Katie's Bliss

A Nashville lifestyle blog covering affordable fashion, baby finds, home decor and more

June 12, 2014
Advice + Career
Tips for Maintaining a Blog While Working a Day Job

 

Tips for having a blog and working a day jobHappy Friday friends! Today I wanted to share some tips for how I stay on top of my blog while also working a full time job. It isn’t always easy – and I’m definitely not perfect, but these are a few things I think every part time blogger should keep in the back of their minds when it comes to blogging. I love Katie’s Bliss and hope to continue my site for years to come…while also working a day job 🙂

Surround yourself with people that support and understand what you do

Whether it’s your boyfriend, family or bff – it’s important to have an encouraging support system if you’re managing two careers. I know for a fact my blog/YouTube channel wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Nick. He takes all my photos on weekends and evenings – basically whenever him and I have free time, which unfortunately we don’t have too much of. I’ve had a few stressful moments where I’ve felt like I couldn’t handle blogging on top of my full time job but he and my family are very supportive and are always there to build me up on days when I feel down or overwhelmed.

Set boundaries

It’s really important to me that my blog and my day job don’t mix. I know everyone’s different but when I’m at work – I’m at work. I won’t ever even bring up my blog with my coworkers – though they will sometimes and I’m fine with that since they’re so supportive 🙂 I love my site and I’m proud of it, but I don’t want it to define me – especially at the workplace. It always surprises me when I’m chatting with other bloggers and they’re like, o yeah I blog at work all the time, don’t you? That’s something I’d never do – I wouldn’t have the time! And even if I did have the time it wouldn’t feel right. I like keeping the two separated – much simpler. But to each his own!

Utilize Hootsuite and other scheduling tools

Guys Hootsuite is my Godsend! Since I’m clearly at work during the day I obviously can’t be on Twitter and Facebook doing all my own live updates. Every morning before I leave for work I preschedule all my tweets and Facebook updates using Hootsuite. I also will schedule all my posts and videos using the different presets on WordPress and YouTube. Scheduling ahead of time makes everything about being a part time blogger so much easier.

Keep in mind your priorities

For me, my day job is always going to come first before my blog. My blog is a top priority, but on busy weeks when I have a lot going on at work I have no qualms about cutting back on my posts or not taking the time to schedule my social media updates. It always stinks when I can’t fit in time for my blog but it’s my reality and I’m cool with it.

There are also just those times where I’d rather my spend my entire weekend laying around on the couch and not work on editing my photos or answering my blog emails. I used to feel guilty, or even lazy, when I would take time for myself but I’ve come to realize there is nothing wrong with that. If you’re managing a blog and a full time job it’s important to have ‘me’ time. Cut yourself some slack – you are managing two jobs after all!

Don’t compare yourself to full time bloggers

I cannot stress this enough – if you blog part time, do not compare yourself to people who blog for a career! It will be your downfall! I struggled with this a little bit when I first moved to New York. I’d be at work and scroll down my Instagram feed and feel little tinges of disappointment every time I saw a full time blogger working on a collaboration or meeting with a brand. You just gotta remember the 10 hours a day you’re at your office, full time bloggers are devoting that time solely towards their sites. Can you image what you could do with all that time? I’d probably be killing it too if I could put the energy I put into my job into my blog – but that’s not what I want, and probably not what you want either! Just try your best not to compare yourself to others – it’s such a confidence killer!

Set goals

If you don’t have the time to be thinking and strategizing about your blog all day then make a point to set some long term goals for yourself. Now these don’t have to be huge goals – make them reasonable. It’s definitely a cheerful moment for me any time I meet a goal when it comes to my blog, no matter how big or small. Make yourself a list of what you want to accomplish and make a point to start checking them off!

It’s also important to not beat yourself up if you don’t meet a goal as soon as you’d like. Give yourself a break and remind yourself that blogging isn’t your full time job. Focus more on the goals you have met and give yourself a pat on the back for completing them in the first place 🙂

Don’t bite off more than you can chew

Now this is one thing I’ve definitely improved on over the last year. When I first moved to New York I was so excited when brands first started reaching out to me and I started getting invites to events – it was the coolest feeling! Coming from college in North Carolina I had never attended a fashion show and I had never met another blogger like myself so it was amazing that I was now being included in this world that I had only seen on the Internet and on TV. However I began to get overwhelmed really fast. I felt obligated to go to every press preview I was invited to and couldn’t ever say ‘No’ to another blogger reaching out to me for brunch or coffee. On top of that traveling around the city is expensive. I don’t have the extra funds to frivolously spend on cabs to go to an event for a brand that I really could care less about/doesn’t translate to my blog. I now make it a point to only attend events for brands I genuinely care about and make time for close friends/blogger pals that mean something to me. I get two days per week off and I try to spend them wisely.

