Hi Maria! What’s the name of your blog.
Where are you from?
Atlanta, Georgia.
Tell us a little bit more about you and your blog, SweetLife Housewife.
On my blog, I share style and fashion, travel, and beauty over 40, mixed with some everyday lifestyle posts.
Give us your best tip to staying on top of the blog/work/life balance?
Schedule your time on your family calendar. You have to block it off!
Fill in the blank. What people don’t realize about blogging is….
People don’t realize that a blog is way more than just putting your thoughts in a post, there is a whole separate job learning the back end and social media plan.
What are three things you wish you knew about blogging before you started?
I wish I knew how Google analytics all worked as well as the backend of WordPress.
What’s your favorite WordPress plugin and how has it helped your business?
Yoast Premium has helped me a lot with SEO! It reminds me of steps I might forget to check otherwise.
What skills and qualities do you think are necessary for a successful and professional blogger?
You have to be a self-starter and have the ambition to make it happen. Also, you must be willing to learn in an ever-changing landscape.
What has blogging taught you/given you that no other career or job has before?
Blogging has given me an appreciation for staying current in an environment that is a moving target.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting out in the blog world?
Find a group to network with and help you find your way!
What does a typical work day for you look like? Whether you’re a full time blogger or not, we’d love to learn what your schedule looks like and how you manage it all.
A typical day in my life starts with walking our chihuahua Prada, feeding her, some type of exercise, and then working on the blog or social media most afternoons.
What would your dream partnership look like? From the brand, the content, all of it! Dream up your perfect collaboration.
My perfect collaboration would be with Athleta for a vacation or business trip. I feel like their brand is eco-aware and offers quality clothing perfect for travel. As I become more aware of the impact some fashion has on the environment my respect for companies like Athleta continues to grow.
What is a current blogging goal you’re working on?
My current blogging goal centers around understanding what goes on behind the scenes since it has at least as crucial a role as the thoughts I put together and hope to share.
What’s your most recent WIN with your blog?
I got a new theme from 17th Avenue and it really speaks to the vibe of my blog!
What is one thing in the blogging industry that frustrates you that you wish you could change?
I wish there was a step-by-step tutorial for what you need to do to be a successful blogger. There are so many people claiming to be authorities it can be difficult to find the right path.
How has your content changed since you first started blogging?
I started as a YouTuber so my early blog attempts were mostly just linking to my YouTube videos and not really valuable blog posts that offered the reader very much. Now I realize the importance of a blog post giving value to the reader above and beyond a supportive video.
What’s your favorite blogging memory or highlight?
When we were in Portugal last year I got so many hits on one of my posts my website needed to be reconfigured to handle the traffic. It was nice to know people were visiting my blog!
