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Can You Really Earn a Full-Time Income with Your Blog?

December 31 // 102 Comments // 3 Minute Read

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Are you discouraged that your blog isn’t making much, if ANY money? Over the past 3 years, I’ve been able to more than triple my income on KalynBrooke.com, and in this transparent post, I share exactly how I took my blog to the next level. Proof you really can make a full-time income blogging!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Are you discouraged that your blog isn't making much, if ANY money? Over the past 3 years, this blogger has more than tripled her income, and in this transparent post, she shares exactly how she took her blog to the next level. Proof you really can make a full-time income blogging!

In 2013, I wrote a pretty in-depth post answering the question every blogger {or wanna-be blogger} has asked at some point in their life — can you really make money blogging?

I did this for two reasons. One, to encourage newbie bloggers that it is possible to make money {even if at that point my income was still very little!}, and second, because I needed a good answer for all my friends and family who didn’t understand that my “playing” on the computer all day was actually paying off.

My goal at the time of that post was to make a full-time income by Year 3. I had already been blogging for at least a year, (KalynBrooke.com started as Creative Savings in June 2012), and knew it was possible. It really just depending on how much time, dedication, and hard work I was willing to put into it!

Since we’ve passed the 3 Year mark — in fact, we’re quickly approaching Year 4 — I thought it might be fun to revisit that post and give you an update on how I’m doing. I know I’m always curious as to how much bloggers are really making!

Today, I’m going to be completely transparent and give you the exact income amounts I’ve made at certain milestones over the past 3 years. 

Truth be told, I’m always a little bit nervous about doing this, but I think it’s good to explain exactly how this blog is an income source for me. It also goes to show you that if you treat something like a business, and don’t give up, you can earn an income doing what you love.

Blog Stats and Income Breakdown

August 2013: 54,000 page views | $308.45

  • Ad Networks – $1.19
  • Affiliate Programs – $5.99
  • Private Advertising – $75.00
  • Virtual Assisting – $194.77
  • Misc – $25.00

February 2016: 275,000 page views | $4,343.25

  • Ad Networks – $1,546.00
  • Affiliate Programs – $830.89
  • Private Advertising {Sponsors} – $1,900.00
  • Products – $66.36

As you can see, a lot has changed!

Maybe this doesn’t seem like all that much to veteran bloggers, or maybe it seems like a lot to those just starting out. Either way, here’s just a few things to note about those numbers before we move on…

1. These amounts are just a snapshot of one month — every month is different because the income streams are so diversified — I never know exactly what is coming in and when.

2. I have not taken any expenses out of these numbers. I have more and more expenses each month as my blog grows, and continually invest money back into my business any chance I get. I also contribute the majority of our income for personal living expenses too.

What Changed Between Then and Now?

Besides the time factor, which I can’t harp on enough, here are a few things I attribute to KalynBrooke.com’s growth and success:

  • Learning to leverage the power of Pinterest. If you’re a blogger who hasn’t read Ruth Soukup’s book How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul), go buy it right now. It completely changed the way I blogged!
  • Promoting favorite products and programs authentically, and not just because I might receive a kickback. This also meant focusing on a core group of affiliates and not spreading myself too thin among products that don’t pay.
  • Letting go of all my Virtual Assistant work, so I could focus exclusively on KalynBrooke.com.
  • Joining AdThrive. This is an ad network and management company who continually tweaks my ads on my behalf. It all happens behind the scenes and they make sure I’m getting the biggest return on my page views.
  • Creating epic content that encourages readers to come back again and again. It all starts with catchy headlines and being super personal!

I would not be anywhere without my readers, and I can’t thank you enough for joining me on this journey, whether you’re new around here or you’ve been reading KalynBrooke.com since it was Creative Savings! It so easy to get caught up in the technical side of blogging, but I want YOU to feel appreciated each and every day. Please feel free to tell me if I’m not doing my job!

So where do I go from here?

Well, hopefully up! After Joseph lost his job, we decided to make our dream of growing KalynBrooke.com together a reality. Some months it’s been really tight, but it’s also inspired us to keep going and to keep growing. We love working at home together, and sometimes I still have to pinch myself that we’re actually doing it!

You Can Make Money from Your Blog Too

Maybe you’re reading this right now and feeling really discouraged that your blog isn’t at the place you want it to be. If so, can I give you an encouraging hug and say you are not alone? I wrote and wrote and wrote for years before I finally resonated with someone. I also haven’t grown as fast as some of those incredibly successful stories you’ve heard from others.

My purpose of writing this post is not to make you feel defeated and overwhelmed, it is to encourage you. Because if I {who wasn’t at all an overnight success} can make blogging work, then you can too.

Are you ready to change up your blogging routine and finally make an income for your hard work? Leave a comment below letting me know what dreams or goals you have for your blog. The sky is the limit!

What Dreams Do You Have for Your Blog?