This is also important when it comes to collaborations. It stinks but sometimes you just have to say no to opportunities – I’ve had to. When I’m doing a collaboration or working with a brand, it’s more important to product quality content and devote my time to that one company- rather than take on multiple projects at one time and potentially risk not being able to fulfill the commitment. Trust me, brands will appreciate the professionalism!

Stay organized

It’s vital to stay organized if you blog part time – something I definitely struggle with. I’m awful at keeping track of my receipts and expenses, so you can only manage what a nightmare it was for me when I had to do my taxes this year – ugh, torturous. So for the rest of 2014 I’m making it my mission to really treat Katie’s Bliss like a real business. I plan on staying on top of my emails (as best as I can), keeping a log of my income and filing all my paperwork. If you guys have any tips for how stay organized please let me know…

Do you work full time and blog? If so, what are your tips for managing the two? Let me know what you think in the comments!

- Katie

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34 comments

Working From Home

Tips for Maintaining a Blog While Working a Day Job

 

Tips for having a blog and working a day jobHappy Friday friends! Today I wanted to share some tips for how I stay on top of my blog while also working a full time job. It isn’t always easy – and I’m definitely not perfect, but these are a few things I think every part time blogger should keep in the back of their minds when it comes to blogging. I love Katie’s Bliss and hope to continue my site for years to come…while also working a day job 🙂

Surround yourself with people that support and understand what you do

Whether it’s your boyfriend, family or bff – it’s important to have an encouraging support system if you’re managing two careers. I know for a fact my blog/YouTube channel wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Nick. He takes all my photos on weekends and evenings – basically whenever him and I have free time, which unfortunately we don’t have too much of. I’ve had a few stressful moments where I’ve felt like I couldn’t handle blogging on top of my full time job but he and my family are very supportive and are always there to build me up on days when I feel down or overwhelmed.

Set boundaries

It’s really important to me that my blog and my day job don’t mix. I know everyone’s different but when I’m at work – I’m at work. I won’t ever even bring up my blog with my coworkers – though they will sometimes and I’m fine with that since they’re so supportive 🙂 I love my site and I’m proud of it, but I don’t want it to define me – especially at the workplace. It always surprises me when I’m chatting with other bloggers and they’re like, o yeah I blog at work all the time, don’t you? That’s something I’d never do – I wouldn’t have the time! And even if I did have the time it wouldn’t feel right. I like keeping the two separated – much simpler. But to each his own!

Utilize Hootsuite and other scheduling tools

Guys Hootsuite is my Godsend! Since I’m clearly at work during the day I obviously can’t be on Twitter and Facebook doing all my own live updates. Every morning before I leave for work I preschedule all my tweets and Facebook updates using Hootsuite. I also will schedule all my posts and videos using the different presets on WordPress and YouTube. Scheduling ahead of time makes everything about being a part time blogger so much easier.

Keep in mind your priorities

For me, my day job is always going to come first before my blog. My blog is a top priority, but on busy weeks when I have a lot going on at work I have no qualms about cutting back on my posts or not taking the time to schedule my social media updates. It always stinks when I can’t fit in time for my blog but it’s my reality and I’m cool with it.

There are also just those times where I’d rather my spend my entire weekend laying around on the couch and not work on editing my photos or answering my blog emails. I used to feel guilty, or even lazy, when I would take time for myself but I’ve come to realize there is nothing wrong with that. If you’re managing a blog and a full time job it’s important to have ‘me’ time. Cut yourself some slack – you are managing two jobs after all!

Don’t compare yourself to full time bloggers

I cannot stress this enough – if you blog part time, do not compare yourself to people who blog for a career! It will be your downfall! I struggled with this a little bit when I first moved to New York. I’d be at work and scroll down my Instagram feed and feel little tinges of disappointment every time I saw a full time blogger working on a collaboration or meeting with a brand. You just gotta remember the 10 hours a day you’re at your office, full time bloggers are devoting that time solely towards their sites. Can you image what you could do with all that time? I’d probably be killing it too if I could put the energy I put into my job into my blog – but that’s not what I want, and probably not what you want either! Just try your best not to compare yourself to others – it’s such a confidence killer!

