 Starr Struck turned 8 on March 5th! <Whoops.> I knew there was an important date I was forgetting in earlyish March, but I just couldn't remember what it was at the time... And if there was ever a symbolic forgetting of a date, this one is it. Since starting this blog 8 years ago, my life has gotten progressively crazier + crazier (in the best of ways), and I'm now at a point where my blog no longer fits as neatly into my life + my work. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean that I don't love this little blog + community, but it's just that my daily priorities have shifted *big-time*. I feel horrible actually writing this and admitting it to all of you because this small space on the interwebs has done so much for me and meant SO much to me over the years, but life changes. That's what it does. Am I going to keep the blog going into year #9? Absolutely. Am I going to keep going at the steady [albeit slow] rate at which I've been going for the past year? I'm not sure. I probably will up until Baby #2 arrives, but then...I don't know. I still don't see this blog going away entirely any time soon, but I also don't see myself writing Simple Joys of the Week every single Friday for the next 8 years, either (I'm sorry, SJOTW! Please don't hate me for saying that!). I'm thinking that sooner rather than later, this blog will become a place where I post when I have something that I feel it's important to say or share (that doesn't fit easily into a post on social media), not necessarily a place where I'm posting regularly on pre-scheduled dates (as it has been for the past 8 years, although slowly declining in frequency every year since year #1). But you know what? It's really hard to say where everything is going to go. I have no idea what life as a full-time, working, yoga-teaching, part-time-stay-at-home-mom of 2 will be like. I really don't. I'm thinking pretty hard for the first year or two!?! Which might mean that some things, like this blog, take a way back seat... So for now, I want to say how grateful I am for the past 8 years of blogging and for all of you (3 cheers for anyone who has been here since the beginning!). It's incredible what sharing and writing can do for your soul, your spirit, and your sense of community. And sorry, sweet little bloggie, for forgetting your birthday all together this year! Eek! <Insert embarrassed/apologetic emoji here.>   I've already written about how this blog took a back seat in 2018. And while it's true that I blogged less over the past year than ever before (in my almost 9 years of blogging!), I still wrote a lot of posts that I'm proud of and shared more vulnerably than perhaps ever before. So today, as with the past few years, I thought I'd do a quick round-up of the blog posts that you liked the most in 2018. Although I haven't included it below, the #1 most read/viewed blog post of 2018 (by far!) was the one I wrote when we were looking for a new home for Sayde. This shows the amazing outpouring of support, shares, and help from all of you, so THANK YOU for that. Here are the 10 most-read posts above + beyond the Sayde post: Starr Struck's Most Popular Posts of 2018
And because I think it's interesting, here's a continuation of the blog's thematic breakdown that I've been mapping out every year for a few years now: 2011: The Yoga/Teaching Yoga Year 2012: The Wedding Planning + Marriage Year 2013: The Big Move [to Cape Cod] Year 2014: The Total Self-Employment Year [+ Sayde Year!] 2015: The Home Ownership/Home Improvement Year 2016: The Pregnancy + New Baby Year 2017: The Figuring Out Motherhood Year 2018: The Loss + Big Life Challenges Year As you can see from this year's theme (and not to repeat what I said in Friday's post), I am SO ready to say byeeee to 2018! And I'm pumped about 2019. It's going to be a good one--I can feel it. Have a wonderful NYE and I'll 'see' you back here in 2019! As Charlie Mae would say, weehaw!   I've been blogging for almost 8 years. In that time, I've written A LOT of blog posts about a lot of very vulnerable things. I've also written a lot of blog posts about silly things, about frivolous things, and about the basics of my day-to-day life. I've just written a lot of blog posts, period. And I love blogging. I love writing and I love sharing and I love putting myself out into the world and connecting with you. But I can only do so much. And this past year, as my life outside of the blog has grown more demanding (see: toddlers take a lot of energy + running a small business takes a lot of energy) and as my interest in "micro-blogging" through Instagram has grown, this blog has taken a back seat. I don't know about you, but I've also felt pretty inundated by "content" this year. Don't get me wrong--I adore all of the incredible content that everyone is putting out into the world and I enjoy consuming SO much of it--but my own desire to create blog content has changed as I've felt the content output around me grow. It's the same reason that I've slowly pulled further and further away from Facebook: it's just a lot to take in sometimes and I don't love being another person just adding to the noise (although I often have to be for the sake of my biznass!!!). So, while I've still been using this blog as a place to share my story, I've done so less in 2018 than in the past. This year, I've spent my blogging time sharing more of the deeper, personal, often hard stuff that I think it's important to put out there in order to make others feel less alone, and I've stopped talking as much about everything else. This wasn't intentional, it just happened slowly over the course of the past year or two as my life has changed and the online landscape around me has changed, too. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that yes, as I reflect on 2018 and the past 8 years of blogging, I acknowledge that this blog has changed dramatically. If you miss the way that it used to be, I'm sorry. I do, too, but I simply don't have the capacity for a daily blog anymore. So, I'll continue to skip the blogging basics for now, like Gift Guides or product round-ups or even sponsored posts (!), but I'm sticking around and will continue to do so; I'll continue to blog at this same, less frequent rate in 2019, focusing on writing only when I feel like I have something important to say as a mother, a business owner, a yogi, or an artist (and sticking with my weekly #SJOTW, of course). I simply don't want to add to the noise unless I feel I have something worthy of contributing, and I don't want this blog to become a once-special-place that has been forgotten in all of the noise. I hope you understand and I appreciate your continuing to come along on this journey with me. If you ARE someone who misses the more newsy, life update-y version of the blog, follow me over on Instagram where you'll get a much closer look at my day-to-day experience.   As of today, I’ve been blogging here on this little page for 7 years. Seven. Whole. Years. That’s longer than I’ve lived in any one place since I was in high school, and definitely longer than I ever imagined I would be blogging. In fact, I’m actually pretty shocked that I’m still as dedicated to blogging now as I was 7 years ago--and even more surprised that at this point, I still don’t see any end in sight. That being said, since I’ve celebrated SO many blogiversaries here over the years, I’ll save you the annual “what I’ve learned from blogging” or “how my life has changed since I started blogging” post and instead, use today’s blogging anniversary to share my thoughts on two questions that I’ve gotten a lot recently (and that have been hot discussion topics on the internet as of late): 1. Is blogging dead? Does anyone read blogs anymore? Obviously I’m biased here, but I truly believe that blogging is alive and well (albeit changed). And from my blog’s statistics I can tell you that people definitely do still read blogs. Is my blog readership growing exponentially these days? No, it’s not. But is it declining? Nope, not at all. In fact, even as I’ve decreased the frequency of my blog posts over the years—and especially as my posts have been less regular in the last year or so (during which I have also focused less on my blog than ever before), my readership has held steady. I would even argue that my “popular” posts are read WAY more now than they were a few years ago, simply because they are shared and seen so much more via social media. Speaking of social media, I should mention that the rise in social media is one of the main reasons that people cite for why blogging is dying: Why would you go to someone’s personal blog to read about their life when you can just hop over to their Instagram feed to get a quick glimpse into their lives in real time? Because a personal blog goes deeper than the highlight reel. There's more space to explain things and share the entire story. Blogs are more than inspirational quotes, perfectly styled lifestyle pictures, and 1-2 paragraphs of honesty or vulnerability every once in a while. I LOVE Instagram and I love social media and I think it has done amazing things for connecting us all, but I don't think it has erased the role that blogs play on the internet. In my experience, social media has changed the way that people read my blog and how they learn about my personal life (and lets be honest, where they go to see pics of my child + dog, haha), but I don’t think that this change has been a bad thing. In fact, it’s allowed me to focus less on updating my readers on my day-to-day life [on the blog] and instead, focus on sharing deeper experiences, more thoughtful pieces of writing, and recent creative projects, saving the snapshots, highlights, and silly posts for Instagram or Facebook. The other big way that social media has changed my blog is that I am connecting with new readers all the time in a way that I couldn’t before. I can see my readers faces and families, learn more about them, and understand them in a way that I was not able to when I first began blogging, which is really