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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Comments

  1. Jazmin @ Frugality Gal says

    September 17 at 9:12 am

    I always love seeing a “behind the curtain” look at someone else’s blog. Thank you for being so transparent and encouraging! Your blog has always been one that I’ve admired. I’m so happy to see your success!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 17 at 9:28 am

      Thanks so much for your encouragement, Jazmin! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Mary @ The Encouraging Home says

    September 17 at 9:31 am

    Excellent post!! I know this will help many bloggers see the potential!! So nice meeting you at She Speaks!!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 17 at 9:52 am

      Thanks, Mary! It was so great to meet you too! I was VERY nervous about publishing this post, as I’m sure you can relate, and really appreciate your encouraging comment! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Liv says

    September 17 at 12:09 pm

    Congrats on persevering! I’m going to work on being able to monetize on my blog and the first thing I did was become a dot.com. Now, I’m going to buy a better website on WordPress and continue working on affiliate network/advertising. Have you heard of blogher.com? I’ve seen other blogs make money from their marketing as well. Btw, I’m also thinking about becoming a virtual assistant as another way to make income!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 18 at 9:58 am

      Thank you, Liv! I have heard of Blogher, and I know a lot of bloggers who do really well on that network. I personally think they are too restricting with their rules, and you cannot have many {if at all} of the other ad networks on your site if you use them. But definitely do some research and make the best decision for you! I’m cheering you on! 🙂

      Reply
      • Brandy Alford (rzashida) says

        October 4 at 3:40 pm

        I agree with you , Blogher does have strict requirements. I’ve enjoyed networking with Sverve.

        Reply
  4. Anung V says

    September 17 at 4:43 pm

    This was so helpful. Having an idea of what exactly people use to make money is great. I hope to one day to have my blog make enough that I can live off of. To have my time my own and enjoy it every day. Then I would have more time to write. I love to write for my blog as well as fiction. That would be my dream t make money off both.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 18 at 10:03 am

      I truly believe ANYONE can do whatever they set their mind to. I am rooting for your success! <3

      Reply
  5. Sonja @ practical-stewardship.com says

    September 18 at 9:20 am

    Thanks so much for sharing! I wish I could even make $100/mo. I’ve been blogging 2 1/2 years. What Ad Networks do you use? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 18 at 9:53 am

      Sonja, you have a really cute blog and GREAT photos! I use Adsense, Burst Media, Media.net, Sovrn, and Rivit. Some quick changes that might help is to move your leaderboard ad directly below your navigation bar, and have a 300×250 ad above the fold on your sidebar. And don’t be afraid to monetize your most popular posts by putting an ad in there as well!

      Reply
      • sonja @ practical-stewardship.com says

        September 18 at 12:35 pm

        Thanks for the heads up. I will look into those things!

        Reply
  6. Katelyn F says

    September 19 at 2:31 pm

    That is awesome! I’ve seen awesome growth in the last year too. 🙂 I really need to write up a post like this… and I’m still debating about this course. I just worry about the time commitment to go through all these things. I already have a lot on my plate… ya know?

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 19 at 5:30 pm

      That’s so good to hear, Katelyn! I just love seeing other bloggers succeed — it’s such a great community and journey we are ALL on! And I totally know about the time commitment. I have passed on many a course or eBook because I just don’t have time to sort through the material right now. I will tell you that you do have lifetime access if you want to grab it at this price now, and just having access to Ruth in a private Facebook group is so incredibly valuable to ask questions and such. But obviously, the decision is up to you, and I SO do not want say all that to put pressure on you! Just wanted to provide the extra info. 🙂 Have a great weekend!!

      Reply
  7. Veronica says

    September 20 at 9:44 pm

    What a great insiders view! I have a blog and have recently vlogging. I started it out as a hobby and outlet to share my views, it’s great to see others making actual profit. Nice work!
    XoVeronica

    Reply
  8. April says

    September 22 at 4:15 pm

    I love the honest look at the income and traffic you have at your blog. Thank you! I am still at 3200 page views post month, so the numbers you have amaze me. I hope someday I will be there too!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 23 at 4:00 pm

      It will come! I remember when I was stuck at 2K page views a month for the longest time, but it slowly grew — keep writing and don’t give up!

      Reply
  9. [email protected] says

    September 23 at 11:57 am

    Thank you so much for sharing this! As a fairly new blogger (1 1/2 years) this gives me much hope that I can grow too. I appreciate all the great advice.

    Reply
  10. Evelyne says

    September 23 at 8:35 pm

    Thank you thank you thank you! I have been searching high and low for real numbers! My blog was new in June. I have a goal of getting to $30,ooo grand a year…and I have made $0.02 so far! Ha ha! I hope I can do it…thanks for the encouragement! Evelyne @ http://www.kiddyfantasticos.com

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 25 at 10:32 am

      I was very similar, Evelyne! I think it’s good to establish some lofty goals, but also to be strategic about how you’re going to get there. I’m rooting for your success!

      Reply
  11. Toya Tenice (@toyatenice) says

    September 23 at 11:53 pm

    This is so encouraging to read! Wishing you continued success on your blog! Thank you for being open and willing to share. It gives me hope. :- )

    http://www.toyatenice.com

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 25 at 10:31 am

      Thanks, Toya! You can totally do it!

      Reply
  12. [email protected] says

    September 26 at 6:38 pm

    Thank you so very much for your honesty and for posting real numbers! Such great information in here! I’ve been blogging for over 4 years, and have great traffic, but need to get with it and utilize more ad networks. I feel like I’m leaving money on the table after reading this!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 29 at 5:55 pm

      You’re welcome! I hope it was encouraging to you. Something I realized when talking to other bloggers, is that my ad network numbers {especially Adsense} seem to be higher than most. I do think it has a lot to do with SEO and making sure your posts are correctly optimized. Google traffic always pays better!

      Reply
  13. Alexa says

    September 26 at 6:49 pm

    Thanks for being so transparent! I’ve had my blog for almost two years and average somewhere around $700 a month. (Although this month will finally break the $1k mark!)

    I was curious how you grew your traffic so much. Was it all through social media? And, I just read Ruth’s book and love it.

    Congrats on your progress. You’re doing awesome!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 29 at 6:03 pm

      That’s awesome, Alexa! It took me a year and a half before I starting seeing anything significant. It sounds like you are on the right track!