Set goals

If you don’t have the time to be thinking and strategizing about your blog all day then make a point to set some long term goals for yourself. Now these don’t have to be huge goals – make them reasonable. It’s definitely a cheerful moment for me any time I meet a goal when it comes to my blog, no matter how big or small. Make yourself a list of what you want to accomplish and make a point to start checking them off!

It’s also important to not beat yourself up if you don’t meet a goal as soon as you’d like. Give yourself a break and remind yourself that blogging isn’t your full time job. Focus more on the goals you have met and give yourself a pat on the back for completing them in the first place 🙂

Don’t bite off more than you can chew

Now this is one thing I’ve definitely improved on over the last year. When I first moved to New York I was so excited when brands first started reaching out to me and I started getting invites to events – it was the coolest feeling! Coming from college in North Carolina I had never attended a fashion show and I had never met another blogger like myself so it was amazing that I was now being included in this world that I had only seen on the Internet and on TV. However I began to get overwhelmed really fast. I felt obligated to go to every press preview I was invited to and couldn’t ever say ‘No’ to another blogger reaching out to me for brunch or coffee. On top of that traveling around the city is expensive. I don’t have the extra funds to frivolously spend on cabs to go to an event for a brand that I really could care less about/doesn’t translate to my blog. I now make it a point to only attend events for brands I genuinely care about and make time for close friends/blogger pals that mean something to me. I get two days per week off and I try to spend them wisely.

This is also important when it comes to collaborations. It stinks but sometimes you just have to say no to opportunities – I’ve had to. When I’m doing a collaboration or working with a brand, it’s more important to product quality content and devote my time to that one company- rather than take on multiple projects at one time and potentially risk not being able to fulfill the commitment. Trust me, brands will appreciate the professionalism!

Stay organized

It’s vital to stay organized if you blog part time – something I definitely struggle with. I’m awful at keeping track of my receipts and expenses, so you can only manage what a nightmare it was for me when I had to do my taxes this year – ugh, torturous. So for the rest of 2014 I’m making it my mission to really treat Katie’s Bliss like a real business. I plan on staying on top of my emails (as best as I can), keeping a log of my income and filing all my paperwork. If you guys have any tips for how stay organized please let me know…

Do you work full time and blog? If so, what are your tips for managing the two? Let me know what you think in the comments!

Comments

  1. Emma says

    Awesome advice Katie! As a blogger/student athlete, I can really relate to setting goals and boundaries and not comparing yourself to anyone. Thanks for working so hard and showing that you can have it all!

    Reply

  3. Monique says

    I love this post! I am brand new to blogging and working full time! I am struggling with building a community after a long day at work. I take it day by day and hope to meet new bloggers when the time is right!
    Cheers
    Monique
    casuallychicbymonique.com

    Reply

  4. Kendall says

    Katie!!!! BEST POST EVERRRRR (well, not ever bc I love all your posts, but so insightful and relate-able). You took so many thoughts right out of my head and placed them on paper and it is nice to see I am not alone. Loved reading this, you are a super-star!!

    xo Kendall
    http://www.styledsnapshots.com

    Reply

  5. Anna says

    Such a relief to read this post! Thanks so much for sharing and inspiring. I’m a Director by day and a blogger by night, but it’s really difficult some days to keep up. Glad to hear I’m not along! Thanks, again!

    Anna
    alilyloveaffair.com

    Reply

  6. Jess Zimlich says

    Such a great read! It’s refreshing to know I’m not the only one. It’s hard to manage it all. Luckily, I’m surrounded by an amazing support system who understands that this hobby brings me great joy. I’m excited to start following along with your blog 🙂 Have a fab weekend!

    Reply

  7. Marielle says

    Thanks for this post!! I have a hard time not comparing myself to full-time bloggers, my day job exhausts me and I feel guilty a lot of the time not keeping up on my posting. But like you said, I think getting more organized and planning my posts in advance will help! Thanks for sharing again, something I needed to hear!!! 🙂

    Reply

  8. Isabel says

    Hello Katie!! I don’t usually comment on your blog, I’m more a follower of your Youtube though you’re not there too much any more..

    But I found this article quiete interesting and useful!! I’m relatively new to being a blogger, I have less than a year in this and still learning! but have definitely found that being able to schedule and be motivated is a key!

    I think another very important reason is to not force yourself and always remember the site is yours, which mean that if there’s something trending but you don’t relate to it, it’s ok if you don’t post about it, even if you miss the opportunity to gain more followers, genuinity is way more important than a bunch of readers that at the end of the day could not really relate to your content the way you are trying to project it.

