Every week, we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite bloggers in our Bloggers Know Best column. From fashion to cooking, we’re connecting you with some of the best experts in the blogging world. Our featured bloggers have tons of ideas and tips to help you break into the blogging community. To have your blog featured, contact Rebecca at rebecca@allynlewis.com
Who doesn’t love a refreshing Peach Bellini? That’s why we found ourselves obsessed with all of the fabulousness of Rebecca Wood’s blog,The Peach Bellini. It combines all the fun of a Peach Bellini without any of the fuzz. Filled with fashion, food and tons of genuine positivity, we always find ourselves checking for the latest post from Rebecca.
From her perfectly handled recreation of Olivia Pope’s style to herdelicious coffee cake recipe, there’s something for everyone on her blog.
We had the pleasure and privilege to talk with Rebecca and have the inside scoop on her blog and her must-know tips for all aspiring bloggers.
1. What inspired you to start The Peach Bellini?
I have to say that I am not one to take chances – but I have a deep and profound love for blogs. I love their ability to share and disseminate information faster than we could have imagined 10 years ago. I love their ability to inspire creativity in anyone that stumbles upon a post. And most of all I love the power that blogs have to create a movement- to motivate a trend in the fashion world, to empower women to do, be and create what they never thought was possible.
I remember the moment that I found one of my favorite blogs (and the only blog I had seen until that point) in college. I sat on the couch the entire day, skipping class, and read it from beginning to end. I remember thinking “I could totally do this”. But I didn’t. That feeling stuck with me as I found more and more wonderful blogs to follow and finally one day I started researching and after about a few months I just jumped.
2. What’s been the biggest challenge with being a blogger?
I have been lucky to have had a positive experience blogging. I’ve learned a lot about myself. Found wonderful friends, and have had empowering and generally nice comments left. I like to believe it’s because I set that tone in my writing.
BUT it can’t all be good- a few weeks ago I joined a Twitter Chat and was shaken at the participant’s response to my statements of positivity. I think the challenge was not their response or their negativity. The challenge was my self-doubt. All of a sudden I questioned everything about what and how I wrote and presented my blog. I’ve learned a lot since then and hashed it out with great bloggers. You can read my post about the experience, if you’d like.
3. How do you balance work & blog?
Well this is about to be a real challenge! I am staring in the face of Grad School classes. In about 2 weeks I’ll work (more than) full time and take 3 classes after work hours. In the past I have simply blogged on the weekend and completed a week’s worth of posts. Lately as I’ve organized and geared up I’ve become a little more last minute than I’d like. It will definitely be an adventure but you can always make time for something that you truly love!
4. What tips would you give to other aspiring bloggers?
I would say that it takes time. I’ve been blogging for over a year and pretty much until this point it was something that I did for me. I wasn’t sure anyone else read it and, while I hoped they would, that also didn’t bother me.
It takes hard work to start a blog. Blogs don’t become successful overnight. I put months worth of research into blogging before I ever started and you learn even more once you publish that first post. Mistakes will be made, work through them and learn from them.
The hard work doesn’t end. It is 9PM as I write this and I haven’t eaten dinner because I had one last post to finish, one last email to answer, and my favorite bloggy Twitter Chat to attend. Sometimes I forget to eat until hours later because I love my blog so much!
Ask questions. You’ll be surprised that 90% of the people you email WILL respond. I can’t tell you how many bloggers I emailed along the way. Most people will want to help you succeed. And in my experience if they aren’t willing to help, they just won’t answer. And that shouldn’t bother you either.
It also takes great friends. I cannot say enough about the amazing people I’ve met along the way. As I’m writing this I’m in the midst of a collaboration with four women that I have Twitter Stalked (I’ll admit it!) and admired from afar. And now they are sources of such positivity and creativity in my life and I am so grateful for them and the other bloggers I’ve met along the way.
We loved getting to chat with Rebecca and find out her best advice for bloggers. We feel confident that you’ll love and obsess over her blog just like we did!
Connect with Rebecca here: