I got this message from a friend and colleague:
"Ya know. I'm not sure whether I love or hate the fact you send me mass emails about what's going on in your life."
I wrote back:
"You love it. I know you love it. At least you know they are mass emails. You don't know how many responses I get from people who think I am personally writing to them."
He says:
"That's because you're the only person that has given their personal life a brand. Lots of people don't exactly understand what you're doing. Your the only real person that they know who is doing this. Let's compare you to Martha Stewart. Your friends and family get a branded email from her and they know it is an ad because she is unreal. When they get a similar style of message from you. (Obviously you're not selling bed skirts) but when they see a message from you, they don't know what to make of it. Because you're real to them. Don't get me wrong. I admire what you're doing and what you've created. And I think you need to continue doing exactly what you're doing. I'd call you a lifestyle maven."
I am giving myself six months of playing with categories and writing styles and links and tagging and SEO to just kind of explore in public what my goals and purposes are thru blogging.
- Am I trying to update people on what's up in my daily life?
- Am I trying to help people live their lives?
- Is this only for business people?
- Is this targeted at moms only, self employed only?
- Who it the market? Who is the readership?
This is how he clarified it for me:
"I think it boils down to this. 80% of the people I know have been bred to believe that a 9-5 lifestyle is the only way to get the things they want. But you've made a different way work for yourself and your family. Not to say you don't work your ass off trying to do it. But you do it your own way. That's an incredibly appealing idea for people. And to give some insight into how they might do that for themselves is a great opportunity for you. Believe it or not you are sort of living some people's dream. You didn't have to become famous or incredibly wealthy in order to live how you want. And you didn't have to subscribe to some big companies ideals."
"That. AND showing off your own style. Modern with a touch of vintage, artistic and functional, family oriented. "
"If I were you my mission statement would be: 'This is what I have put together for myself, this is how I've done it. You can too.'"
And it is true...I Want To Show You How I Live The Dream.
