Wow! I can hardly believe it’s been 13 years since I hit “publish” on my very first blog post. What started as a small passion project has grown into something so much more—something that connects me with all of you, my amazing readers, every day. It feels like a moment to pause and reflect on this journey, and to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Whether you’re here from the web (searched a recipe and found my site), or from my newsletter, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, or YouTube, hi, hiiii, hiiiiii and welcome, thank you for being here, I’m oh so grateful you’re here!
This past year, at moments I found myself comparing my journey to others in ways I hadn’t before. It’s hard not to notice when other bloggers who started at the same time I did seemed to grow faster or reach milestones that feel so out of reach. Sometimes, it was hard not to feel a little “less than” in this space.
But then I shared with my husband who always has the right thing to say, and he reminded me: we all make different choices, and how I made ones I felt good with (like not buying followers that then snowball into big audiences). Some people outsource everything and have big teams and I chose to keep creating recipes and photographing and do it myself. None of the choices are bad, they’re just all different and work for different people/business models. For me, I chose to keep things authentic and organic. I never bought followers or tried to game the system. Instead, I stayed true to my priorities—like keeping family first and taking the summer off creating new recipes or posting to be with them. Something I’ll never regret.
Right when I was thinking about all this and writing this post, this beautiful bit came into my inbox from James Clear
“Two years, not two months. The visible progress you’re hoping for usually comes slower than you’d like. Even with consistent effort it can take a long time before progress feels significant. It might be a year of writing and editing before the book really starts to come together. You may need two years of recovery from a major injury before you notice just how far you’ve come. It may take two years of yoga before you realize how flexible you have become. Take a deep breath, stop worrying about immediate results, and settle into a nice routine.”
I’m so proud of how far this little blog/community/business I’ve built over the past 13 years has come, even if it looks different from someone else’s! Of note, I met my bestie through blogging, I’ve learned photography through blogging! I’ve written AND photographed 2 cookbooks! I’ve learned WordPress (where my blog is built on) and seo and social media and email newsletter systems!! I’ve been invited to crazy brand trips where we did everything from pick strawberries to tasting olive oil to a 15 course meal at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant. I’m super proud that after not publishing anything all summer it was still there, garnering pageviews!
For previous years posts:
- 10 years blogging, shared the history of logos of SweetPhi
- 11 years blogging, went down to just me and no outside help
- 12 years blogging, drawing a balance between full time and part time work
This blog has given me a place to share what I love with you all. I never take it for granted. It’s not just about the numbers or the milestones, but the inspiration I hope to provide, and the joy that comes from being part of this beautiful community. With so much love and appreciation, thank you.
Corrie says
Congrats to you! Cheering you on from Oregon.
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much, I truly appreciate it!