Six Sisters STUFF! It's amazing!

Six Sisters STUFF!

New Book Coming Soon!

I had another great interview via email back and forth. This time I had the opportunity to learn from one of the talented sisters from Six Sisters STUFF. Camille was kind enough to take some time out of her busy day as a mom and running a successful business to enlighten me and hopefully you as the reader.

There really is some great tips and helpful info from this interview for any blogger or anyone in a start-up!  
Hint: Social Media Rocks!

They have recently come out with a great new book that everyone should check out! Its release date is later this month. Go to their site for more info.

Q: How did you get your start?

A: We started our blog in 2011 as a way to stay in touch with each other. It was our place to share recipes we made for our families or share ideas. Suddenly, we saw that we were getting more and more hits each day. People from all over the world were randomly finding our blog (we had a little tracker on the side that would show us where our traffic was coming from). We knew that people made money blogging, but we weren't sure how, so we started doing research. We approached our dad, who has a background in computer business, and we came up with a plan to help us monetize our blog. Blogging definitely is not a "get rich quick" plan, but with a lot of hard work, you can make money from it. For the first 6 months, we didn't make one penny. Then, we finally made $100 in month seven. Since then, our money has grown exponentially. Our company, Six Sisters' Stuff LLC, now employs over 20 people, including our parents.

We host a blog conference in Salt Lake each year and we are constantly telling the attendees that if they are only blogging to make money, they will never be successful. You need the passion and love to really have success in this crazy business. Focus on growing your blog and then the money will come.

 

Q: What were the failures you had prior to your success?

A: We definitely had a lot of trial and error. One of the largest streams of income for bloggers are ads in the sidebars. We learned the hard way that if it's too good to be true, it most likely is- we were burned more than once by large ad network companies. It was a nightmare. To solve that problem, we are getting ready to launch our own ad network this year. :)

Q: What is the best thing about working with family?

A: I absolutely love working with my family, but it's not something I would recommend for everyone. You have to make sure that you have amazing communication - if you don't communicate, it will never work! Communication was something we really had to work on, but we are finally in a place where we have it figured out.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who has a blog or an idea trying to take it to the next level?

A: When it comes to blogging, just do it. Sometimes getting started really is a leap of faith, but if you are willing to do the work, things will work out. If you already have a blog and want to take it to the next level, I would suggest focusing on these things:

1. Post consistently. One of the most important things is to keep the content coming! If a reader finds your blog and loves reading your posts, then checks back a couple days later and you don't have anything new, chances are you have lost that reader for life. Keep the new content coming. I would suggest posting at least 2-3 times a week (more if possible!).

2. Monetize your blog as soon as possible. One of the easiest ways is to sign up for ads is through Google AdSense. Once you sign up, they do all the work for you. You just need to keep the traffic coming!

3. Be actively involved on social media. Pick a couple of social media networks that you feel your readers would use and start promoting your blog on them. People will never be able to find your blog if you don't put yourself out there.

Q: Do you ever do consulting work helping those trying to the next step?

A: Yes- you can contact me at any time. Just email me and we can talk. I have helped a handful of businesses with their social media and blog strategies and every single one has seen an increase in traffic and business. Blogging and social media are the next big thing!

Q: Where do you get your ideas or blog posts or book ideas?

A: Ha ha! They come at the funniest times. Lots of times, the best ideas come at night or while I am doing my hair or getting ready for the day. I've even dreamed about different ideas I could do! The thing about my brain is that it never turns off- I am constantly brain storming and thinking of new things, even though sometimes I wish it would just turn off for a day or two!

Q: What has been the biggest helping in marketing your business?

A: Most definitely social media! There is so much power in social media - it's the most powerful tool for bloggers. If you aren't utilizing social media, don't plan on reaching your full potential. I actually teach a social media class that teaches you about the potential you can have when you use social media strategically.

 If anyone has a company they would like featured or if there are people they would like me to contact and interview please sent your ideas to clintcarver@hotmail.

 

Bob, Babies, Beatles

Last night as I was watching my 3 month old little chubby boy play and talk I was able to learn a valuable lesson. I learned how to make my business better, I learned how to succeed with what life gives you.

Lets first talk about Bob. Bob is a man with "problems" just like the rest of us. As Bob finds a new doctor and the new doctor introduces him to a new way of thinking. "Baby Steps" as the title of the book goes. Teaches Bob about putting one foot in front of the other, small steps. It can also help us our goals, one step at a time. As Bob follows his doctor on vacation he begins to experiment with this new thought approach. He tries sailing. Sailing "on a boat far, far away from the dock". As we can see from the picture on the right, he is tied to the mast and he is covered from head to foot in life jackets. He is really sailing? Of course! He is on a real boat on real water. Was it hard for him to get on the boat? Sure! Was he sacred? Yes! He did it though.

What can we learn from my baby and Bob? Its very simple. My baby doesn't know how to move his hands very well, he cant crawl, walk or jump, he cant talk or even eat on his own and he wears diapers. And through all his relying on me to help him survive he still tries to do things on his own. He wants to hold the bottle, he wants to crawl, and he wants to talk. There is something built inside of us to want to succeed and accomplish tough tasks. Society and other influencing factors try to steer us away from succeeding and reaching our goals. I am here to blog to you, you can!

Think about it, how often do we give up when life gets tough. Having a hard time find a job? Why not trying to create a job you love! Having a hard time with Calc 1? Try picking up a paint brush. You might say its just not that easy Clint. Trust me I have been there, I have created jobs. I have also jumped out of college here and there to study something worth learning. My father, with an education of almost an PHD counseled me to drop out of college while I was at the U. Why? He knew my talents and my ambition and with those I could succeed. Just as I encourage my little boy to keep trying to hold his bottle. Having something to teach, love and encourage makes up the most of what we need. It doesn't just happen over night, it takes "baby steps". Bob needed some helping getting on the boat, he need someone to teach him he was going to be safe. "All we need is love" as the Beatles would say. There is some truth to that. Of course over the next few blogs I will provide some basic business principles to help you get over the saying "its just an idea".

My baby and Bob take small steps in the right direction to something they want and need. Why can't you?