Happy 1st Blog Birthday to Me: 12 Lessons in 12 months of being an Influencer

Well, I finally made it. One year in this amazing influencer/content creator/blogger world and boy have I learned A LOT. And I’m ready to share some of my major takeaways from being in this space for one year. Hopefully, this will help you on your journey to become an influencer or if you are already in the game, provide some encouragement to keep going! You got this!

But first, in true One Fly Mama style, I had to celebrate this milestone and wanted to share a few details with you.

I celebrated my blog birthday with a few fellow Houston Influencers that I admire and have befriended along the way. We met up for sweet dessert drinks and had so much fun. Honestly, fun is an understatement. It was an epic night full of laughter and love. The theme of the event was Le Dessert en Blanc fashioned after the popular Le Diner en Blanc event.

I asked everyone to wear white to signify our unity and that we are all the same. Though we have unique interests and journeys, we share the same goal. And that is to create and inspire!

On this night, it did not matter how many likes we acquired, how many followers we had or brands we’ve worked with. We were all there to celebrate each other’s accomplishments and show the world that collaboration over competition is the new wave!

Here are 12 lessons that I’ve learned in 12 months of being an influencer:

1. Just start. Do it scared.

When I started my influencer journey one year ago, I was scared out of my mind. I’m talking that sweaty palms, tapping your foot on the floor compulsively type of scared. I’ve always had an Instagram page, but it was private for just friends and family. I had a little over 500 followers and when I switched my page from private to public, my numbers shot up to 827. I remember that day vividly. There were over three hundred follower requests that were sitting in my queue because I NEVER accepted friend requests from people that I did not know personally. Oh how I wish I would have taken a screenshot to remember that day I went “public.” I was so nervous to open my life up to “strangers”, but I knew I had to do it. My purpose was calling. So here I am, one year later, with 11,200 followers. WOW! But God.

2. Find your tribe.

Being an Influencer is cool. However, this can be a difficult, nerve-wrecking, busy, lonely, and tiring journey from time to time. You need a tribe of other bloggers and influencers that you can call on and confide in. A tribe to cheer you on when you’re winning and to inspire and encourage you on the days that you’re drained.

3. Get comfortable writing. Quick.

This part was a HUGE adjustment for me. Influencing requires a lot of writing every single day. Captions, blogs, pitches. It’s wayyyyyyyyyyyyy more than taking pictures. More on that in point #12.

4. Build thick skin.

Everyone and I mean everyone will have an opinion on YOUR life. And one could argue that it’s their prerogative. I mean we are sharing our lives, right? Well, not everyone wants to wish you well. No matter how pure your intentions are.

5. Not everyone will get it.

Manage your expectations of those you expect to support you. Sometimes your family and friends don’t understand the business of being an influencer. Everyone won’t like, comment, save and share your content. Keep serving and inspiring. Be accepting of the fact that some just want to look…and not support. And that’s okay.

6. Set time limits and boundaries online.

Pace yourself. Life is a journey, not a race. The same goes for being a content creator and blogger. You can very easily get consumed in the constant need to post every day like experts suggest. But set time limits and boundaries when you’re online. Don’t let the need to succeed cause you to neglect your other responsibilities. (i.e. – your spouse, your kids, your home, your full-time job, etc.)

7. Create more than you consume.

We’re all in this space to create and inspire. But don’t get caught up in always watching what others are doing more than you’re actually creating. Comparison is the thief of joy. Which segues into my next point.

8. Be authentic.

Stay in your lane and don’t compare your journey, your stats, your SELF to others. We all have a unique story to tell. Own your uniqueness and what awesome content you have to bring to this space…and rock it. People follow you because of YOU.

Authenticity = Less Burnout = Longevity

9. Niche is cool and all, but find your WHY.

It’s okay to talk about multiple topics and interests that you have. I mean that’s natural right? We all like multiple things. But what’s more important that finding your niche, is finding your purpose and leaning on your WHY. Because on those days that it gets difficult, you’ll need your WHY to lean on and motivate you to keep going.

10. Share responsibly.

This goes for everyone, blogger or not. Be cautious of what you put online. It can stay there forever.

11. Your input determines your output.

Study your craft. Research. Find muses. Seek out inspiration. Always be open to learning something new to continually level up your game. I have some really awesome books and resources that I can suggest to you that are on my Amazon Store Front. These are my Influencer Must-Haves.

12. Influencing is a business. Treat it accordingly.

According to Influencer Marketing Hub, Influencer marketing is expected to grow to be worth $13.8 billion in 2021. That’s a lot of influencing if you ask me. Get your affairs in order. Your media kit, your domain, your website, your invoicing, your bookkeeping, your contracts, and everything else. I’ve found that brands take you more seriously and consider you for multiple campaigns when you are prompt, professional, organized and reliable.

I hope that these tips and lessons were helpful to you. And no matter where you are in your blogger journey, be authentic, stay consistent and always remember your why!

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