Hi Spring! What’s the name of your blog?
Where are you from?
Chicago, IL.
Tell us a little bit more about you and your blog, Patience & Pearls.
My name is Spring Davis. I am a lifestyle blogger, small business owner, wife and soon-to-be mom to a baby boy. I blog about saving money, family life, wellness and career.
My goal is for Patience & Pearls to be a resource for those of us who are navigating a career, in or out of the home, raising a family, and trying to build a bridge between the life we would like to have and the realities and obligations of right now. That path isn’t always clear-cut, and I know have personally struggled with knowing when and how to make that transition. Whether your journey involves starting your own business or optimizing your balance in your dream job, Patience & Pearls provides resources on managing your money, your time, and your wellness to get you on your way to manifesting your ideal life.
How many years have you been blogging at Patience & Pearls?
1.5 years total, full-time for 2 months.
Give us your best tip to staying on top of the blog/work/life balance?
Plan posts and photoshoots well in advance and break down your projects into small chunks. It is less overwhelming this way, and you’ll produce a quality result with the least amount of daily effort.
Fill in the blank. What people don’t realize about blogging is….
There is so much work behind the scenes besides the writing, including coming up with a concept people will be interested in, planning, taking and editing photos, micromanaging SEO, and marketing.
What are three things you wish you knew about blogging before you started?
- I wish I knew at the beginning how important it was for ranking to write posts that were helpful to others instead of writing journal entries;
- Don’t take struggles personally or let them sap your confidence; just learn from them as quickly as possible and move on;
- Consistency is key- keep producing quality content, even if you don’t feel like writing that day, and set personal deadlines to hold yourself accountable
What’s your favorite WordPress plugin?
What skills and qualities do you think are necessary for a successful and professional blogger?
Resilience and persistence. It can be discouraging to hear a lot of “no”s or to see that your blog is not gaining traction as quickly as you want it to. Resilience and persistence allow us to bounce back from these struggles and keep going until we become successful.
What has blogging taught you that no other career or job has before?
Flexibility! I love what I do so much that I don’t mind waking up early or staying up late to get things done. I can also set my own schedule and be 100% accountable to myself, without having to deal with a whole bunch of arbitrary rules and red tape that may stand in the way from reaching my personal goals.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting out in the blog world?
If this is something you really want to do, keep going and be consistent. It will pay off in the end.
What makes your brand, Patience & Pearls, different than other bloggers?
My blog is a lifestyle brand that focuses on the intersection of wellness, work and family from a frugal standpoint.
What topic do you most enjoy writing about?
I love writing about doing more with less- whether that is time or money.
What would your dream partnership look like?
Mint.com. My husband and I, use Mint daily to manage my family’s finances, and I think it’s such a great tool for busy families who want to stay on top of their financial goals. I love that you can see all of your money in one place, set goals and create a budget, all from the convenience of your phone. I would love to do a budget challenge with my readers, just to showcase how easy it is to get started managing financial goals, whether it is saving for a downpayment on a house, paying off debt or preparing to launch a small business.
A current blogging goal you are working on?
This year, I am working on maintaining consistency and providing quality, useful content.
What does a typical workday for you look like?
I wake up around 6am, have breakfast, and have work blocks between 7am to noon and between 2 and 7pm, and go to bed around 11pm. How I use my work blocks depends on my goals for the day, and I may add more hours at the end of the day depending on upcoming deadlines. I also make time for self-care and errands outside of my two major work blocks. Also, I am getting ready to launch my small business, so as that deadline approaches, more and more of my work blocks are being spent on preparing for the launch. I do make sure that I use at least 3 work blocks per week working on the blog. My schedule will definitely change once my son is born.
What’s your most recent WIN with your blog?
I am finally seeing some increased blog traffic because I learned how to use Pinterest the right way.
What is one thing in the blogging industry that frustrates you that you wish you could change?
I wish that collaborating with brands and monetizing my blog was a little bit more straightforward.
What’s your guilty pleasure TV show?
Scandal.
What’s your Starbucks order?
Hot black coffee.
