5 Blogs I LOVE to Follow
- Steph Castelein
- May 14, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 11, 2019
Long before my own blogging journey I was a self proclaimed blog reading junkie.
When I was getting ready to leave my job to travel the world I found myself reading blog after blog after blog. I loooooved the real life accounts and insights people were sharing. People like Nomadic Matt and The Blond Abroad. Their stories fascinated me, their pictures were incredible, and in each of them I could see a bit of myself.
Still today, I find myself drawn to certain blogs. The content in them has shifted a bit, to match where I am now in life...aka married, adapting a slow lifestyle, building a business...but much like before, I continue to find myself in each of them.
I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you. Every single one of the bloggers below has, without knowing it, inspired me in some way or another and influenced my blog today.
That being said, before I show you the blogs I wanted to share something I recently heard.
Kalin (one of the featured blogs below) was speaking at a local event on communication. I raised my hand in the Q&A and asked if she had an examples of people she follows for inspiration.
Her response really changed my perspective and I started to take a look at less of WHO I’m following and more importantly WHY I follow them.
She said (something like), “It’s not about who you’re following, it’s about WHY you’re following them. For me, I go down rabbit holes. So when I find myself in one and up at night thinking about that thing, I ask myself "why?" Why am I so intrigued? Why am I spending my time and energy looking into these people I only know through the online world?"
As I stepped back and evaluated my reasons why I find myself following these specific blogs, I observed a few trends.
1. They're REEAALLLYYY good story tellers. Each have a unique way of drawing you in and telling their stories.
2. They're real. They share their highs, they share their lows and I never feel like they make life seem shiny, you know the perfectly polished kind that really doesn't exist. Each of them have their boundaries but they're really good at giving you an inside look at life.
3. They serve first. They all have the mindset of serve, serve, serve, then sell. Of course they offer programs and classes and codes to buy products they endorse, but it never really feels like it. They share, teach, and serve first and then they sell.
So, now that I've taken a look at my why's and you know my why's, let's take a look at a few of my favorite blogs.
PS: I'd encourage you to evaluate who you're following and why as well. Make sure they are setting you in a positive direction and not bringing you down. If you look at others with jealousy or resentment, wanting their life......consider letting them go. Make sure the blogs you're following are fruitful.
Design For Mankind: Oh man, Erin Loechner's writing is like freaking honey to my ears. Author of the book Chasing Slow, Erin covers a variety of topics. She often includes lessons she's learned from her two young children and has a way of finding the awe in the everyday.
Some of my favorite blogs she's written are about her homeschooling experiences and creating a foundation of constant learning, discovery, and encouragement for her little ones. It's really got me thinking about what I want for our future kids and ways that we can constantly encourage them to explore this beautiful world. If you're into the slow, intentional lifestyle, this blog is for you!
The JK Blog: Jenna Kutcher serves up all things marketing and making big things happen for female entrepreneurs. Every. single. time. I read one of her blog posts, I learn something new. Jenna finds a way to take the crazy of running your own business and giving you actionable steps to achieve big goals. If you're starting your own business or looking to dive into a side hustle, save yourself some major headaches and give Jenna's work a look.
She also runs the Goal Digger podcast and interviews some big names in the business world and shares a bit of life over on Instagram.
Sweetwater: Sweetwater is owned by Kalin Sheick, yes, the Kalin from my story above! She runs a floral design company in Northern Michigan (whoop whoop) and man oh man is she FUNNY. I wouldn't say she's so much a blogger, rather a business owner with a blog but I enjoy reading every single one that she posts.
Kalin is a great example of how to incorporate blogging into your small business. This gal is alllll about showing up and serving, telling stories in your business, and creating a brand that goes beyond making sales. She's really active on Instagram (catch her morning clinks) and I'm also a part of her email list where she includes special offers to those signed up.
The Foundation Blog: Kate Eskuri is the founder of The Foundation Blog and one of the (seemingly) sweetest humans on the planet. She focuses on slow living, integrative health, and holist self-care. Almost everything she writes is backed by science and broken into easy steps that anyone can start implementing.
I love her blog for how much she pours into each posts and it's evident how much she cares about her readers. It feels like you asked your best friend for advice on the best organic shampoo to try and they dropped everything they were doing to write you a small novel on different options to try. Also, her and Jenna Kutcher are sisters!
Erin Outdoors: Erin Sullivan is a photographer and writer passionate about the outdoors, meaningful travel, and living deliberately. She's also the inspiration behind my blog post My One Regret. I was following her journey wondering how in the heck I could make a living traveling the world and blogging like she was doing. I was spinning in circles and struggling to figure out where to start, when I read a blog she wrote saying The only difference between you and me is 3 years. Boom. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Starting....that was the key.
I like reading Erin's blog for insight into the travel blog world and how she's up front about the different challenges she encounters being a travel blogger.
What are some of the blogs you keep coming back to? Why? I'd love if you shared them below!
Steph
Excited about starting your own blogging journey? These blogs will help get you started!
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