Cate Rosales - Becoming a Blogger

13/09/2024

- If you’re stressed about your blog traffic: keep perfecting YOUR craft

- If you’re wishing you had more sales or subscribers, keep perfecting YOUR craft

- If you feel like everyone else is moving forward and you are staying stuck… Keep. Perfecting. Your. Craft.

What are you good at? What do you want to be known for? What can you work on and get better at this month?

Those who are ‘the best’ didn’t get where they are by wishing wanting and stressing - they made a decision, chose a path to their destination, and then worked relentlessly to reach it.

Every single day. One step at a time.

You can do it too!

01/07/2024

Happy July! We’re halfway through the year (tonight at midnight anyway).

Here are a couple important things to remember this month:

- July 16/17 are Amazon Prime Days
- Amazon allows aff links in email now (send those emails baby)!!
- If the summer traffic slump hits, just focus more on SEO and/or social media

You can find products you love, join their affiliate program, share your experience on social media, and start making affiliate sales pretty quickly.

Good affiliate networks to join: https://sweetandsimplelife.com/cactus-media

http://sweetandsimplelife.com/shareasale (referral)

Start working on those goals today so that the second half of 2024 gets you that much closer to them!

25/06/2024

Just wanna give a shoutout to all of our newer and/or struggling creators that are in the trenches doing the work but not yet reaping the rewards: I see you and I’m on your side cheering for you!

The best advice I can give you is to focus on creating something that is HELPFUL and relevant to your target audience. Blog posts, videos, whatever it may be. Focus on helping. And create lots of content around that helpfulness.

Also… you MUST drown out all of the chaotic marketing noise on the internet. Focus on your goals. Focus on your work. Courses and challenges can help helpful if you need to learn something specific, but also, they can be a huge time suck and distraction from just simply doing the work.

Learn some basic SEO, get some content up on your site, focus on low competition keywords, start incorporating some affiliate links into your site and socials… and you’ll start seeing the results in time.

- You (probably) don’t need another course. Especially if you didn’t finish that last one you bought.

- You (probably) don’t need Clickfunnels or that new funnel challenge their team is running

- You (probably) don’t need to scroll through Instagram or TikTok looking for any more inspiration.

You just need your website and social channels, helpful content that serves your niche audience, some basic optimization knowledge, some effort and patience.

I know this isn’t always easy.

I know you’re probably tired.

I know those billionaires on their private jets can sometimes get you feeling like you’re less than.

You’re not.

You can do this.

Keep going.

Don’t give up.

I’m in your corner and I’ve got your back! If you have blogging/marketing questions, drop them below and I’ll do my best to answer them!

14/03/2024

Reminder: You can do what YOU want to do and still build a successful online business 🤯

You don’t have to:

- join that free challenge
- be an ‘influencer’
- follow the crowd
- buy all the courses
- use Clickfunnels/Ahrefs (insert whatever tool or subscription here)

You can do/use these things if they are helpful to you and your business…

BUT

You don’t have to do/use any of the common trendy stuff if you don’t want to or don’t truly NEED to.

There are a few specific things that you can (and probably should) do, based on proven models that work. Sure.

But even then, if it’s out of your budget or adds too much stress to your plate, it’s okay to say NO.

No. I’m not doing that, buying that, or trying that right now.

It’s okay to ignore all the ads, freebies, and shiny objects and just go back to business basics for a minute.

What you DO need: something useful you can provide for your audience/customer, some way to get eyes on that thing, and some way for people to purchase/access it.

A lot of this can be done for free or for very cheap.

People tend to over complicate things.

Simplicity is the answer.

And if you want to buy tools and courses and plugins and subscriptions that make your life easier - great!

But don’t let the shiny objects and the FOMO make you forget about what really matters.

And what REALLY matters is you being in an environment that’s conducive to happiness, peace, and success as you build up this business.

Put your head down and put in the work. But also, make sure your environment supports you and that work.

And to help calm the chaos, consider:

- unsubscribing from some promo email lists
- exiting some of the marketing groups that are distracting you from your work
- cleaning up your office or workspace
- avoiding free challenges or free courses for a short period of time while you complete essential tasks
- surrounding yourself with doers that are focused, disciplined, and positive

You CAN do this.

