Category Archives: Blogging

Apr 25 2013
3 replies

Would you love to create a video diary?

Posted on by

We all know that writing a journal has some seriously great benefits. It serves as a valuable tool in the cause of personal development.

I’ve kept a number of different diaries myself for many years. I have a personal diary for keeping my private thoughts and I’ve also kept a dream journal and a dating journal. They served their purposes extremely well, but the problem was that I de-prioritised them and felt like they took up too much time for me to write.

Turn your passion into a business

I wanted to keep writing, but I wanted to find a faster way to do it – that’s when I started to look into making videos as a way of recording my thoughts. I wanted to create a personal log for my thoughts?

I started to search the internet for ways to create videos while reaping the benefits of cloud technology. I quickly discovered that there wasn’t a dedicated platform to create a video diary – so I decided to build it myself.

Videos are the new diary entry

I love creating video diaries becuase creating videos is fun and creating videos takes less time than writing in a diary.

When you write a diary, the sense you are predominantly activating is your auditory sense; it’s the voice in your head that speaks to you, it’s the one speaking to you right now as you read this!

Your auditory sense is clearly active when you speak and when you project your thoughts. That process alone helps trigger the visual sense because sounds are often linked to visual memories.

Diaries are a form of personal therapy

Recording a video diary is like have a free therapist right there in your camera.  Personal development and therapy teach us that we usually already know the answers to our problems, we just want to talk ourselves through it.  I’ve found myself coming to strangely satisfying answers after a good old session of self talk.

So, that’s it, recording a video diary can be just effective as writing and it gives you a chance to let go of your negative thoughts for the day.

This is of course my experience, the only way to tell if it will work for you is to give it a try. Visit Diary Memo to create your own video diary.

- Eddie Yu is a tech entrepreneur who created a video journaling platform that encourages people to create private diary entriees in the form of videos. Take a look at DiaryMemo.com and try it out.

Photo by hunnntrrr

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Mar 1 2013
8 replies

Friday Faves: Tips to help you blog better

Posted on by

Pinned Image

Happy Friday.  This week has been all about sharing the love on My Diary Entry and today is no different.  We started off the week with two amazing giveaways – in case you didn’t have a chance to check them out you can enter to win two books here and a gift box full of cosmetics here.

I recently celebrated my four year blogging anniversary and to say that I have learned a lot over the past four years would be an understatement.  Today I am sharing my knowledge with you, if you are a new blogger who is trying to get your blog noticed or if you are a seasoned blogger who wants to take their blog to the next level then look no further I am here to help.

Blog Better with these 3 tips:

1. Join a network. No one will promote your blog (no matter how great it is), so go online and promote yourself.  Joining a blog network in your niche is a great way to spread the word about your blog and meet experienced bloggers.

Some well known blogging networks include BlogHer, SheBlogs, Clever Member and Yakezie.  Make personal connections with other bloggers and try to find ways to work together.  Attending blog conferences is another great way to learn about blogging, meet other bloggers and promote your blog (and your services if you also freelance).

2. Get on Twitter.  Find a tweet chat about your blog’s topic and join the conversation.  Actually all social media is a good way to promote your blog.  If you don’t have one yet you should create a Facebook page for your blog and join Pinterest.

Any type of sharing social media is a great way for you to share and promote your blog.  There is a WordPress plugin that allows you to post blog comments directly to your Facebook page – another great sharing tool to promote your blog.

Add photos and videos.  Writing for the web takes a special talent – visual effects are the key to a successful blog. No one wants to read page after page of only words so make your blog pretty and appealing with photos, videos and subtitles.

Your blog should be easy to read regardless of the topic and intended purpose.  Speaking of which, your blog should have a purpose – ask yourself what are you writing about and why should people read it.

Happy Blogging.

PS – if you have questions about blogging please contact me anytime, I would be happy to check out your blog and give you some feedback.

Here are some other blogs with better blogging tips:

Katie Taylor – What I Learned About Blogging When I Quit Blogging

So Over This – This Isn’t a Real Blog Post

Careful Cents – If You Want Your Business to Grow, Do This One Thing

Photo by PinkAddiction

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Feb 21 2013
5 replies

Yes, blogging IS a profession

Posted on by

This week I am celebrating my blogging anniversary. I can hardly believe that it’s been four years since I started blogging; to say that I have learned a lot about writing, blogging, being in business for myself and building a network would be an understatement.

I have enjoyed every moment (well most of the moments) during this great experience we call blogging.  I originally started blogging as a way to supplement my income after the market crashed and since then my blogging career has turned into so much more than just writing. Who knew that replying to an ad on Craigslist could open so many doors of opportunity?

