How I Started Blogging – From Idea to Reality

And how you can too!

In my article I retired young! Now what?, I talk about how I decided I wanted to start blogging. Having recently retired, I wanted to find a new direction, and purpose in my life. I went through an exercise that led me to determine that blogging would be a way for me to do what I love – share my love of food, travel and other adventures and inspire others. But wanting to have a blog and actually starting one is very different. This is how I found a blogging course for beginners that was a great fit for me, and took Fun Loving Life from an idea to reality.

Not My First Try At Blogging

Back in 2018 I had started a personal blog called Scorched Lemon. I pretty much started it on a whim without knowing anything about the blogging world. It was really more of an online journal than a sharable blog. I loved writing about things I enjoyed. But I was also working full time, had a son at home, and had a very busy, active schedule. So my blog was not a priority and, after only a handful of articles, I stopped writing.

This time, when I determined I wanted my second career to be blogging, I decided to do things the ‘right way’. That started with research… a lot of it. I looked up everything I could to find a good blogging course for beginners. I read practically every post, website and blog that I could find that talked about how to start a blog. A LOT of information exists about starting a blog. Sorting through what is valuable and helpful is time consuming and confusing.

I did learn that there are a lot of successful bloggers in this world. Many of them have programs that are designed to help other bloggers get started. At first, I thought I would glean as much free information as I could and figure out the rest on my own. But then it occurred to me, I paid for college to get an education in a specific field. I (and my employer) paid for workshops, seminars and conferences in order to gain specific knowledge. So, if I really want to start a blog as a business, I should be willing to invest, both time and money, in learning what I need to know to succeed.

If I really want to start a blog, I need to be willing to invest,
both time and money,
to learn what I need to know to succeed.

I Found The Blogging Course For Me

As I combed through the all of the information, I came across a program that sounded like it would be good fit for me. Heather & Pete Reese run a successful blog called It’s A Lovely Life. Heather has been blogging for more than 12 years and truly is an expert in this field.

They also have a series of courses that they have created to help others learn the skills and strategies that have made them successful. What drew me to their course in particular was their straightforward approach and their sincerity. They present themselves as professional, knowledgeable and approachable in their videos. After watching just a couple of their short videos I felt like if we met in person, we would be friends.

Being very cautious, however, I did not want to jump in with both feet right away. So I initially signed up for their free Start a Blogging Business 5 Day Crash Course course. This was the best blogging course for beginners that I found. Honestly, this course covered so much more than I expected! Everything from choosing a niche and a domain name to learning WordPress and writing your first post. By the end of the course I knew that I could really start my own blogging business!

With the basic knowledge in hand, I registered for the Blogging Blastoff course. This four week course is a deeper dive into getting a blog started. The information I learned from this course would have taken me months or years to learn on my own. Between the Blogging Blastoff and the WP Fast Launch, I gained the step by step knowledge of how to get started. By the end of the course, I not only had my website completely set up with a layout I like and personalized, but I had so many other resources to start making my blog a business.

The Blogging Blastoff course provides real, tangible information on how to monetize a blog using a variety of methods. They go into detail about each of these, including pros and cons. You learn what methods may work best for your blog right away.

Your Blog Is Your Business

Another thing that course taught me was that in order to have a successful business blog, you need to treat it like a business, because it is one. That means investing the time and learning the skills to succeed. Blogging is not easy. But it is fun and it can be lucrative, if you invest in it – just like you would any other business.

Heather and Pete have a number of other courses that I’m excited to dive into also. Funlovinglife.com focuses primarily on food and travel, and I want to monetize my blog using affiliate links. So I’m anxious to take the Travel Blogging Blastoff and Affiliate Blogger Bootcamp courses.

There are even courses on how to Start a Pet Blog, Real Estate Blog, Food Blog or a Sports Blog.

My blog, funlovinglife.com, is relatively young. But it wouldn’t even have been born yet without the It’s a Lovely Life training programs! The Start A Blogging Business and the Blogging Blastoff programs were a game changer for me!

If you’re looking for a great blogging course for beginners, I highly recommend looking at Heather and Pete’s courses!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means that if you click on the link and purchase that item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. I appreciate your support!