How Did We Get Here?
John and I often ask ourselves this question. How did we go from blogging-about-our-impending-kitchen-remodel-to-our-friends-and-family-as-a-hobby to writing-to-thousands-of-people-about-interior-design-and-home-improvement-every-day-as-a-bona-fide-job? And since this same question seems to be popping up in our inbox more and more lately (and even in Tuesday’s reader survey) we wanted to take a stab at answering it. So for all of you aspiring professional bloggers or curious readers out there, here goes nothin’…
In a nutshell: we attribute our blog’s growth to a combination of lots of good old fashioned hard work and a series of lucky breaks (of which we’re eternally grateful). We didn’t start the blog with hopes of creating a business, we just wanted to share our kitchen renovation with our friends and family without constantly filling their inboxes with photos and stories. We figured a blog was a nice way to allow them to drop in on us whenever they liked, and because we’re never ones to do anything half-heartedly we excitedly jumped into telling our story and breaking things down into tips and tutorials for our friends and family from the start (even though we were learning as we went). Soon our family-&-friends-only readership turned into friends-of-friends and then (surprisingly) strangers-welcome. And with each encouraging comment, inquiring email or complimentary mention on another blog we got a little boost to keep going. Even if they were few and far between at that point.
Our first mega-boost came in December 2007. John had entered us into a home improvement blogging contest on a whim in the hopes that we’d make some new blog friends and gain two or three more readers along the way. So when we got a call congratulating us on winning the grand prize (to the tune of $5K, no less) we looked at each other and realized that maybe we had a knack for this blogging thing… and maybe someday it could be more than just a hobby! Consider us insanely flattered and immensely inspired at that still-surreal (and heavily photoshopped- yes, we added the crowns and the flowers and the sashes) moment.
We think blogging as a couple has been a huge help to us a well. Not only because John stands out as one of the few husbands in the home blog world, but because it means we can blog as a team. We’re able to divvy up the tasks of writing (in the beginning we alternated writing a post each night). We’re also able to support and motivate each other. When writer’s block hits or projects seem endless, at least we each have a built-in cheerleader of sorts (although John would want me to clarify that he doesn’t actually jump around with pom-poms). And because it’s a shared hobby, spending hour upon hour blogging together seems to strengthen our relationship instead of neglecting it (which may have been the case if only one of us was involved and the other had twiddled their thumbs and waited to be included).
By the time we reached the end of our blog’s first major home improvement project in January 2008 (the big kitchen reno), we started noticing some pretty steady growth in our readership. So we decided to keep writing. And as our post topics expanded – design dilemmas, reader redesigns, house crashing – we saw our names pop up in some pretty amazing and unexpected places. The Washington Post included us in their “blog watch” feature, big time blogs like Real Simple and Apartment Therapy began to mention us and local glossies like Richmond Magazine and national ones like Do It Yourself Magazine started calling us to author our very own columns with them! We even lived to see our mugs on the cover of a national mag this spring! We never solicited these mentions or paid for advertising; people just heard about us through the grapevine of friends, blogs, Google and who knows where else. And it seems as though they truly enjoyed our blog and our writing, which still has us blushing to this day. All of it still feels quite miraculous, meaning we still pinch ourselves quite frequently.
Why did these writers and reporters care to talk about us? You guys are probably better suited to answer that than we are. All we know is that we’ve never plotted a business plan or hunted for a blog niche to fill – we just write about what we care about: our home, our relationship and, okay, our eight pound chihuahua. That’s not to say that we don’t put lots of time into figuring out how to keep things fun and interesting around here, but when you’re writing about things that you’re crazy interested in, it’s not hard to do and it tends to come naturally. Heck, we can’t even go on walks or long car rides without ending up brainstorming projects to do or topics to blog about. It’s a sickness. We just feel so blessed that what interests us also interests so many of you, and that you keep dropping in to see what we’re up to.
