Dream #1: Tell stories.
When I started blogging in 2006, all I ever wanted to do was tell stories. I had a lot of stories to tell. I was brimming with them. As a writer, I never really run out of stories. The problem is I'm not very good at telling them face-to-face. I don't really talk. That's why I write.
Back then, the only ones lucky enough to tell their stories to an audience are those who got themselves published in books and magazines. In 2005, I was working in a magazine and have had the great luck to be published. But greedy me, these weren't enough. Mostly because the stories I wrote for these titles weren't mine; they were other people's stories. I longed to tell my own.
Then a friend told me about this strange new platform called blogging. So I tried it. My world exploded. I was telling stories—silly, stupid, funny, sad, angry—and people were reading them! Blogging made my storytelling dream come true!
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| This was my last blogging workshop, I think! I love meeting my readers and chatting with them! |
Dream #2: Win friends and influence people.
No, I've never read the Dale Carnegie book but blogging's allowed me to do what his bestselling book said everyone should do: win friends and influence people! Two years after I published my first blog post here on Topaz Horizon, I was not only telling stories to a worldwide audience (mind-boggling!), I also started to have real friends online. I say "real" because they didn't feel real at first. No faces, sometimes no names even, which made them feel unreal, but their friendship, jokes, empathy, words of encouragement, and comfort were real. And suddenly I wasn't feeling lonely anymore. I had friends! There were people who understood me and my weirdness. There were people who also put me in my place when I was being cocky, mean, and stupid, but they were always constructive. Sure, there are haters. That can't be avoided when you share your thoughts and beliefs. But mostly, the online world's been kind to me, and for that I'm grateful.
The one thing I didn't expect from blogging was the influence part. When people think of how to be an "influencer," they think it's as simple as peddling products. It's more than that since sharing your life has the incredible power of compelling people to change their minds. I had to be convinced my platform can be used to sway people's opinions. In my mind, I'm just telling my stories. But many of you have written me telling me I've helped you decide on career, love life, marriage, friendship, motherhood, and household issues. From shallow to profound. That scared me. It still scares me. Every time I blog, I'm always mindful of my message. I'm also still in the process of editing, even deleting, blog posts from years and years ago because I know I'm different now. I have to be careful every time I tell a story.
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| Met my friend and Lean In PH co-founder, Ginger Arboleda, because of blogging! She's the one who actually told me to use my influence to empower women, especially moms. |
Dream #3: Work from home.
As my blogging world grew bigger, another impossible dream was realized - I can work from home! And to a new mom, that means the world! I could work and be with my kids 24/7. I never thought I'd be able to do this since I was (still is) in media and media people are notoriously married to their work. It was difficult for me to choose between my work and my babies back in 2010-2012. Then fate decided for me when I was laid off (internet killed magazines). I could've looked for another job but the most lucrative blog topics I featured here made it possible for me to just be a mom. I will always be grateful I chose to do this blogging business!
Dream #4: Become a businesswoman.
Yes, my blog was the reason I became a businesswoman! For this blog to work as my main source of income, I had to attract bigger clients and a big way to do that was go legit. I registered as a business offering writing and editing services. For a good long while, my business was just that. But in recent years, I've eased more and more to influencer marketing. I realized my professional experience as an editor, writer, and blogger made me especially good at managing influencers so that both brand and influencer are happy. I had insight from brand and agency side and from the influencer side, too. It's really been good for business and I'm so happy my blog made this possible.
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| My pre-pandemic life: bring kids to school, run around the city, work on my phone! |
Dream #5: Publish a book.
Fifteen years after my first blog post, I have now given birth to a book. A real book with pages you can smell! This blog became a book and I still can't believe this last and biggest dream has come true. I remember praying about it in September and just one month later, a publisher emailed me saying they loved my blog and could I write a book for them. And so I did! Please email me at frances@topazhorizon.com to grab a copy of Not Invisible!
Five dreams. Now all real. Time to dream new dreams then! And thank you - ALL OF YOU! - for making these dreams come true. God bless you, dearest Loyal Readers! Love you all!
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