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”

Nicole C

November 21, 2014

Katie, let me say how amazed I am by your blog. You are the first blog I have ever read regarding wellness several years ago. Because of you I began making my son’s homemade wipes and powders, lotion bars, and more. Because of the knowledge you imparted, his eczema which he had at birth has not made a peep. I was then inspired to start creating my own natural recipes, and the passion grew from there. I believe your voice has spoken through your articles. If you feel you have been holding back then go for it. As a reader, I see your passion come through for every post. You are a professional and your blog reads as such. In the same token, I personally don’t believe it’s selling out to be paid by reputable sources for your time and energy. You are making a living, and can do so without compromising your integrity. In fact, your honesty is such a rarity that as a reader I would love to know what you endorse as I know I will be purchasing from quality if you use it yourself. In the future, I would love to see a culmination of all your recipes in a book with chapters from homemade baby care to a cleaning section, and so on. People are looking for easy ways to wellness, and the culmination of all of your best work in one place would be a wonderful way to start the journey in book form. Thank you for all of your work and efforts, you have transformed our lives.

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Megan G

November 21, 2014

Oh my gosh you’re not a sellout! Thank you for being so real. Not going to lie, sometimes I read your blog and look around my house and think “I’m not good enough. I only have one kid and I can barely keep afloat and he doesn’t eat all organic and….” the list goes on and on so I appreciate how real this post was. Anyways, advertising is just fine with me. I don’t find it to be a sell out move as long as it doesn’t impede my ability to read the content. Also thank you for making a cookbook! I’m looking forward to getting it. I love real meal ideas. I’d definitely be interested in more ebook like stuff too. I’m going to try and start making my own cosmetics and whatnot so I was super excited about the mascara recipe you posted the other day!

I think every mama goes to bed at night convinced that they’re the worst mama. But I was told this week that God gave you your family because you’re the best mama for them.

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Linda

November 21, 2014

Katie, What you have created, is an incredible resource for those of us who want to improve our health and our family’s health. I think the raw, real Wellness Mama is part of the inspiration you offer. None of us are perfect nor will we ever be… However you bring hope and encouragement that we can make changes one step at a time.

I found your site shortly after I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My experience with the western medical system is that they really don’t want patients taking charge of their own health. But my belief system leads me to think processed foods, highly chemicalized home and beauty products and sugar played a huge part in my health issues. Your site has been my most valued resource. Over the past year I have joined and quit several health blogs and newsletters. Yours always seemed honest, real and caring… plus I really appreciate your recipes.

I believe that you simply MUST do the things that you need to sustain your family and your health and by doing so you lead by example… Imperfect, real, caring, mama of 5, loving wife and encouraging trusted health leader.

As for advertising… One of the things I love about your site is it is filled with information without sell, sell, sell hype. Yet it makes sense that you should be able to have an income for all your work. Well placed ads for products you use and can honestly recommend could be helpful for negotiating what products can be bought and which should be handmade. A little side income never hurts.

Thanks for being you. Blessings and Peace.

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Elina Simanas

November 21, 2014

Katie,

I just want you to know how much you have inspired me. You were the first blog I came across with regards to a more natural lifestyle. Your recipe was the first I used for my daughter’s butt cream, which I have come back to time and time again. Your frequent mention of essential oils are what got me to purchase my first few bottles, not to mention the kit my husband said he’d get me for the holidays. 🙂 Your extensive, concise, and thorough post on beans and why they aren’t the healthiest are what got me started on the pathway to paleo…still working on maintaining this one.

Now I know these might seem like trivial things, but they are not. You helped me get on the path to a better lifestyle and had it not been for this blog, I’d still be slathering harmful chemicals onto my toddler.

I often thought how does she do it all and have come to realize that like most mom’s, you have learned to multitask and have become quite good at it. It truly breaks my heart to read some of these things you’ve posted about because you are wonderful and have influenced so many in a positive way. I look forward to your blog and love it.

I think the real, raw and uncut posts are refreshing because it reminds us that you are not superwoman, nor do you need to be. You are perfect the way you are and I think that little bit of vulnerability reminds us all that you do have so much on your plate, as do we. More importantly that we take things for granted and probably undervalue ourselves and please don’t ever do that to yourself.

