People often ask me about my big “AHA moment”—the time when things just started clicking for my blog. They want to know the secret to growing a following or the top advice I’d give to newbies in blogging.
Honestly, it’s a tricky question because building a brand involves a lot: good content, eye-catching photos, engaging with your audience, and so on. While I had been doing all these things for quite some time, my progress was still pretty slow.
There were times when I was super frustrated, seeing new influencers come in and surpass me effortlessly. I’ll admit, I wanted to quit about a hundred times. I kept questioning myself—what was I doing wrong? Didn’t people like me? It was a tough cycle of trying to fit into a mold and feeling completely stuck.
I felt like everything was stagnant—my readership wasn’t growing, my following was at a standstill, and I didn’t know what to do next. I was doing okay, enough to avoid quitting altogether, but it was clear that something needed to change. Blogging just didn’t excite me anymore. It can be tough to stay motivated when you’re passionate about something but aren’t seeing the desired results.
This is something many can relate to, no matter their job. You might love what you do, but if there’s no growth, it’s hard to keep going.
Then one day, it hit me—the blog didn’t feel completely like me. I reviewed my recent content closely. It looked nice, and it had my voice, but something was missing. I was trying too hard to fit into what I assumed people wanted, and that was the issue.
Once I realized this, everything changed instantly. It wasn’t that I stopped caring; rather, I started caring more about the blog, my content, and everything else.
All I did was discuss the topics I wanted without worrying about judgment or criticism. Take “The Mary Jane Diaries,” for example—was I scared to talk about this? Absolutely. I was terrified of admitting I smoked weed. No one wants to be judged, especially when you’re a recognizable figure on social media, which opens you up to criticism. I also feared alienating my current readers.
But I took the plunge, and I discovered two things: I don’t have many haters, which is fantastic, and my audience is cool with the topic of marijuana, which is even better because it means I’ve found an audience that relates to me.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to be 100% authentic in building your brand or blog. The industry is crowded, but that shouldn’t discourage you. The way to stand out is to be true to yourself and your audience.
If you’ve read this far, thank you! You’re the kind of person I want on my team, and I am forever grateful that you accept me for who I am.