Blog

May 2015

25 Things I've Learned from Blogging 5 Days a Week

25 Things I've Learned from Blogging 5 Days a Week

Although I've been blogging for over 3 years now, I've learned the most about blogging over the past 6 months. I've never poured this amount of time and energy into a project, and I spend at least 3 hours each day preparing content for this space. It's been trying, rewarding, and exciting seeing this blog grow over the past several months, and I love sharing what we've learned with other creatives and entrepreneurs. Blogging has become fundamental to our business, and Jake and I can't stress the importance of it enough.

Today I'm sharing 25 of the biggest things we've learned since we took a more serious approach to blogging last November. I hope that these insights might help you with your own blog and save you all of the trial and error that we've had to go through!

The Many Uses of the Squarespace Summary Block

The Many Uses of the Squarespace Summary Block

Have you ever wondered how to get related posts to show up below each of your blog articles on Squarespace? Maybe you’re looking for a fast way to add featured posts to your sidebar or you’d like to create an easy archive page for your site.

The answer to all of the above lies in my favorite Squarespace tool: the summary block. Today I’m taking you behind the screen to show you how to use the tool and get creative with it to meet many of your website building needs.

Five of My Greatest Design Challenges (And How I've Overcome Them)

Five of My Greatest Design Challenges (And How I've Overcome Them)

One of our favorite insights from last week’s reader survey was reading about the areas that we could improve on in our blog and business. Many of you had some great constructive criticism and an even greater number of you requested posts on specific topics, like the challenges I’ve faced as a designer, blogger, and creative entrepreneur. 

So today I’m jumping in and getting a little more personal by sharing some of the greatest design obstacles I’ve experienced both in design school and in business. You may not be a designer yourself, but I hope that you’ll be able to relate to these challenges in some shape or form. 

How I Generate a Consistent Income from My Freelance Business

How I Generate a Consistent Income from My Freelance Business

Passion gets you started, but strategy keeps your business running. Successful entrepreneurs know that in order to pursue what they love, they have to be smart about how they operate their business. And a business cannot operate without money. 

Money can be an uncomfortable topic, but it’s a necessary part of entrepreneurship. While I love my job and consider myself blessed to design for clients all day long, Elle & Company is a business, not a hobby. In order to keep things running and bring in a steady income, I’ve had to be strategic and intentional about how I generate a profit from this business.

In typical Elle & Company fashion, I’m laying it all out for you in today’s post. Here are some insights on how I’ve created a consistent income from my freelance business.

We Want To Hear From You!

We Want To Hear From You!

While I typically aim to share helpful posts on the blog each weekday, today I’m flipping things around and inviting you to take part in our annual Elle & Company reader survey! 

This is your opportunity to jump in and tell us more about yourself, let us know why you read this blog, and weigh in on what you hope to see from us in the upcoming months.

Jake and I have some big goals and large changes in store for Elle & Company in the near future, all of which work toward becoming an even greater design, blogging, and business resource for you. That’s why your feedback is even more valuable; we want to know how you found us, where we can improve, and why you keep returning.