Looking for tips on blogging for business? Then you might love Kate’s story!
Kate is a busy mom with young kids. And all the decorating “inspiration” out there is lovely, but she knows first hand that real people like us simply want unique, affordable, and family-friendly decorating ideas.
There’s plenty of unattainable decorating “inspo” out there, but here’s the truth:
You can create a pretty AND practical home that works for every single member of your family — all done on a “normal person” budget.
And that’s exactly why Kate started her business!
Kate has had a great couple of months in her business, and I sat down with her to chat about what shifts she made.
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Who Is Kate Dreyer?
Kate is the founder of KateDecorates.co, which started 3 years ago as a passion project. At the time, she hoped to turn it into a side hustle income, and as the brand has grown…her dreams for it have grown too!
The premise is to help busy moms with family friendly decorating, and she gives them easy, affordable design ideas they can do on their own.
What Success Had You Had, & Where Did You Get Stuck?
I’d been blogging for about 3 years with a lot of stops and starts, but I’d definitely had some success: I have a large and engaged following on Instagram, I’ve scored a few brand partnerships and I’ve also been able to offer paid virtual decorating services to many clients.
I’ve also built up a great network of home decor blogging friends and continue to learn so much from them. I’ve also been featured in various media outlets — Apartment Therapy, for example — and a few publications have even come to my house to do photo shoots, ultimately writing articles about my home.
All of that was great, but I here’s where I felt stuck:
Turning those opportunities into more consistent income.
I finally decided that if I want to turn this into something more than a hobby… Then I needed direction and coaching.
I wanted more financial success – not just visibility.
So while I did experience success in some areas, I felt stuck in meeting my bigger financial goals.
What Changed Or Shifted To Lead To Doubling Your Income Twice in 60 Days?
Before I started working with Alison, I was trying to do all the things, and it stressed me out. That resulted in me not taking much action. Knowing that I was performing below the level I should be made me feel even more frazzled.
After joining the program, (I’m only in Unit 3!), the biggest things I learned were ironically things I didn’t think I needed. Those were:
- A different mindset; and
- A simple but effective Pinterest strategy.
Mindset
Every blogging course and coach I’ve ever worked with told me this was important … yet I always laughed it off.
You made it feel much more approachable, and also showed me exactly how it could help me get from where I was to where I wanted to be.
The concrete exercises you suggested helped me realize that, contrary to my beliefs, I wasn’t in the right mindset before to meet my goals.
That was a major (and surprising) learning.
We talked about Pinterest pretty early on in the program. Before the program, I had a virtual assistant for over a year managing my account.
And I’ll tell you, I feel like I wasted money because in the 2 months I’ve been using your strategy, my engagements had grown by 50%.
I didn’t even think it was possible. That growth has been incredible.
The mindset and Pinterest strategy were really unique parts of the program that I personally needed to move my business forward.
And they’re still paying dividends.
In fact, I just got accepted to Mediavine today!
Getting recurring revenue through a premium ad network was a big step for me in getting to where I want to be.
Next Steps
Even though I haven’t launched anything yet, the interesting thing is that the mindset shift has allowed me to take on more virtual design clients.
Before working with you, I’d convinced myself I was too busy and didn’t have the time. So I never advertised the services, never talked about them to friends or family … I basically pretended they didn’t exist.
But this month, without launching, I’m on track to make over $2,000 from design work — that’s in addition to my full time income.
I can say “yes” so much easier than before.
My affiliate income is up too, but I haven’t even placed ads on the site at all yet (I never used AdSense). So that will be a huge income increase next month when we go live.
I have a steady stream of people coming to me and work with me — from brands to virtual design clients — which is great.
Are There Any Other Big Lessons You Learned?
My biggest piece of advice is that if you feel stuck:
Instead of investing in all the courses that come to your inbox everyday trying to find that silver bullet to fix your business woes, find a COACH to help you create a more personalized plan. Find that person who can be your accountability partner through a coaching program.
My family and friends support me 110%, and it’s amazing to have those cheerleaders who care about me and want to see me succeed. But that’s not the same as having someone support you who understands exactly what you’re going through when building a business.
For me, at least, I desperately needed that coach and accountability.
Learn More About Kate
Excited about what Kate’s doing? Go follow her at KateDecorates.co for more innovative DIY design tips and services.