Blogging is contagious

Unlike many other bloggers who get into the business by starting their own website, I started writing for other company websites before I started my own blog.  I actually didn’t start My Diary Entry until two years after I originally started blogging. Most of my blogging experience (and my writing experience in general) was in personal finance but as I went through life’s struggles I needed to find a creative (and healthy) outlet for all of my emotions.

Since I have always loved writing and I express myself well in words, blogging seemed like the natural choice to let out my anger, sadness, happiness and excitement.  And there you have it…that’s how My Diary Entry was born. I can honestly say that I don’t know how I would have expressed my emotions without writing, I don’t want to be cheesy and say that blogging saved my life…but it has definitely made me a better (and calmer) person.

My passion for writing and my blogging career has inspired me to be a better writer, a better person and a more profitable business owner. Yes, in case you didn’t get the memo, blogging is a business.  Five years ago if I told my family that I was a blogger I probably would have spent hours trying to explain the ins and outs of it all, but nowadays blogging is a wider accepted profession.

Personal Confession: I should say that blogging as a profession is accepted among the younger generations.  I tell my grandmother that I am a writer because the conversation is just a lot easier that way. After all, bloggers are writers.

The benefits of blogging

One of the great things about blogging is the sense of community that comes along with having an online presence; I have made some amazing friends through blogging and social media.  Some of them I have never even met (yes I know how crazy that sounds) but I consider them to be some of my close friends.  We chat everyday and we help each other out during tough times.

One of the other great things about blogging is that the possibilities are endless.  I feel that blogging is the business equivalent of golf; we are always competing against ourselves to be better.

So all in all I can say that I have greatly enjoyed the last four years and I look forward to seeing what the future of blogging holds for me.

Love always,

Photo by (my homeboy) j.money

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Oct 10 2012
0 replies

You Are So Beautiful…To Me

Posted on by

The Best Giveaways On The interwebs!Good Morning Loves. Today is very exciting for me because I have a big announcement that I want to share with you.  Remember when I said that changes are coming? Well I got a new employer to add to my list of freelance employers. I am very excited to say that I am the newest member of the Beautiful Giveaways team.

Beautiful Giveaways is a website that features weekly reviews and giveaways of some very popular and wonderful products.  They are currently hosting a giveaway with $240 worth of free cosmetics from Nars, Stilla, and Urban Decay.  Visit Beautiful Giveaways for your chance to win.

Each of the six lovely ladies (including myself) from Beautiful Giveaways works with companies to host reviews; we contact companies that we want to work with, we send them an email with ideas about how to promote their products and then we wait to hear which products they are going to send us to review.

What’s the good news for you? 

Every company that sends us products to review also sends us products for a giveaway. That means that you have a chance to win free products up to five times each month. That’s definitely good news.

Now for some even more good news, as if it could get any better. I contacted Revlon about hosting a giveaway and they want to work with My Diary Entry and Beautiful Giveaways.  How exciting is that? Sign up for the My Diary Entry Newsletter to be the first to know about new giveaways and great product reviews.

If you are looking for a new nail polish, a new hairdryer, or new running gear you may just find it on My Diary Entry and Beautiful Giveaways, actually you may also be able to win it. So keep reading daily and be sure to sign up for the My Diary Entry Monthy Newsletter to make sure that you are the first to know about new giveaways.

Allow me to introduce you to the ladies of Beautiful Giveaways:

Shannyn is the founder of Beautiful Giveaways and she is a blogger at Frugal Beautiful.

Andrea  is the owner of Nuts and Bolts Media and she also blogs at So Over This.

Kathleen is an adventurous blogger at Frugal Portland.

Kate is a healthy living blogger at Kate Moving Forward.

Tammy  is a beauty blogger at Make Up Wishes.

Love Always,

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Sep 21 2012
11 replies

Friday Faves: My favourite bloggers right now

Posted on by

Downtown Denver @ Night.

This year I was fortunate enough to attend two different blogging conferences, this was a new experience for me because I have never ever been to an overnight conference that wasn’t imposed by my 9-5 employer, aka I have never been to a conference that I actually wanted to attend.

This year I travelled to NYC for BlogHer12 and I travelled to Denver for FinCon12.  I met some great people; I discovered some amazing new products, and most of all I learned a lot about turning my blog into a business, aka my personal goal.  I am using My Diary Entry as a platform to share my thoughts, showcase my writing (talent), and promote my (soon to be finished) books.

Today I am sharing blog posts from some of my favourite bloggers that I discovered at BlogHer12 and FinCon12.  I hope that you love these bloggers as much as I do.

- Lyz Lenz @ LyzLenz.com – I met Lyz Lenz at BlogHer12 in NYC and she is totally awesome. If I had to describe Lyz in one word it would be “Fun”. I can relate to her writing because we are both girls who left our small towns in hopes of finding all of the bigger and better things that the world has to offer. OH and PS she isn’t wearing pants for a year. You can see a photo of us on my Facebook page @Tahnya Kristina.

