Hey there! đź‘‹
Welcome to the start of my journey in building an online presence that’s not just a passion project but (hopefully!) a reliable source of income. This is the first post in a series where I’ll be sharing the entire process with you—all the brainstorming, planning, mistakes, small wins, and everything I’ve learned along the way. If you’re thinking about starting your own blog, YouTube channel, or social media brand, stick around! My goal is to make this series both a guide and a companion, with step-by-step ideas and insights into what goes well, what could go better, and how to stay motivated.
Why I’m Doing This
My vision is to create a cross-platform presence that’s both inspiring and practical, where I can connect with a community of creators, freelancers, and small business owners who want to turn their passions into sustainable income streams. Whether it’s through blogging, creating videos, or building an active social media presence, I believe there are ways to build genuine, supportive communities and make a living doing it.
I know—there’s a lot that goes into creating content people actually care about. The big question for me at the start of this journey was: What do I even want to create, and how can I make sure it’s impactful? That meant starting with some soul-searching and step-by-step planning.
Step 1: Defining My Purpose and Building a Foundation
The first step in my journey? Getting crystal-clear on what I want to create and for whom. This meant really sitting down and doing some intentional work to define my niche, understand my strengths, and start seeing a path forward. Here’s the list that I came up with—this became my first official to-do list for this journey:
My First To-Do List
- Define My Niche
- Identify what topics excite me the most and where my expertise shines.
- Figure out what I can talk about for hours without getting bored.
- List the main themes I want my blog and videos to cover.
- Find My Voice and Connect with My Audience
- Think about how I want to come across: warm? informative? funny?
- Understand my personality strengths and how I can weave them into my content.
- Outline who I imagine will benefit most from my content.
- Understand My Audience’s Needs
- Consider the type of person who’d want to follow along: what are they looking to achieve?
- Pin down what they might struggle with that I can help them overcome.
- Research common questions or concerns in my chosen topics.
- Plan Out Initial Content Ideas
- Brainstorm the first five topics or themes I want to start with.
- Break down each topic into smaller ideas for videos, blog posts, and social media posts.
- Decide on a rough schedule to keep content consistent.
- Create a Structure for Future Steps
- Map out a rough journey from beginner to more advanced topics.
- Think about ways to make content easy and motivating for readers.
- Organize tools, resources, and any downloads that might be helpful.
I created a worksheet to guide you through these steps! [Download the worksheet here] for a printable version that includes additional questions and free tools I used to find my answers.
My Fears, Dreams, and Day-One Nerves
Starting out comes with its own set of doubts, dreams, and all the feels! If you’ve ever been on the edge of creating something but felt unsure, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Here’s a glimpse into the mental list I made of all the things swirling through my mind:
- Fears: Will my voice resonate with anyone? What if no one follows along? Will I run out of ideas halfway through? These are the classic worries that can really weigh you down if you let them.
- Dreams: Connecting with a community of creators who find value in my content. Building something that could one day be self-sustaining. Helping people make their own dreams come true.
- Concerns: Balancing time and resources, staying true to myself while also creating content that’s valuable, and knowing when to stick with it even if it gets tough.
Writing these out helped me realize that these feelings are normal—they’re part of the journey. I decided to approach each fear as just another challenge to break down and conquer.
Breaking it Down: Concrete Steps and Staying Focused
For me, the best way to tackle these fears and make real progress was to break everything into manageable steps and trust the plan. This meant treating my to-do list as a guide, not an obstacle. I told myself: “Stick to the steps, and just keep going.” Every item I could check off felt like a small win, and that’s what kept me moving forward.
Tips and Tools I’m Using
In my worksheet, I’ve included suggestions for tools that are free and incredibly useful for each stage of this process. Here are a few quick recommendations:
- Mind Mapping for Niche & Ideas: I used MindMeister for brainstorming. It helped me create a visual map of my ideas, which made defining my niche easier.
- Audience Research: Answer the Public is great for understanding what people are searching for within your niche.
- Content Calendar: Notion or Trello are lifesavers when it comes to planning content ideas and keeping things organized.
Realizations and Reflections: Mistakes and Wins
One of the biggest realizations I had early on was that it’s okay not to know everything from day one. When I got too focused on perfection, it stopped me from making progress. Now, I’m trying to see mistakes as learning moments—because each one brings me closer to creating something authentic and meaningful. Here are a few things I think went well (and what could have gone better!):
- Wins: Taking the time to outline my purpose and values upfront gave me a solid foundation. I know this will help guide me every time I create something new.
- Lessons Learned: My biggest mistake? Trying to plan out too much at once. Lesson learned: focus on the next step, not every step.
Join Me on This Journey
In this series, I’ll be walking through each phase of building an online brand, from content creation and finding an audience to refining my approach based on what works. I hope this journey inspires you, encourages you, and maybe gives you a few “Aha!” moments of your own. Check back here for my next update, where I’ll dive deeper into audience-building strategies, content planning, and the next phase of launching my platform.
And remember: if you’re feeling overwhelmed at any point, just take a deep breath, write out your fears, dreams, and goals, and follow the plan—step by step, day by day. We’ve got this. 💪
