It was so fun to talk to Mike of Mike’s Bloggity Blog, because he’s been blogging way before it was cool.
Think 10 or 12 years ago. That’s insane, right?
A decade ago, blogging was in its infancy. Not many people were doing it, and no one was doing it to make money. It seems like everyone wants to become a professional blogger these days, but that ambition was completely unheard of when Mike got started.
Mike started blogging because he loved to write and had a passion for entertainment. As he puts it, “I was a bank of useless knowledge and I wanted to find like-minded people.”
He started writing about movies and TV shows, and over the next six years of writing every day, the blog became a major creative outlet. Slowly, blogging became Mike’s full time job, and today he makes a living blogging about Canadian entertainment and culture, speaking, and hosting conferences for professionals.
Here are just few peeks at our conversation (with occasional appearances from my dog, Leroy):
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How Mike got started interviewing entertainers, even though he’d never been on a red carpet. He’d read and watched enough interviews that he figured he could do it! I love that willingness to take the leap.
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His journey from hobby blogger to professional. Consistency pays off!
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The vital importance of building trust with your audience, creating value, and maintaining your integrity when potential sponsors come knocking.
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The details of Mike’s Bloggity Blog annual staff party. (Spoiler: Mike takes himself to McDonald’s. How awesome is that?)
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Why he writes about McDonalds so much, even though they don’t actually sponsor him.
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Dealing with stereotypes, expectations, and “fitting in” with your industry, and why we both struggled with that for a long time.
And these are just a few topics we covered about the realities of blogging professionally!
Mike was incredible to connect with. Listen in to our conversation here!
Connect with Mike over at mikesbloggityblog.com or on Twitter and instagram at @mikesbloggity
You can also listen and subscribe to The Anxious Creative on iTunes and Google Play.