The secret behind my blog

Some of you have asked about writing and how my little blog came to be. The short answer is this: I took a free webinar a few years back with a guy named Jeff Goins that jump-started this whole thing.

He’s always offering amazing, free training for writers. If that sounds interesting, click here to sign up.

After that webinar, I signed up for Jeff’s course, Tribe Writers, and things really started to take off. I recently shared with others in the course how it changed my life, and I thought you might like to hear that story. Here it is:

Wanting More

Two years ago, I had this unshakeable whisper in the back of my mind. It reminded me of old dreams, buried passions, and wishful thinking: it’s time to write.

My sense of smallness pushed back against that whisper. What would I say that hasn’t been said? What could I offer?

I’d had a couple failed blogs nobody (literally) read. I’ve always written, always dreamed of putting words together to make the world better and more beautiful. But I was also told I wasn’t creative. My value seemed to come from other areas, so I tucked creativity away as much as possible.

I got used to serving others’ dreams and looking for ways to help them succeed, all the while stuffing my own into dark corners. I loved being part of other visions, but inside I felt like part of me was dying.

I’d toyed with the idea of sharing my writing and launching another blog. But I was sure nobody would read it. Surely my words don’t matter. I had no idea who Jeff was – I heard about this free webinar he was putting on, figured I had nothing to lose and signed up.

At first, it seemed like marketing stuff, but it wasn’t. I took pages of notes and realized reaching people is not an accident. It’s not entirely up to luck. There’s a path that others have walked before, one of generosity and service.

Starting a blog and finding friends

The webinar alone was enough to shift my paradigm and give me hope – I finally understood my personality as a creative. I realized there’s a way to serve others and share hope with words. So I followed the tutorials, started this blog from scratch and dove in headfirst. I was shocked at the supportive community and how applicable all the content was.

The past two years have been a wild ride.

I learned to connect with other bloggers and serve their audiences by posting on their sites. It’s opened up opportunities I couldn’t have expected. It’s led to my work being shared on sites with millions of readers, the invitation to speak on podcasts, and the opportunity to contribute to a traditionally published book.

I’ve made friends around the world, met some of them in person and now people have started asking me to help launch their blogs.

I never believed I would make it this far, but now I’m confident I can keep reaching people. Numbers are cool, but the most valuable things Tribe Writers has given me are not quantitative.

Finding myself and serving others

It helped me find the courage to stop pressing my soul into the molds of other people. I learned to write from my unique worldview, to honor my personality and that it’s possible to grow without selling out to sleazy marketing techniques. This has brought such freedom to write from a place of authenticity – which I hope you feel when you read.

I’ve never been happier, never felt more like myself. I don’t feel like part of me is dying inside. Even better, I’ve never been able to serve or share hope with more people. Each week, people tell me these words inspire them, give them hope, make them believe they can keep going. It’s humbling and incredible.

If you have something to share with the world, keep growing!

I learned that making a difference in our world sometimes means investing a little in ourselves. When we do, we have even more to give.

If you want to learn about reaching and serving people with a business, with writing, or even in ministry, consider signing up for the free webinar or even jumping in with Tribe Writers.

If writing and blogging is not a good fit for you, that’s cool. Regardless, please just keep growing. Spend time with podcasts and books. Listen to people further along than you. Set yourself up for success because your voice and your gifts are important. You matter and you have something to offer the world. We’re waiting on you.

PS – The links in this post are affiliate links. That means that Jeff is kind enough to give me a commission (at no additional cost to you!) if you happen to buy the course. That’s really great and helps cover blog expenses, but I’d be telling you about Tribe Writers anyway because it’s amazing and changed my life 🙂