Happy new year everyone. I hope you all are having an amazing start to the year. I am currently down with flu (booo) but I am getting better. I have been under a lot of stress lately so I guess that is the reason for my body shutting down.
We had an amazing time in Dubai, it was the best holiday ever and the kids had so much fun. But everything went wrong when we landed at Gatwick Airport. I stupidly picked up the wrong luggage (it was the exact size and design as mine and even had the same padlock), and someone else picked mine, and I didn’t realise until I got to the hotel room. I could open the box because it was the same padlock (can you imagine the coincidence, the same box and padlock on the same flight) but as soon as I opened it, I realised it wasn’t mine.
This has never happened to me before so I was in a very bad state. I usually tag my boxes but this box was a new one; a Tripp flowery black and red design, so I thought it was unique enough, well I thought wrong.
We had to make the long trip back to Gatwick twice the next day to pick up my box and to drop the wrong box. It was a very stressful period as you can imagine, all valuables were in there, but I am thankful the lady that picked my box was honest (she took it back to the airport and kindly sorted out a leakage in my box), and I am also thankful we were still in London. Imagine if we were back home in Cheshire, that would have been horrid.
The good thing is it would never happen to me again, I will always tag my bags boldly whenever I travel so I don’t pick a wrong box and no one picks mine.
Anyways back to the highs & lows of the self-employed world in 2016. I wrote a similar post in 2015, and it was nice to read it a year after.
There are so many highs and lows, so I will try to focus on a few to keep it brief.
The Highs
Writing a book
I wrote an eBook last year – How to Cash In as a Blogger. It was released February 2016, and it is a dream come true. I always wanted to write a book and I am happy I got to fulfil this dream last year. This is the first of many books to come.
It is currently available exclusively on Amazon for £3.44 and free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. It is a great book for new bloggers or bloggers trying to monetize their blogs, so do have a read if you have not done so already. And if you have read it, pretty please leave me a review on Amazon, I need those reviews like I need air.
Freelancing
I took the freelance industry by storm in 2016 and grew my portfolio. I currently do PR and Blogger Outreach for 5 brands and I am hoping to double this figure this 2017. I also do freelance writing for a few websites and I plan to grow my freelance writing business this year.
Fashion and Style Police turned 4
Fashion and Style Police turned 4 last October, and it is great to see how much the blog has grown. It has over 40,000 combined followers now, and I still have to pinch myself every now and again to be sure I am not dreaming. This blog has opened many doors for me and I am super grateful to everyone who reads, shares and comments. You guys are the real deal!
The Lows
Chasing Payments
This has always been an issue and it still is but hopefully I will be able to manage this situation better this 2017.
Unprofessional Bloggers
While doing blogger outreach for brands, I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of bloggers. I have worked with so many lovely bloggers, and I can’t wait to work with them this year, but I have also had the misfortune of working with some unprofessional bloggers. These select few are giving bloggers a bad name.
The ones that stop communicating with you as soon as they receive the review products, and they never write a post. The rude and entitled ones that believe their blog is the best thing since sliced bread. The lazy ones that take weeks, and sometimes months to post but you can see them on social media chatting all day. I can go on and on.
The good thing is my little black book is growing and I will never work with such bloggers again. But it is a shame that these bloggers are giving the entire industry a bad name.
Burn Out
Last year was incredibly busy. It was so hard for me to juggle the blog and freelance jobs at the same time but I did somehow. The last quarter was the busiest, and I struggled to get it all done before the holidays but I got there in the end.
This year I am going to take more time off work to avoid losing my mind.
Overall, 2016 was fabulous and 2017 is even going to be more fabulous. I am so looking forward to it.
How was your 2016?
I hope you feel better soon and I’m glad you got your luggage back. 2016 was such a rollercoaster year for me, but I definitely had some good times, and I’m still here. ☺ I wish you even more success and happiness this year! Happy New Year! ❤
Happy new year. I hope 2017 is a great year for you..
Thank you.
Hope u feel better soon the flu sucks. Looks like u have had some good things happen for u in 2016.
Hope so too. Thanks Joanna.
My 2016 was good but chasing invoices was an annoying activity I had to do as well! x
I can imagine. I hate that part so much..
How unbelievable that there would be an exact match to your luggage on your flight and you just happen to pick up the wrong one! Thank goodness the woman was honest and you didn’t lose your valuables. So glad you had a wonderful time in Dubai though, and I hope you feel better soon x
Thanks Sarah x
That must have been really annoying getting the wrong suitcase. With my luggage i put different things on it like brightly colored ribbons. I also have a Slytherin luggage tag too so anything that makes it look unique will go on there. It’s always best to check the number that is on the luggage label too. I always double check the bag with the receipt even if the bag looks like mine
I had to learn the hard way. It will never happen to me again though..
Also was your padlock a combination one or just a lock one. I take it by the fact you opened it so easily it was just a standard padlock. I’d always for a combination one, so if this sort of thing does happen no one can get into my bag
It was a regular padlock. It came with the box. So silly of me..
CHASING PAYMENTS…. Arghhhh! It’s something that I have learnt to budget for – if a company says they will pay, I now assume it will need chasing. Awesome job writing a book mama!
Thanks hun xx
It’s so amazing that you wrote a book! I am going to check it out today! I know your 2017 is going to be amazing!
Pls do. Thanks Candice..
Get well soon Stella. For me 2016 sucked ass in every way and in every direction. Anyhoo, back to you well done on your accomplishments and wishing you more this year ( :
Thanks hun xo
Oh no about the baggage scenario how coincidence tho – and yes I agree with the high and lows of blogging it really can become so draining
Yea so strange..
I hope you feel better soon! I hope to become self employed myself one day so this was a good read! Here’s to 2017!
Thanks Shannon. Glad you found it a good read.
that was lucky how you go your luggage back. chasing payments is always going to be a pain
Yea so lucky..
You are such an inspiration to me and you deserve all the success you can get. Your book really helped me xx
Glad it did Ana. Thanks for reading. Pls leave a review xx
Yes and yes and yes to all of the above! I was freelance but now back in full time work. Chasing payments drove me crackers… and the tax return!
It can be frustrating..
I am completely paranoid about picking up the wrong luggage at the airport. Even when I have unique labels attached to a suitcase I will try and have a quick peek into the case just to make sure it’s actually mine. I worry not only about losing my stuff but about what might be inside the wrong suitcase.
I had to learn the hard way. It will never happen to me again..
I completely understand the problems with running into not-so-great bloggers while working in outreach – I’ve been doing it for 4 years now and have come across some really awful situations which are made all the worse when you’ve got the client needing to know what’s going on!
Congrats on your eBook release last year though and making the step to go freelance – that’s amazing!
Thanks Sian..Outreach is not the easiest job to do. Some bloggers make it so hard..
The bag thing is a sucker. Happy you found it.
Congrats on everything.
Greater you I pray. Cheers.
Thanks hun xx