My 20th Blogging Anniversary
This post is sponsored by WordPress.com.
It’s my 20th anniversary on the internet this year. I really can’t believe it. I started blogging in 2006 as a way to share my scrapbooking projects, and it was through that community that I took root online. I would share my blog on message boards and soon started growing a small following.
I had no idea when I began sharing about memory keeping that it would someday turn into my life’s work. I would write in the early morning and late at night, loving the experience of publishing online and connecting with other women.
When I became pregnant with my first son, my blogging community was there for everything – from discussing diapers to the balance of motherhood. I remember As my family grew, so did my work online. I started getting requests to receive product samples and work with brand partners. Hundreds of thousands of people started reading my website.
One of the pieces that was important to me from the beginning was having the autonomy to publish on my own website. I liked the ease of publishing, despite having little online background. This still holds true today.
While many creators no longer blog, for me blogging is the foundation of my platform. I have used WordPress.com for 15 years. As my platform grew, WordPress.com was able to scale with me. I have worked hard to show up every single day – for myself and my community.
I evolved online to not just be a mom sharing about her family, but a friend for thousands of women looking for advice from someone they could trust. I have shared so much online – from silly happenings with my kids to the painful trauma of my divorce. Women have found themselves in my posts, and it is a humbling gift that I have never taken for granted.
Blogging and creating content online has allowed me to be a woman who helps busy women with decision fatigue make decisions. My blog became a destination for product reviews, sales, introspective journaling, travel itineraries and more. I left my day job in 2021 so I could fully embrace my primary mission of serving women. And it was one of the best things I ever did.
In the past 20 years, I have published nearly 4,000 blog posts. I estimate that there are more than 2 million words on my site and thousands of photos. It has supported partnerships with some of the nation’s biggest brands including Disney, Southwest Airlines, Target, Walmart, and Nike. It has been the one constant in an industry that is constantly evolving.
If you have ever thought about starting a business online – as an influencer, creator, writer — my first piece of advice would be to go to WordPress.com. It has everything you need to start. And then, simply begin.