This is one of those posts I really shouldn't publish because it will make me some enemies. Fortunately(?), there are already plenty of people who don't like me, so they can all commiserate together. I'll even introduce them to one another.
It won't be the first time I've done that.
I'm publishing it despite the fact that it will get me in trouble with some people because I've reached the point where I'm 100% clear on what I want. The whole thing has been very muddy in my head recently, so it's a relief to find myself absolutely certain.
*********************************************************************
I found myself sitting in a room listening to an incredibly smart and successful woman provide tips on how I could more effectively "build my brand."
All I could think was "I am not a brand. I am a person."
I looked around the room, desperate to make eye contact with someone who appeared to be thinking the same thing.
I didn't find anyone. I was fully immersed in a group of people who are very actively trying to "build their brand."
There is nothing wrong with that, by the way. Nothing at all. It's just . . . not me.
*********************************************************************
"With as much traffic as you get, you could be making a lot more money if you did things a little differently." A wise person once uttered that very true statement.
I knew he was right. I've known all along that there are ways that I could be making money from this site which I blatantly ignore. For example, every single day I delete about 200 emails asking me to post about this product or link to that service or talk about this great new thing.
Often, there is an offer of money to do it. I delete the emails anyway.
*********************************************************************
I'm not sure how many people know this, but unemployment compensation is most definitely not a replacement for the income you get when you're employed. In my case, unemployment is roughly 1/3 of what I was making before my position was eliminated.
The little bit of money I make from this site has been an enormous help these past few months while I've been looking for a new job. ENORMOUS. It isn't anywhere near enough to make things painless, but it has been enough to occasionally buy groceries. $100 here and there has done so much to lessen the blow.
It's very tempting to reply to an email offering you a few bucks in exchange for a post when money is tight. Yet, I haven't done it. I couldn't.
But every time I hit that "delete" button, my head hurt a little bit.
*********************************************************************
There are a bunch of criteria that I have always used when deciding whether or not to work with an ad network or run a sponsored post or work with a brand. For example, some of you may have been around when I broke up with Google AdWords. An ad for baby caskets had shown up in my sidebar and HOMEY DON'T PLAY THAT. I didn't just block that ad, I deleted my AdWords account, thereby forfeiting the money I had already made for the entire quarter.
I didn't regret the decision one bit. Nor did I regret it when I broke up with another ad network for displaying autoplay videos in my sidebar. I find autoplay videos to be one of the worst diseases the internet has. I'm sure many of you hate them as much as I do. I don't care how much they pay, they don't belong here.
And then there are sponsored posts. I have a ton of things I consider when I evaluate them. I have to know that I can be honest with my thoughts. I have to feel like the post fits in with my overall goals for this site. I have to feel 100% OK partnering with that brand. I actually enjoy sponsored posts, but they need to be genuine. And sparse.
If I have mentioned a product or brand here, you can be absolutely certain that I genuinely like the company behind it and believe in what they are doing. Every review that has appeared in this space has been completely honest. Carefully worded, perhaps, but definitely honest.
It has been really tempting to loosen my standards while money has been tight. I haven't done it, but there has been lots of turmoil in my head over that stance.
*********************************************************************
"I bet I can get them to pay me to write about that," she whispered across the table.
As she was saying that, I was thinking, "I wonder if there's a way that could help Liz." Liz is a friend from a zillion years ago who is currently smiling through a very rough situation.
It was in that instant that I knew. I knew without any doubt whatsoever that I am doing things the right way for me.
I may not be a brand and I may not be monetizing this site as well as I could be, but I feel right about the legacy I'm creating. Together we've made Christmas better for hundreds of kids. Together we've helped save a life. Together we've changed lives. Together we have made the world a better place.
I am not a brand. I am a person. I'm an incredibly fortunate person who happens to have readers who are willing to help me leverage this site to do something much more valuable than cashing a few checks.
Thank you.