refreshing and allows me to write for my audience in a more direct way. Am I saying that all of the changes to the blogging world [caused by the rise of social media] have been good? No, I’m not saying that. I think it’s sad that people don’t subscribe to blogs as much anymore, or read them in the same way, or comment on posts all in one place. And I’d bet that the number of people who visit Starr Struck every day just to check-in (without being prompted by a social media link) has gone way down over the past 5 years or so...but at the same time, as those numbers have decreased, I know that the number of people who discover Starr Struck on social media--through a post that a friend shares or through a link that I post to Instagram or Facebook--has gone way up. 2. Is it worth starting a blog at this point? I get this question from my clients all the time and it's a harder one for me to answer. I think it comes down to what you mean by “worth it.” If by “worth it” you mean, what is the likelihood that you’ll make it “big” as a blogger and make money off of your blog, I’d say that that likelihood has gone way down, especially because brands are looking for much bigger bloggers and social media influencers to work with these days and it can take a looooong time to grow a blog that has a large enough audience to make money off of it. But if by “worth it” you mean will you be able to find readers to share your writing and point of view with, I’d say YES, absolutely. If you have something to say and are passionate about saying it, you will find a small group of readers quickly and in fact, finding them has never been easier. All you have to do is write a post, give it a catchy title, and then share it to your existing social media accounts and you will have way more readers click through from your link now than you would have 7 years ago. Similarly, if you have a online business or product that you’re trying to sell online, blogging is still an amazing way to increase your google-ability or “digital footprint.” It’s still a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field. It’s still an impactful way to share your thoughts on a subject. And it’s a wonderful method for instructing and teaching from afar. So is it worth starting a blog now if you really want to and your goals are one of the reasons I've listed above? Yes, I think so. But if you're starting a blog now in the hopes that blogging will become a full-time job one day soon, I wouldn't quit your day job. Thus, as I said at the beginning of this post, I’m in it for the long haul and will keep blogging—in some shape or fashion—until blogs are extinct. I will probably continue to share more of my day-to-day experiences on social media (+ less on the blog) as time goes on, so I definitely recommend you follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram if that’s what you’re looking for, but if you’re still interested in my deeper thoughts on motherhood, yoga, health, body image, balance, entrepreneurship, creativity, and business, then you’re in the right place. Thank you for being here with me and continuing to pop-in and read my writing for so many years now. Thank you for supporting me, sharing with me, and connecting with me since March of 2011. I’ll be posting a short + sweet version of my Annual Reader Survey {with an accompanying giveaway, of course!} on Wednesday, so stay tuned for Part II of my Blogiversary celebration then... Long live the blog!!!! ;)   The last few weeks of December always catch me off-guard: there's the end of the year, the holidays, my birthday (I turned 33 yesterday--thanks for all the well-wishes!), the wrapping-up of work projects before the holidays, etc., etc., etc.... But, you know that I think it's important to take a glimpse back at the past year before rushing into the new year, and one of the ways that I like to do this is by looking back at the year in blog posts + seeing which posts resonated the most with all of you, my dear readers. Because I'm taking all of next week off from blogging to enjoy a little R&R with the fam (HA!), this week is my last week of blogging in 2017, and thus, it's time for my "Most Popular Posts of 2017" roundup. After running my annual year-end report on which posts got the most traffic in 2017, I saw a trend--*almost* all of my most popular posts from the past year were about motherhood and more specifically, my struggles with the challenges of motherhood + my attempts at figuring out how to juggle everything. So, to continue the breakdown that I mapped out last year, here's how I see the past 7 years of blogging when I look at them from a distance (adding this year's big theme to the list): 2011: The Yoga/Teaching Yoga Year 2012: The Wedding Planning + Marriage Year 2013: The Big Move [to Cape Cod] Year 2014: The Total Self-Employment Year [+ Sayde Year!] 2015: The Home Ownership/Home Improvement Year 2016: The Pregnancy + New Baby Year 2017: The Figuring Out Motherhood Year Keeping the theme of this past year in mind, here's this year's "Best of" rundown... Starr Struck's Most Popular Blog Posts of 2017:
