“One day your life will flash before your eyes, Make sure it is worth watching. “ – Gerard Way
First of all, I’d like to tell you that there’s no good or bad in this world. It’s just people. And what they do. And what they say. And what they write. And what they choose not to do or say or write.
It’s that simple and that complicated.
Here’s something about people who are good at something(as defined by certain criteria): they usually have no idea what they did to become good, or if they have certain ideas, they suck at explaining them.
Why?
Because most of the stuff that made them successful is what they’d describe as “common sense.” Meaning that they’re less inclined to share those ideas with the world for fear of insulting others(if it’s common sense, everyone should know about it and apply it, right?)
So here goes my list of common sense rules:
1. Persistence
It’s all about one’s mental capacity to do it and do it and do it, over and over again, until the job gets done.
It’s about facing defeat and failure and keep coming back for more.
2. Engagement
A blog is not a diary. It’s not all about you, you, you.
The content has to be engaging. People want either entertainment or information. If your posts provide neither, it’s not going to convince folks to subscribe.
Also, you’ve got to respond to folks who take the time to comment. Engagement as a means to build a community around your little space on the web.
3. Predictability
Say what?
Yeah. People like to know when to expect posts from you, what kind of posts, stuff like that.
Maybe you’ve got a Throwback Thursday that’s popular, or some other series. Imagine if you stopped doing that. People wouldn’t like it, because they were visiting your blog to read a new post in the series every week.
Making people to look forward to something is one of the most profitable things you could do.
4. Consistence
This one goes hand in hand with the previous rules.
You don’t have to blog daily, but you have to show up.
That’s the basic rule of success in any area of life. Showing up. For work, for your loved ones, for the gym, for your friends…
5. Break some rules.
Even I don’t follow all these rules. Which I know I should.
So, yeah, don’t be afraid to break some rules once in a while, just to see what happens.
It seems to me that we spend our childhood building our initial vision of the world. We do our best trying to answer as many questions as possible, and in our eagerness to understand everything around us, we name things and label them and we think that we’re absolutely certain that things are exactly how we see them.
And I also feel that we always return to this initial vision. Continue reading
Why? Why blog? Why choose to spend a lot of time writing down words so people from all over the world read them?
Answer? Continue reading
I’ve been blogging for a little over five years now. It’s been fun. I’ve got the chance to connect with people from all over the world and learn new stuff. Also, I kind of realized my words matter.
But the guy who’s sitting in his chair, staring at his computer screen, asking himself whether or not to start a blog might be wondering if he has something to say. Continue reading
Disclaimer: This is not one of those arrogant moments when I pretend to be an expert in something as volatile and unpredictable as the online world, but I do like to believe that my five years of blogging have offered me enough experience to be able to assist others too.
That being said, I am announcing a Mentorship Program (if you click on the link you’ll be directed on a page on my e-store and read the usual marketing promo bullshit anyone uses these days). But I am not in the business of promoting stuff that doesn’t work, or doing work that I do not believe in.
This is not going to school. This is not some courses, a few pages you get to read, some pictures, and that’s that. This is not some how-to guide I am selling. This is not a shortcut to becoming successful as a blogger.
This is a human experience. Like, you, what people used to do back in 95 or whatever. By that I mean that you get to talk to me. A lot. That you get to have real feedback, real advice based on what you are trying to accomplish.
This program I am offering includes:
If there’s something about the WordPress platform you’d like to know, about setting up certain social media accounts and developing them, something about style, about writing the posts themselves, about SEO, about the visual aspect and optimizing your website for best results, about readers and how to make sure they keep coming back for more, I’m your guy.
Really.
This is me. This is what I have accomplished in five years. My credentials, so to speak.
But, like I previously stated, my philosophy is this: I am not your teacher. I am not some blogging guru. But I do know a thing or two, and I’d like to offer you as much information and feedback as possible. In a way that inspires and motivates you. In a way that encourages you to go down this path and not feel like you’re blindly walking through a tunnel, hoping to reach the light at the end of it.
I am going to be honest. I am going to tell you as it is. I am going to tell you what needs to be done. I am going to put in a lot of time and effort to making you a lot better than you were before.
That being said, the program costs $249.99. This is for a month, so to speak.
I do not expect you to need more than a month of mentorship.
But I also believe in what I know and what I can teach you, so I’ll offer this: a money back guarantee.
You don’t like the program, you get a full refund. But you won’t.
You’ll like what I have to tell you about blogging. You can check this interview here.
Mentorship Program to be found here.
Today, an interview with the man behind Trevor’s Notepad.
First of all, tell a little bit about yourself
My name is Trevor Elms, I am a professional graphic designer living and working in Denver, CO, U.S.A. I am bi-polar, a college dropout, recovering addict, and former criminal. I have spent the last 8 years or so trying to make something of myself as a functioning adult and member of society. Now that I feel like I am in a comfortable place professionally and personally, I have begun to write again which is my very favorite thing to do. It gives me great release from the daily struggles of life.
What made you decide to start a blog? Continue reading