We’ve heard this concept in a million different ways.
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
“Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” Oprah Winfrey
I’m talking very specifically about the original NichelleBrooke.com – I’ve owned this domain for years. It took a long time to discover what I wanted to create and the scope of the information that I felt needed to be shared.
When I took my original stab at content creation, it was in the form of music. I wrote & recorded songs on my Ibanez guitar and played at pubs/coffee houses regularly. This page consisted of a hot pink background and just one single headshot from when I was an “aspiring actress” at 16.
Notice something yet?
I’ve had a lot of dreams… I’ve explored so many different avenues of creativity. As Marie Forleo would say, I’m “multi-passionate.” If you didn’t realize already, I’m not a famous singer/songwriter, nor did I make it big on the silver screen. But one thing still remains; my commitment to expressing myself creatively.
Over a decade of trial and error, and learning from all of my missteps, taught me so much about what I wanted as the purpose my creative outlet of choice: writing. If I never tested out singing and acting, it might’ve taken me even longer to find what truly makes me happy.
Wondering about risk taking is a much more labor intensive process for me than actually diving in and giving something a chance.
Way back in 2011, immediately following graduation with my Master’s degree, I tried my hand at what can only be described as awkward affiliate marketing. I wrote constantly. I published blog after blog about obscure information.
- Healthy habits
- My 5 favorite scary movies
- The must-see venues in Philadelphia
- How to do your taxes
- Pool filters
Yes… I said “pool filters” … You name it, and I was creating content about it.
My writing was strong. Each piece individually offered value in some way, but there were two extremely important elements missing from this ill-fated attempt at professional writing.
Consistency & Congruity
Sure, I was posting a solid volume of work but there was nothing tying any of my work together.
If you’re a blogger (or future professional writer), one of the most important lessons that I can share is that your audience craves consistency, and congruity. They want to know what they can rely on you for.
In 2016, my unshakeable urge to share information and help others took over again. But I didn’t start publicly promoting my site until I felt like I landed in a good place of focus.
I want people to know that they can come to me for insight on growing as a communicator – specializing in event management, professional social media, and content creation.
I hope this was helpful!
nichelle brooke 