We’d like to believe that some of what keeps you coming back has to do with our writing style. We’re both writers (I used to be an advertising copywriter and John did lots of creative writing in college) which means we both enjoy finding the words to narrate the regularly occurring adventures (and misadventures) here at Casa Petersik. And since writing is half of the fun for us, we have no trouble churning out over ten posts a week. Plus, we’ve been lucky that our inherent love of creative and unexpected projects that are doable for cheapskates like us (ex: using cheap Ikea tables to make a headboard or wardrobes to create bedside built-ins) seem to line up well with these times when being budget conscious is all the rage (and being a cheapskate is actually something to be proud of!).
We also realized pretty early on that good content and photos are important, but if people can’t find things easily then you’re doing yourself a disservice. So we’re constantly trying to make it simple for you guys to hunt down your favorite posts. From the How To tab full of tutorials to our House Tour page so everyone can easily see our home’s transformation in one fell swoop, we trying not to let things collect dust in our archives. Hopefully you find these features helpful, and hopefully we’ll stumble upon more ways to make our site user friendly and easy to navigate.
We also try to learn as much as we can about the technical side of blogging. John designed our entire site (which is nothing that he learned how to do in school) so that meant lots of library research, googling when things went haywire, and general nail-biting while we waited for things to load (we’ve been known to chant: “please make it centered, please make it centered, please make it centered” from time to time). John also whipped up our Young House Love logo in about two hours (he wouldn’t let me look over his shoulder while he worked, so when he finally said “ready” and revealed his little sideways heart thing, I squealed with excitement) and is also in charge of video editing and a lot of other technical things that keep YHL humming. Needless to say it’s great to have a self-trained IT guy as 50% of the staff.
We’re not gonna lie- it’s the hardest job we’ve ever had. The biggest misconception is that our blog is a part time thing that we spend a few hours a day on. When friends and relatives picture me out on the patio with a magazine and a cocktail I snort with laughter. It’s hard to put into words how we manage to spend every waking moment working on the blog, but we’re essentially writing over 45 posts a month AND taking and uploading photos AND running an online shop AND offering design services AND coordinating giveaways AND answering up to 100 email and comment questions a day AND making & editing videos. Not to mention actually doing the projects on our home that we then photograph and write about. It’s pretty much a never ending to do list! In all honesty, I’m a million times busier than I ever was in my old New York City 60+ hour a week job. We work nights, weekends and on vacation (after all, the internet is 24/7!) so sometimes it can all be very exhausting. And I don’t make as much as I used to. I actually took a pretty hefty pay cut to see this full-time blogging thing through.
But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I feel nothing but thrilled and honored to get to do what I love every day – and to do it with John right by my side (at least when he’s not as his 9 – 5) is truly a dream come true. This little old blog really is our passion and we feel so fortunate to be able to turn a hobby into a bona fide career- and we’re so thankful for the support and enthusiasm that you guys provide every single day.
So our advice to anyone who’s looking to grow their blog or turn it into a career is to: 1) work hard, 2) do it because you love it and 3) be patient. It probably won’t happen overnight (if it does, please share your secret!). You may feel like you’re talking to no one for ages (we had about zero point zero zero comments after our first few months of posting). But if you’re dedicated to it (long-term, not looking to get rich quick) and passionate about the subjects you cover, you’re bound to slowly but surely attract people who can sense your enthusiasm and get excited right along with you… and they’ll love what you’re putting out there enough to pass it on. Then after about a year or so (which is when we really started to see a lot more growth) you’ll hopefully have an expanding readership and lots of lovely people stopping in more and more frequently.
And speaking of lovely people, we can’t possibly talk about how our blog has grown without recognizing how amazing our readers are. You guys have helped spread the word about us and have encouraged us to keep at it from day one! Many of you are the reason YHL has grown since you’ve personally told your friends and family about us and even emailed us with kind words to keep us going after a long night (or a soul crushing how-did-those-posts-erase-themselves? moment). So thank you, thank you, thank you for dropping by and making our day for the last 730 of ‘em. Here’s hoping we have many more years to share the goings-on of our crazy house with each and every one of you!
