I would agree with others, follow your heart and only allow those you truly believe in and support. People trust you, which can feel rather weighty in terms of not wanting to violate that, but staying true to yourself and your family first will help keep you on track.
Thank you Katie, for all that you do from the passion in your heart for women, mothers, and families to live clean and healthy. You are VERY much appreciated!

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 23, 2014
  
  Thanks so much Sherri 🙂
  
  Reply
Lynne

November 23, 2014

You’re doing a great job, and this was a great honest post too! Just do what feels right for you…

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Robyn K.

November 23, 2014

Dear Katie,
I am a fairly new reader to your blog. I am a 54 year old mom of three adults (I frequently question that status for my youngest). 11 months ago I succumbed to my 26 year old son’s constant criticism of my lifestyle and adopted the paleo lifestyle. Through research of many, many websites and blogs I found you! You are such an inspiration to me. I wanted to incorporate a healthier home to compliment my healthier life. I enjoy your posts, recipies and general content.
My point is, your message is getting through. Though you are experiencing the frustration of dishonest, greedy “others “you still want to get your message to your readers. You still show passion integrity and commitment to your cause. It shines through, Katie.
It seems to me that you are experiencing a real world phenomenon called the dirty side of business. My husband and I have experienced it many, many times in our lives. We opened our first business and within a week, competitors had slashed the tires on several of our delivery vehicles. We did not close down, we simply had the tires repaired and ran a successful business for 10 years until we sold it. We were successful because we lived by values of honesty and fairness, even though many competitors around us were pretty slimy.
Stick to your values, don’t let outside forces into your inner circle and you will continue to grow and thrive!

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 23, 2014
  
  Thanks Robyn!
  
  Reply
Mary Hall

November 23, 2014

You are an amazing lady and I thank you so much for your posts. Life is full of people who copy others ideas, but there are not many leaders, and you are one. One day you will look back on your life and be so proud of what you have achieved. God bless

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Lynda Cooke

November 23, 2014

WOW, Katie,

I live on the opposite side of the world to you, in Australia. I have never met, spoken or emailed you. Your inspiring site is one of a very few that I bother to look at. I love everything about what you and your site represent. If more people could learn from your tremendous information we would all be a lot better off.

I know because of who you are, you would be very mindful of any advertising which you endorse. If advertising is what you want to do, then go for it. Arh, the real Katie or the ‘image’ Katie? It doesn’t matter. My opinion of you is already high, just relax and be yourself.

There will always be those in life who are jealous of what you do and achieve because they just can’t cut it themselves. They don’t have the morals or honesty or indeed the ability to attain the achievements you have. In Australia we call it, “THE TALL POPPY SYNDROME”. Easy said, but, keep coasting along, stay focused and ignore them.

Trust me your site is refreshing and uplifting and if others can’t handle that because of their own insecurities you don’t have to explain anything to anyone to placate them.
You are doing a wonderful job, keep up the great work. Much appreciated.

Lynda.
Balranald
AUSTRALIA

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Emma

November 23, 2014

I so, so, so trust you, Katie. If allowing some ads on your site helps you make it all work, do it. I think your readers are smart enough to filter the fluff from the real stuff because that’s why we’ve all been drawn to you and we can do that with ads too!

And lay it on with raw, unedited Mama stuff. I need to hear that from other people. I’ve actually thought about writing to you before, when I get through a day and feel I’ve accomplished nothing even though i only have one kid, to ask you how you do it all. I mean, what your day actually looks like. Motherhood is so intense, especially when we’re trying to do it the best of our abilities on ever level. We need each other. Brutal honesty always makes me feel way better. Thank you!

