When I started this blog, I was writing crap posts that I enjoyed writing about semi-random topics. I was not a dad blogger, but I even had a clever naming convention for my kids…(One, Two, Three & Four)…I wrote posts that I liked, like ranting about the school bus not showing up the first day of school. A more recent one on why do people only blare crap music out of their cars. I wrote what is still one of my favorites about a house overrun with bees. Then one day, a woman on Twitter said to me: you know, you write ok but I guarantee you aren’t making any money on your blog. I told her she was right, I was not. And being that I dreamed of blogging fame and fortune, I immediately assigned her expert status and the next day everything changed. Was she an expert? Who knows, I kind of doubt it, but she was peddling the snake oil I thought I needed at the time. I was getting traffic and comments prior to this day, which is really all I ever wanted, but I changed my whole approach because of that one comment. I don’t think I have mentioned my children since.
Another example: When my favorite band, U2, was getting ready to put out their latest album last winter, I wrote a few posts on that. I enjoyed writing those posts and sharing information that was exciting to me. I got some comments and made a couple nice connections with other fans. But I also heard from someone that asked if I knew how to talk about anything else besides U2. And rather than realize that he could simply choose not to read what I write if he did not like it, I have simply not mentioned U2 since either, and I love them, admittedly a little too much.
Another guy flat out told me my blog was crap and that I needed to be more useful to people if I wanted to grow an audience and prosper as a businessman. Once again, because that is the outcome I thought I wanted, I listened, and changed my direction a little more (and further off course I might add). I tried to become everything and anything I thought people would buy. Everything but myself.
Looking back, I don’t know why I only heard the naysayers, then made them into experts and did whatever they said. Or why I fell for this notion that my blog and business had to feed off each other. That the blog was a sales tool. That it had to fit someone else’s description to be a success. Probably because part of me believed that the blog was the key to more business success in the information age, and also I am sure, because part of me has an instinctual need to try to please everyone all the time without regard to my own wants and needs. I never actually wanted to draw in readers only to then try and sell them some toner down the road. That was never why I started the blog, and I have let the detractors distract me and steer me down the wrong path. They have me pounding a square peg into a round hole. I don’t care if I ever make money on here. Talking about using social media to grow your business? Maybe you can, maybe you can’t, but I don’t really care. That is not what interests me in this forum and I cannot pretend it does anymore. I don’t really care about your spelling, either. Or your Google profile.
I hope you will give me a chance and stick around to see what I have to say about the things I really do care about.
I am not going to leave you with a bunch of grand promises. You will notice the changes soon, but slowly. Just know that I will continue to stand for the community, and engage with and promote local social media, bloggers and business people, but I am going back to the rants, my family, the funny stuff, U2 and the rest. I am going back to me.
Rock on!
I would like to specifically and publicly thank Todd Jordan for his help and advice. He is patient and wise and very giving of his many gifts. He wrote about our conversations at his blog as well. I am linking to that post but he has hundreds you should read.
He writes The Broad Brush, please go check him out. (And subscribe to both of us.)