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Comments
Hey there – I actually have a question. Bold, I know. I realize that you have monetized your blog in order to be able to do it full time. Aside from your design services, what advertising method has been most profitable for you? Your shop? Google ads? Sidebar sponsor ads? Affiliate shops? Hopefully this isn’t an inappropriate question, I’m just really curious. Thanks and keep up the great work!
Hey Sarah,
Good question! Ad revenue is certainly nothing that we’ve come by easily and still only makes up about 30% of our blogging income (we have found that we have to work much harder to generate money than slapping up ads, like spending hours doing Design Dilemmas and running our shop). We have had some pretty ok success with google ads and have had less success with affiliate stuff (in this economy everyone’s budgets are limited). We have really enjoyed working with small independent sidebar sponsors but we have basically learned that to make ends meet we have to diversify and implement many different approaches to make a modest living, which is why we always have so many things going on (but we honestly wouldn’t have it any other way). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I came across your blog a few months ago. It seemed that everyone was talking about it on the D & R board on The Nest. I’m so glad I did…you are the best! =)
Jennifer @ 12:13PM said it perfectly. You’ve got a great house that we all can picture ourselves living in and you did it at a price that we all can afford. I foresee you, not only supporting yourself by your blog, but employing others to make it bigger and better. I love that it is a drama free zone.
Keep it up and here’s to many more blogiversaries.
I found your blog from The Nest and have been here almost everyday since. I even spent hours going back to your very first post and working my way to the present. I have told all my friends about you and my boyfriend is used to me dropping “john and sherry” and “younghouselove” in my everyday conversations. Keep up the good work!!
Ummmm, as much as hard work, lucky breaks, organization and great photography contribute to your success, I think what separates you from the other zillion bloggers doing the same thing with less success boils down to one thing and one thing alone. Your personalities. They shine through and that’s why we keep coming back. We like you. We really, really like you!
Ooooh, I’m loving Katie’s idea!!! It would be awesome to have you guys ‘give away’ the opportunity for you two (ok, three) to fly out to one lucky readers home and film yourselves assisting them with design dilemmas or home improvement projects to put up on the blog. Get to work on finding some more sponsors so I can get you guys out to California, hehe ;)
You both deserve this full time blogging gig! I’ve probably said this before but I absolutely love how you and John take your time and make sure every questions are answered and comment back to your readers. Not a lot of other bloggers do that.
I remember seeing your house in The Nest magazine I received in the mail and I was absolutely in love with it! I forgot to check out your blog after seeing the URL in the magazine until another blogger had tweeted about it and ever since I’ve been coming here every day!
I’m loving all of these behind-the-scenes, getting-to-know-you posts surrounding your blogiversary. I’ve been following for close to a year now and it is amazing to see your blog transformation to date. I know there is much, much more in store for you… and for us, the readers!
Great post! I’ve been awaiting a post about how you started your blog bc I think you may have inspired me to start my own. Not to make $$, but bc I love making our house a home and people seem to ask me a lot of questions about it. So, THANK YOU for addressing the issue.
When I first started reading your blog, hubby thought I was obsessed and crazy. I told him, “They will be my friends. Oh, yes, they WILL be my friends.” Okay, so maybe I haven’t met you… but you are always so quick to reply to a question/email it makes me feel like you really listen. I think that’s what you offer your readers that others don’t. It will take you far! Oh, and hubby still thinks I’m crazy but in a good way. We’ve accomplished sooo many projects over the last few months due to your site. He’s even encouraging me to start a blog.
Thanks always!
D
Thanks for sharing! I only recently found your blog and you have me hooked!
Here’s to you and your blog. Cheers!