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Janet Jones

November 23, 2014

Katie

Be yourself…you are fantastic, lovely, kind, creative and so much more!
I love your website and your posts.
You can’t do anything wrong in my book.
I would love to be able to purchase your cookbook here in the UK.
Keep up the good work xxx

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Joanna

November 23, 2014

Dear Wellness Mama,

I came across your blog this past August and in these three or four months since, it has become a well-worn and trusted roadmap for completely transforming my life. I had never given a thought to slathering chemicals on my skin, or to making organic produce a priority in my budget. I didn’t really even cook. I drank tap water. I spent most of the last 10 years chain smoking. I was a mess. I still am… but shortly after switching to OCM and chemical-free conditioner, I was literally crippled by candida overgrowth, and then had no choice but to eliminate grains and sugar and start cooking everything I eat. To help regain strength after the illness, I’ve been rebounding. I have ordered a Berkey. I think I’ll soon be strong enough to start sprinting and strength training (for the first time in my life). This is all quite literally thanks to you.

I am partial to raw. To human. I’m definitely partial to authentic. That said, I will read your posts in whatever form you are comfortable writing them. I think your content itself said to me that you wrote to help, before I read this latest post. I’m so glad you do. I want you to know that I for one have benefited, in a pretty dramatic way, from your painstaking research and loving writing.

My girlfriend and I try to channel you, sometimes: “I think Wellness Mama would say…” It’s a gift, having you as a guide as I navigate this new terrain. Thank you with all my heart.

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 23, 2014
  
  Thanks Joanna- so glad you’ve seen such amazing health changes! Congrats on all of your hard work and best wishes for continued health
  
  Reply
Whitney

November 23, 2014

Also, I second Sarah above on you selling your own wellness/beauty products or any product that is your recipe. I am constantly trying to find new healthy beauty products especially and scowering sites like etsy for them! I would definitely buy those sort of things from you and it would keep me on your blog more regularly!

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Whitney

November 23, 2014

Hi Katie! I hope you are feeling the immense love and warmth from all of these dozens of readers right now and are finding some relief and encouragement from them! Clearly you have been doing something right 🙂 I hope you see how much not only what you do is appreciated, but also who you are. Even if it may not always seem like it to you, the heart you have for all of us, our future generations and your own family comes through in every post you write. I am 28, have no kids and am getting married in about 6 weeks and your blog is the first place I check for any possible random question that pops into my mind pertaining to health/natural living. Almost every time your blog is the ONLY blog I end up checking, because 99% of the time I have to look no further because you have provided such thoroughly researched and helpful information on such a broad range of topics. When I use the information you post in my everyday life I feel that I can trust that I’m going about something the best possible way because it is obvious to me based on what you write that what you recommend is something tried and true by you and that you genuinely care about all of us. Rest assured that your standards and integrity are most definitely evident. Thank you for that. Please continue to be true to yourself, follow your heart and maintain that level of integrity. I would not be bothered by a non-animated side bar ad if it is a product you truly recommend. You DESERVE to be compensated for the tireless work you do. Every time you post something new I think, how in this world does she find time to research these things and have the energy to keep going and come up with fresh and helpful ideas for new posts? Please feel proud of what you accomplish even in the midst of criticism and scrutiny and having the passion and strength to keep going through the exhaustion and stress. Be proud of the person you are. You and your family are what’s most important and being able to contribute more income for the sake of your family for what you already do is more than reasonable. You should get back all that you are investing. Also know that not all of your readers moms, married or stay at home. I’ve been reading your blog for years now and have probably been in a completely different walk of life than many of your readers but what you have to say is still extremely relevant to me and my life. I am getting married very soon and you are an inspiration to me as a woman whose priority is her family. I hope I am half the wife and mom that you are based on how much you invest in their health and quality of life. I work full time now, but at some point I will become a stay at home mom and will be proud and excited to be that. Your blog has allowed me to learn and gather such valuable information for when that time comes. I actually save your posts about pregnancy and kids just to be able to refer to years down the road! I love how open and honest you were in this post. As far as your question of being raw and real and letting the emotion and imperfections show? The answer is most definitely yes! It’s great to see your feelings coming through and not just information all the time. It makes everything else you write all the more meaningful because it is coming from a real human being with a heart who struggles with the same challenges, self doubt and stress that we do. That’s so encouraging in our journey to being a health minded person and creating that for our families or maybe even building a foundation for our future families. Yours is literally the only blog I have ever taken the time to comment on. As far as more ebooks and programs? I would love to see more of that as long as the regular posts don’t become scarce as a result. Find the balance that works best for you and your family. Take a break from the volume of things if you need to. Enjoy this time of just having published a book! Be incredibly proud of all of it. You are a wonderful example to people who consider stay at home/work from home moms to be without a real career, unimpressive or selling themselves short. You have become a role model for all women in showing that you can be a mom and follow your passion and create a career for yourself while still keeping your kids and how you parent them your highest priority. So know that you really are impacting people’s lives and I hope you feel more rewarded in your work after today. Best of luck to you in all that you choose to pursue!

