This month’s Spotlight Saturday features a blogger that I’ve been following for over a year and who has significantly impacted my blog in numerous ways. She shares tons of free advice on both her blog and her Facebook Group, AND she just launched another blog that will be invaluable like the first I’m sure!! Not to mention it looks amazing.
I reached out to Ell DuClos to see if she had any time in her busy schedule to do an interview, and thankfully she was able to fit me in so I can share some of her tips and tricks with you guys! I’m not exaggerating when I say how much her posts and FB group have helped me. The FB group is now over 30,000 bloggers, ALL WOMEN, and it’s a fantastic support network. I’ve made quite a few new friends through it, and everyone is all about helping each other improve and empowering our victories. I can’t recommend it enough.
Also, keep in mind she’s been blogging a little over a year, and makes a full-time income from it. She is serious blogging goals, guys. Her content is SO informative and she is incredibly genuine with her writing which I love. You can really get a sense of her passion she mentions below when you read her work and it’s contagious.
Ell offers very affordable courses for how to increase your traffic, how to utilize Pinterest, and she also does 1 on 1 coaching and SEO management. I don’t know how she has any time because I follow her on all social media so I know she’s about to roll out even more awesome new things in the near future. I’ve taken her Pinterest course and I can tell you it really helped me a TON. She’s also a huge reason I switched from Blogger to self-hosting via Siteground on WordPress which has also helped my blog tremendously.
My monthly Pinterest views are currently around 3.6 million when they used to be around 10,000. Talk about a solid investment. That traffic has also more than quadrupled my blog traffic and Pinterest is now my #1 referral source. She mentions multiple times that Pinterest is the way to go and heck yes it really is. I really wanted to interview her to share all of this info because if it helped me, I’m sure it can help you, too!
Check out her courses and services here.
Be sure to check out her original blog here, her new Boss Girl Bloggers blog, her Instagram, BGB Instagram, and my favorite: the Facebook Group. More at the bottom as well.
Now, on to the good stuff. The interview!
Tell me a little about yourself outside of blogging.
Outside of blogging, I live a pretty average life! I am a 24-year-old college drop-out with no experience other than the Food Service industry. Before I started blogging, I was a full time server. Now that I’m blogging full time, I serve only on the weekends to keep that human interaction going since blogging full time can get lonely. If I’m not blogging, I’m usually doing your typical weekly errands, catching up with friends, spending quality time with my man, or seeing my family.
Growing up I was always someone who loved to write and think creatively! In fact, creative writing was probably my favorite assignments in school. Some other random bits about me – I am a reality tv junkie — The Bachelor, Are You the One, Vanderpump Rules, The Challenge…you name it, I watch it. I am a coffee by day wine by night kinda girl, and a huge fan of traveling although I don’t travel as much as I should.
What got you into blogging and when did you start?
To be quite honest, I was going through a rough time. It was last year, April 2017, and the beginning of the year was…it was rough. I was very financially unstable, working full time as a server (which was not only physically exhausting but mentally exhausting), and each job I would apply to would hit me with the “sorry you don’t have enough experience” go-to line. Needless to say I felt very stuck. This lead to depression and anxiety, so my best friend and my mom both gave me the idea to start writing.
Originally, they wanted me to write a book but at the time that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Everyday I was pinning on Pinterest, it became my “inspiration and motivation” space. As crazy as it sounds, it gave me “hope”. Pinterest is filled with blogs and eventually I realized just how great blogging could be. I had to do something to get myself out of this rut I was in. I was so tired of being upset everyday… so I did it!
What made you decide to blog about your particular niche?
In the beginning, I was blogging about finding happiness and beauty. I really LOVED beauty, I would always watch the beauty gurus on YouTube and envied their lives. I also chose to write about finding happiness, dealing with anxiety, and going after a life you love because ultimately that’s what I wanted to do, pursue my dream life! It also helped to deal with my depression and anxiety while also helping others deal with theirs.
As my Boss Girl Bloggers group grew, I began to learn more because I became so passionate about blogging. Eventually, people were turning to me for blogging advice! This lead me to my other niche, writing about how to start a blog and pursue a creative life that allows you to have ultimate freedom! I love helping others chase their dreams!
I know you blog full time, how did you turn your dream into a reality?
Yes! If I could say one thing about getting to that point, it would be that it takes a lot of ambition. I also don’t think I would have been able to do it if it weren’t for my passion. Blogging has become my obsession, in fact it becomes unhealthy at times. I end up staying up extremely late (3-4am) and I will also sometimes forget to eat because I lose track of time from working and being so attached to my blog and community. So I will say it wasn’t easy, I put in the time and effort, and the time spent was an unhealthy amount of time. I even developed insomnia this year.
A piece of advice would be that your health matters just as much if not more than pursuing your dream career. You need to take care of yourself first, and blogging can definitely create health issues if you don’t give yourself a break.
On another note, you have to not only set goals, but you have to achieve them too. I try to set long term goals and then create short term goals that help me reach my long-term goals.