      I really contribute the major traffic growth to Pinterest – great content + great pinnable graphics + group boards made ALL the difference. I also started writing for 2 sites as a monthly contributor, and though I don’t get a ton of traffic directly throughout the month from them, I do believe it helps my name be more recognizable on social media, which does turn into traffic.

      I hope that helps answer your questions. Keep blogging!

      Reply
  14. Sarah @ SarahTitus.com says

    October 12 at 12:16 am

    Thank you for sharing Kalyn. I love that you are so open about everything. When I first started blogging, as a single SAHM, I had to do a lot of VA work just to pay for my own blog, but month by month, I was able to scale back and I’m proud of say that after only 9 months of blogging, I far EXCEED full time income from blogging (crazy, right!) It is insane and I didn’t realize how much I would love blogging. I was under a very abusive marriage for 14 years, didn’t think anything I had to say mattered. It touches my heart that people all over the world come to our blogs and can relate to us, and that we can help and reach people not just in our own states. I love your blog and your unique voice and look forward to your posts each week. Keep up the amazing work. You are a superstar!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      October 13 at 12:30 pm

      Congrats, Sarah! That is such a wonderful accomplishment!

      Reply
  15. Kim says

    October 15 at 9:45 am

    Thanks for the post. Even though I’m still a newbie at this, it is encouraging to see the potential to be had by hard work and dedication.

    Reply
  16. Melanie @ Carmel Moments says

    October 24 at 9:02 pm

    Found you via Pinterest. I agree Ruth’s book is amazing. Has helped me so much.

    Thanks so much for sharing! My blog is a little over a year old but I just began advertising in Apr/May.
    Now that the kids are in school. I’ve been investing many hours to promote and grow my blog. It’s definitely hard work but it’s my dream as well to be able to allow my husband to quit his job his demanding job for something with less hours. Big audacious goal….I know. My dreaming fuels my passion.

    I believe God is fueling a new passion in my heart as well to incorporate into what I’m already doing.
    So I’m believing big and following His lead.

    Thanks again for sharing! So inspiring. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      October 27 at 3:13 pm

      You’re welcome, Melanie! You have gorgeous photos, and I see you featured on Ruth’s site often, so you are already doing an awesome job! And big audacious goals are the best. God can make ANYTHING happen. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Coco says

    October 31 at 2:01 pm

    Thank you so much! I love this so much and I can’t wait to use these tips and tricks 🙂

    Reply
  18. Keisha | The Girl Next Door is Black says

    November 16 at 12:00 am

    This is a great post; I can see why you resonate with readers. I felt like you were talking directly to me. 🙂

    I do get discouraged sometimes. I pump out what I think is great content and do networking and marketing and the results seem so minimal. But, what you’ve shared (and thank you for doing so!) is so inspiring and encouraging!

    I hope that in the near future my blog will be sucessful enough that I can sustain a living on it. I do not want to go back to slaving away at an office job.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      November 19 at 3:23 pm

      Thank you so much for your kind words, Keisha! It is so easy to discouraged, but just remember this – if you continue to work hard, it WILL pay off! Your day is coming. 🙂

      Reply
  19. Stephanie says

    November 24 at 4:24 am

    Hi Kalyn,

    This may be a silly question, but how exactly do you make income off of your blog? Just with 3rd party advertising? How do you find those contacts? I do all of the afore mentioned things and am super passionate about my blog, although I got discouraged as of late and haven’t been posting much but am trying to pick that back up! I have realized I love doing it, even if no one else is reading it or appreciates it. Thank you for the wonderful tips and insiration!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      November 25 at 5:09 pm

      Stephanie – it’s not silly at all! The majority of my income comes from 3rd party advertising which is why I have ads at the top, side, and bottom of this blog. They are counting for every pageview or impression and I get paid a set amount per 1,000 impressions. Google Adsense is a great place to start with this, although I do know that it takes quite a bit of traffic to start seeing results. I started earning more when I hit the 30-50K pageview mark.

      The second source of income for me is Affiliate Marketing, which is when I promote a project that I truly love and earn a percentage or commission if someone buys it. I would apply to be an affiliate with Amazon first. They don’t offer much in terms of commission, but you can link to practically any product, and almost everyone buys from Amazon anyway!

      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  20. Christie says

    November 28 at 2:45 am

    Thank you for sharing. I pinned this a while back to read, so happy that it jumped out at me tonight. I am looking forward to reading Ruth’s book.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      December 2 at 3:41 pm

      You’re welcome, Christie! I think you will really enjoy the book. 🙂

      Reply
  21. Lily says

    December 5 at 7:42 pm

    This was a really helpful article. I’ve thought about starting a blog, whether it makes money or not, but what I am curious about is what place to start my blog. What blog site or hosting site do you use? I have seen eblog, but heard they are not that great if you want to make money. I heard paying for a site is better than the free ones. What site do you use? And can you design it yourself?

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      December 10 at 5:50 pm

      I use a self-hosted WordPress site, which is the best to start on if you want to eventually monetize it. Then you can purchase a theme {template} and customize it the way you’d like, or hire a designer to do it like I did with mine. You still have to “host” the blog somewhere though, and if you are just starting out, I would look at Bluehost. They are a decent price and I have heard great things about them! I currently use a private hosting service because it can handle the higher traffic. You can always make the switch to a different host as your traffic grows.