Thank you so much for this post. I recently started my own blog (as a hobby) and it’s my passion too. I really love writing about what makes me tick (even if it feels like I’m typing to an empty room). I know eventually when my content grows so will the readers. I have a friend who is interested in blogging as well and hasn’t gotten started yet so I am definitely going to forward this post to her. Thank you so much for all that you both do. You have a made a wonderful home both in VA and on the internet. You are on my blog link list.
~Enjoli
I really enjoyed this entry.
We live in a microwave culture, and growing a small business is more of a slow-cooker process. It looks exotic and exciting from a distance, and while often it is fun work, running a business is harder than it appears. I often tell people that running a business is like the duck on a pond, who looks serene and calm, while underwater, he’s paddling like crazy!
Keep up the great work. And don’t forget that typically you have 10-20 sentiments for every one comment that you get. Bloggers tend to think they’re posting into the abyss. Based on your comments, you can assume that you’re making a much larger impression.
Way to go! Keep it up!
Brian from Brickworkz.com
That was such a nice post! I agree with @Lemon Tart. It’s your design that drew me to your blog (from HGTV’s Rate My Space) but it’s your personality and generous nature that keeps me coming back.
John & Sherry,
Just wanted to let you guys know how much you’re appreciated! I love reading your blog everyday and you inspired me to start my own. The amount of time and work you spend on this blog is amazing! Thanks for sharing this post on how you started out-it’s so fun to read especially because I’ve only been blogging for 4 months or so and I already seem to have writer’s block a lot! But I love doing it and am lucky enough to have the time right now to do it! You guys rock!
Thanks for the insightful entry! I didn’t know John designed your site. He did a nice job with the CSS layout, which isn’t an easy thing for someone new to design. Kudos.
Wow, thanks so much for this! I have such a strong desire to start a home site of my own, and for some reason, I keep dipping my toe in – playing with potential posts, planning projects, looking at hosting options – without committing. I have no grand hopes that it will become anything significant, but I think maybe it’s like putting a child out there in the world…asking for judgment…the unknown… (and now I’m rambling – sorry!) So, I think perhaps this is the third (at least!) time I’ve thanked you for inspiring me, and today I add a hearty thanks for the kick in the pants.
Excellent post! I know you said you didn’t have a business model, but I’m sure this will be super helpful to bloggers who are looking for one!
When you mentioned Richmond magazine, it struck me that I had to ask you a question! I got my R. Home magazine last month and looked and looked for your piece but didn’t see anything! Are you still writing for them or was it just a one year deal?
Hey Blair,
Good eye! Unfortunately we could no longer juggle our article with R Home and DIY along with all the blog stuff we have going on, so when R Home changed editors we said a tearful goodbye! We hope when we get a bit less swamped that we can team up with them again. And of course we’ll letcha know when and if that happens!
xo,
s
As a fairly succesful blogger myself (on a much smaller scale than you 2), I know how much time and effort your put into this blog to get it where it is. A big congrats from me on your 2 year blogoversary. Very deserving & it shows how hard you work to pull it off. Hours & hours of work go into this stuff. I loved reading your post & seeing your new goals go up. Here’s to a happy year #3!
Thanks so much for writing me back! The website looks really helpful. Maybe if I start customizing my stuff I’ll adopt your method of chanting, “Please work! Please work!” Thanks again!
JL
I love to hear others who are doing what they LOVE and making it work. Congratulations!
Thanks for sharing your story and being an inspiration!
J & S,
Thank you so much for sharing your journey. You answered so many questions I’ve wondered since I began reading your blog! You guys do a great job, and your blog is an entertaining and informative contribution to the web. Keep it up!
Very inspirational… And there’s no question about it… blogging, for 99.999% of people, is no get-rich-quick scheme… despite what the internet marketers will tell you.
Over at OPC, we focus heavily on the remodeling side of home improvement–writing content that people will search for when they need help… like how to install an electric box for a ceiling fan, how to rewire a switch that controls an outlet to an overhead light, etc.