You can build out a full business or a simple money site. You can use the tools you want and follow the advice that works for you.

You can take breaks, ignore notifications, or even completely unplug for a few days. You can hire help or run things on your own.

You can do what works for YOU.

When I offer tips and advice here in my community, it’s based off of my own experiences building sites, socials, and my online business over the past decade.

Some of it will apply to you, some might not. Some of it will work for you, some might not.

- Go back to business basics
- Focus on serving your customer
- Choose a few select leaders in the industry to listen to and ignore everyone and everything else

You can do this! Keep moving forward.

17/02/2024

Etsy is doing another affiliate giveaway offering 3 winners a $150 gift card.

To enter….

1️⃣ Join Etsy on the AWIN network: https://sweetandsimplelife.com/awin referral

2️⃣ Write about your favorite gifting story using a blog post or social media post (and your affiliate links).

3️⃣ Follow these guidelines and submit your story via the link under the ‘How to Enter’ section: https://www.etsy.com/legal/policy/gift-mode-incentive-giveaway/1239269835531

That’s it! Super quick easy way to write an affiliate article and enter for a chance to win the gift card.

Even if you don’t win the gift card, if you publish a good article or social post with good Etsy recommendations, that’s how affiliate sales are made, so it’s a win win.

You can drop your Etsy articles here as well so we can give them a read this weekend!!

17/02/2024

“How do you manage to be productive when working at home with kids?”

This came up in another group I’m in and I have some tips to share - maybe they’ll be helpful for you too!

Keep in mind that companies are typically gonna want you to have a distraction-free work day, so if you work for someone else, you might have to hire help.

If you work for yourself, you might also want to hire help!

But these tips will help you clean up that to-do list either way…

For work stuff, first I ask myself, can this task be completely ELIMINATED somehow? Is it an absolute essential in my day/week/business etc? I guarantee there are some non essentials on everyone’s task list. Do an audit, get rid of dead weight and non essentials.

If I can eliminate anything, I do so immediately and ruthlessly. If I can’t, I ask the next question.

Can I delegate it? Can this task be DELEGATED to anyone else? A spouse, a relative, an employee, a VA, my kid, a Fiverr guy? If it can possibly be delegated, I do so. If not, I ask the next question.

Can I simplify it? If it’s an essential task that absolutely has to be done by ME for whatever reason, how can I simplify this task to make it easier?

There is usually a way. Better more efficient tools, better automation, etc. If it can’t be simplified beyond what it is, create an SOP that anyone can replicate if needed.

For the kids during work days, I love rotating through toys so that there is always ‘new’ stuff for them to play with. We also have a big white board and markers in my office so they can draw, play school, do homework etc. And plenty of cartoons and outside play time of course.

At the end of the day, systems and clarity will be your friend! What is the end goal, what are essential tasks that must be done, what can be cut out, and how can you get your important stuff done as quickly and easily as possible?

Keep it simple.
Keep it systematic.
Be consistent.

And HAVE FUN with your business!!!

31/01/2024

When I first started growing my brand many many years ago, I was solely helping stay at home moms earn a little extra cash from blogging and freelancing.

What a sweet little naive thing I was back then 🤣🤣🤣

Well I’m cleaning up ALL of my posts on my blogging/marketing site this year (it was time).

And I found an old favorite from my site: a long list of websites that pay parenting bloggers to write for them.

Well that baby seriously needed updated, so here it is! 27 sites that are currently accepting submissions for PAID guest posts: https://sweetandsimplelife.com/sites-pay-moms-to-write/

There are no pictures/images, don’t come at me, I’m tired, I’ll add them later.

Now go work on your pitches, let’s keep building in February 2024!!! 💪🏼💪🏿💪🏾💪🏽🦾

Want to get started with writing online? Here is my big ol' list of 27 popular websites that will pay moms to write for them.

18/10/2023

I’ve spent more than a decade in the digital marketing space. We’re actually coming up on two decades, but that’s a convo for another day 🤯

Blogging, marketing, planning live events, creating videos, launching sites, selling sites, growing social media channels, doing interviews, coaching students, running memberships.

I’ve seen a lot… and it’s WILD out here y’all.

Things change frequently and rapidly, sometimes these changes come with a vengeance that cause a lot of stress.