...And there you have it! Another year of blogging [almost] in the bag. I'll be back on Friday for my Simple Joys of the Year and then I'll be saying hasta luego to 2017 here on the blog. As always, thanks for coming on this journey with me! I'm excited to be entering my 34th year of life + my 8th year of blogging in 2018 ;)   Above: my real-life, non-styled or cleaned-up, messy, cluttered desk. This is where I grind it all out. Solopreneur life isn't always as glamorous as it appears on Instagram, y'all! Yesterday was tax day {ugh} + it's been almost 2 years since my last "How I Make Money" installment, so I figured it was about time we revisit this subject. There are quite a few reasons I think this subject is worth revisiting, but here are the two main reasons: 1. I want you to see how many revenue streams it takes [or can take] for a solopreneur to make enough money to make it work. As I've said many times before, I love what I do because it's so varied and every day is different, but there is also a tactical reason for this--so that when one revenue stream slows down, another one can pick up the slack and we can still pay all of our bills each month. Sidenote: sometimes I simply cannot believe how many bills come in every month when you're an adult with a child, a house, and two cars. They just keep coming, don't they? 2. I want you to see how quickly things can change in the life of a solopreneur with lots of different revenue streams! And how this life requires constantly tweaking your schedule and offerings in order to make room for what is working and let go of what isn't. So, to demonstrate the above, I've included the same "bucket" revenue categories that I did the last time I talked about this subject, but with two different pieces of info below each one--one note showing what I wrote two years ago, and then another about the state of that same category now (so that you can see how each particular bucket has changed in two years): YOGA TEACHING BUCKET
ART BUCKET
CONSULTING BUCKET
DESIGN BUCKET > Biggest area of growth in the past two years!
BLOG BUCKET:
But as you can see, the biggest change in the past two years is that the Design Bucket has grown immensely and thus, in order to keep things balanced, I've had to shrink the other buckets in order to make room for this increased workload. The great news is that the Design Bucket is also one of the few places where I can get help, so I was able to hire Sara to work with me on those tasks and thus, get more work done more quickly. Obviously this means my expenses have increased (because I'm now paying someone), but I can make more in this area now, too (especially since my time is much more limited now that I have a baby). The last thing I should mention is that in the past 2 years, my rates for almost everything listed above (except retail products, of course), has gone up. I've increased my hourly rates for consulting and design work, and have changed the way that I calculate my per project rate for bigger things like website designs. I also make more per class teaching yoga now. So, all of these slow but steady increases over the years have allowed me to do less and still make around the same amount, which is another great part of working for yourself and setting your own rates. I hope this post was informative for those of you getting started as solopreneurs and/or muddling through this world alongside me ;) I look forward to seeing how these things continue to shift in the next two years!   Oh, dear wonderful readers, thank you all so much for taking the time to share your feedback with me. I feel like I've been in a weird place with the blog ever since having Charlie Mae (I guess I've been in a weird place with everything from my past life...?) and it was really helpful for me to read all of your thoughts on what you like, dislike, miss, want to see more of, etc., when it comes to this old blog. Hearing from you has helped to remind me why I blog, what I love blogging about, and most importantly, has re-ignited my passion for blogging and made me want to jump back in wholeheartedly. Since you took the time to share your thoughts with me, I feel it's only fair to take a few minutes to respond to your thoughts and let you know how I'll be tweaking things in the coming months in order to get back to my roots and work-in some of your suggestions and requests... Here's what's returning to the blog starting next month:
Here's how I'm going to tweak things around here:
And thank you for sticking with me through the past year of CRAZY life changes, ups-and-downs, and of course, maternity leave and my s l o o o w w return from said leave. I'm ready to jump back in now and am so glad you're along for the ride.  
As promised on Monday, I'm back with Part 2 of my Six Year Anniversary celebration here on the blog, and today, I'm giving away a springy, original acrylic painting by yours truly in exchange for YOUR feedback about the blog.