      For more technical logistics of starting a blog, I would recommend going through Amy Lynn Andrew’s series. She explains everything really well! http://amylynnandrews.com/how-to-start-a-blog/

      Let me know if you do decide to start one. I’d love to pay you a visit! 🙂

      Reply
      • Lily says

        December 29 at 11:16 am

        Thanks so much for the info and the link for more info. I will check out Bluehost. I also am having trouble thinking of a name. I feel once I get past that, I might be ready to start, and then commit a certain amount of time each day for it. I like the layout of e blogger, so I hope Bluehost is similar. I started one a few years ago on eblogger, just to see what it was like and if I liked doing it. But then I heard if you want to get big or ever try to make any income, then it was not a good site to use. And the name I used, I found other blogs with the same name. I appreciate your suggestions. When I get it going I will come post my link. I’d like to be able to post a link to your blog too, as a thanks for help and info.

        Reply
        • Kalyn Brooke says

          December 31 at 6:16 pm

          The name really is one of the hardest parts! I know a lot of bloggers are now rebranding under their own names and wish they had started a blog much sooner that way. We all have so many varying interests that it’s much easier to have them “contained” under one umbrella of our name rather than a niche or certain topic. Just a thought!

          Reply
  22. Lily says

    December 5 at 7:45 pm

    p.s. I see an ad for a local store near my at the bottom of your blog. That is really neat to see something personalized. But how in the world do you do that? (It changes…I saw one ad for a local store, then an ad for the post office….)

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      December 10 at 5:51 pm

      That’s actually all Google’s doing. I work with Google Adsense and they tailor the ads to my readers. Kind of crazy!

      Reply
  23. E.S. Ivy says

    December 12 at 11:31 am

    Thank you for generously sharing your numbers! Ruth’s book is great – I’m still working my way through it. I still have a long, long, way to go.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      December 20 at 9:37 pm

      You’re very welcome! Sometimes I look at my own to-do list and realize I have quite a long way to go too, but that’s the thing about blogging — every day you do one or two things that get you closer to that finish line. And there’s always something more to do — you just have to pick and choose what your priorities are so it doesn’t get too overwhelming. I have to remind myself of that every day!

      Reply
  24. Katherine Heim says

    December 16 at 4:09 pm

    Hi there,

    THANK you so much for posting this. This really opened up my eyes to my passion which is lifestyle blogging and I can’t wait to get more into it I’m a little discouraged about getting my foot in the door and getting followers. But I have been trying to do a bunch of research on how to do so.

    I’m very new to blogging and I want to reach out to other bloggers and pick their brain. Maybe have a blogging bestie that can take me under their wing! haha 😉

    Again,

    THANK YOU
    <3 You have inspired me!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      December 20 at 9:41 pm

      I’m so glad you were inspired, Katherine! It’s so easy to get discouraged…especially at the beginning, but you have to hang in there! One of the most encouraging things I have found is to be a part of a Tribe or Mastermind Group of other bloggers so we can all help support and promote each other. Bloggers that stick together get much more accomplished than those who blog alone. You can read more about Mastermind Groups from my friend, Trina, here: http://trinaholden.com/mastermind-groups/ Know that I’m cheering you on and wishing you the absolute best. You can do it!!

      Reply
  25. Mary St. Dennis says

    January 8 at 4:36 pm

    Thanks for sharing this. It is very encouraging. We all need that from time to time. 🙂

    Reply
  26. Monica Lobenstein says

    January 10 at 11:42 am

    Thanks so much for posting this! I’m really just getting started and learning all I can in the process. It helps to read about other bloggers experiences. I’m currently reading (and re-reading) Ruth’s book and have learned a lot already. Lots on my to-do list! Anyway, thanks again for sharing this look at your experiences. It helps to know that with hard work we can make our blogs successful.

    Have a great day!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      January 12 at 4:57 pm

      So glad you were encouraged by this, Monica! There are a lot of to-do’s when you first start and it can seem really overwhelming. Take it step by step and enjoy the journey!

      Reply
  27. Rosemary says

    January 18 at 1:23 am

    Hi Kalyn,

    I found your article on Pinterest tonight, and I want to let you know that I’ve gotten much more than just the article, which would have been gratifying enough by itself. In addition, I have saved the links for Ruth’s book, VA work, How to Start a Blog, and Mastermind Groups. I’ve found out about Burst Media, Media.net, Sovrn, and Rivit. I’ve learned to make the most of Pinterest, to start 3rd party ads with Google Adsense, and apply to be an affiliate with Amazon. You confirmed that I did the right thing when I chose WordPress and Bluehost. Thank you for all of that! Then, as if that weren’t enough, I went to my Kindle to find Ruth’s book and found out I could get it for free because I have Amazon Prime! So now I have it and will start reading it when I finish this comment. How cool is that?

    I began my blog less than a month ago. I have two types of dreams for my blog. The least important is monetary. If I could make about $500/month with my blog, I could afford to retire! (However, I love my job of teaching English as a Second Language to international students from all over the world, so retiring is not a critical need right now.) My most important blogging dream is spiritual. I would like to help people, especially young women, to know God and grow closer to Him. I’ve been in relationship with Him since I was 10 years old, and I’m 68 now. So I have 58 years of Christian experience to share. In the Bible book of Titus, it tells the elderly women to encourage the younger gals–not judge them or preach at them. As I look around the blogosphere, I see very few pictures of women bloggers of a mature age. Either they’re not old, or they’re posting pictures of their daughters!

    So, big deal, I’ve been at it for one month. I have a lot of work to do because my blog doesn’t begin to meet my own standards for what I want it to become. I’m an old newbie who would like to begin my “Titus 2 journey” by encouraging you, Kalyn. You’ve been working long and hard, and you’re doing a good work here. Keep it up! My warmest thanks for all of this helpful information!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      January 19 at 5:17 pm

      Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Rosemary! Keep at it and don’t give up writing. It might take at least a year for you to see some profit, but it IS possible.