Here are some of the lessons I have learned that might help you save yourself from some of the headache!

1. Start an email list today. Even if you only have 1 person on it. Even if it’s not your sole focus, or your focus at all right now. Setup an email list and make sure you have a link for people to subscribe.

2. Setup your website and publish content at least once a month (more is better, but this keeps the site active at minimum). Even if you’re busy. Even if that site is not your focus right now. It’s an asset, and if you let that site age and build up content and traffic, that asset becomes more valuable.

3. Make friends. Doesn’t have to be a ton of friends, doesn’t have to be ‘in-person’ friends, doesn’t have to be the popular kids. But you will need some form of community and support through this process of building wealth through online business. So engage with folks in communities like this one. Ask questions, offer help, share wins, be the GOOD in a crazy chaotic online world. You’ll find your people, I promise.

4. Change your mindset from desperate to make money to desperate to HELP PEOPLE SOLVE PROBLEMS. Read that again.

5. Don’t worry so much about what other people are doing. You DO NOT need another course, another ebook, another coach, another mastermind, not until you have started implementing and getting results from the tools and investments you’ve already made. If you’re brand new and haven’t made any investments yet, see point # 6….

6. Start making investments in your business and yourself ASAP. Your assets cannot grow if you do nothing to invest in their growth. You might need a writer, an editor, a site designer, a logo/graphic designer, a course, a coach. It all depends on you and your goals. The sooner you invest in tools and education that help you earn more, the faster you start earning more.

7. Focus on one thing at a time (until you have help). If you are a solo act right now, then you need to focus. Don’t jump all over the place. Remember, if you chase two rabbits they both get away. Want more eyes on your stuff? Cool, are you gonna grow your traffic through social media, through SEO, what’s the plan? Pick a route and go all in. Once you have some people on your team, you can expand, but it’s important to focus on one thing at a time in the beginning.

8. Diversify. Things are wild out here. If your website traffic tanks and you relied solely on ads from that site, what are you gonna do? You need a few income streams if you’re gonna take on the online business world. Yes, we gotta focus on one thing at a time. But we also have to plan ahead. As soon as you can diversify income, do it.

9. Have some fun. Personally, I get caught up in my work and the hustle and I forget to laugh, dance, crank up the music, get outside. It’s a huge flaw of mine! But over the years I’ve been learning to calm down.

10. Keep learning. As things change/evolve, we have to adjust. Learn how to use new tools, learn new perspectives, learn new techniques. I know it feels like you have too much work to do sometimes and there is no time for learning, but make the time. Find the time. We gotta keep our mind sharp and we gotta keep building on our skills.

I hope these tips help you in some small way today! I have a ton of free resources on my site (I’ll link in comments) but if you also want free weekly tips to get more attention on your stuff, more assets in your business, and more cash in your pocket, hop on my email list and be sure to whitelist the initial email that comes from me 😊

I’m here in your corner and I’ve got your back! Join my community:

25/08/2023

Wanna make money from your blog?

Then you gotta stop making excuses.

And yes, excuses include ANYTHING that holds you back from reaching your potential in this business.

From real-life issues (lack of money and time), to perceived issues (lack of ability or blog traffic), to the excuses with no merit.

Worrying over these things will get you nowhere, but viewing them as an OPPORTUNITY for growth can change your whole mindset.

When I was a broke college kid with no family, no support, no money, living in low-income housing, I could have made every excuse in the book and it would have been understandable.

No one would have questioned me if they heard me say ‘I can’t start a business, I have no money.’

I seriously had NO MONEY.

I could barely my pay bills.

I lived on $5 pizzas and packaged ramen noodles from the discount market.

Legitimate excuses, right?

I also had NO TIME. I worked full time and went to school full time.

14-hour days, plus homework, 7 days a week…and that was on an easy week (a long story I’ll share another day).

If I cared at all about sleep, when would I find the time to start a business? Or write a blog post? Or record a video?

We all have legitimate concerns, struggles, fears, bills, setbacks…

Those things aren’t necessarily going away or changing right this minute.

But the one thing we CAN change is how we view each day, each opportunity… and how we view time.

➡️ If you’re completely broke and don’t have the $50-100 it takes to start a website, then start writing on a free platform!