I will continue to read your posts in order to give my family a better life.

You are a wonderful person and I can’t even begin to thank you for helping me.

Elina

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Nikki

November 21, 2014

I’ve loved your blog for a few years now and often mention it to others. You are my go-to source for all things health related. Really. Anytime something comes up I search your site before looking elsewhere.

As far as the feedback you requested, I was just visiting another blog I love and noticed that an ad popped up at the top. My thought was, “Ugh. Was that there last week?” A few tasteful and relevant ads along the side are different though, in my opinion.

Yes, I want the “real” Katie. I thought I was getting her, so now I’m intrigued as to what we’ve all been missing out on!! Be you… this reader wouldn’t have it any other way.

Please step away from the managing (Love the idea of deleting irrelevant questions! Especially those that have the answer located within your blog post! Grr…) and focus on quality writing and products. I’d love to see more from you!

Thank you for everything you’ve done through your blog to empower me as a person and a mother. I’ve embraced coconut oil, the paleo lifestyle, and learned so much about my autoimmune disorder among many other things, because of you. (No one else ever convinced me to make lotion before you!)

Thank you so much!

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linda

November 21, 2014

hey, all your readers are not moms. 🙂 i do think it’s great that so many SAHMs have blogs that they are able to use to share their passions, create community and also earn some income from. as for ads, if they are tastefully done and there are not too many i think it’s fine if you believe in the products. just please don’t let them overrun your webpage and do require that they are well-designed. don’t be afraid to tell a company that they need a more well-designed ad and if you know of designers you can refer them.

blogging for a living sounds challenging. there is a bigname blogger, in another industry, who has been talking about her challenges with it recently. one thing i was rather bothered by was that she mentioned she has posts that are sponsored content but nowhere on her blog have i ever seen any posts labeled as being sponsored content. to me, that is selling out. if you ever do sponsored content do please label the posts as such. while not my favorite thing if they are labeled as such they are not a problem.

being real is good, imo. we all struggle to live and eat healthy and it is such a huge undertaking that i think your lessons learned can really encourage others.

as for ecourses and the like i’d keep the advertising on the blog for them to a minimum. i know i don’t like to feel inundated when i come to read a blog with popups and constant ads for ebooks, etc.

with comment moderation maybe using discus or something similar would help cut down on the spam. that must take a lot of your time to have to deal with if it isn’t automated.

bottom line, just be true to yourself and keep up the good work!

grace + peace

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 21, 2014
  
  Thanks Linda. I definitely agree. I’ve never done sponsored posts because they don’t seem authentic and don’t anticipate doing them in the future, but I would definitely make that very clear if I did!
  
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Dee

November 21, 2014

Katie: I don’t usually follow any blogs on an on-going basis but for the last 6 months I have thoroughly enjoyed the posts you’ve made. You have such well-written, factual material that I’ve been challenged to consider so many of the items you make and promote. So many items I have had questions about and you’ve had the ‘how-to’ so I can move forward. I have always enjoyed your genuineness – it’s a rare quality these days and I sooooooo appreciate it. I’m much more comfortable with someone who isn’t ‘perfect’ as it makes it easier for me to relate. I often marvel at your ability to keep the posts coming with all of the demands that you have with your family.
Do whatever feels ‘right’ to you; as long as you are endorsing products that can help your readers, it’s a win-win for all of us. Just know you are much appreciated (by me as well as hundreds of others) and altho’ you are much younger than I am, I know you are very intelligent and have already achieved so much. Keep up the good work and follow your heart in your decisions. You will never regret it:) (Thanks for all you do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

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Susan Larsen

November 21, 2014

Oh sweetie. I only just discovered your blog and I really love it but I’m cynical enough to know that you are very likely imperfect. I don’t believe in perfect moms. Frankly every mom I’ve met that obsesses over the whole being perfect thing, or even worse believes themselves to be so, usually negate their perceived perfection with their overt obnoxiousness. Perfection is just that, a perception. It is not a defined state but merely an idea and everyone’s is different. I mean come on, 5 kids and developing all those products, the research and writing, the book, etc….I’m sorry but frankly I bet this isn’t the first week that hotdogs have been the special in your house, and that’s totally OK!

