One of my long-term goals is to start a business. Right now, I think this business will be a public relations firm that focuses on working with non-profit clients. I talk about this often, because I believe that connecting with other people who have similar goals is important. I also spend a lot of time reading blogs written by women who own businesses. I hope to learn from them, to understand how I can succeed, and some of the challenges I’ll probably face.
Here are my favorites:
And Kathleen at Braid Creative – I’ve been following Kathleen for a long time, way before she started Braid. She’s a graphic designer and coach for creatives. Kathleen is super driven and someone who I see as being able to balance a career that she cares deeply about with a strong personal life. She also talks about small business on Being Boss, which is a great podcast.
Sarah Von Bargen blogs at Yes and Yes – Sarah does content strategy, and she has a wonderfully funny, smart blog. I admire the way she blends the two and never seems like a sell-out.
XO Sarah – Sarah is a web designer and aerialist. In the past year, she’s expanded way beyond her web design business to include more passive income products – things like ebooks and online courses, where the equation changes from time spent working * hourly rate = $ to product * people who want it = $$$. It’s been really fascinating to watch this transition and understand how that could apply to other types of businesses.
Nubby Twiglet at Branch – Shauna is a graphic designer who also teaches people how to blog with The Blogcademy. I love Shauna’s aesthetic and the way she’s followed her passions and found a way to work with people who are like-minded. In self-helpy language, I think they call this “finding your tribe.”
Chelsea Fagan at The Financial Diet – I’ve been following Chelsea’s blog for a while, and I read her book, “I’m Only Here for the Wifi,” right when it came out. The Financial Diet is a blog about personal finance for women. Personally, I find the content to sometimes be a little too focused on things that are conventionally feminine. Often, there are posts about how to save money on makeup and clothes. I barely wear makeup and don’t really like shopping, so these posts almost make me feel like I’m not feminine enough. Still, I find the growth of the blog to be fascinating and inspiring, and I always geek out about personal finance.
Beehive Content at L Bee and the Money Tree – Lauren blogs about personal finance, and has just gone full-time at her freelance business, Beehive Content. I appreciate that Lauren is just starting out – where Kathleeen and Shauna seem so established, Lauren is at a place where I could see myself being, after working at it for a couple years. I’m very interested to see where Lauren ends up in a few years, so I’m going to keep reading her blog.