motivation: q&a about this blog

A few days ago, I was chatting with a dear friend. We started talking about my efforts here at The Outdoor Wife, and she asked some really good questions that I think need to be addressed. She's a true friend and always seems to get to the root of my heart and motivations. I'm blessed to know her, but MAN she can give a butt-kicking when I need it!

Anyway, I think I need to answer those questions here, out loud, for everyone to read. It seems that everyone has a voice & opinion on the subject of blogging, so I thought I'd offer up my thoughts on why I decided to start this one. I'll post the questions that my friend asked, along with some others that I've been asked through different venues, and also questions that I've pondered in my own heart.


Why did you start a blog, anyway?
To be honest, I started it initially because I felt like I had a story to tell. Is my story better than anyone else's? Of course not. In fact, I think we all have stories of life, love and transformation, and I would hope that everyone would find a way to share their own. This seemed the best way for me to share my own story of what I've been through, how I'm being changed now, and where I'm headed. I knew that what the Lord has been doing in my life could be encouraging to other women, so I felt compelled to write and share. So, I guess that's the main reason why I started this. To encourage other women to experience deeper intimacy with Christ through my own story and experiences, and to encourage women to live out their own story, live a life of adventure, and try something new.

So are you what people would call a mommy-blogger?
I'm not sure how to answer that. My initial instinct would be to say "no." But, I am a mommy and I do have a blog, so if that is what makes me a "mommy blogger" than yes, I suppose I am. However, here on this blog, you won't find many pictures of my son, you'd be hard-pressed to find anecdotes about diapering, feeding and parenting, and if I'm going to review products, it most likely won't be for car seats, swings and bottles... but rather for hiking boots, skis and tents. You won't find links to vote for me in "Top Mommy Blogs" or "Top Baby Blogs" either. But, I understand that a lot of women who join me here are moms, so I try to offer up stories and information that's helpful and encouraging to all women, no matter their stage in life. I think I'm more of a woman-blogger. It's a little more all-encompassing.

If your sole purpose for this blog is to be used for encouragement and information, then why do you Tweet about it and try to draw people here? 
That's a great question. I tweet about my posts here because I believe in the power of personal experience and story. If there is even a remote chance that what I'm learning from God can be useful or encouraging to someone else out there, I feel compelled to share it and spread the word. Being vulnerable and honest about my own personal transformation isn't something that comes easily to me, but I'm learning & being encouraged by a lot of people in my life to keep going, to keep writing. So, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, and just pray that what I write here would be used for good.

Are your website analytics more important to you than you lead people to believe?
As for this question, I won't lie, I have Google Analytics installed into the code of my blog so I can track visits and learn more about where my visitors are from (I had a couple hits from IRAN! Can you believe it?!) Do I really care about how many hits I get in a day? Not really. What I DO care about is what people gain by visiting. I'm not here to play devil's advocate, to stir the pot, or to talk about the latest controversy hitting the blogosphere. I'm not saying those things are bad, they're just not my purpose here. My goal is to lift up, encourage, and speak truth. If that's what people leave with, then I've done my job.

And you want to know something interesting? The post that usually gets the most visits every week is "Thankful on a Thursday." Maybe people just want to be encouraged, lifted up and reminded of the good in life?

What about giveaways? Those are usually just to promote your brand and create traffic. If you don't care about hits, why do them?
Ah. This is an easy one to answer. You know why I do giveaways? Because chances are, there are other women out there like me who just can't afford little luxuries right now. They've given up a second income to stay home with their kid. They just lost their job due to budget cuts. They're the typical broke college student. I know how that feels and I know it deeply. I would LOVE to be able to buy little things for myself, like a cute ruffly bag from Gussy, or new stationery from My Little Buffalo. But, our bank account just won't allow for those things right now, at least without some kind of discount or a chance to win them for free. So, I offer giveaways as a blessing to those women who just can't afford something pretty & nice for themselves right now. If it brings more visitors here, fine. But, I hope they walk away with something more than just an entry to a giveaway contest.

What about money-making with this blog? Do you make money? Do you want to make money?
No, I don't make a dime of money from writing here. Not one penny! I don't have any affiliate links or sponsor buttons on my sidebar. Any link that you see here is because I enjoy the site and I want to share it, and any products that I review are because I already own them and I wasn't given a freebie. For example, I just posted a gear list yesterday. They are all items that I own, recommend and love. After each item, there's a link where you can purchase that piece... I do NOT get any money or promotion from you clicking that link and purchasing that product. I simply offer it for your shopping convenience.

As for the second question, I don't have any intention of making money with this blog. I'm not seeking out ways to create revenue and I'm not pursuing partnerships with companies or other blogs that I enjoy. However, just because I'm not pursuing those, doesn't mean I'm not open to it. If I was approached and asked for ad space, or if someone wanted to partner with me that would eventually lead to a stream of income, I can't say that I'd decline the offer. I mean, you know how life can get, right? Living on one income is HARD! A little extra cash can go a long way in our house! However, I never want money or income to be the driving force behind why I write what I do. My motivation is simple: the readers who visit. 


Alright, friends. That just about covers it. Of course, if you have any other questions for me regarding my motivations here, don't hesitate to ask. I want to be open and honest about the goings-on of The Outdoor Wife. I don't want you to feel like you're just a byproduct of some master plan to take over the world. Your lives and hearts, as well as my own, are the reasons I write what I do here. I hope you're lifted and touched every time you visit.