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 23, 2014
  
  Thanks Whitney and congrats on your upcoming wedding 🙂
  
  Reply
Debbie Bond

November 23, 2014

Katie I am a new member to your blog and would like to thank you for all you do. You are an inspiration, to me with all your knowledge on nutrition. I have had cancer three times now and it is wonderful to finally find different recipes for using cleaning products and beauty products, without the chemicals in them. I have just recently purchased you cookbook and really enjoy learning new ways to eat healthy. I am changing my lifestyle to become a healthier person and my families too. Please keep up the good work. You are AWESOME and have a Blessed Day.

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angela

November 23, 2014

I am not sure why this post made me cry at the kitchen table. Maybe it is because I am a blogger and I wish people say the cost and time that really went into. Maybe it is because I have never felt perfect. Never felt good enough. Or maybe it is because the blogs I do follow show all of these incredible women who seem to have time to run the world, run their houses, make the perfect mom and be a super wife. It just makes your reality so much harder to absorb. So I appreciate a post like. I think this is one of the best posts you have ever made in fact. Yes, I said that. Because it was real. It was from the heart and it is full of honesty. Thank you!!!
And I don’t want you to change anything…
I think creating more e-books is a great way to generate income and help your readers – especially if everything is all in one place – if the research is all done for them – people love convenience
But I don’t really think you should change too much!
I think you are perfect just the way you are – and so is the blog!

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 23, 2014
  
  Thanks Angela 🙂
  
  Reply
Ana

November 23, 2014

I love your blog! I love the authentic YOU!

My two cents:

Monetize girl!

Get your media kit ready and approach the companies you respect and are a customer of. Approaching companies directly will give you more control than Google Adwords (although Adwords are easier to set up)

Re-purpose much of the content you already have as e-books. Many of your readers will pay for the convenience of having what they need all in one place. You can have an e-book or a course on green cleaning, or handmade body care products. I understand there are many others, but you have AUTHORITY, and a large audience.

I think a course would be better than e-books actually. They feel more personal to me. I like hearing the person’s voice and I’d rather view slides and screenshots than read a lot!

I know there is a lot of money and time that goes into this site. I’ve been into web design for a few years and I can tell this is a custom (or highly customized theme). Websites that look like this don’t come cheap!

Also, I like the suggestion that someone made earlier about paid Skype consultations. Get paid for all that knowledge!

I’m sure you don’t have a lot of free time(if any), but you might want to consider listening to one of the “business of blogging” type podcasts. I’ve listening to a few different ones, and I’ve grown very picky. I like Pat Flynn (of Smart Passive Income) the most. He comes off as the most authentic.

Lastly, this week I began making turmeric golden milk because I saw the recipe on your site and we’ve made it 4 times since last Tuesday. My whole family loved it, well, the 7-year old didn’t want to try it but the rest of us are hooked.

Much love,

Ana

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 23, 2014
  
  Thanks Ana. So glad you liked the turmeric tea!
  
