Today is one of my favorite days of the year. Not only is it my birthday (I turned the BIG 30), but it is also the birthday of Live. Love. Chardonnay. I cannot believe that it has been 3 years since I started this journey. It has been a crazy and fun ride. The first few years were a lot of fun, but I am really excited about started year 3! If you haven’t noticed, I have recently changed my Instagram handle to @tayhage. I felt that this change was needed. I have branched out to other platforms and felt that live.love.chardonnay just didn’t fit my content as much as it used to (it still however will remain the name of my website, for now).
Since it is my blog’s bday, I thought it would be fun to dedicate this post to the blog. I will be sharing with you what was like as a blogger at the beginning and how my blog made way for the influencer life I live now. I will also be doing a little Q & A at the end addressing the questions that I received on IG about blogging/being an influencer/growing your following etc. Â
Let’s start from the when it all began……..
I was working a full time job managing the in-home services for medically fragile individuals and individuals with developmentally delays. I noticed that I started dressing same as my coworkers because I wanted to fit in. It took me a little while…..but I realized that was silly and I should start dressing how I wanted. At that moment, I started exploring fashion trends and creating my own style. I started getting so many compliments on my outfits and people wanted to know where I was buying them.  I got home from work one day and told Jason that I was starting a fashion blog. We researched hosting sites and platforms and started building the blog that night. Since that day (Oct. 6 2016), I have been posting on Instagram EVERY SINGLE DAY and writing blog posts. I was working my 40 hour/week job and engaging on social media every spare second I had. I literally had no life for a year, but I loved what I was doing. There were so many times I wanted to give up, but Jason kept encouraging me and was there for me through all the ups and downs.Â
I had been blogging for a year before I quit my job. At this point, I still was not making very much money from my blog. I was also buying all of my own clothing and beauty products. We decided we wanted to invest our time into building it and creating content. We then drove across the country and lived in Los Angeles for a little over a month. I truly believe that this was the point when my Instagram really began to take off. I was seeing exponential growth. When we arrived in LA I had 10,000 followers and when we left I had 13,000. At the end of my second year, I had grown to 50,000 followers. This was the point where I started making more money. I will address how I make money in the Q & A section below. Now, at the beginning of year 3…. I am just teetering on 100K. That is insane to me. It has been a lot of hard work, sweat, and tears. Also, let’s not forget about the HUGE time commitment and money investment. Â
This past year has been such a dream! So many things happened that I had only dreamed about. I attended my first NYFW in February and again in September. This summer I also attended my first Coachella events. I also signed with a management agency and really love my team! I am so grateful for all experiences I have had and am excited to see what the next year has in store. I really could not have done any of this without your support! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to engage with my content and follow along on this crazy journey.
Now, let’s dive into that Q & A.
What does your day to day look like?– Everyday is honestly different. It depends on events, where I am, and the content I need to produce that day. Usually, I start the day by going through emails and then pick out the outfit I want to shoot in. I will then shoot my look of the day and post it to Instagram. Then I spend the afternoon creating/editing/submitting content (either blog post, YouTube video, IGTV or TikTok). Between everything, I am storying (in real time) about my day to day activities. If it is not too late in the afternoon, I will go to a workout class before coming home and making dinner and chilling with the hubby.
How do I make money?– This is THE question. Like I stated earlier, I didn’t really start making money until this past year. Most of income, comes from brand campaigns. This where I post sponsored content for a brand and get paid for the content I created. I have chosen to not use the Like to Know it app only because I personally feel it can seem a little too sales like. I want to be authentic with you and also upfront. I share links in my stories and on my website. Also, if you ask me for one I will send it to you, even if there isn’t a commission for the item.
How old were you when you started your blog?– I had just turned 27 when I started my blog. Honestly, it was the perfect time for me to start. We were a little more settled in our jobs, so we were able to put the financial investment into creating content.
How to approach brands you want to work with?– Such a great question. I like to make a mental note of all the brands I am loving. Then I would go on their website and look for your contact information. Next, I would email them/pitch myself to them with my ideas for content with their brand. I would also send over my media kit. I literally just sent out email after email. Some companies will want to work with you and some won’t.
How to become an influencer?– To start….you need to build your audience. Start creating content revolving around your passion. People will start to notice you and follow along. It takes TIME to build your following. It has taken me three years! Create consistent, creative, engaging content. You CANNOT copy someone. You will not get anywhere unless you are yourself. Check out these blog posts and about being an influencer.
So You Want To Be An Influencer
My Tips For Growing Your Instagram
I cannot wait to see where the next year will take me. Thank you again for all your support!
Now, go and explore your #chardonnaystyle.
Cheers,
Taylor