Get your brand, your message, your style out there into the world on a free platform - use Medium, your own social media accounts, a free Wordpress site, etc.

Add in some video content if you can!

NO excuses.

➡️ If you dont have a lot of free time, you need to get strategic about where your time is going and what can be adjusted.

We can always always make an adjustment, even if it’s small.

Can you automate things? Can you schedule things out? Can you wake up 20 minutes earlier or stay up a few minutes later? Can you pay for a housekeeper, babysitter, a VA, or a writer to help manage tasks?

Get creative.

NO excuses.

➡️ If you have no time AND no money, then you’ll need to get even more creative.

But you CAN do this 🦾💪🏼💪🏽💪🏿

Firstly, automate and streamline everything you can, from paying the bills to responding to emails to completing a homework assignment.

Batch-work, set an alarm, put your phone on silent, and get focused.

Remove chaos, pressure, noise, and any ‘stressors’ you can possibly remove.

Yes, I know it won’t be easy, and it won’t happen all at once, but start with at least ONE THING today.

You’ll also need to increase your income, because you can’t grow a business if you can’t pour into its growth. And you can’t grow a business if you can’t even pay your own living costs right now.

Consider virtual assistant work, freelance writing, babysitting, housesitting, dog walking, crafts or baking treats (if your city/state allows).

Can you learn a specific skill like Canva graphics, or Wordpress, or resume-writing and offer that service to people?

How can you HELP someone else? Your income will come from solving problems for people, right?

So think of how you can solve their problems.

Stop reading articles, watching videos, and attending all those free webinars - focus on strategic action.

➡️ If you’re overwhelmed and just don’t know what to do or how to get started, stop watching videos and over-asking questions and just choose ONE resource to follow and implement.

There are free courses, paid courses, Youtube videos, blog posts, 1:1 coaching, group coaching etc. They are out there for you to use, but just pick one and get to work.

Scrolling endlessly and asking the same question in 10 FB groups is just another excuse to waste time.

So stop doing that.

The only way to get into momentum is to take A SINGLE STEP today, and then just keep moving.

Set up your site. Or do a post. Or send an email. Or record a video. Or map out your game plan. Or schedule a call with a strategic coach.

Pick a step.
Take the step.
And don’t stop STEPPING.

There will be work involved, but you are not alone.

This community is here for you! All of my trainings and programs are built with YOU in mind.

Don’t stop fighting for what you want.

I’m here in your corner and I’ve got your back.

Some free resources for you if you’re looking to get started:

How to start a blog on a budget: https://sweetandsimplelife.com/how-to-start-a-blog-that-makes-money/

How to get traffic: https://sweetandsimplelife.com/grow-your-blog-traffic-comprehensive-guide/

How to monetize: https://sweetandsimplelife.com/monetize-your-blog-comprehensive-guide/

***NOTE: These are ideas and suggestions to help you get creative and move forward. Every single word wont necessarily apply to every single person, take what makes sense for you.

02/08/2023

For anyone that’s getting started or struggling in the trenches of launching your blog, I just want to remind you that you need SO LITTLE to get started.

You don’t need a lot of money, time, or tech knowledge.

You can have things done TODAY.

All the bells and whistles.
All the fancy themes.
The logos.
Which host?
Which domain?
Which SEO plug-in?

Forget that stuff.

Don’t let these things stop you from doing the thing you know you need to do: setting up your site and publishing your first article.

Here’s exactly how to do it and how much it’s going to cost you (if you set up today).

Purchase a domain name here >>>
https://sweetandsimplelife.com/namecheap

Depending on your name of choice, it can cost as low as $6, but let’s just say the average is around $20.

The cost: $20

What domain should you choose?

One that’s easy to remember and easy to spell. And if possible, one that has a keyword relating to your main topic for the site.

Don’t stress over it, just pick a domain and buy it.

You can always change your branding, you can always set up other sites on other topics later on.

Just start.

Your domain name is like the street address where people will find your blog.

Next, you’re gonna buy hosting here >>> https://Sweetandsimplelife.con/HostArmada

This is where your website will live online. The land where you’ll be building your house/site.

Other good hosts include NameHero and WPX, but I chose Host Armada for today because they have a great dealing going right now.