Staying consistent is key and really building a personal connection with your audience is key too! In order to make money you need an audience that trusts you enough to purchase what you are recommending.
If you want to make money and blog full time, you really need to take your blog seriously. This might even mean investing in your blog. Self-hosting, having an attractive and organized theme, utilizing tools like Tailwind. Which reminds me, PINTEREST IS A GOLD MINE FOR BLOGGERS. If you aren’t using Pinterest to grow your blog traffic yet, it’s time!
Related: 5 Tips to Explode Your Blog Traffic with Tailwind
What is your favorite thing about blogging?
My absolute favorite thing is my community. Just being able to interact with like-minded women all around the world is mind blowing. I have met so many inspiring bloggers, and just knowing that you aren’t alone in this whole journey is the best feeling. Blogging can get really lonely at times so having a community that can relate is the absolute best!
I also love the fact that each day I can learn something new. Blogging is a never ending learning experience and that’s what makes it so fun!
What were your first 6 months like?
They were actually really great! I launched Boss Girl Bloggers a month into blogging and within 6 months I had a community of over 20,000 members. We all connected so well! I also got to go to NYC which would have never been possible if I wasn’t blogging. This trip happened about 6-7 months in. This was my “oh sh*t it’s real” moment. [NYC trip pictured above]
It wasn’t always great though! I had so many sleepless nights because I was also working full time while trying to turn my blog into a career. That was rough juggling the two. Just like every other blogger just starting out, I had to learn strategies and figure out what worked for me and what didn’t.
Who are your favorite bloggers right now?
I really love Julie Solomon’s content, she has a great podcast for building your brand. TwinsMommy always has some great blogging tips to share!
What tips do you have for new bloggers out there?
My biggest tip would be to keep going. There are so many points where I would say “am I wasting my time? , is this going to BE SOMETHING?” I realized that as soon as I thought this, I was losing. I had to go back to WHY I started, and that was to make myself happy. Even if I wasn’t getting all the traffic in the world, I didn’t let that stop me because writing is my passion! I started this blog for ME, to fight my anxiety & depression. I had to remember that.
Patience is always rewarded! It’s so easy to feel defeated, but eventually you WILL figure it out and make it work. The only way you can fail is if you give up.
And remember PINTEREST, PINTEREST, PINTEREST, then some SEO (:
——
A HUGE Thank You to Ell for taking the time to share some of her story and knowledge with me so I can share it with you guys!
Definitely check out her pages, follow and subscribe!
Boss Girl Bloggers Pinterest Group
Check out her courses and services here.
If you are a new blogger, or even a veteran, I still highly recommend looking into her classes because I personally benefitted a ton and I know quite a few other girls that have as well. She is a wealth of knowledge y’all!!
Have a fantastic week!!
XO,
Dani
“PINTEREST, PINTEREST, PINTEREST, then some SEO”. What a reminder! Thanks for sharing this! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this interview! I saw it on the Boss Girls Facebook group and I learned a lot about Ell. Her blog is always inspiring me!
What a great interview! Girl bloggers rock. My favorite part about blogging is the community as well.
Good to know more info about you, blogging gives us many opportunities to meet new, interesting people. But I agree that with the load of work to be done, you can get lonely sometimes…
I adore how you support fellow bloggers! That is so important! Ell DuClos sounds amazing, and I can’t wait to check the new blog out!
As I just started my blog, it is really rewarding to read about someone who was able to turn their blog into a full-time paying gig. This is one of my goals, I will have to look for the blogging group on facebook and request access to join!
This is such an awesome interview. Great way to get to support your peers and allow new people to come across new blogger loves! She sounds like a really fierce blogger!
This is such an encouraging interview. It’s always fun to learn about successful bloggers journeys and hearing about how they got to the point where they are now! Loved reading this. Thanks!
I agree! Pinterest Pinterest Pinterest, I would go even further and say Rich Pins Rich Pins Rich Pins. She sounds like a great girl. I will have to check those classes she has.
I definitely agree that you really need to remember the true reason that you are into blogging. From time to time, my blogging traffic slows down and I feel a bit down too. To get over it, I reminded myself that blogging is my passion. I am in it to share with other and not to make money.
I always appreciate people sharing their stories, especially how they started blogging. For me, I was also going through a rough time and it was great outlet.
Omg I absolutely love this interview with Ell. I definitely need to continue utilizing pinterest as much as possible.
Blogging is a great platform that has opened avenues for many people to communicate with others. Of all the genres, I love the personal blogs most. The reason is, you can guess, they have an autobiographic value. Loved to know about your experience.
Great post! I love reading interviews with other bloggers, I learn so much!
Great interview. Im new to blogging but I just love it… I need to get a hang on pinterest this is the next challenge.
KARAMEL_KC
http://www.karamelsessence.com
I’ve been following her for awhile now. recently downloaded her Pinterest course. She’s definitely an inspiration!
Such a fun interview! I love getting to know my favorite bloggers better!
I like your outfit! This was a wonderful little interview. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Great write up! I loved this and tapping into your audience is definitely a tough thing