Hey Friends And Family (Lovelites),
WOW! I can’t believe it’s been a year since I started my blog. As stated in my About page, the concept of this blog came about a few years ago and I decided to throw caution to the wind on July 17, 2014 when it went live. A lot has happened since then, personally and professionally but through everything this blog has been my pride and joy. In celebrating my one-year blogging anniversary I thought I’d share SOME of the good, bad, and other things I have observed and experienced since I started this blog a year ago.
The First Year On Lite:
Things I Struggled with: Starting the blog (picking a name, logo, blog host etc), growing my audience (especially on Facebook), time management (so much content for one person), building credibility (feeling less than other media other outlets), finding my voice and my nichè, being consistent, and staying objective. LOL that’s a lot right? but it’s all true. I’m still not perfect today, but I’m well aware of what I need to do to standout and continue to put out good content on this blog. Starting off these were a few things I had to deal and continue to deal with, but it has made me better at what I’m doing with this platform.
Things I have Learned: I’ve learned and changed a lot of things since I started this blog i.e my blog theme and layout, logo, blog host, HTML and embed codes for different things, links (broken and otherwise), analytics, SEOs, Plugins, etc. This list goes on. These are things I learned to do myself with a little help from our good friends at Google, Youtube, and Twitter. I learn something new everyday, anything to make the blogging process effective and efficient i’m down with it.
Highlights: All the radio shows and podcasts I have been invited to be on as a guest/guest host, witness, contributor, and participant etc. Especially SoulTools Radio with Toki Wright, Miss Brit and Reggie Reg! It truly was an honor and pleasure to be on the show seeing that I hadn’t been blogging for long when I was invited to be on the show. My brothers and friends were so geeked. LOL bless their hearts, I love them. Artists that send me their music, invite me to their studios, ask my input and assistance with things. Words can’t express my gratitude for you all! Everyday I wake up to new music, messages, and etc. from artists, DJs, publicists, managers, and it really does make my day. Another highlight would definitely be TRAVELING! I love a good show/event and have been fortunate enough to do a lot traveling since I started this blog. I’ve always travelled a lot but blogging and music have definitely giving me a reason to do it more often and it has been awesome. My favorite trips so far have been last November seeing Usher play at Madison Square Garden for his #URXtour in NYC, this year seeing Wale do a free concert in DC for his #TAAN album release, and most recently when I was in Philly for The ROOTS Picnic, that was an experience of a lifetime. Last but definitely not the least the cool people I’ve met, connected with, and even become good friends with through my blog. It’s a blessing to connect with people who share the same passion and interest in music, art, culture, and entertainment.
Favorite Shows/Events in Minneapolis: Meeting Ab-Soul during his meet-n-greet at Fifth Element; he is the coolest guy ever. Greg Grease’s album listening and release event! Both events were awesome and I got to meet a lot of cool people and listen to some great music. The JMSN concert! I was so happy to meet him and to be right there singing along as he sang songs that I hold so dear to my heart, it was really a moment for me. Big Freedia concert! Yes I love me some Freedia and bounce music; it was a great show. I went to Soundset for the 1st time this year and it was cool to see so many come out to appreciate good music. Especially on a rainy Sunday, it was a beautiful sight. I was at For the Love, A community celebration last weekend and it was a great event. St. Paul came out and showed love. I have gone to a lot of shows and events within this year and I’ve had a blast.
What’s next: EVERYTHING! Ha. Nothing is changing, I’m just growing as a person and the blog will reflect that. I’ll continue to put out quality content and share great music (local, national, international, and beyond). Grow the team! Add more like minded individuals to the team. Plan my own shows, concerts, parties etc. Collaborate with other blogs, artists, brands, and do great things together. Travel more and continue to connect with people everywhere I go.
Blogging isn’t easy especially when I pretty much run things solo (social media, e-mails etc). I’m someone who likes instant gratification so when I started my blog and I wasn’t getting as many views as I would’ve liked. I was discouraged and I doubted whether or not I should continue writing. It wasn’t until my two really good friends, on different occasions, inquired about new music and asked why I hadn’t been active with the blog in a while. They were looking for new posts and it was then I realized that I was good at what I did and people cared. I was so HAPPY! I didn’t think anyone cared or paid attention. After that I decided to not beat myself up about # of views and etc. and focus on building my audience, making connections, networking, and just post as often as I could. One year later! I’m still here learning and working as I go. I want to say a special thank you to my friends and family for supporting and sharing my stuff always. To Simone (SKO) my editor, PIC, and sister, thank you for everything. DJ Advance, Big Vino, 3WayEnt, Jon Jon, Fine Line Music Cafe, Dev (40oz Event Co-ordinator), My Brother/Photographer Oje, Young Lou, Toki Wright, Miss Britt, Laura (1girl2cities), and everybody who has supported me in more ways than I can say since day one and continue to support me. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. As I celebrate a successful 1st year and look forward to continuous growth. Do me a favor! Share this blog and all our social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Soundcloud) with someone today. Family, friends, and anybody who appreciates good music as much as you. If you didn’t appreciate good music you wouldn’t be here so SHARE! And here’s to many more years, success, and growth to come. Cheers.
-xoTLO