This year's survey features my usual questions geared towards helping me get to know all of you better, and then I also have some special feedback that I'm seeking as I continually develop my regular blog topics and features: Ever since having Charlie Mae back in August, I've been living the serious Mom Life (it's hard core, yo). Because my childcare has been sporadic at best, nonexistent at worst, I've been IN IT when it comes to being a mom over the past 6 months. Not that I wouldn't have been "in it" if I had had regular childcare, but things have definitely been heightened since I've basically been an unplanned stay-at-home mom who also runs a business, blogs, and teaches yoga on the side (haha). So, because of this crazy recent change in my life, the blog has [obviously] featured a lot more content based on my experience being a mom than I had expected. I know that some of you love this because you've told me that you do, but I know that others of you don't, and I'm trying to find a balance that works for everyone, including myself. Therefore, I'd really appreciate it if you could be super candid about your feelings on my mommy-related content in questions #7 and #8, so that I can make sure I get a good read on what all of you want moving forward. Obviously I'm going to talk about being a mom here on the blog because that is such a big part of my life now, but I can definitely dial it up or down depending on how all of you feel about this topic. That being said, lets dive into the survey! In order to be entered in the giveaway, all you have to do is complete my 2017 Reader Survey by 11:59pm on Sunday, March 12th (if you'd prefer to complete the survey on a separate webpage, here's the link--please ignore the cheesy background image). The giveaway winner will be announced on the blog on Monday, March 13th. Once you complete the survey, simply enter your first name and email address for a chance to be entered in the giveaway. Your answers won't be connected to your name/email, but if you don't want to enter the giveaway, you can just skip this question. Here we go: Thank you SO much for sharing your thoughts with me! I eagerly await the survey results and will be sure to share some of them with you next week. 
As of yesterday, this Little Blog That Could is 6 years old. That means that for 6 years, I've been posting my thoughts, experiences, anxieties, simple joys, family pics, embarrassments, + more to this tiny space on the interwebs.
Although that may not seem like very long to many of you, this is definitely the longest "job" I've ever had and I'm amazed that I'm celebrating 6 years--especially since this past year was one of the most change-filled years of my life (hello, Charlie Mae!) and at times, I wondered how I could possibly keep blogging regularly. For quite a while now I've been wanting to put together a collection of my favorite + most popular posts from over the years, and this blogiversary was the perfect excuse to *finally* get it done (with Sara's help, of course). Thus, in celebration of 6 years and in gratitude for all of you, I present my new *free* eBook, Out of My Mind: Six Years of Starr Struck. If you're one of my newsletter subscribers, your copy is waiting for you in your inbox (via free download code) and if you're not already subscribed, you can get your free copy by signing up for my newsletter below:
I say this in the opening of the book, but want to say it again here to reiterate my gratitude:
Thanks to all of you, this blog has been one of the main vehicles for many of my life changes over the past 6 years, as well as a major outlet for self-expression and an important source of community in my life. Starr Struck and all of you have allowed me to grow and change in ways that I never would have imagined back in 2011, and I live in a constant state of wonder and gratitude for the internet, social media, and YOU for allowing my life to look the way that it does today. THANK YOU. Again, you can download your copy of Out of My Mind by signing up here + stay tuned for Wednesday's post, where I'll be asking you to fill out my Annual Reader Survey so that I can make Starr Struck even better in it's 7th year. Hope you enjoy the new book! Each and every part of it was written with love :) 
I know that for many of you soloprenuers and small business owners out there, I'm preaching to the choir. If you've been doing this on your own for a while or follow any business podcasts or blogs, you know that this is a must.
