My journey on balancing blogging while working a 9-5

Posted on January 28, 2020

A lot of my friends and coworkers have asked me how I manage to blog and post as often as I do while working a 9-5. I’ve been blogging for 10-years now and it took me a few years to find a rhythm in my schedule to manage both. It took a lot of time, dedication, and consistency.

The first few years I started blogging it was purely a hobby in addition to my part-time job. When I started working full-time at a tech company I still blogged but it was pretty infrequent. I worked intense hours, spent 2-3 hours commuting every weekday, and the remaining energy I had left went to working-out, on my side hustle (random fact: I was a co-business owner of a smart tampon), or catching up with friends. Despite how drained I was though I always made time to blog. I saw it as an outlet and a hobby I loved to not continue pursuing. This is also a good indicator of what you’re passionate about. If you’re immensely tired but always make time for something, take note of it.

The hardest part of blogging was actually taking the photos. Weekdays were not an option since I am not a morning person, and by the time I got home it’d be dark and lighting is crucial in photography. Weekends were usually filled up with events and errands and when I did have time to take photos, I had a hard time finding a photographer (or a friend who’s good at taking photos) who’s schedule aligned with mine to take the photo. After years of experimenting, what I found to be the best method for managing a blog while working full-time is having a consistent schedule and a dedicated photographer.

Enter Josh. Although I knew Josh was into photography, I felt awkward having him take my photos. It wasn’t until a year after dating that I felt comfortable having him take my photos. Whenever we’d go out, he’d bring his camera and we’d capture some outfit photos. While this method was great and convenient, it wasn’t enough (although I didn’t know it at that time).

After Josh and I got more comfortable taking photos together we made it a routine. Every weekend I’d shoot 2-3 outfits and post them throughout the week. This is when I saw the biggest growth in my Instagram and blog. If there is a tip I can give anyone who wants to organically grow as a blogger/influencer it’s to focus on consistent content. Consistency in terms of the actual content (clear branding and consistent mood/color tone) and consistency in frequency of posting and even the time you post.

Our schedule kind of looked like this…

Sat or Sun: take 2-3 outfit photos. I’d either go back home to change, or we’d drive somewhere and I’d change in the car.
Sun night: review and edit the photos and plan my content schedule for the week
Weekday: post 2 photos per outfit on Instagram so I have 4-6 posts per week, and 1 blog post per outfit.

While this method was great, it wasn’t the best since Josh was spending a lot of his time on my blog which wasn’t fair to him. We’re both very productive and busy people, so it started to become a burden for Josh to spend his weekends taking and editing my photos. Although it initially frustrated me, I understood and realized I can’t always rely on 1 person to take my photos. If you’re one of the bloggers who truly do have an IGhusband, you are extremely lucky so don’t take it for granted!

Enter 2019.

Although I’m always learning, I found that this is the best method for taking outfit photos and growing your blog. Find other like-minded bloggers and help each other capture photos and share ideas. I love this for several reasons:

It’s mutually beneficial for both parties so no-one sees it as a burden
You guys understand all the angles so there’s less “photography training”
Since bloggers understand fashion photography, they’ll correct you when you look awkward or tell you if your bra is showing
You guys can learn from each other including posing techniques

So now, this is how my schedule looks like:

Sat or Sun: take 3-4 blog photos with a blogger friend (shoutout to April & Justina who are usually my photographers). Take 1 blog photo in a different outfit if Josh and I happen to be going somewhere cute
Sun: edit all my photos and prep my content for the week. Use the app UNUM to plan which photos to share and when. Write 1 blog post to publish that day or later in the week.
Weekdays: post 5-6x/week on Instagram when I get off work (around 5-8pm). Schedule and publish 1-2 blog posts per week.

It took a lot of dedication and experimenting to find what works for me, but I found that taking photos with other bloggers, prepping as much as I can over the weekend, and posting after work works best for me. On days that I’m busy after work (which is quite often), I’ll try to prepare my post ahead of time so when that day comes, I’m simply just logging on and posting it. I’m glad I figured out a rhythm to be more consistent and hope this post helps or at least was interesting to you! Thanks for reading this longer than usual post!