I really don’t understand why people like us who strive for a more holistic, natural and honest lifestyle feel like if we earn a little income from our lifestyle that we’re “selling out.” It really drives me crazy! You’re great at what you do and you care about it and you have developed it from the ground up, why should you feel guilty about the prospect from earning a living at it? Isn’t that everyone’s dream? And yes while advertising can be really invasive and sometimes misleading, honestly it’s not inherently evil. I mean, there are plenty of great products that I use and love that I only knew about because of an ad I saw. Of course you wouldn’t saturate your blog with ad space, and yes I would be pissed as hell if your sold your list to spammers, but if a small banner advertising a natural wholesaler popped up on your site it really wouldn’t bother me in the least and I know it would be helping you to bring me the content that I love!

Finally, it doesn’t have to be either or. You don’t have to back off the blog to spend time with your kids, and you don’t have to feel like your kids are being neglected because of your site. I’m about to say the four letter word that some consider the most heinous and insulting concept towards womanhood – HELP! Why women consider the idea of procuring help so terrible is beyond me. I have seen working moms and SAHMs completely burn themselves out simply because they have too much pride to admit they could use some help. Think about it, you start earning just enough ad revenue from the blog to hire a virtual assistant or temp to help filter comments, emails, some basic research, etc. Perhaps you can also afford some part-time assistance around the house. You wouldn’t be the first working mom with 5 kids to need a little help on both fronts, and it really can help you do both jobs better.

So that’s just my 2 cents.

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 21, 2014
  
  Thanks Susan. I love this: “I’m about to say the four letter word that some consider the most heinous and insulting concept towards womanhood – HELP!” So true and definitely something I do need to work on. 🙂
  
  Reply
Melissa

November 21, 2014

I love your blog, it has been such an amazing resource for me and I have learned so much through your posts. It’s one of the first blogs I recommend for living a healthier lifestyle.
I would love for you to be more real, I love when blogging are real and honesty seeing mistakes or a not quite perfect posts is a great reminder we are all human and we all make the mistakes and I think at ge end of the day in a positive way helps people feel more adequate about themselves. 🙂
I don’t have a problem at all with bloggers having ads like amazon and google and whatnot as long as it’s not so full of ads the page doesn’t load! That annoys me… But I know bloggers at least have to make enough to cover their expenses, just maintaining the website alone between the domain, hosting and whatnot it really adds up. Plus especially blogs that are providing such amazing information the time they took to research, write, review, all the thoughts, that time is worth something and I think bloggers like you deserve to make money off your blog, I don’t at all see it as selling at to have ads up. My personal opinion anyway. 🙂

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Jenna Goodwyn

November 21, 2014

I can’t even remember how I discovered your blog, but have I ever been glad that I did! I have loved your clear, concise recipes as I have become more proactive in my own health journey. I love your style of blogging and personally wouldn’t change anything.

What keeps me coming back to your blog it’s your genuine nature and love of what you do that shines through in your writing and posts. Regardless I’d whatever changes you make I know that will always be there so I endorse any changes you decide upon.

As for carefully selected products to promote … I’m Canadian so I half if the time I can’t get a specific product anyway and have to have an alternative. I never felt anything was pushed on me on your blog ever so I have only positive things to say about this site. Thank you for the time and effort you so obviously put into it.

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Mary

November 21, 2014

Katie –
You are a fabulous, giving and kind soul. I love your blog and think you do a fantastic job.

As for your questions,
I think that if you have advertising it is of a product you yourself use and love.

As for the “real” you,
Yes just be yourself. It’s always nice when, as a reader, I can relate more.

Adding classes and such,
I say go for it. I love everything you write about. I’m trying to get a handle on how to detoxify my family’s life because my 5 year old is battling cancer and i want to minimize her side effects and produce a better environment for both my girls.

You’re doing a great job and while I do not know you personally, you have gained my trust with your recipes, recommendations and information.

Keep up the wonderful work!

