So Fabulously Sweet Turns 2! ~ Reflecting and Looking Ahead

“No artist is ahead of his time. He is his time, it’s just that others are behind the times.” ~ Martha Graham

Hey sweetie pies, Happy 4th of July! As you are probably reading this I am probably on my way to a cookout/pool party! Your girl will be totally lit! We are also celebrating the 2 year anniversary of So Fabulously Sweet! *throws confetti*

Last year, I shared how much I had learned about myself in my first year of blogging but who would’ve thought that I would learn as much as I did in my second year. I have learned so much about blogging as a whole and the importance of establishing and developing my own personal brand.

I want to be honest with you all. I have definitely made some mistakes with my blog but they were vital that I make them so that I can learn from them. For example, I have had a few brands reach out to me about collaborating and working with them. I was so excited when presented with these opportunities because my first thought was “Someone notices me and my blog!”. I felt like because they reached out to me that they truly valued my opinion, my hard work and would be willing to compensate me for my time. Sadly this was not the case. I feel like only those who blog can truly empathize and understand all the work that goes into what you are doing. I personally feel that it is harder to do work for something like this, especially if you don’t make a sufficient income from your blog. You really have to love it and be dedicated. Now don’t get me wrong because that has never been a problem per se. Some days I am not as motivated as I need to be, but I always have pushed through. My blog means everything because it’s my creative outlet and a reflection of me.

With that being said, one certain brand, Brand A (I will keep names and brands anonymous) wanted me to do a post talking about their products and wanted me to do a post similar to another blogger’s while putting my own twist on it. Of course, I was super excited to do it. I mentioned to them about compensating me but then they replied that it was not in their budget. I didn’t see how that could be true because they are pretty big and well known enough, at least in my opinion. Of course I didn’t ask for an obscene amount or a certain amount at all. I didn’t want to come off as asking for too much, especially because I knew that my blog was pretty small. Things like this are also so gray and lines are often blurred because there is no guideline or rule book to go by. My first mistake was agreeing to do the work anyway without any type of contract and/or compensation. I told the company that I would get the post up within the next two weeks and I did. However, once the post was live and I had sent a link to the company, they asked me to change it from link x to link y because they wanted traffic directed to a certain page. They also asked me to change certain wording in my post, nothing too terribly drastic. But nonetheless, they asked me to change it! I felt like they were beginning to ask for entirely too much. However I agreed because I was honestly afraid of getting a bad rep with them and possibly other companies. This was another mistake I made, letting someone else who barely even knew anything about me or my blog for that matter be the dominant voice. Another mistake I made was not sticking to my guns and being firm in my decisions.

After several workshops and talking to other bloggers, I learned that I totally went about that entire situation wrong. After learning better, I realized I had to do better. That particular situation left me feeling used, worthless, and just down on myself. I had to reflect back to why I started this blog – to have a creative outlet for me and to express myself. If I don’t give myself a voice, then what’s the point?

I had to reevaluate and learn what it is that I truly want – not just my blog but life in general. I realized that since my blog is a reflection of me, it should include everything that I love! So my blog will include posts about fashion, beauty, lifestyle and dance. That’s why you may have noticed that I have been including posts about dance here and there. I want to start sharing my dancing journey as well from classes, auditions, dancewear and teaching opportunites. I want to expand my blog in multiple ways such as offering styling services and workshops/webinars. I will be getting my own domain soon so that I have all rights to my content. A savvy blogger gave me that advice. (If you are reading this, then I think you know who you are lolz)

When it comes to all of the things that I want to do in the future for So Fabulously Sweet, I get so excited! I want to eventually transition to blogging full time and make sufficient income with So Fabulously Sweet. I want to develop a personal brand and collaborate with brands as well as o
ther bloggers on the regular. I hope to develop myself, my blog and my craft.

I also want So Fabulously Sweet to be viewed from an artistic standpoint. I want to be inspired more, inspire others, evolve and create more. I want to show my sweetie pies everything that inspires me. I have a lot of ideas when it comes to the blog and dancing and I can’t wait to take you all along on this journey. I am going to continue to work hard to bring new content and let you all in on my So Fabulously Sweet world! (See what I did there?)

I am so excited to see what plans God reveals to me and I CANNOT wait to bring you all along on this crazy ride! If you have any ideas/suggestions for blog posts let me know by leaving a comment below!