I remember when it happened for me. Five long years ago, on August 21st 2013 I did something that would radically change my life—forever.
I started this website.
At the time, I had no idea of how it would go, or where it would take me. I simply set up a simple site using WordPress, and typed up my first post. The post wasn’t very good, and nor, at that time, was the design. But it didn’t matter. I had stuck my head above the societal parapet (so to speak) and done something.
Action is important. For it is only by taking action that things change in our lives. And even if you don’t like change – which I don’t, a lot of the time – we must agree that it is only through change that we grow. That our lives become larger, and richer, than they were before.
I’d heard of ‘blogging’ before, of course. I knew people that did it, and I even wrote for some of the larger blogs myself. But I’d never considered having my own blog, and if I had thought about it I’d resisted the notion. ‘Who’d want to listen to me rambling on?’ ‘What if no-one followed me?’. ‘What if someone at work realised it was me and I got fired?’
And so on.
But I’d started listening to Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income podcast, and I’d begun to grasp the sheer possibilities that were out there in the world of online business. At the same time, I was a frustrated writer, a Creative Writing MA graduate with a talent for prose and no audience.
Why not combine business with art and write about something I loved? I thought.
And so realtroyfrancis.com, a website full of ‘dating tips’ for men, was born.
I wrote and wrote, and wrote some more. After a period of inactivity, I got the site redesigned, working with the uber-talented Kyle Trouble of thisistrouble.com, and committed to posting everyday. And after that things started to get a little bit crazy.
All of a sudden, people were actively reading my work. I was building an audience. Guys were emailing me, telling me how much they enjoyed my writing, how much it had helped them.
It was incredibly exciting, and fulfilling. And most importantly of all, it had a huge, cathartic side too. Because even when things were tough in my life, having the blog as an outlet allowed me to deal with twisted and tormented feelings in public. I would never have expected it before, but strangely, by telling my stories to strangers online they were diffused and I was able to see the circumstances of my life in far greater clarity.
But one of the greatest things that has happened as a result of building this site is all of the amazing people I’ve met as a result. When you put your thoughts out into the world regularly something amazing happens. People reach out to you and want to meet you. It’s as though your website is a calling card that is out there globally, twenty-four hours a day. And you never know who’s reading it.
Through this blog I’ve made friends with a whole bunch of hugely talented, creative people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. And that is an amazing thing. As well as that, the blog has given me a platform to launch my nine (soon to be ten) books to the world, and to launch my daily email list and other social media accounts.
The death of blogging has been greatly exaggerated. Although perhaps the word ‘blog’ seems a little old-fashioned now. What you are really building is your own website. A place online that you own where you call the shots. And you can put whatever you like on it. If writing is your thing then by all means write posts like this one all day. But if you are more of a video person then host videos. Or display your artwork. Or house your podcast. Or whatever it is.
For me, having a website is central to creating a personal brand. In fact, you can’t really have a personal brand and no website. It just doesn’t make any sense. Not in 2018, anyway.
Fortunately setting up a site is simple, and will only take you a few minutes. First off, go to WordPress.com (and yes, there are other website platforms available, but WordPress is the daddy as far as I’m concerned) and set up your account.
After that you must get reliable hosting. Don’t rely on a standard WordPress plan. You have zero control over your site then. Instead, sign up with Bluehost. These are the guys I use, and have been using for the last nearly two years. They’re reliable, and they’re also probably the least expensive hosting company on the planet. (And by the way, I’m an affiliate for them so I will get a little cut if you buy through the link, but I’d never recommend a company I didn’t know and trust, and Bluehost have always consistently given me great service.)
After that, you’re pretty much ready to go. You’ve got your site. You’ve got your hosting plan. Now it’s simply down to you to add creativity!
Whatever else happens, though, I can guarantee this: if you post consistently over the long term you will build an audience. It likely won’t happen overnight, but it will happen. And that is when your life will change—for good.
In my case I now enjoy huge personal freedom, with the ability to work when I want and to create what I want, with whom I want. All because I started a blog with a single post back in 2013. Which is pretty sweet.
And here’s the good news—it can be exactly the same for you too.
If you haven’t already, and you want to live a life of freedom, sign up for my DAILY email newsletter here now.