But if you're newer to this whole thing--if you've just become a yoga teacher and are trying to build your tribe, or if you've just created a website and are trying to grow your brand--and you haven't yet started collecting email addresses from your followers, you should start right now. Why? There are SO many reasons, but here are just a few: 1. So that you begin creating a list of your most loyal followers/fans/customers/readers [because at some point in the future, you will want this list]. The people who sign up for your email list have to do more than just press a "follow" or "friend" button on social media--they have to enter their email address and then confirm their subscription, so you know that they want to hear from you. Having a list of people who want to hear from you will be crucial in the future as your business grows. 2. It's the best way to actually reach those loyal followers. I know you might be thinking, 'Well actually, my inbox is a hot mess and I don't read half of the email subscriptions that I receive, so won't people do the same to my emails?' They might. But think about it: don't you still stop and read (or at least skim) the newsletters or email blasts from the people that you follow and care the most about/have learned the most from/are most interested in? I know I do, *despite* having an inbox so full that it makes me want to cry most days. So yes, if you have something important to say to your peeps, if you say it through your mailing list you can feel more confident that the people who care will read it. 3. Because if you're selling something, the people on your mailing list are more likely to buy it than the random person who follows you on social media (although I don't want to discredit the importance of social media followers!). Not that it's all about selling, because it certainly isn't, but *if* you are selling something or are going to in the future, an email list will make selling online much easier and more profitable. 4. You own your list and thus, have control over it. I know this sounds weird, but here's the thing about social media (the other way we all reach our people these days): it can change at the drop of a hat. Facebook could change it's algorithm again and you've just lost the way that you reach all of your audience. Twitter could shut down for good (lets hope it doesn't!), and just like that, you're out of contact with your tribe. But if you have an email list, you know that you can still reach your true followers through their inboxes. Phew! So do you see why it's so important to start connecting email addresses? Even if you don't send out an email blast anytime in the next year, I guarantee that if you've recently started an online anything, there will come a time when you think, "Wow, I really wish I could reach all of the people who are interested in what I'm putting out there at once to tell them about ______." If you've been collecting email addresses all along, you'll be able to do that right away. So what's next? If you haven't done it already, create a free account on Mailchimp (or use a paid service like Mad Mimi, AWeber, etc.) and get a sign-up box up on your site right now. It's easy and it's a must. Oh, and a 'do as I say, not as I do' recommendation: you'll get way more email list subscribers if you offer a "free gift/free download" to everyone who subscribes to your mailing list. I've been meaning to do this/create this for about 3 years but, well, life. All of that being said, here's a shameless plug for my mailing list! Want to join? You can do so below [my February newsletter will be going out tomorrow!]: 
 ...And we're back after a long holiday weekend! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas; we found out that Christmas with a baby is a *bit* less relaxing than Christmas without a baby, but it was still lovely celebrating with Charlie Mae + spending a long weekend together as a family. Now I'm trying my best to enjoy the last week of 2016 while also attempting to teach Charlie Mae how to nap on her own (i.e. not on one of us/in a carrier), and it's been a balancing act, that's for sure. But lets talk about 2016 the blog: I can't believe that the time has come for this annual year-end post, and yet, here we are! It's been quite a big year here on Starr Struck. Although I won't celebrate my next official blogging anniversary until March, it still feels important to note that 2016 was my 6th year of blogging. {Six years, OMG!} As I've been reflecting on this past year on the blog and how it was different from the others, I've realized that it was truly the year of pregnancy, motherhood, + babydom here on Starr Struck, which was a big change content-wise. For my longtime readers who aren't usually into blogs on these topics, thanks for sticking around + growing with me as my life situation has changed over the years. You have gone through so much with me since I first began blogging; as I see it, the big themes of the blog each year have been as follows: 2011: The Yoga/Teaching Yoga Year 2012: The Wedding Planning + Marriage Year 2013: The Big Move [to Cape Cod] Year 2014: The Self-Employment Year [+ Sayde Year!] 2015: The Home Ownership/Home Improvement Year 2016: The Pregnancy + Motherhood Year Pretty big topics, huh? Anyways, seeing as this was the Pregnancy + Motherhood year here on the blog, I wasn't surprised when I ran my annual "popular posts" report in Google Analytics and saw that of my 10 most popular posts of the year, 7 of the most-read posts had something to do with being a mom or a mom-to-be ;) Here's this year's rundown... Starr Struck's Most Popular Blog Posts of 2016:
Many of our Starr Struck Radio podcast episodes also topped the charts, but I left those off of this list since our podcast is kind of in a category of it's own. That being said, if you aren't caught up on the podcast, you can peruse the episodes and listen to those that pique your interest here. We're currently on hiatus because of the babe, but hope to be back up + running at some point in 2017 (exact timing TBD). So, that's it, 2016: it's been real [real hard, real wonderful, real life-changing, real emotional, real magical, I could go on and on...]. I'll be back on Friday for my Simple Joys of the Year (always fun!), and then we'll close the book on 2016. Wowee. Hope you're enjoying your last week of 2016!  PS. Want to read more of my most popular posts from the past few years? Here's my Best of 2015 list and here's my Best of 2014 list. Enjoy!