The cost: $2.49/mo
Even if you’re paying for a year, it’s still under $30.

Domain and hosting total: $50

Once you have hosting, you’ll login to your hosting account and install Wordpress (it’s FREE).

Here is their step-by-step tutorial: https://hostarmada.com/tutorials/blog-cms/wordpress/how-to-install-wordpress-via-softaculous-auto-installer/

Now you have a domain (address for your house), hosting (land for building your house), Wordpress (the blueprint/walls/look/layout of your house).

It’s time to setup your forwarding address.

This is when you’re pointing the NameCheap domain that you purchased to the new place where you’ll be building your house/site (HostArmada).

To do this, follow this step by step tutorial: https://hostarmada.com/kb/domain-and-dns/how-to-change-nameservers-namecheap-to-hostarmada/

It can take up to 72 hours to fully propagate, but it’s usually much faster.

It’s in progress, don’t stress.

Start brainstorming blog topic ideas.

Then you get start setting up your site.

Grab the free Astra theme here or use one of the default themes in your Wordpress dashboard: sweetandsimplelife.com/Astra

You can pay for the upgrade if you want, premium is great with extra bells and whistles, but you don’t NEED TO.

Download the theme.
Hit activate and it’s ready to go.

It won’t look fancy, it will be absolute bare bones, but that’s all you need today: a domain name and a live website!

You have a website.
It cost you $50 or less.

You can customize it if you’d like right there in Wordpress.

Play around with it.
Try to make it fun.
But if it feels stressful, stop and come back tomorrow.

That’s it.

Now, start writing an article.

Something that could potentially be helpful to your target audience. You’ll do all your writing/publishing there in your Wordpress dashboard.

Hit publish on that article.

Boom - you did it!

Yes, you need other things as time goes on. You’ll need the Yoast SEO plugin (or another similar one). It’s free, grab it.

You’ll need a spam blocker plug-in for your comment section.

You’ll need legal pages as soon as possible, you can grab those right here: https://sweetandsimplelife.com/legal-bundle

You’ll need to learn how to do keyword research.

But TODAY you just need a live website.

Once your site goes live, it can start aging in the eyes of search engines. As you add helpful optimized content to the site, search engines start to understand the topics of your site and start to show those articles to readers.

Once you have some eyes on the site, you can start earning income from products and services.

How much can you earn? A LOT.

All depends on your niche, your content, your strategy, your efforts.

Time and patience is required.

I show you how to do all of this foundational stuff for free on my website.

Read the info.
Implement what you learn.
Have fun with it!
Just start 💪🏼💪🏽💪🏿🦾

I know that setting up a site doesn’t always feel EASY, but I laid it out in this very simple straight forward post to show you that it can be DONE.

And it can be done TODAY for a very low cost.

Just start.

Read the tutorials.
Ask some questions.
Take a deep breath.

You can do this!

Site: sweetandsimplelife.com
Disclosure: affiliate links used

20/07/2023

“Tell your story…unless it makes other people uncomfortable.

“Speak your truth…but not that part. You don’t want people to think you’re weak, flawed, or unprofessional.

“Be yourself…but not that much. You don’t want people to think you’re weird.”

People with a negative mindset and an insecure heart will always want you to cover up the parts of you and your story that make THEM feel uncomfortable, uneducated on a topic, or inadequate.

Of course, situational awareness matters.

But sometimes, outside opinions should stay where they are: OUTSIDE of your environment and away from your headspace.

I’ve had well-meaning loved ones send me books on how to behave in a way that will make me look less trashy.

I’ve had judgmental friends ask me to remove social media posts they found offensive.

And I’ve had close family/friends completely stop speaking to me as my voice got more open, honest, and confident here in the online world.

C’mon now y’all…

If you know me at all, you know that I’m pretty darn mild.

I’m pretty non-confrontational. I’m pretty vanilla…

The only things I really want: to be a good mom, to run a sustainable business that can serve and employ my family for generations, and to help as many people as I possibly can to reach their business/marketing goals.

That’s it.

And I know a lot of YOU are the same.

Just minding your business, sharing your story if you think it can help someone, and doing your best to get by.

So don’t let people wear you down with outside comments and opinions.

Give yourself permission to TELL YOUR STORY (if you want to). And especially if it can help someone else.