- Cecily Kellogg @ UpperCaseWoman.com – Cecily is a mother and wife who speaks her mind and doesn’t take any crap from anyone. During her panel at BlogHer12 she taught me how to value myself as a writer and how to present myself as a professional.  If I had to describe Cecily Kellogg in one word it would be “Outspoken”.

- Alli Worthington @ BlissfullyDomestic.com – Alli Worthington is a housewife turned media mogul. She is the co-founder of the very successful social media conference Blissdom, they recently started a Blissdom Canada conference in Toronto.  Alli is a typical southern belle and she is absolutely too cute for words. If I had to describe Alli in one word it would be “Ambitious”.

- Jenna Broomberg @ H&RBlock.com- I had the pleasure of meeting Jenna at FinCon12 in Denver, Colorado.  Actually I met a couple of ladies at FinCon12 who represent H&R Block and they were all very friendly, professional, and easy going. If I had to describe the ladies from H&R Block in one word it would be “unordinary”. These ladies are young professionals who work for one of the biggest tax corporations in the country and yet they are not uptight, stuffy, or unapproachable. Actually it’s the total opposite, they are just normal ladies who work hard and like to have fun. Thanks to the ladies from H&R Block I was given the opportunity to write a guest post for H&R Block, you can read it here.

Love Always,

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Sep 18 2012
3 replies

5 Tips To Create a Successful Blog or Website

Posted on by

This is a post from my friend, fellow blogger, and business owner Andrea at Nuts and Bolts Media.   Andrea is a creative genius who creates and designs websites.  If you are starting a new blog or if you want to create a website for your new business I suggest that you check out Nuts and Bolts Media.

Here are some great tips for new bloggers and new business owners:

1. Add Social Media Links. Do you use Facebook, Twitter, or other social media accounts for your blog or website? Make sure your readers know about them! It’s easy to add social media buttons or icons to your site so people can follow you.

2. Have an “About” page on your website. You may think your blog’s purpose is pretty obvious. You may have a short bio in your sidebar. But I’m telling you, people want more information about what your blog is about. They want to know a few details about you (your entire life story NOT required) and why you’re writing about your topic of choice. My About page is one of the most frequently clicked on all of my websites.

3. There should be a “Home” link on every post and page. Ideally, readers will be able to click your header and return to your homepage. However, it’s also helpful to have a Home link in your navigation bar just in case. It should be the first item on the navigation bar – when it’s anywhere else, it can be frustrating for readers.

4. Have Great Content. This should be a no-brainer, but if you’re going to have a blog, you should probably write some blog posts. (If you are creating a website for your new business and words aren’t really your thing, then hire someone to write great website content for you.  Check out our Services Page to see how we can help your website stand out and get noticed.)

5. Upload some images. Use mages in your blog posts and on your websites! You don’t have to use tons of pictures that make the page load slowly, but it’s nice to see something other than text every now and then. There are tons of sites like Morgue File that offer free images for you to use.

To read the full article please visit Nuts and Bolts Media

Photo by slightlyeverything

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Sep 6 2012
8 replies

I am on my way to Denver, Colorado

Posted on by

Good Morning. As you read this post I am off to Denver, Colorado for a work-vacation.  I am taking a four day vacation to Denver, Colorado to attend my second official blogging conference.  You may remember that last month I went to NYC to attend BlogHer.  I loved the experience so much that I have decided to do it again.  For the next three days I will be in Denver learning how to use my blog writing to further my career as a hopeful author and how to get my blogging noticed by the main stream media.  I have never been to Colorado and I am excited to spend the next four days learning about blogging and exploring the city of Denver.  My travel book for this trip is White Girl Problems by Babe Walker, it’s supposed to be very funny…I’ll let you know.

I will post lots of pics next week.  If you have been to Denver send me a tweet @TKBlogs and let me know where I should go/eat/shop in Denver.

Tomorrow is the first My Diary Entry giveaway in a series of several giveaways throughout the month of September.  I won’t tell you what it is, but I will tell you that it’s totally awesome.

OK I know the excitement is killing you so I will give you three hints.  If you guess what it is you will be entered to win.

Friday Giveaway Hint #1: It can be used by yourself or with “a friend”.

Friday Giveaway Hint #2: It can be used over and over again.

Friday Giveaway Hint #3: I discovered this company and these products on my recent trip to NYC at BlogHer. 

BONUS HINT:If we are friends on Facebook check out my pics from BlogHer, if we are not yet friends on Facebook then send me a request (I promise to accept).

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think it is.  All comments will be entered to win. Be sure to check out tomorrow’s post to see if you guessed it right.