  Reply
Dasha

November 23, 2014

Hello Katie,

The time is now 12:35 a. I just finished making a batch of detergent and my very own fabric softener. I have been on a “natural” living kick heavily, for the last year or so. It started out with food and has now moved on to bath and body products and house cleaners etc.

On my journey, I would type in random recipes for body butter or bath salts or essential oils and your blog kept coming up repeatedly. I just signed up for your newsletter last week. Its funny that I decided to drop by, this late Saturday night to see what new challenge you had to offer and I was met with this heartbreaking “rant”. Its funny because I’ve been telling everyone who will listen about your wonderful blog and how its changing my life! Its funny because contrary to popular belief, I don’t think anyone in this community expects you to be perfect.

I’m new here and in fact this is my first post, to reach out to you personally. I was saddened by your post and just wanted to encourage you to stay at it, genuinely. Whatever genuine means to you, is what it means. Whatever ad you decide or not decide to post is up to you. You’ve started a community but don’t get lost in it, I value your opinions and know that if you post something that it is to be taken to heart and yes that even includes a lip balm recipe!

I don’t know if you’ll ever see this but I hope you continue this blog with the same devotion as I can see you always have. I’m not a mom yet but when my kids are old enough to ask me about all this “stuff”, I’ll be more than happy to tell them; “the Wellness Mama taught me.”

Get some rest,
Dasha’

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 23, 2014
  
  Thanks Dasha 🙂 You are so sweet!
  
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Aida

November 23, 2014

Dear Katie, I love this quote from Dr. Jen Bermann – we don’t need to be the perfect parents, we have to be the good enough parents. This quote has helped me tremendously!, you are above being good enough, you are so knowledgeable, you have helped so many people and you should feel really proud of yourself and a great role model for your family. Keep up the good stuff and don’t waste your time on what some people with no principles are doing. You are doing good to the world and life will reward you!. Thank you very much for being you!.

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Mel

November 23, 2014

Katie – this post really spoke to me (clearly, since I’ve been reading your blog for years and have never commented; sorry about that) and my heart was angry and kind of breaking for you because as a blogger, too, I understand where you are coming from. I think you are in a very small, unique subset of bloggers that try harder than anything else to stay true to who they are intrinsically – which is so rare with a blog as large and successful and demanding as yours. Many others would have sold out long before now because the opportunities are there and it’s easy. Thank you for being you; the fact that this is agonizing for you speaks of your character and integrity. You are inspiring to me. Not only with this post and your blogging philosophy but also in what you share with the world (several of your immune boosting remedies like the elderberry syrup are staples of my large family and I am slowly making changes to make our family more holistic and healthy). In answer to your questions, I know how much work goes into blogging and think that if you can find advertising that fits your soul then it is a no-brainer. You aren’t the type of blogger that will let the ads take over…but advertising isn’t bad if it helps offset the costs of running a blog as well as provide your readers with products that align with what you believe and share anyway. I think advertising (and even affiliate marketing) used to be the “sleazy car salesman” of blogging but times have changed and I respect bloggers who choose to make money from their blog while staying true to who they are at their core. Good luck with all of this. And thanks for sharing a peek into the real you. I agree with many others on here that I love the realness. Keep it up! Your family is blessed to have you and I’m guessing you will never regret backing off a bit to spend more time with them.

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 23, 2014
  
  Thanks Mel 🙂
  
  Reply
June Combs

November 23, 2014

Hi Katy ~ wow alotta comments! You are loved! I love your blog too, I don’t love ads but I understand the need. What if one of your children ask you these questions how would you advise them? That’s how i resolve some of my delimas…. Xoxo

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 23, 2014
  
  Great idea June!
  
  Reply
Louise

November 22, 2014

I want you to show us as much or as little as you are comfortable with! I’ve learned a lot from you, so do whatever you want. I will always keep checking in to see what’s going on and what new things there are to try out. Please don’t stress yourself out so much!!!

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 23, 2014
  
  🙂
  
  Reply