      I love that your vision is to encourage young women — you’ve definitely encouraged me today!

      Reply
  28. Kelsey Inkol says

    January 26 at 3:45 pm

    This was so helpful and encouraging. It’s definitely nice to read something that isn’t just saying blogging is an overnight success – it really breaks down that it is a journey and I feel as though this will definitely help me along. I am also going to save my pennies and buy that course – I truly am a believer you need to invest in something to get something back so it’s no skin off my nose. Thank you for writing this and for the encouraging hug.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      February 2 at 8:15 pm

      You are SO welcome! Just keep writing and learning and improving, and you WILL start to see results. Plus, your blog is so pretty and clean looking — good design is sometimes half the battle!

      Reply
  29. Kary says

    February 20 at 10:51 pm

    Wow, what great growth over the year, I needed this encouragement today. I truly appreciate your openness and honesty. Blogging has become a passion for me and making money has been a bit of a challenge, but I am going to persevere through like you have. Thank you, Kary

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      March 4 at 3:51 pm

      I’m so glad this post was able to encourage you, Kary. Keep blogging! The world needs your voice. 🙂

      Reply
  30. Jennifer says

    February 27 at 1:48 pm

    Thanks so much for this encouraging post! I’m new in the blogging world, so I’m soaking up all the knowledge I can from bloggers like you 🙂 xx, jen – misslifestyler.com

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      March 4 at 3:52 pm

      Welcome to blogging! I think you’ll find it truly is the best job ever. 🙂

      Reply
  31. Toni says

    March 10 at 3:00 pm

    Thanks for sharing your income with us. I have just started a new blog (took a blogging ‘break’ for a bit) and my goal is to start earning a little bit each month and eventually being able to become a FT blogger by year 5. I have read Ruth’s book about a gazillion times and love it. I really, really, really want to enroll in the Elite Blog Academy this spring but I’m just not sure about dishing out that kind of money just yet.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      March 14 at 7:33 pm

      You’re welcome, Toni! It is a lot of money to invest upfront, and since you already have read Ruth’s book, you have a really great head start on what it takes to earn a full-time income from your blog. I would definitely focus on the core principles in her book first if you don’t feel comfortable spending the money just yet. I honestly believe you will grow leaps and bounds just by implementing all the good advice she shares in there!

      Reply
  32. Brittany says

    March 20 at 5:17 pm

    thank you so much for all this great information! I think I’m going to go buy the book you suggested and I already signed up for an email notice of when they academy starts up again! When did you start blogging!? I love your blog and run into you all the time online. Your such a great mentor for me and you don’t even know it!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      March 21 at 9:15 pm

      You’re welcome, Brittany, and thank you so much for your kind words! Definitely grab that book — it’s worth the money and more.

      I started blogging a LONG time a go {about 8 years}, but have only been blogging on Creative Savings for 2 1/2. It took a while for me to find the right niche, and I was kind of a perpetual blog starter in the beginning!

      Reply
  33. Kristen @ Joyfully Thriving says

    April 14 at 6:15 am

    Thank you for this, Kalyn! I’ve read this several times and it has encouraged me every time. I’ve been blogging for almost 5 years but have decided this past year that now is the time to see if I can make an income from my blog. It’s a big dream and so encouraging to hear from others that have done it! Thank you for your honesty and encouragement! I just used your referral link to sign up for Elite Blogging Academy and I’m so excited!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      April 21 at 3:13 pm

      That’s awesome, Kristen, and you can totally do it! I’ll be joining you in EBA as a refresher, so I’ll look forward to seeing you there!

      Reply
  34. Stephanie says

    September 28 at 8:58 am

    Thank you so much for the encouragement for us newbies. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but posts like these make it more doable:)

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 28 at 2:36 pm

      You’re welcome, Stephanie!!

      Reply
  35. Natali McKee says

    September 28 at 9:36 pm

    Which ad agencies do you use and how do you get into Private Advertising?

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      October 9 at 3:33 pm

      Right now, I currently have my ads managed through The Blogger Network, but when I was doing them myself, I used Adsense, Media.net, Burst Media, Sovrn, Today’s Mama, and Q1 Media {which I still use that last one for mobile}. And for private ads, I just pitch the company myself most of the time — it never hurts to ask! 🙂

      Reply
  36. Kaitlyn says

    September 30 at 4:06 pm

    So I have to ask since Ruth’s class is closed for 2015, and I don’t want to wait until 2016 to go from 6 subscribers and 1200 page views in 3 months blogging……. in your first to second month blogging you JUMPED in page views. What did you do to cause that? What are your best MARKETING tips?

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      October 12 at 7:53 pm

      Hi Kaitlyn,

      Patience and hard work. I didn’t see a big increase in traffic over the first year of writing.

      I took a look at your blog and it looks very inviting! I think your best bet at increased traffic is really researching and working on your Pinterest strategy. One of the key elements of Pinterest that I would look into is pin image sizes. To start you on your way, pins that are portrait get a LOT more attention than pins that are in landscape.

      Be patient, keep learning, keep experimenting, and keep putting out good content and the growth will come!

      Reply
  37. Audrey says

    October 9 at 8:58 am

    I really appreciate the transparency of this post. Some make blogging sound like an overnight success. I’m very new to this. 2 weeks since bought and 1 week live… And really want to help it grow. I have so many plans it’s hard to prioritize.