 On Friday afternoon, I had a chat with Amber Beam for her podcast, The Art of Personal Growth. During our conversation, we talked a bit about my journey to self-employment and what's it's like doing what I do. As usual, this conversation got me thinking about being a solopreneur and about the many creatives who have a dream of pursuing this sort of lifestyle someday... While talking to Amber, I was [once again] reminded of the ways in which self-employment gets so glamorized online, which I find quite problematic. So, today I wanted to do a quick check-in on my life as a solopreneur (can I still call myself that now that Sara works with me?), since it's been quite a while since I've given an honest rundown here on the blog. But first, I feel like I should give you a little status update, as the way that I'm spending my days and the work that I do now is quite different than the work I was doing as a solopreneur 2 or 3 years ago. My days are now filled with less yoga teaching and way more client design work and consulting than ever before, and it's been really exciting to watch this transition happen over the years. Would I have ever predicted that this is where I would be in mid-2016? No way. Never. Which is one of the things that makes the world of self-employment so fun. Similarly, I am still just as happy as ever that I am no longer working for someone else or working a traditional 9-5. I don't have a single regret and wouldn't change anything about how this journey has gone thus far. BUT, I've said it before and I'll say it again: just because I love what I do doesn't mean that it's always peaches and cream. It doesn't mean that I don't experience burnout, get frustrated or stressed, or worry about work. I do, all the time. Thus, that being said, here's a little update on how things are going {now that I'm about 5.5 years in} which I've broken down into three categories with three bullets each (because I love symmetry)... The Good:
The Bad:
The Meh:
As I wrote this, I realized that I could go on and on in every category, which is another great reminder that with every wonderful thing in life (like being self-employed), there are also many sacrifices and compromises that have to be made. When it comes down to it, though, I think the best question to ask yourself is: do the goods outweigh the bads (or the "mehs"?)? If the answer to this question is unequivocally 'yes,' then I think it's worth it. Want to read more about the reality of working for yourself? Here's a series that I did about it back in 2014: And if you want to learn more about how I actually spend my time (and or earn a living working for myself), here's a good post that clears it up: How I Make Money. Fellow solopreneurs and/or self-employed, do you agree with my thoughts on the subject? I'd love to hear about your experience...   When I read through my reader survey responses earlier this month, I came across a few questions about doing business online; some of you wanted to know what tools I use, some of you wanted to know how I learned everything that I know (up to this point), and some of you wanted more sharing of said information. So, I'm here to tell you that it takes a village--of apps, services, products, + technology--to run an online business. It also takes a lot of time, a lot of googling for resources, directions, + how-to videos, and a lot of trial and error to learn the wide variety of skills you need to know in order to blog, podcast, offer online design services, consulting services, etc. Just like any other business, trade, or skill, you have to put in the time to actually learn about the industry and then stay up-to-date as the industry changes; it's not easy. That being said, there are a TON of tools that make running a business online *much* easier. And I wouldn't know about many of these amazing tools if I hadn't learned about them from fellow online business peeps. So today, although I have shared some of this information piecemeal in the past, I wanted to compile a complete, updated roundup of ALL of the tools that I use in the various areas of my online business. I hope that this list is helpful to you as you build your own online presence or brand...and again, remember that you don't learn this stuff overnight, but it is all very learnable if you put in the time + energy ;) Here we go...! Website/Blogging Platforms
Newsletter/Mailing List Management
Podcast Creation + Hosting
Video Creation + Hosting
eBook Creation, Order, + Delivery
Accounting + Invoicing
Free {Beautiful, Not Cheesy} Image Sources
