My Path to Earning a Full-Time Blogging Income

By Holly Reisem Hanna

I know I talk about blogging A LOT. But there is a reason for it, and that's because blogging has been a lifeline for me. Before I began my blogging journey, I worked as a nurse. I worked at a pediatric hospital where I saw terrible cases of neglect and abuse. I cared for children with life-threatening diseases, and I had seven children almost die in my hands. Just writing this I get teary eyed. To say it was a stressful and emotionally challenging job is an understatement. After a year of sleepless days (I worked the night shift) and many panic attacks later I decided to try another avenue within the nursing field.

So, I started working in the insurance industry, on the Medicaid contract. This desk job was a welcome and much-needed break from the hospital. But, this position required me to be on the phone for the majority of the day, which after a while became exhausting. Providers and nurses would become irate with me because I could not approve their services. Not to mention the majority of the nurses that worked in this department were disgruntled and unhappy, which made for a very toxic work environment.

Within a couple of years, I was burnt out again.

Over the next few years, I tried my hand at medical record review and pharmaceutical research. But I was never fulfilled in my nursing career. I wanted to leave the field, but I had no clue what I should or could do.

When my daughter was born, I knew that I wanted to spend every minute I could with her, so I happily quit my nursing job. I saved as much money as I could during my last nine months of employment. But sadly, what I thought would last me a couple of years was gone in eight short months. It was at this time I started looking for work-at-home jobs.

I honestly had NO CLUE what I wanted to do, all I knew was, I didn't want to return to the nursing field, ever!

I searched online every single day — but my searches only revealed scams, marketing schemes, and poorly done websites. So, I asked friends and past employers if there was any work that I could do for them from my home. My efforts eventually paid off, and I started working ten hours a week from home doing marketing research.

Even though I had money coming in, I was still thinking about the future of my career. You see, my husband and I agreed that I would take five years off to stay-at-home with our daughter, but then once she started school I would start working full-time again.

It was a combination of my online job search and my cluelessness of what to do with my life that gave me the idea for my blog.
I started blogging in 2009, and I made my first my first sale two months later. My initial goal was to earn $500 to $700 a month with my blog. Each year my blogging income grew, but only by 20 to 30 percent. So, even though my blog was making money, I still had to work my part-time marketing gig.

When my daughter went off to kindergarten, I wanted to focus all my time and energy on my blog (because this is what I LOVED), but I had trouble gaining the traction that I needed to make it my full-time career. So, I started freelancing more hours. Over the years, I read a lot of blogging books and courses, and I even hired a business coach and joined a writing group — but my blog continued to grow at a snail's pace.

In early 2014, I purchased Ruth Soukup's book, How To Blog For Profit: Without Selling Your Soul. It was the first book that I had read in a LONG time that had some real meaty information that I was able to apply to my blog. In fact, I re-read the book several times that year. Later on that year, Ruth released a blogging course called, Elite Blog Academy. I knew that Ruth shared amazing content, because I had read her book, and as a blogger who earns seven figures each year from her blog, she obviously knows what she's doing! Even though the course was expensive, I signed up and made it my goal to earn enough from my blog to be able to quit my freelancing gig.

Within two months, I was able to increase my traffic by 66 percent. And from there it kept going up and up. In one year, I was able to increase my blogging income by 150 percent which allowed me to quit my freelance marketing job. For the last two years,  I've earned a full-time income from blogging.

Elite Blog Academy gave the detailed road-map and clarity on how to take my blog to the next level. Something that I couldn't figure out on my own. But besides the monetary gains, it gave me complete freedom over my time and my career. I finally found my dream job which is an amazing feeling! I LOVE what I do, so much so, that it never even seems like work! I think back to my nursing days and how miserable I was, that sometimes I feel like I need to pinch myself.

Do you want to earn a full-time blogging income? Are you wondering if Elite Blog Academy is for you? 

Here's what you need to know.

Enrollment for Elite Blog Academy only opens up ONCE a year — which is March 5th – March 9th, 2018. So, if you know if you're interested — join the waitlist here.

What is Elite Blog Academy?

Elite Blog Academy is robust blogging course that gives you a step-by-step roadmap for success, starting with how to refine your message, grow your audience, monetize your platform, and finally build your business. The course itself contains 12 lessons that include videos, slideshow presentations, and handouts. Each module builds on the previous lessons, and together the modules will give you a clear, comprehensive framework for creating a successful and profitable blog.

Who is the Course Taught By?

Elite Blog Academy is taught by seven-figure blogger and business owner, Ruth Soukup. Her personal finance blog, Living Well Spending Less receives more than a million visitors a month. Having met her in person, I can tell you firsthand that she's incredibly passionate about helping other bloggers achieve massive success. I got so much out of Elite Blog Academy that this past fall I joined EBA VIP, which is a mastermind group for advanced bloggers.

Is Elite Blog Academy Worth the Price?

I can say without a doubt, YES, it's worth it! When I took Elite Blog Academy back in 2014, I was hesitant about the investment. But just two months into the course, I was already seeing results. Before taking Elite Blog Academy, I was only earning $21,000 a year from my blog, and now I'm making six-figures a year, more than I ever made as a nurse! It has been a total game-changer for me, and I honestly don't know where I would be if I hadn't of taken it.

Who Would Benefit from This Course?

This course is right for ambitious beginners, intermediate-level bloggers who are looking to grow, and professional bloggers who need help with increasing traffic and income. This course starts with the premise that you already have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of blogging (you should have a self-hosted blog, some basic plugins, and social media profiles).

Are There Any Guarantees?

Yes! If you complete the course and you don't see measurable results in both traffic and income growth, Ruth will give you a full refund.

Here's the small print: “In order to be eligible for a refund for our full course, Elite Blog Academy 3.0, you must submit your completed homework for all 36 assignments by 180 days from your start date. You can send your fully completed assignments to support@lwslinc.com. This should include screenshots of your before and after blog design, analytics, and income reports.”

Keep in mind, Elite Blog Academy only opens up once a year — so if you want to make a full-time blogging income, be sure to sign up for the waitlist HERE.

And if you have any questions about the course, feel free to send me an email at holly<at>theworkathomewoman.com.

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