Friday Five: 5 Tips to Work Full Time and Blog

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about why I am not quitting my day job. I got a ton of feedback. Both positive support and surprisingly, a lot of backlash. I get it. Taking a stand is a scary, but empowering thing. Talking about real life is a lot more controversial than how cute this floral dress is. It’s raw and hits you at the core. So, I guess I’m just glad so many people read it!

One of the really common questions I got after writing that post was: how do you do it? Great question. I can’t give you a detailed roadmap to managing a professional career and blogging simultaneously. Honestly, I don’t think I have perfected the recipe just yet. Especially given that my day job and blogging don’t overlap for the most part (I work in finance). There aren’t really any efficiencies between those two. Also, what works for me may be different for someone else. But here are 5 simple things I’ve found have helped me execute Visions of Vogue.

1. Gmail calendar.

Most bloggers don’t have some fancy financial system or savvy business email system AKA Outlook. I wouldn’t recommend it. My strategy is to run a very low cost business (less risk). So use the tools that are free. Gmail is a pretty darn helpful thing. Once you get used to the interface, it will be a lot easier. Plus, you can reference it at any time on your iPhone. Like when you’re on the elliptical which is what I did earlier this week as I wrote the beginning of this post.

Schedule your posts to create your “editorial calendar”. I used to sit down the night before and write about whatever I had. It was spontaneous but also pretty stressful. I now try to plan out my posts a couple weeks in advance. That way, I can subconsciously brainstorm what to write about in the weeks leading up to it which yields better content IMO. I make sure to check my calendar every Friday to see what’s coming up for the next week. That way I know where my priority needs to be in terms of creating content that weekend. If you have to change something around, don’t feel guilty. This is your business. You do you. I still struggle with this if I’m being honest.

2. Backup content.

Build a repository of content that you can post at any time. These repositories might have to be segmented by season because you want to be relevant still. Just do a few extra shoots when you can. We try to shoot for a day a weekend (weather permitting). Lately, we haven’t even able to shoot at all which is why we were forced to shoot mid-week and wound up in a thunderstorm in Wednesday’s post. Also, earmark your really good old content that can be repurposed. I used to feel pressured to post 5 completely brand new pieces of content weekly. When I started Friday Five, the pressure was taken off because the format of the post is different so I usually reuse content. Even though it’s only 20% of my posts for the week, it makes a huge difference. Give yourself a break!

3. Excel spreadsheets.

I personally love excel. It’s such a powerful tool. That’s also because it’s a critical part of being in the finance industry though. If I simplify it a lot, there are 2 major spreadsheets I use. The first is my P&L (profit and loss statement). Basically, I list all my revenue (earnings) and my expenses (costs) so I can see my true income, when I need to curb spending, and how I’m measuring up against my goals. The second is a list of my partnerships (fondly called collaborations by bloggers) with what I need to shoot, the due date, fee, and all the other details I need to know. I’m currently keeping this in Google sheets because it’s easier for me (and Matt) to reference from our phones. This was something he requested at the end of last year when we were living apart. His issue was he never knew how much HAD to get done. There’s always a difference between what I HAVE to get done and what I WANT to get done. I’ll let you guess which list is longer :) So, I put together this document and it’s evolved over the last few months. Now, it’s probably more of a tool for me as I reference it daily to plan what I need to deliver on. So helpful.

P.S. If you have any questions about what either of these documents looks like, email me and I’ll sent you a really basic template. This doesn’t have to be complicated!

4. Set goals.

Blogging can feel a bit aimless without them. If you’re the type of person who enjoys that, good for you. I’m not and I’d bet so many of you aren’t. I’m 100% Type A so I’m always looking forward to the next best thing. I implemented goals this year for the first time and it forces me to think strategically every month to make sure I’m getting there. The best part of this is that you get to set them yourself. I know in my day job, I don’t have that luxury. I feel more empowered so that’s rewarding and more motivating in itself.

5. Find your ride or die.

Whether it’s your best friend, your mom, fellow blogger, or your Instagram husband, identify the one person you’re going to lean on more than anyone else. You’re going to need that person. Or rather, it’s a lot easier if you have that person. You guys are going to go through some tough times together.

Since Matt is my person, I’ve identified strategies to get him more invested in the blog. It helps that he’s my husband so by default our goals are aligned and if they aren’t, absorbed. Hence why you’re going to see a lot of IG Stories from baseball stadiums this summer. Matt’s a lover of baseball and therefore, it’s become a part of my life! Just like taking photos and brainstorming topics have become part of his. Lots of give and take here so I always remind myself to be grateful and verbalize that to Matt. I also try to take deals that are more fun for us (and maybe beneficial for Matt) like ice cream or travel. Every little bit helps!

And before I forget, here’s a round up of what happened on the blog this week!

• Talked about how Amazon.com is stepping up their fashion game
• Tried beauty products with bee venom in them
• Got caught in a thunderstorm
• Shared really embarrassing photos of my stretch marks
• Rounded up the best April Instagram outfits

What did you think of these tips? Do you have any tips that have really helped you stay organized?