Love Always,

Photo by Loco Steve

Related articles

Enhanced by Zemanta
Aug 22 2012
4 replies

Networking: Personal Gain or Business Strategy?

Posted on by

In an effort to meet some new online friends, learn from other bloggers and build up some professional resources I recently joined the Yakezie Blog Network.  Yakezie is an online network of personal finance and lifestyle bloggers who share their personal and professional experiences with other members.  It was a no-brainer decision for me to join the Yakezie network because I am lucky enough to fit into both categories.  As a professional I write for several different personal finance blogs and in an effort to find personal happiness I also write here on my personal blog.

Why Networking is so Important

The main reason why I joined the Yakezie Blog Network was to spread the word about My Diary Entry.  An added benefit of joining the Yakezie Blog Network is that it enforces strict blogging guidelines for its members that include writing blog posts at least twice a week and promoting other members of the network.  Joining the Yakezie Blog Network forces me to blog daily and it also makes sure that I build relationships with other bloggers, both of these things will help me spread the word about My Diary Entry.

Networking helps spread the word about your business or your blog; it also forces us to meet other people who may be experiencing the same things that we are currently experiencing in our careers or in our personal lives. Different ways to network include attending conferences, offering to guest blog post on websites that have a similar audience, finding a niche and building personal relationships with people in the niche.

How do you meet new people and network?

Love Always,

Photo by Sean Mactee

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Aug 7 2012
1 reply

3000 Bloggers Invade New York City

Posted on by

This past weekend I travelled to New York City to attend BlogHer’12.  BlogHer is an organization that promotes, influences, and encourages women in the blogging business. In addition to their annual BlogHer conference, they host several other conferences throughout the year including BlogHer Food and BlogHer Entrepreneurs.

BlogHer is a three-day event where women (and men) come together to share their own experiences about blogging and learn about the business of blogging from blogging professionals.

Why I went to BlogHer

My relationship with blogging is unique in the sense that blogging is my most recent career endeavour.  Usually people start blogging and their careers in a particular niche develop from here, however my blogging experience is just the opposite.  I have been a financial planner and a professional in the financial services industry for many years and I have always enjoyed creative writing.  When the market crashed a few years ago I needed to start supplementing my income so I started working as a freelance financial writer.

I started booking contracts to write product brochures and web content for financial institutions and insurance companies; however this work was all contract based.  I needed a more steady income stream and that is why I started applying for blogging jobs, because it is continuous work. Over the past three years I have been writing for various financial blogs and I started my own personal blog just over a year ago.

I went to BlogHer to make business contacts in blogging and financial industries as well as to promote my personal writing services. But more importantly, I went to BlogHer because I wanted to learn how to make my blogging jobs work for me.  I wanted to know how my blogging can help me achieve my personal career goals, I want my personal blogging experience to be more than just a creative outlet, I want it to help advance my career as a writer.  It was an added benefit that BlogHer was being held in New York City this year, if you are a regular Dinks reader you know that I absolutely love NYC.

My BlogHer experience

To say that my BlogHer experience was overwhelming would be an understatement.  I was among 3000 other bloggers who, just like myself, were there to learn how to follow your dreams, start your own business, and brand yourself as a professional blogger.  Some of the Keynote Speakers included Martha Stewart and Katie Couric.

I absolutely loved my first BlogHer experience and I am looking forward to attending the conference next year in Chicago. I met some great people, I got some great advice and I learned about some great new products.

I also came home with lots of swag so keep reading My Diary Entry for new product reviews and great giveaways.

Love Always,

This post was originally published on Dinks Finance

Photo by Anastassia

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Feb 16 2012
1 reply

This Man Wants to Know if I am a Prostitute!

Posted on by

I recently received an email from one of my Freelance Employers advising me that one of my recent blog posts was featured on a website called Business Insider.  This is a very well known and very well read financial website; therefore it is a very big deal to have your work published by them.   My featured post has already received over 3500 views. Needless to say I am excited to have my work published on such a major website, but I am very excited to see how readers are responding to my post.  There are several comments on the post with a variety of views and opinions; one reader even asks if I am a prostitute…that’s right, a prostitute.

The blog post is actually about how I turned my financial life around from almost being bankrupt 4 years ago to currently building wealth with personal savings; however readers seem to only focus on my earned income as a young professional.  There is a financial myth that people who make a lot of money have wonderful lavish lifestyles that include hoarding piles of savings as well as having a perfect credit score.  I am personally living proof that this is not true.  Very often people who have high salaries also have high spending habits.

Please take the time to read my post featured on Business Insider titled “TRUE CONFESSIONS: I Was Earning $100k And Had A Really Low Credit Score.”  Don’t forget to check out all of the comments, and even leave one of your own if you feel like it.

Love Always,

Photo by Refracted Moments