File Organization
Free Blog Widgets/Apps:
Blog Ad Networks
Online Shop
Scheduling
And there you go. {Phew.} I had no idea how many tools I rely on until I made this list. Thank goodness for all of these free apps, programs, and websites I use! They make life SO much easier. Have a favorite tool that I didn't include? Please post to comments so other readers (and I) can learn about it!   Wow. I just finished reading through all of my survey results [through sleepy eyes + a groggy mind because of the time change...ugh!] and I am thoroughly touched by your feedback. You guys are the greatest! Thanks for being so positive, wonderful, loving, + thoughtful. I am absolutely thrilled to hear that even after 5 years, you're still enjoying the blog as much as ever; hooray! As I do every year, I wanted to take a moment to share the survey results with you, as I think it's always fun to see what your fellow readers are like... But first, my 3 biggest takeaways from the survey:
...And here are the results of the survey in bar graph form:       So there you go! Other things you want to see more of?
Lastly, a big congrats to our giveaway winner, Stephanie D.! Look for an email in your inbox with info on how to "claim" your prize. Thank you again for sharing, reading, listening, and supporting me over the past year. Here's to a wonderful + exciting 6th year together!  
As of this past Saturday (3/5), this little blog is now 5 years old! 5 years!!! It’s crazy to think back on my life 5 years ago today, as it *couldn’t* have been more different than it is now.
In March, 2011 I was still living in DC. I had been teaching yoga for less than a year, Ben and I weren’t married yet, and I was just a few months out from quitting my day job to pursue teaching and painting full-time. Our moves to Arlington, VA and then later, to Cape Cod, MA were inconceivable at the time. I had no idea what my biz would turn into (+ what this blog would end up meaning to me!), Sayde and the baby cooking in my belly (OMG!) were unimaginable, and I was still very much exploring the unknown, fumbling around in the dark trying to figure out how this would all work out in the long-term…. Wow, how things can change in just 5 years! I can only imagine how much more they’ll have changed (for all of us) in another 5… Anyways, as I do every year, I wanted to use this anniversary to one, thank you, and two, to ask you a few questions via my annual reader survey. I want to know more about you, who you are, what you want from this blog, how I can help you, + more. But first: thank you for making this blog such a special space for me and your fellow readers. A blog is not a community without its readers, and your feedback, encouragement, support, and commiseration over the years is what has kept me so committed to this space. I know there are many of you out there who have been with me since the beginning, and I am *uber* thankful to you for sticking with me through all the ups-and-downs. So thank you—you have enabled me and my business to grow in ways that I never could have anticipated. Now to the survey + giveaway! This year, I’m keeping it simple: if you complete my reader survey (below) you’ll be entered in a giveaway for $35 Starr Struck Bucks (see what I did there?). This $ can be applied to anything you want in my online world--my eBook, a product from my Etsy shop, a consulting session, and/or custom art or design work. It does not apply to my yoga classes or workshops, but if you can buy it from me on one of my websites, it’s up for grabs ;) In order to be entered in the giveaway, all you have to do is complete my 2016 Reader Survey by 11:59pm on Sunday, March 13th. The winner will be announced on the blog on Monday, March 14th. Once you complete the survey, simply enter your first name and email address for a chance to win the prize. Your answers won't be connected to your name/email, but if you don't want to enter the giveaway, you can just skip this question. If you'd prefer to complete the survey on a separate page, you can do so here. Thank you again for sharing + contributing, for your constant support, and for being a part of my world for the past 5 years! 
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HELLO!I'm Mary Catherine, a Cape Cod-based yoga teacher, painter, designer, writer, mom, and list-maker extraordinaire. My goal is to inspire you to start living a more creative, simple, joyful, + purposeful life.
{Learn more + read my story} 
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