Why I Took the Risk and Became A Full-Time Blogger

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Olay. The opinions and text are all mine.

When I graduated college five years ago, I never imagined my full-time career would be blogging. I studied fashion merchandising and was pretty certain I would pursue a career in buying or merchandising. My blog was a hobby, and I created it with the intention to be just that. I didn’t create it for recognition, fame, and certainly not for money.

In the years following graduation, I moved around a bit and worked at a few different companies. Some positions were a bit more corporate, but I also managed social media for a few start-ups, which I loved the most. While I was working, I continued to grow and develop my blog. Eventually my blog led to a partnership with one of my favorite brands, Olay. Although it was early on in my blogging career, the partnership made me see there was a market for bloggers like me, and even though I was still relatively small, people were genuinely interested in what I was sharing. After landing a few more collaborations, I felt it was time to leave my job and focus on my blog full-time. I realized that the time I was spending working at these other companies, I could be spending building my own business.

I remember being so excited when I made the decision, and although I had a few supportive people in my life, I was met with a lot of criticism. While some of the points being made were valid, others were honestly just hurtful. At this point, many people didn’t even understand what a blog was, so the fact that I was pursuing a career in a field that was virtually unheard of, was baffling to some people. And like I said, I understood to a point. However, I did more than enough research, I had proven success in both brand partnerships and affiliate marketing, and I was truly passionate about this career move. I did my best to educate the people around me, but I was still constantly met with disapproval, laughs, and rude comments. Many people were under the impression that my boyfriend at the time (now fiancé) would end up having to support me, and that didn’t sit well with me.

Rather than give in to the negativity, I used their words as fuel. I was already passionate about what I was doing, but the fact that people were telling me I couldn’t, made me eager to prove I could. I was determined to prove everyone wrong, and here I am five years later, still successfully running my blog full-time.

If I could give one piece of advice to every woman out there, it’s to follow your dreams and rise above. You are the only person you need to make happy, so don’t second guess yourself just because not everyone agrees with what you’re doing. If I listened to the people who didn’t believe in me, I would never be where I am today. I wouldn’t have been able to partner with some of my favorite brands in the world. I wouldn’t have met some of the best friends I have ever had. I wouldn’t have learned every facet there is to running a business.

Most importantly, I would have had to live my life wondering “what if.” I can happily say deciding to go full-time with my blog was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I still encounter adversity regularly, but I fight through it, because I believe in myself and I believe in what I’m doing. I’m so grateful for companies like Olay that encourage women to tell their stories and live fearlessly.