Hey, introduce yourself!
I’m Jane and write the blog, Positively Jane!
Where do you live?
I’m in Greenville, South Carolina
Tell us more about you and your blog?
I encourage women to choose joy every day. This comes into 2 categories. 1) Rising above the stuff in life that kicks you in the butt and saying no, I won’t let that steal my joy 2) Finding things that create joy and help us all age gracefully.
How long have you been blogging for?
Four years.
What people don’t realize about blogging is…?
Hard work. It seems so easy. And it is on many levels…but keeping up with the blog and being consistent is different than blogging. One other thing that a blogger needs to do is find their niche and stick to it. I am still trying to figure that one out!
Give us your best tip for maintaining a blog work/life balance?
Schedule your time. Literally, put it on your calendar and treat that time like it’s a date with your fave friend. Something you wouldn’t cancel unless something drastic happened…which does not include reading a book or watching tv or getting sucked into someone’s IG feed.
What are 3 things you wish you knew about blogging before you started?
1. How much money it would cost.
2. The best way to monetize (to save me from spending the thousands I spent)
3. How to find my people from the beginning…meaning, which lead magnets to offer that was on point with my brand.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
I get up no later than 6. Drink tea and look at emails and my Facebook group. Look at my calendar and Todoist and see what is up for the day. Spend a few hours doing what I can. Usually planning and writing blog posts. Around 8-9 breakfast.
Then it’s regular life stuff. Pilates 3-4 days a week. Different times. I try to do errands 1-2 days a week in blocks of time so I am not always driving. 2-3 hours at other times during the day, so, I work about 4-6 hours a day part time.
What skills and qualities do you think are necessary for a successful and professional influencer?
A passion to help others…not yourself. A work ethic that treats your blog as as a biz…even if only part time.
What has blogging taught you that no other career has before?
How to manage my time so that I have a work/life balance (somewhat anyway). How to write. I hadn’t written anything since college (40 years) and I found out that I, not only like it, I’m good at it.
If there’s one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting out, what would it be?
I’ve got two. Make sure you have money set aside and find a mentor from the beginning so you can avoid all the mistakes I made.
Give us the inside scoop, is there an app or tool that you swear by?
Todoist. Keeps me organized. And Asana for my blog posts. Keeps them organized too.
While you cover a few topics on your blog, which do you enjoy the most to write about and why?
Life’s mental challenges for women.
How has your content evolved since you first started out? What would we see if we went back into the archives?
Oh gosh. I have evolved so much. I started out as a Lifestyle blogger who blogged about everything. Deleted fashion and decorating. Honed into choosing joy. They decided I should have a course to make money and I chose financial independence for women because that is my sweet spot. Spent 8 months writing it and about $15k in costs. Sold 2. So, back to the starting point for me. Just not sure what to do next…besides quit. I like the blogging part.
What’s been your most favorite blogging memory to date?
The emails I receive when a post helps someone out.
Okay, we’re grabbing a Starbucks for a coffee date, what are you ordering?
English breakfast tea with milk
