Category: Blog

Most Likes

So on April 20th, on the day after my 5th anniversary with WordPress, I also received the most likes on a single post in a single day. 14 likes. It’s crazy. Likes can vary from post to post but to put that in perspective, my posts typically receive 14 likes in their lifetime. If you go through my blog, posts that have been there months or even years have typically 13 to 14 likes. My posts from 5 years ago? Most have zero likes, the best typically had one. What was I writing at the time? Back then, I had word of the days and poetry commentary (if I even chose to comment on it). It was around May that I started to expand my writing and try to have some semblance of my own thoughts and it is around this time I started getting more than a couple likes on my posts. A like back then feels just as good as it does now and with my blog growing, it is satisfying to take a look back every once in a while. Some of you have been with me since the very beginning and I do notice, I see your likes pop up time and time again and I appreciate the support; I may not call anyone out individually, but as a blogger it’s gratifying to know that whatever I post, you are following me for me and not a persona I would like people to believe I am. There is a reason my domain is my name.

On the back-end, I do enjoy combing over the stats. Typically after a post, I check each day to see the views and the comments left. I see what content people prefer and do my best to meet demand (I actually have no idea what demand is). Another favorite of mine as far as data is concerned is looking at the map to see where the views are coming from. While the majority of views come from the US, at this point my blog has been seen by many nations throughout the world. And that’s what I love about blogging. Is, for every barrier we put up, we often find we have more in common than we do not.

My most popular posts seem to be my update posts. Clunky at first, like a fine wine they have only gotten better over time. And they’re fun to write. As I sit in my room, sipping my cup of coffee, I’m in a state of pure bliss.

Each like helps support the blog, each follow helps grow the community. Part of my content restructuring involves ideas for long term growth. What happens when the blog surpasses 150 followers? 200? 500? And then finally, 1000? Honestly, I don’t expect much to change. The benefit of having more followers is a larger community. I’ve been talking primarily about likes but another aspect I’ve enjoyed is comments. At the moment, very few comment on my posts but when I started, no one commented on my post. As the blog grows, I expect an influx in comments and I’m looking forward to it. All in all, it’s an exciting time for this blog.

And that’s it! Remember, if you like my content, share it with your friends or give it a shout out on social media! The more traffic the site can get, the better. And remember to check out my Patreon and Ko-fi! I’m steadily improving both, so please take a look and provide your feedback! I can add tiers for Patreon and set goals for Ko-fi, so let me know what you’d like! Below is the link:

Support this Blog!!!

Looking to contact me via email? Click below:

Contact me!!!

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment below!

Anniversary Post

Yesterday was my Five year anniversary with WordPress! Typically I pay no mind but half a decade on the same platform is no joke! I remember when I first started, few views and no followers. I’d post and back then, I saw it more of a journal; never did I expect to grow a following. It’s taken five years but the blog is close to one hundred and fifty strong. I’ve never focused too much on promotion. I simply write and people come. That is beginning to shift as the Pandemic has upended a lot of my prior priorities and made me rethink life. The blog will always be around but I want it to gain wider traction in the coming years. As mentioned previously, I took a step back to rethink content, structure, and flow; slowly but surely that is coming to fruition. Part of my strategy is simply to mention to share the content if you like what you read and to subscribe to my Patreon or buy me a cup of coffee per post. I generate a little money via ad revenue but not enough to offset the cost of maintaining the blog. Profit? That has always been a dream. I’ve branched my writing to gain more exposure to my craft and in time, the landscape of my professional career will look drastically different. Writing has been my one constant. Wherever life has taken me, my blog has followed. It provides an inner peace and calm like I’ve never experienced before and I still remember how scared I was when I first started. Now, I simply type, edit, and publish.

My blog is increasingly growing more important from a career perspective. As of today, I have quit my job at the Call Center. Two Years of work and I had to trust my gut; it’s a strange feeling. I spent years building a safety net and the net has caught me, for now. This was the first major life decision I made in a very long time. It’s easy to stay, the tough part is knowing when to leave. During the middle of a Pandemic? Risky but necessary. I am retaking control of my narrative and course correcting. I’m happy to know I can do what’s right for myself and still believe in a better tomorrow.

