The Truth Behind Blogging and Sponsored Posts (According to Me)

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while now.

Almost four years ago, I sat in my living room and nervously debated hitting “publish” on my very first blog post. I had been dealing with health issues for a couple of years at that point, and I’d become borderline obsessed with healing myself naturally.

All I did was research natural health remedies and how to use food as medicine to help my body heal itself.

I felt like I had learned SO much, and I felt an undeniable desire to share what I’d learned with others.

The Early Days of Reclaiming Yesterday

Once I finally convinced myself to publish that first post, I was hooked. It was so therapeutic for me to research and write about what I’d learned — even if only 3 people were reading it! (Thanks Mom, Dad, and Husband 😚)

With time, I started really getting into the photography aspect of blogging and loved sharing recipes that I made with healthy ingredients I’d fallen in love with.

I started to gain a little bit of a following, and it felt really amazing that people were supporting what I was so passionate about!

Balancing the Blog and Working a Full-Time Job

Everything I do with the blog happens on nights and weekends, because I also work an office job full time. I’m passionate about this space I’ve created, so spending the (vast) majority of my free time on it comes naturally for me.

But blogging takes A LOT of time. And energy. And money.

If you want to keep up a blog, you have to be really committed to it, because it takes a lot to keep it running.

Some nights when I get home from a hard day at work and my brain feels fried, it’s a challenge to stay up and start the work the blog needs. But I do it because I’m driven from somewhere inside of me to do it, and it makes me happy.

My Decision to Work with Partners

I’ve never really been one to hunt down sponsored posts, for a couple of reasons:

I’m not really business savvy like that, and
I have a full time job that I’m so thankful for, because I can pay my mortgage and keep my family fed (and have health insurance!)

But when I started getting approached by companies to develop some working partnerships, I realized something:

This was an opportunity that would make spending all of my nights and weekends on the blog more sustainable.

It was also a chance to share some of the companies and products that I personally use and trust with others.

As a blogger, you get a lot of emails and messages about sharing products with readers. A lot of those I politely decline because they’re not a good fit for me.

I only share things that I have found helpful, and that I use in my everyday life.

Most of the time I share what I love without being paid for it. Sometimes I’m reimbursed financially for creating recipes with partners – I always try to keep that transparent when I do.

For that reason, I don’t feel like I’m “selling out” when I do work with partners. I’m living the life I would be living, and eating the things I would be eating — I’m simply being reimbursed for the blood, sweat, and tears I’ve poured into creating this space.

(Not even being dramatic, because all of those things have happened at some point – or many points – throughout the blogging process 😁)

My Goal is to Stay Authentic

I want to be as authentic and as transparent as possible through Reclaiming Yesterday. I hope this little post has helped serve that purpose, but if you ever have any questions I’m always happy to answer them!

The relationships I’ve made through blogging are a HUGE highlight for me, and one of the things that keeps me going when I feel tired or overwhelmed.

So THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and for helping this hobby grow into something I truly love. ❤

4 responses to “The Truth Behind Blogging and Sponsored Posts (According to Me)”

chef mimi says:

January 7, 2018 at 8:17 am

Good post. I’ve been lucky with some products, and thankful for the opportunity. (I’m retired and fortunately do not have to seek out revenue via blogging.). Other people are downright annoying with their requests, or there’s just no “fit.”

Reply
- Allyson says:
  
  January 7, 2018 at 9:12 am
  
  Thanks Mimi! I am grateful to have connected with some brands I really love! Hoping you’re having a great start to 2018 ❤️
  
  Reply
laurenkenson says:

January 31, 2018 at 8:29 pm

Love your transparency here, my friend! The “blood, sweat, and tears” part is no joke. So much goes into running these creative spaces (especially ones as gorgeous, informative, and well-researched as yours). Cheers to finding our balance with these full-time jobs and full-time passions of ours.

xx,
Lauren

Reply
- Allyson says:
  
  January 31, 2018 at 9:08 pm
  
  Thanks for taking the time to read, sweet friend. If your heart’s not in it, it’s hard to keep up! So glad our paths crossed and we can share our adventures together 🙂
  
  Reply