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Lourdes

November 21, 2014

Woman, first of all thank you for being so open about your feelings. Maybe what you need is a good dose of billion THANK YOU from all of us. You know, you are one of the few humans with an amazing, helpful, simple, honest, creative, well balanced website that actually returns emails. I have emailed you a few times and theres has never been one time you don’t respond. That says a lot of your kind, honest, caring Soul. You are here to help, to truly be the change you want to see in this world. You walk your words and even though I don’t personally know you, I can tell you this.
Im just going to tell you how much you have helped me ( without even knowing each other) and improved my life thru the wonderful work you put in your website, your advices about food, health, kids, natural products,etc that I am sure have cost you time and money until you get it done the best way possible to be shared with us.
I first heard about a grain free diet and how grains impact your life thru the Gluten Summit session by Sean where you were one of he guest, and your speech left me speechless. I immediately went and checked you out. What I found was much more than I expected. I found a place that I could trust, recipes that were not only delicious but healthy. I found a gorgeous woman, mother of 5….5 kids! a wife, an advocate of Health, true Health! do it yourself-save money-be nice to earth-to yourself human Being!! I immediately subscribed to your blog.
To make a long story short, you gave me HOPE.
Thank to you I have changed bad habits to better choices. Thank to you I don’t go crazy thinking what to cook everyday because I can find delicious health recipes in your blog. Thank to you, every time I want to make my own beauty products I have a place to go and find out recipes, and not only that, I trust your recipes and advices so much that I don’t bother doing research somewhere else because anything I have learned and made from your website has worked. The other day a bunch of friends got together to make limp balms and body lotion and we did it Thank to Wellness Mama recipes;we can’t stop posting how happy we are with the lotions! Thank to you, a friend of mine who recently had a baby and felt so overwhelmed and confused with all the information about how to start feeding a baby, read one of your articles and now she back on her feet. Thank to you, Thank to you, Thank to you….!!! and the list can go on and on, and on.
The other day i felt so good because I told a friend about your website and she went: Wellness Mama? of course i know her, she’s awesome, I make all her beauty products!…it was a very warm feeling to know there is so many women out there that look up to you, your advices, your blogs, recipes….and mostly that I feel a connection with you because I also care about my family, earth, health and I can find a woman out there that also does the same.

So PLEASE, do what makes you happy, if you have to ditch a few out of your blog, cancel a few others, say no, say yes, take a break, give less of a damn about what others think…do it! you deserve to be respected as a human Being for your wonderful job and supported by those that resonate with you. Listen, you will have a few pain in the but beings out there, that is part of life, we are not a jar of Nutella to be loved by every single human being in this world. Keep up the amazing, beautiful, inspiring, so helpful job you have been doing all these years. And whenever you feel you are riding down on this roller coaster call life, just remember that out there, just like me, there is a hell of a lot of women that feel TRULY THANKFUL to have you in this world.

Eternal Thanks Katie <3

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 21, 2014
  
  Lourdes, thanks for the sweet words… it made me tear up and I so much appreciate you! Thanks for reading! 🙂
  
  Reply
Debbie Baker

November 21, 2014

Katie, I SO support you in following your heart. I think that your candid post today is a mark of “Wellness” in itself. I want to thank you for having the courage and trusting your gut enough to share this with us.

You have worked so hard giving us all exceptional information, encouragement, and valuable resources. Having said that, I think allowing ads that align with your values would NOT be selling out. Rather, it would be another way to leverage your hard work so far.

I have learned so much from your site. I have hypothyroidism, too. I recently took your elimination diet challenge after reading your inspiring info on it. I didn’t realize how bad I had been feeling until I did this and feel so much better!

I look forward to your next steps whatever they will be.

I love your vision of the mission with serving meals to those who are in need. Have you considered something like kickstarter ? You have such a following, I think you would have overwhelming support.

Just a thought.

Anyway, thanks for the reminder to be yourself online and off. You Go Katie!

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Caroline

November 21, 2014

Katie I regularly share your posts from FB and your Blog on my Food FB page. I generally keep my blog for recipes unless I am going to post giveaways
By the way I’m in Australia 🙂
Blogs cost money to run, time taken away from our family costs us Bloggers or anyone who spends the time to write articles or recipes is giving of their time.
I am like you in that I will only promote a product that I would use myself. I’m not even into advertising like that as I am not anywhere near big enough for that. But I do giveaways.
If someone contacted me asking to do a giveaway or a review of a product that went against my beliefs I wouldn’t accept it.
One of the things that gets me is the amount of copycats. That makes me mad!.
The other thing about blogging that makes me mad is the people that like to tell you how you should speak on your fb page or blog and what you should and shouldn’t write
But then that just comes down to how rude society has become in general
You’re doing a great job
Regarding your questions Katie you do what “you” feel is right for “you” and for “your blog”
The rest will take care of itself
xxx