Whatever parts you want to share. Whenever you want to share them.

Building a brand isn’t just about providing a service and keeping your mouth shut.

Have you ever seen Shark Tank (or any other reality show)?!

Those passionate stories help drive SALES. People care about the person behind the brand. People believe in your mission and your message… if you’re brave enough to speak up for it.

Not allllll people, but plenty of them!!

Tell your story and incorporate it into your business and brand if it makes sense to do so.

It’s allll up to you!

Here are some uncomfortable and unpopular parts of my story that people have repeatedly asked me to keep quiet.

I hope that by sharing mine out loud, you’ll find the strength to share yours too (if you want to).

- I grew up in trailer parks, low-income housing, mobile homes, and RVs (and not the fun ‘tiny living’ kind that you see these days… the other kind) 😂

- My mama is a homeless addict. I love her, I miss her, she gave me permission to share whatever I want to share, but that’s all you need to know for now. A lot of my life choices stem from choosing a path that is the opposite of my earliest influences.

- I dropped out of school in 7th grade. People always say ‘how did the cops not show up, how did CPS not get involved?’ When I tell you that we legit fell through the cracks, I am not exaggerating. But I’m still here babyyyyyyy 🙌🏼

Grew up, got a job (sometimes 2 or 3 jobs), went to college, got my degree with a 4.0 GPA, went on to run multiple online businesses and do consulting for startups, started a sweet little marketing biz of my own, and now I work with one of the most amazing SEO teams in the world.

As my friend Josh always reminds me, life is happening FOR YOU, not to you 🧡

BE YOU.

Don’t hold back. Share your story and live your life.

It is all yours for the taking babe ☀️

07/07/2023

Success tip of the day: step outside the echo chamber of your personal social media algorithm and the digital marketing world, and get some feedback or insight from real humans in the real world! The difference in perspective is UNBELIEVABLE.

24/06/2023

Last night I went to see Boyz II Men in concert, one of my favorite bands of all time.

BOYZ. TO. FREAKING. MEN. YOU. GUYS!!!

Bucket list moment for sure.

And these guys did not disappoint.

They poured themselves into this performance, they had us all laughing, crying, singing along ... they got the audience involved in every song.

It was absolutely beautiful, 10/10 recommend!

And since I've got the mind of a marketer, I couldn't help but study them a bit.

Now, this is Boyz II Men, so of course the tickets sold themselves.

I never even saw an ad for the tickets... I went seeking them out and paid without hesitation. My only regret is finding the tickets after front-row seats were all sold out!!

Nothing to study on that front, they are amazing musicians, they have proven themselves over 30 years in entertainment...
..and everyone loves them for a reason!

But during the show, they got a little personal and started sharing their story of how they met and became a group.

Shawn (my childhood crush) talked about growing up in the hood, and how many amazing and talented people grew up in poor neighborhoods and made themselves into something great.

He had some great points throughout that little touching speech about what made them who they are... But one thing he said really struck me.

He said: Doesn't matter where you came from or what you look like, good music is good music, and if you make good music, everyone is gonna know the lyrics to your songs and sing along.

Then they proceeded to sing a classic and every single one of us in the audience knew every word.

Two things:

1. No matter where you came from or what you've gone through, YOU have greatness in you and you have something to offer the world. It might take work, investment, practice, time... But it's in there, you just need to find it and cultivate it!

2. When it comes to your business: focus on MAKING SOMETHING GREAT for your audience to benefit from.

Might be a product, a service, an experience, an affiliate recommendation.

But sometimes we get hung up on things like 'going live' or 'building a brand' and we forget that at the end of the day, GOOD MUSIC IS GOOD MUSIC!

A good product/service is a good product/service.

If you provide something of value for your target audience, they will buy it, use it, love it, and share it with others.

So today, if you haven't done this already, think of what your audience needs and how you can deliver for them. Make something great for them.

That's it, that's the secret.

Now, let's get to it!

In other important news, just 2 days left to grab the BC Stack. This is by far the best deal of the year, so if you haven't grabbed it yet, you can hit that link in my comments.

We're coming to the end of the road (shameless Boyz II Men reference) because the sale closes tomorrow night!

If you got questions just tag me and ask away, I got you boo!