What is the award? The Sunshine Blogger Award is given from bloggers to other bloggers who are creative, positive, and inspiring, while spreading sunshine to the blogging community. How awesome is that! I am so grateful to the amazing woman who nominated me and is allowing me to share a bit more about myself and my passion for helping others live life on their terms.
I was nominated by my friend, Lisa King @thefulfilledpharmacist https://thefulfilledpharmacist.blog/. Lisa's passion for health and wellness is apparent in everything she does. She has been a major inspiration for me in making some lifestyle changes and to take charge of my own health. Her Amazon best-selling book, Tiny Life Changes, is one of my favorite books and I regularly recommend it to others who want to start changing their lifestyle but don't know where to begin. I love it so much I even give it as a gift to other women I care about. I look to Lisa for truthful information on health and wellness, not hype. And for encouragement and support and just overall positive living. Lisa is a ray of sunshine in my social media every day, and I am grateful for all that she does.
Lisa wanted me to answer some specific questions so here goes!
What made you want to start your blog and how long have you been blogging?
I started my blog for one simple reason. When I first started in business, there was so little information out there. Sure there were the "gurus" who were all willing to help you if you wanted to pay a few hundred dollars - or more! But when you are just starting out, you don't have that kind of money. And I don't believe you should have to go deeply into debt just to start your business. I mean isn't that one of the reasons so many of us did start? So we could get out of debt? Not create more? So one night back in 2007, when I was still working as an event planner, I was attending one of my customers' events. He happened to be a guru - although not one of THOSE gurus. And he was surrounded by amazing people who all knew stuff! And who were willing to share what they knew. And it suddenly hit me - what if there was some way to document what I was learning so others could follow along? Well it turns out there was. It was called blogging. So that night after all the presentations, a few of us gathered in my room and they helped me set up my first blog - this one! And I've been posting and sharing ever since! There have been some revisions and course corrections over the years, but it has been here in some form for the past 12 years.
What is your favorite post you have written and why?
That's hard. I think I actually have two. And I'm not sure either of them are what you would call "business" posts, even though this is a business blog. But they are tributes to people I care deeply about. My father and my daughters..
The first one is Lessons From My Dad. I think it is one of my favorites because it was only after many years that I came to appreciate the man that he was and what he had taught me. The post was my thank you to him for all that I learned.
The second one is A Tribute to My Daughters. I wrote it on July 4th. Many of you know that I am retired Navy. As is my husband. So this particular Independence Day, amid all the patriotism and support for the military and yes, even the spouses, it occurred to me that one group was missing. Children of military families. And suddenly, even though I had been struggling to write something all day, the words just started flowing and it became a tribute of thanks and appreciation for my daughters who had been with us on the journey.
What is your favorite or least favorite thing about blogging?
My favorite thing? That's easy. I'm a communicator. And a trainer. Even in my younger days. My camp name (for all you former or present Girl Scouts) was Sage. Knower of stuff as my fellow Scouts put it. So I absolutely love having a platform that lets me share my ideas and knowledge with others.
My least favorite? Well I hate to admit it. As I said, I love sharing. And I've taken blogging courses. Done all the things they say to do. I get traffic. I have readers. But no interaction. No feedback. And for someone like me, that's hard. We like feedback. We need to know we made a connection. That's one reason this award is so special to me. At least I know I am impacting someone!
What do you like to do when you're not working on your blog?
Well, of course, there are the other aspects of my business. Managing my Facebook group. Interacting on social media. Creating training material to share. But when I'm not working on my business, then I like just being with my family. Outdoors. One reason I'm so late getting to this today - besides the reason mentioned earlier - is that today was planting day! Time to repot the plants that needed it. Time to add some new specimens to my garden. Time to get the vegetables in the ground so we can reap the rewards later this summer! Dirt under my fingernails, sweat on my brow, and the fragrance of freshly turned earth mingling with the wonderful aroma of the flowers from the flower garden. Perfect day!
I also enjoy my evening walk around the lake with my husband. We always see something amazing. A bald eagle in a tree. A family of geese. A blue heron fishing. We talk as we walk about all kinds of things...the kinds of things we probably wouldn't talk about just sitting in the living room. Those evenings are some of my favorite moments.
And now for my nominees!
These two women have inspired me in completely different ways. One appeals to my love of nature and the outdoors and life! The other has shown me new ways to stand in my spotlight and make my voice heard.
The first dispenses garden tips and life lessons with equal aplomb. So one day I may learn all I need to know about geraniums. And the next I might be reading about a creating a life of beauty, bliss and passion. To me, both of these are important. And my friend Bea Rigsby Kunz, @sunnyblues2, talks of both with ease. Not only has she helped me improve my not-so-green thumb so that now I have an actual semblance of a garden, she has also taught me how to enter the next phase of my life with grace and wit and I hope a little charm. Check out her blog:
http://sagehillgardens.com/beas-beatitudes/
My second nominee is Joie Gharrity @joiegharrity. She is the author of The Red Carpet Guide to Visibility and Influence. As a former Hollywood insider, Joie knows how to be noticed. Her mission is to teach others to claim their place in the spotlight and shine. Her experience and passion have inspired me to speak out about things I might have kept to myself - things that I am passionate about and that need to be heard. More importantly, she has shown me how to do this in a way that attracts others to my cause. There is more to being heard than being the loudest person in the room. Joie has taught me that I can speak softly and still have big impact! You can read her blog at:
https://113branding.com/113-branding-blogs-with-joie-gharrity/
Your Questions Ladies-
- Who or what inspired you to begin blogging and how?
- Where do you find the inspiration for your blog posts?
- What is the most important thing you would like your readers to take away from reading your posts?
- When not working on your blog, what do you like to do?
The rules for this award if you choose to accept, are to:
- Thank the person who nominated you and include a link back to their blog and IG account.
- Answer the questions given to you by the person who nominated you.
- Nominate other bloggers (2 - 4) and give them questions to answer.
- Notify your nominees through social media or by commenting on their blog.
- List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award Logo in your post.
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