    Today/this weekend’s goals: 1. Connect and really learn to use Pinterest. 2. Get Adsense up and running (they didn’t approve me until I was published so couldn’t do it before hand)

    I’ve seen Ruth’s book recommended on another site as well. I’ll have to add that to my “to do” list.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      October 15 at 9:13 am

      That’s great, Audrey! Pinterest may take you more than one weekend to master {I’m not sure that I’ve mastered it yet} but you are absolutely on the right track. In blogging it’s so easy to get distracted by new “shiny widgets” that we can start a lot of projects and never actually finish anything. Keep your priority list in mind all the time and you will be well on your way to blog success.

      Reply
  38. Pili says

    October 12 at 12:07 am

    Hi Kalyn! I’m a new blogger and I find it really interesting! I’m focused also in growing my blog and make some money… I have some questions, which Ad Networks &Affiliate Programs do you use?
    Thanks for sharing!
    Hugs,
    Pili

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      October 15 at 9:21 am

      Hi Pili,
      I currently have my ads managed through TBN {The Blogger Network}, but when I was doing them myself, I used Adsense, Media.net, Burst Media, Sovrn, Today’s Mama, and Q1 Media {which I still use that last one for mobile}.

      If you have less than 100,000 pageviews per month I really recommend not having an ad manager as you will have to pay them, and it might not be worth it. I also think it’s good to learn the basics of how ads work and a lot of the terminology in the advertising world – it’s very helpful to have that knowledge when you are working with ad managers later.

      When it comes to affiliate programs, it’s all about finding the companies and products that gel the best with your brand and then asking them if they have an affiliate program. Amazon is a great place to start, and Ultimate Bundles is another popular one, but then there are so many places to branch out. Many bloggers also offer affiliate sales for their books and e-courses.

      Reply
  39. mari says

    October 29 at 12:04 pm

    so great of you to be sharing this. I am far away from monetizing my blog i wouldn’t even know how to go about it or how much to ask for that matter of fact if someone wanted to put up ads. Now it’s important to increase readership and then I’ll think about the rest 😉

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      November 2 at 11:03 am

      Hi Mari!

      I stopped by your blog and {even though I don’t speak German} I thought it looked very nice! You are certainly on the right track.

      Don’t be afraid to put a Google adsense ad in there at some point. Even while you are still building traffic it can be exciting to see your blog earn a little bit here and there!

      Reply
  40. Maria @ Pastels & Macarons says

    November 5 at 8:45 am

    Thank you so much for this information. So encouraging! Thank you for telling us smaller and newer bloggers that it can be done though right now I’m not completely committed to trying to make money, I am focusing on writing great content and consistency.

    🙂

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      November 5 at 7:19 pm

      Hi Maria! You are right on when it comes to consistency and content! I couldn’t help but take a few minutes browsing your blog and I was instantly struck at your photos. That was one of my big challenges starting out {you can tell if you go back and look at my oldest posts… please don’t}.

      In your “25 Things About Me” post you said: “I’ve always wanted to own my own business.” I really believe from what I see online that you are on your way to that with your blog. Keep up the good work.

      Reply
  41. Tiffany @FittyFattys says

    December 1 at 5:57 pm

    Wishing you continued success. I can’t wait til I am a full-time blogger/ vlogger! We can do it!

    Tiffany,

    http://fittyfattys.com/

    Reply
  42. Suzi Whitford says

    January 6 at 7:51 am

    Kalyn, thank you for showing your numbers and growth! Over the past few months your traffic has grown really well! What have you done differently?

    The first money I made blogging was by recommending an affiliate to my family. It didn’t cost them anything extra, but I made $120 and we all went out to dinner!

    Blogging has been such a wonderful outlet for me as a stay at home mom. I’m so happy to have virtually met so many others in my position.

    Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      January 7 at 11:51 am

      That’s really great that you got a chance to celebrate your win by taking everyone out for a meal! I would say that the TWO key things I have done to make that big of a difference are:

      1 – Make every post valuable to your reader. It’s okay to do sponsored posts and pitch various brands, but do it in a way that your reader gets great information from it beyond the brand. Once I stopped posting what I *thought* would resonate, I looked at my most popular posts and created content based on those specific topics. It’s almost a sure thing that readers will love {and share} them!

      2 – Study Pinterest. Keep track of your growth, and don’t be afraid to experiment. It’s one of the best and biggest ways to receive traffic, so it’s worth spending a lot of time trying to figure out what works for you. Not every piece of advice that you read will work for your account. You have to be willing to test it.

      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  43. Elizabeth says

    January 17 at 10:06 pm

    This is really encouraging Kayln! Thank you for being so honest and it puts me in a place where I feel I can actually pull my blogging career off 🙂
    Of course I need to get better at it but what are some of your tips on how to increase your blog traffic ?

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      January 25 at 9:39 pm

      You are most welcome, Elizabeth! I believe anyone can make a career out of blogging — it really is the best job ever!

      I actually spoke at a conference about how to build your blog traffic and you can access the slides HERE: http://www.slideshare.net/kalyncomings/building-blog-traffic-3-essential-strategies/1 If it asks you for a password, use FLSUNCON. Here is the Resource Page I also reference in the slides: https://kalynbrooke.com/flsuncon15/

      Hope that helps!!

      Reply
  44. Sarah @ The Teacher's Wife says

    February 22 at 2:52 pm

    Thanks so much for sharing!! I am always inspired by posts like this – I have a long way to go, but it’s so great to remember that it IS possible to make a living with blogging!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      February 22 at 6:43 pm

      You’re welcome, Sarah! Never give up and keep learning!!