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Denise Passero

November 21, 2014

I come here to learn. I have shared many of your recipes to my facebook page and I have used and adapted your recipes to fit me. When I make a change to a recipe, I post the link to your site to show where I got the recipe and tell how I adapted it (example, your brown sugar scrub. I adapted it to include kombucha). I like your blog. At the same time, this is your business. I assume you make a living with this blog. So if you want to give us ebooks and lessons and such, I am definitely happy about that and will surely avail myself of the resources you provide. If you choose to have advertisers on your blog, I consider that your choice. You can do whatever you need to do to support your blog since you are not charging me to read your stuff. I don’t consider it selling out. I consider it business and your prerogative. As for seeing more of the raw you ,,, not sure that matters. There is no need to expose yourself to a bunch of perfect strangers unless you feel it advances your cause. Otherwise, you are not under any obligation to expose yourself to us any more than necessary. You are entitled to your privacy and you don’t owe anyone any explanations, apologies or anything. We are here by choice and because we value what you do. If that changes, we can always leave. I come hear to learn. And I always do.

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 21, 2014
  
  Thanks Denise! I love that idea about adding kombucha! Brilliant… If you ever want, leave it in a comment here or email it to me and I’d love to share it on social media for you…
  
  Reply
Susan

November 21, 2014

1. I like it when blogs have (I buy this one here) type of links in their recipes. It’s not the same as allowing advertising, but it is sharing with us those products and producers you’ve found that have quality and integrity.

2. I find it a little refreshing to hear that you’re not always perfect.

3. No opinion other than you should share what you’re currently passionate about.

4. Thank you!

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sarah

November 21, 2014

thank you for your bravery and honesty.I have no issue at all in advertising products that you believe in, I don’t think that selling out at all, I think it is nurturing yourself and your family which is the place where all inspiration comes from. No sense in becoming a martyr. This needs to be sustainable for you so that you can continue to share your passion and wonderful information with the world and serve your purpose in life. I really relate to all of the things you were talking about and I think the most important thing is caring less about what we think and more about being authentically you. And you know what one of my great mentors told me? If everybody likes you then you aren’t doing your job 🙂 I always think about that in the hard times.

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Amanda

November 21, 2014

Katie- I love your blog and you are an inspiration to me, I kind of like thinking that if you can do all this AND with 5 kids , then I can definitely handle my one. However you decide to change your blog, I am sure it will still be perfect. BTW I love your cookbook. Please keep up the beautiful inspiration anyway you can.
1. I am not sure exactly if I am on the same subject but I appreciate your product links, it makes my shopping list easier because I trust what you endorse, thanks for doing the legwork and my husband probably DOES NOT thank you lol
2. However you decide to present going forward, it will still be you and so it will be great
3. Not a fan of course and ebooks for some reason, I would totally buy your homemade products if you ever sold them though : )
Thank You so much for this blog!

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Kristin Friesen

November 21, 2014

I draw the line at sponsored posts (mostly) and ads embedded within the post. Ads that do not interfere with my reading are EXPECTED in a blog, I don’t find those offensive in any way. If you select ads that fit your theme and message I have no problem with them. In fact I actually like them because I often find products I didn’t know about! When they are a good fit it’s good for everyone. Sponsored posts bother me because they don’t seem genuine. Affiliate links also do not bother me at all. And for the love of God, make some money! Your blog kicks ass, it should be paying your bills too! Would love to see more raw and real. Just be yourself 🙂

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 21, 2014
  
  Thanks Kristin. I agree… I’m not a fan of sponsored posts either. Thanks for reading 🙂
  
  Reply
Sally

November 21, 2014

Katie, YOU are the only person in the world responsible for me figuring out lifelong health problems. I will never forget that you did that for me. YOU deserve to make money more than any blogger out there if you ask me. I want this blog to help you as much as it helps me, now start filling those college funds!!

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 21, 2014
  
  Thanks Sally 🙂 I’m so glad it was helpful to you… comments like yours make it all worth it!
  
  Reply