    Thank you! I will be sharing you post around in my twitter (@Isabelmissvplam) 😀

    Reply

    • Katie says

      I know I wish I had more time for YouTube like I used to 🙁 You make so many great points as well! Forcing yourself to blog or write about a topic is never a good thing. Thank you for reading! Means a lot!

      Reply

  9. Katherine L says

    Great post! I think you are doing an incredible job with your blog, especially since it’s not your primary focus. I find it hard as a full time student staying motivated to create posts, and promote your own blog. Everything you do as a student is on your own time; while you may have 12-15 hours a week of lecture, all readings/projects are your responsibly. I always feel guilty “wasting” time trying to find things to blog about, when I know I should be working on school work. Hopefully I can find some way to better organize my time!

    -Katherine
    http://thegreenbows.blogspot.ca

    Reply

  10. Bridget McGahen says

    This is super helpful! I work full-time in marketing in NYC, but I also run a health/fitness blog. Would love to pick your brain on blogging over coffee if you ever have time!

    Reply

  11. Christina says

    As a girl moving from being a student to being a career woman like yourself, I really do appreciate your tips! I’ve been working hard(er) on my blog since 2013, and when I finished University this year, I was at a lost when I started working and wasn’t able to post as often.
    The Instagram feed really does make me feel bad too. When you follow many full-time bloggers who offer plenty of tips for making your blog the best it can be, and you work either full-time or part-time, it makes you very sad that you do not have enough time (or support in my case) to do/try the things they suggest. I HAVE TO stop comparing myself to full-time bloggers, because they have way more time for this stuff, and while I’m still young, I’m trying to make a career out of what I’ve studied so hard for. My B.Sc! Thanks for the advice, Katie!

    Reply

  12. Chekara says

    These are some great tips! I been struggling recently with trying to find a work/blog/life balance and you gave some really great insights to your own experiences.

    Chekara
    shadesofchekara.com

    Reply

  13. Arianne says

    I just now am getting around to properly leaving a comment on this blog. I’m sorry!

    I love this post, I think it’s quite helpful whether you’re a new blogger, a renewed blogger (like me), or a seasoned blogger. I now have a notepad at work since that’s where I spend most of my time, and a notebook at home to jot down random thoughts in my head. Someone suggested it to me and I thought “why not?”. It might spring on a brilliant idea one day 🙂

    Reply

  14. Liz says

    Great advice. I work FT and just started blogging this year. I wish I could blog FT but that’s not economically feasible. So obviously like in your case my FT job always comes first. If I have time during the week before, on my lunch or after work I will blog but most of my blogging is kept to the weekends. However, I do stay on top of emails and comments during the week. Last week when I had a really busy work week and (no complaints here) a lot going on in the blog world, for the first time I questioned if the blog was too much but its way too much fun not to do. I love it and now that I’ve started I think I’m addicted.

    http://www.lookfortheoccasion.com

    Reply

  15. Morgan says

    As a blogging newbie who also works full time, these tips are SO helpful! Thank you for sharing, and for taking some of the pressure off. I sometimes forget that others I follow blog for a living, so I find myself comparing myself and my blog to theirs – thanks for the reminder!

    Morgan
    yellowdoordiaries.blogspot.com

    Reply

  16. Anastasiya says

    Thank you for those tips! Do you have a blogging beginner tips anywhere? Simple stuff like how do I make a website vs. have the wordpress.com at the end? How does a blog actually make money? Found your videos online yesterday and falling in love with your blog now 🙂 Thanks for writing!

    ~Anastasiya~

    Reply

  17. Amariza Rodrigues says

    Hello Katie, I hope all is fabulous with you. I certainly enjoyed reading your blog and your YouTube Videos.
    I am from Boston, I am looking to move NYC, your Apartment find Guide and your advise for blogging and working is so Helpful. I want to start a blog and Youtube, for awhile. can you please share any tips.
    thank you
    truly I appreciated
    xoxo

    Reply

  18. Maya says

    Hi Katie! I love your blog and I’ve decided that I want to become a blogger. and I’ve been having so many difficulties making one with a great responsive theme, I’m getting frustrated with launching my first ever blog, any suggestions or tips, I would truly appreciate your help?

    Reply

  19. Catie Beth Bowman says

    I’m about to graduate from college and am worried about how I will be able to maintain my small, yet growing blog! Thank you for sharing this and being such a good example by showing you can do both, and do a flawless job!

    Reply

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