      Reply
  45. Kumiko Ehrmantraut says

    February 25 at 9:29 pm

    This is a great post. I am new to blogging, only two weeks in (thebudgetmom.com). I am a little discouraged, as i thought i would be getting more engagement. Thank you for these words and giving me the courage to press on. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      February 29 at 9:52 am

      Don’t be discouraged, Kumiko! It will take time for people to find you and even more time for people to start connecting. But when they do connect it can be very rewarding!!

      Reply
  46. Monica says

    March 21 at 5:31 pm

    I appreciate your post. I, as a new blogger, often wonder if I’m just dreaming that I might be able to blog full time. I have so much to learn but I am so motivated when I read encouraging posts such as yours! I have watched several of Ruth’s webinars and am praying through signing up for her course in the fall. Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      March 24 at 11:14 am

      Ruth is a wealth of information, for sure! Her course really is a huge investment but if your goal is to make your full time income from your blog, it is well worth the price tag. Just make sure you have the time to invest as well.

      Reply
  47. Lena Gott says

    March 22 at 2:04 pm

    I love this, Kalyn! Thanks so much for agreeing to be included in my round up of 25+ Bloggers Who Make $1000 – $10000 Per Month. This is so inspiring to everyone. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      March 24 at 11:07 am

      Thanks so much for including me, Lena!

      Reply
  48. Kelly Cox says

    August 20 at 11:02 am

    Kalyn, great and encouraging info. I read Ruth’s book and took EBA. They made a huge difference for me!

    I’ll be staying home full time soon. We are wait listed to adopt our first child. I’m excited to be able to be devoting more time to home and blogging soon! (Also, I hope the baby comes soon!)

    Thanks for your transparency and helping others – like me!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      August 22 at 6:00 pm

      So excited for you! I know adoptions can be stressful since there is no official “due date” to plan around. I bet you are excited to have a lot of added topics to write about when you debt free family increases from 2 to 3! 🙂 {Which, of course, is secondary to your excitement of being a mom-to-be}

      Reply
  49. Carlin says

    September 30 at 4:29 pm

    Love, love seeing your income report! Inspires me to work harder on my blog. This is my biggest month yet and most of my income is from the Amazon affiliate program on a niche site I have established… keep up the great work 🙂

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      October 1 at 12:40 am

      One of the great things about blogging is that there are so many avenues that you can use to earn income!

      Reply
  50. Chelsea @ Making Manzanita says

    May 20 at 1:04 am

    I’m a fellow blogger! I just randomly came across your blog and got clicking around. Love how your blog is set up and designed. It’s so easy to get around and get a great snapshot of what you’re all about quickly. After reading your AWESOME about page. I got thinking… you know what? I bet this girl is in EBA. She’s got all the makings of a blog that’s been through it! Then I found this blogging section and…WHAT DO YOU KNOW 🙂 I’m just getting started on EBA and I’m moving slow, but trying to make sure I do it right. I just subscribed to your blog and look forward to following along. Are you going to be at Activate in September?!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      May 24 at 9:30 am

      Hi Chelsea,

      You have a sharp eye! I love EBA. I actually was really undecided about Activate because it was on the other coast and I only have the budget for 1, maybe 2, conferences this year. When it came down to it, though, I knew that I would get my moneys worth from Activate and I couldn’t say that for certain about the other conference I was considering. So I guess that is the long way of saying, yes, I’ll be at Activate! 🙂 Am I going to see you there?

      Reply
  51. Arati says

    July 29 at 8:27 am

    Your article is very inspiring and helpful for someone who wants to start a new blog. I remember when I started my first blog, how i used to get motivation by looking at other bloggers income report. With consistency and quality content one can achieve sucess in blogging.
    Lots of love,
    Arati

    Reply
  52. Dawn Sims says

    February 22 at 8:18 am

    That was the most absolutely best article I have seen exposing the ever so confusing…blogging. Bravo

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      February 28 at 10:18 pm

      Thank you so much, Dawn. There is sooo much information out there that it can be really tough to sort through all the noise.

      Reply
  53. Ajmal Hussain says

    September 23 at 9:22 am

    Hey! Nice Article Keeps it up with your Good work. This Article will also helpful to the visitors. Really Nice 🙂 Thank you for sharing a such a content very useful to me. i am learned alot from this article.

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Kalyn—a recovering perfectionist who nerds out about organizing systems, personal productivity, and helping you prioritize what matters over the pressure to do it all. I have a feeling we’re about to become the best of friends! Learn more >>

