Somewhere in the midst of two kids and my all-day morning sickness, I missed celebrating 6 years of blogging in February. I absolutely love looking back over the past 6+ years. I first started blogging as a desperate creative outlet as a political science major. My best friend Susanna had recently introduced me to the world of creative blogs (my eyes had previously only known eom-teenage blogging a la xanga and political blogging), and I wanted in. I wanted to share about what was inspiring me daily, and I wanted to be part of the beautiful community that was being created. So, one evening while showering I thought of A Daily Something, the next day I started blogging, and I quickly became addicted. Long story short, I decided the political world was not for me, got married and had kids, we bought a home, and somewhere in the mix I began blogging more full-time.

I’d like to say I’ve become a better blogger since those early days. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I kept on it. Despite the early days of taking photos with a point and shoot in my dorm room at night, despite not having a smart phone or instagram, despite not knowing how to resize my images to all be the same width, despite not knowing basic photography tricks, I kept on it. And it’s paid off in so many wonderful ways! Over the years, I’ve met some of the most incredibly folks – who’ve become lifelong friends – through A Daily Something. I’ve become a better writer, photographer, and stylist. I’ve been able to earn an income and contribute financially to our family, all while [mostly] working from home! I’ve been able to collaborate and create with a massive community of talented people: photographers, florists, stylists, event planners, musicians. And I’ve been able build this community, all because of you, my readers, who faithfully and wonderfully continue to come to this space and participate in this little journey!

Looking back, I see certain milestones (I didn’t even know they would be milestones at the time) that brought tremendous growth and development. The first time I worked with a professional photographer, hosting my first workshop, purchasing a real camera and learning how to use it, investing in a blog redesign and relaunch, etc. And just over one year ago, I began working with Collectively. Simply put, Collectively is an Influencer Agency that connects brands with bloggers and other content creators. Through working with Collectively, I’ve been able to create more meaningful content through sharing about brands I love, and earn an income! It’s enabled me to continue to create beautiful content for this space, without being torn between another job or another financial commitment. It’s provided the stability needed to continue to maintain un-sponsored content for A Daily Something as well! I’m so incredibly honored to be a part of this community.

Since beginning to work with Collectively, I’ve had the chance to work with a selection of brands whose products I love and I’m proud to say I’ve collaborated with: Lemi Shine, Delta, Uber, Esurance, HP, Superga, Zappos, etc. It’s been a wild ride, learning how to navigate this world of influencer marketing and content creation, especially considering how new and relatively unchartered influencer marketing really is. But Collectively has helped so much in making things clear and straightforward. I’ve worked with other influencer agencies and apps, and there is no beating Collectively’s human approach and friendly reps!

The most exciting result of working with Collectively is that it’s enabled my business to grow and flourish. It’s provided the financial stability to hire photographers and stylists and florists and creative individuals. In the past, when creating content for my blog, I’d mostly “collaborate” with others who would lend their skills and services at no charge, partly because it’s fun and partly because there just was no budget money. And maybe a few months later, I’d lend them my services at no charge. It was great, and there’s a time and place for everything, but that business model is certainly not sustainable. Through my work with Collectively I’ve been empowered to run my blog like a business, and take it to the next level. And for that I’m so grateful; I can’t wait to see what’s ahead in this next year! I hope my story of very humble beginnings to thriving business inspires YOU to keep at it and continue with your creative endeavors!

Read more about my life as a Work-From-Home mom!

Photography by Anna Novak for A Daily Something