Part of my plan for the blog was finding a way to put the why back into what I do. Why do I write? Why is a question everyone must ask. It’s the question I kept asking myself at the Call Center. If you don’t ask why, then one day you’ll wake up and realize you’re exactly where you were years ago. I forgot how to ask and took too much grace in listening to others rather than listening to myself. Thanks for sticking around this long and here’s to another 5 years!

If you want to support this blog; like, comment, and follow! Also, share! If you want to offer further support, below is a link to my Patreon and Ko-fi accounts!

Support this blog!!!

If you would like to reach out regarding collaborations, feel free to contact me directly through my email!

Contact me!!!

And as always, feel free to leave comments below; I read them all!

The life of Mike: An update post

So it’s been a while. My blog has been expanding quite a bit since graduation and there have been a lot of changes. I’m trying a new format for how I relay the information, so hopefully you find this helpful.

Changes since January:

  • Site now has a Patreon as well as advertisements
  • Site has been upgraded from a personal account to a premium account
  • Site theme has been updated to accommodate for photography and the occasional original videos
  • Bought camera so I can actually take photos
  • Learning basic coding to help with edits
  • twitter feed has been integrated into the blog to make for a more personal experience
  • Goodreads reading list has been added so you can see what books I’m reading at the moment.
  • Added my personal mission statement to the navigation menu

In addition to these changes, I also plan to eventually add a contact tab (currently figuring out the best way to implement) and am adding Ko-Fi to content centric posts (so not this).

Patreon and Ko-Fi:

I’ve been struggling for the past few months figuring out ways to monetize my blog in a way that builds a stronger community. As much as I love writing, writing well takes time and effort. At the moment I am hopping contract to contract in the Hellscape that is the current US job market. As such, I am looking at ways to become independently sustainable. I realized the problem with Patreon is the subscription. I like with Patreon that I can set long-term rewards and will keep the page as I still think it’ll (eventually) add value to the site as it grows. But I also realize sometimes people read content and simply want to chip in some money but don’t care for rewards and don’t want to pay every month; that’s where Ko-Fi comes in (it’ll be a “buy me a coffee” button). With Ko-Fi you simply click the button, pay what you want for the post, and that’s it. Most of the money spent goes into the blog and it’ll allow me to create better content and to do so more frequently.

Upcoming Posts:

The plan is to do a Corporate America series! The series will be a few articles such as a look at contracts (small business vs. corporation), reputation (the in’s and out’s, why integrity is important, etc.) and How to spot a manager from Hell (a tale of modern day managers and a look at when to leave a company). I also want to post about the gun “situation” in America, however, I also don’t want to get burned at the stake (this article has been years in the making and might be a few more years in the making). Come May, I have a lot planned for mental health awareness month but want to keep that a surprise. And finally, more poetry and fiction! I’ve been enjoying what I’ve wrote thus far and am glad you have as well! I have a few stories I’ve been bouncing around, it just takes time to write and edit (I’m only one man).

In Other News:

I have decided rather than trying to build a team for this site, I am going to keep the site my own. While an editor would be nice, quite frankly I do well enough on my own that the cost would far outweigh the benefit. As for the writers, if need be, I will have the occasional contributor (however, at the moment, there is no need).

That’s it! Thanks for reading! It’ll be a while before another post like this, so sit back and enjoy the content in the coming months; I have a lot planned and am glad you can join me on this journey.

 

With love,

Mike

Busy Bees Be Busy

Hello people, it’s been a while! As you may or may not know, I’m a college student! When I’m not being crippled by student debt (curse you U.S. education system!), I am being highly involved around campus! I joined a professional fraternity, a few clubs (Management and Marketing) and student government! It’s been a roller coaster of a year and I wouldn’t change a moment! As much as I love blogging, I have to be in the right mood to write. As such, I haven’t felt the need to blog for the past few months (wait, how long has it been?). So if it seems sporadic, it is. But if you care to join me on my chaotic journey through young adulthood, be my guest! And for those who have stuck around, thank you!