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👩‍💻 | I help value-driven women lead manageable + meaningful lives.
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Kalyn Brooke
I used to feel guilty for reading fiction novels. I used to feel guilty for reading fiction novels. 😔⁣
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Once in high school, someone told me that I needed to expand my world through real stories and information instead of reading all that fluff. 🥴⁣
⁣
I understand the point they were trying to make. If you want to learn how to do something or get to know historical figures or grow personally in a positive way, non-fiction will help you get there. ⁣
⁣
But fiction matters too... for so many reasons! Here are my three: 📚⁣
⁣
1. Fiction helps me practice empathy. I see the world with new eyes because of the way the author invites me to step into the shoes of a beloved character. 🥰⁣
⁣
2. With fiction, you can live thousands of lives. George R.R. Martin said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” Fiction allows me to enter a world I don’t get to experience in real life. 💗⁣
⁣
3. Fiction helps me write better non-fiction. When we hear a well-told story, our brain reacts as if we are experiencing the story ourselves. So when I read a particularly captivating passage, it gives me ideas on how to weave storytelling into my writing too. 💪⁣
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I’d love to hear why you think fiction matters. Comment below and tell me one of your favorite things about reading fiction!⁣
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And if you love books just as much as I do, I invite you to follow my new bookstagram account @theunclutteredbookshelf where we can talk about books ALL the time. 🤩
STORAGE IDEA… for paint swatches! ☝ Keep and l STORAGE IDEA… for paint swatches! ☝ Keep and label the colors you use, then tuck them away in a small envelope for reference. ⁣
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Whenever I go searching for a new rug or pillows, I grab this envelope so I  have ALL my paint colors on hand.  I can match the colors seamlessly without trying to guess if the blue on my walls trends more blue than green. 🤔⁣
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Another perk? You won’t spend an excessive amount of time in HomeGoods waffling between decorating decisions. Not that I’ve ever done that... 😆⁣
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‘Tis the season for spring-cleaning your home … and your finances! 💸⁣
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While most of us use the spring season to deep clean spaces we might otherwise forget (or ignore—fan blades, I’m talking to you), let’s not forget how necessary it is to do a financial check-in too. 💰⁣
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If it’s been a while since you last overhauled your budget, updated your savings goals, etc., not to worry. I have just the thing to give your finances a fresh start! 🥳⁣
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On the blog this week, I’ve listed 7 essential steps to help you clear out the cobwebs. Don’t be intimidated—I promise it will be fun! And once you have these systems in place, you’ll enjoy less stress during the rest of the year. ⁣
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Drop any cleaning emoji in the comments below and I’ll send you the link to get started. 🧹🧽 🧼
⚡NEWSFLASH:⚡ While there’s so much you could ⚡NEWSFLASH:⚡ While there’s so much you could be doing, there’s only a handful of things you can do at one time. 💪⁣
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The authors of the book The One Thing get this. ⁣
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If you’ve not yet read this book, here’s the main premise: 📣⁣
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Not everything can matter equally. If everything is important, then nothing is. And extraordinary results are directly determined by how you narrow your focus. ⁣
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In other words? Balance is nothing more than an illusion. 🔮⁣
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On the surface, balance sounds like an ideal destination, where every part of our life will magically fall into place and we’ll finally experience the peace and contentment we long for.⁣
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But balance prevents you from “going all in” on anything. Balance chains you to the middle so you can avoid the extremes of the right and left, never committing a significant amount of time to any one area of your life. If you approach anything with balance, each task will tug at you, claiming just as much importance as the next. ⚠⁣
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And equal approaches almost never result in equal outcomes. 🙅⁣
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So embrace being out of balance. Go “all in” on the things that are important to you and let the rest go. 👋⁣
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One of my favorite quotes from The One Thing is, “The key to success isn’t in all the things we do, but in the handful of things we do well.” 🥳⁣
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Think about what you want to do well and then leave what you can behind. And of course, grab the book if you’re able and add it to your reading stack. I have a feeling you’ll love it like I did! 💞⁣
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Have you read this book yet?
The discbound notebook is the BEST thing to happen The discbound notebook is the BEST thing to happen to bullet journaling. It’s true! 🤯⁣
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If you’ve never heard of this type of notebook before, it contains two covers (front and back) with your pages sandwiched in the middle. But the differentiating factor are the “discs” that hold everything together. 🥰⁣
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With a three-ring binder, you can’t fold the notebook back on itself. But with a discbound notebook, you CAN, which allows for easier writing. And you don’t have those annoying snaps of a three-ring binder either! Just pull the page off and then press it back down when you’re done. 😉⁣
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With a discbound notebook, you have the freedom to…⁣
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1️⃣ Rearrange pages however you wish and whenever you wish 💪⁣
2️⃣ Organize your planner into sections 🎉⁣
3️⃣ Use bullet journal printables to save time drawing layouts (this is the solution to the loudest objection I hear about bullet journaling) ⏰⁣
4️⃣ Throw away pages when you mess up (as opposed to ripping a page out of a bound notebook and risk the whole notebook falling apart) 😳⁣
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If you’re not satisfied with the 2021 planner you picked, try a discbound notebook ... bullet journal style. This week’s blog post dishes all the details on what you need to set one up along with a video on how I use mine! 📣⁣
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Drop a notebook emoji in the comments below if you want the link. 📒
Last week the world watched Harry and Meghan’s t Last week the world watched Harry and Meghan’s tell-all interview. 📺⁣
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I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed with the royal family (even though I did hang a photo of Prince William in my high school locker!). But I bought a pint of non-dairy Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and settled in for the two-hour tell-all interview. 🍦⁣
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And here’s my main takeaway:⁣
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Suicidal thoughts. 💭⁣
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Yep, we’re going there today. ⁣
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When someone says they “didn’t want to be alive,” don’t ignore their pleas or pass them off as attention-seekers or say they can’t get help because it would look bad on the royal family (all things that were told to Meghan). 🤯⁣
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Nope. When someone says that, believe them. ⁣
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Even though my life looks completely different than Meghan’s, depression whispered the same lies into my ear. And when I tried to get help, I was given Christian books and resources that criticized medication and labeled depression as a spiritual issue. ⁣
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We must remember that words hold power. When we throw out flippant remarks about mental health, it negatively affects the way people view themselves. 👀⁣
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Their brain is already at war. We don’t need to ruin their chances of winning. 🏆⁣
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So regardless of your opinion about Meghan or the royal family, I hope you hear my heart in this. 💞⁣
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We need to stop believing people only when it’s too late. We need to believe them now… and make sure they know they have our full support. Someone close to you right now could be struggling with their own thoughts and you don’t even know it. 🤔⁣
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So be careful what you say. ⁣
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Meghan probably won’t hear or read your opinion, but your friend will.
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