It’s fun to watch your success, because its very different than ours. Our most popular (non-giveaway) post has only 65 or so comments on it…but that’s ok, because we, too, have passion!
There is no substitute for passion. If you love blogging, you’ll do it for nothing. If you don’t love it, the barriers to success are high enough that you’ll never make it through the tough times.
All four of us at OPC have full time jobs… it preserves the blog as a hobby… a fun hobby with some financial benefits…
Keep up the good work! I’m proud to say that OPC was one of the first 20 blogs ever to grace the sidebar of Young House Love. You’re doing fantastic.
I found your blog about four months ago, and since then I have been hooked on stopping by to check it out, I think it is your decorating style, love for what you do, your writing and of course keeping it on a low budget!! Its a blog you instantly fall in love with!! Great Job! My fiance and I are closing on our house soon, a ranch style, so your house has given me some great ideas! Thanks so much! Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for posting this. I just started up my blog a couple months ago and really needed to hear some of this stuff. Thank you for providing an excellent blog and sharing how you became successful!
Your blog has a friendly spirit, and you obviously work hard on it. Hope the next two years are even better than the last two.
I just found your blog today and I can’t wait to come back and check out your house. You sound very passionate about design and I can relate to that. Congrats on your blogversary !
Beautiful blog, beautiful house, beautiful couple!
Got nothing but mad love for you younsters!
All well deserved!
I LOVE your site! You guys are funny and witty and you can tell you really love what you do. =)I especially love this post because I just started blogging about being a stay-at-home mommy to 4 little ones all under 5 years old. I have 6 “followers” and wonder if it will ever grow…thank you for the encouragement. =) You guys rock!!!
I just discovered your blog and I just luv, luv, luv it! I know running a website is a lot of work and you guys are doing a great job. Your story is a great inspiration. Keep ‘em good ideas comin!
Thanks for sharing and answering these questions. You just inspired me to not get down and keep working hard to make my blog and business successful! You’re a wonderful inspiration! : )
Youngsters, I was wondering if it ever concerns you to have so many pictures of your stuff on your blog. I’m thinking of adding a house tour to mine but wondering if that’s a safe and responsible thing to do. Your perspective would be helpful.
Good question! We definitely love our house enough to want to keep it safe, so as soon as we realized that we had a good amount of readers looking at goodies in our house we took a few precautions:
First of all we have an alarm. Second of all we live in a neighborhood with extremely close knit friends and a neighborhood watch. Third of all we have a very loud dog. Fourth of all we have motion sensor lights. Fifth of all we have one of the most observant next door neighbors in the world (who has even called us to confirm that we knew John’s sister was stopping by while we were out). Seriously, she’s on it. Fifth of all our address is unlisted and we even have a service that keeps it from being shared online and in other ways (this is a great start to maintaining privacy if you’re a blogger). Sixth of all we have a safety deposit box with all items of value in it (off the premises at the bank). So we always joke that if someone somehow figured out where we live and got past the alarm, the neighborhood watch, the loud dog, the motion sensor lights, and our eagle-eyed neighbor they’d probably just get some nice throw pillows out of the deal. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hey,
I would love to know if you guys had to buy an online address, who you bought it from and how much it costs a month? Thank you so much for your hard work and inspiration!
Hey Karli,
We got our site url from godaddy.com for around $8 or so. Of course the hosting services that we have to pay now that we have so much traffic are really expensive each month, but we started out with bluehost.com and we really loved them (plus they’re super affordable!) so after you buy your url that’s a good place to start for web hosting. Good luck!
xo,
s
Hey Guys,
I have a question about your mood boards. I think its a great way to pull pieces together and see how they look on one concise page. What kind of program to you use to create them?
Thanks!!
keri
Check out the FAQ tab under our header for that info (we use Photoshop but we include a lot more details over there). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
And you deserve it all! You blog is so fun, your dog is so cute and your sense of style makes me jealous.
:)