365 Days
ago I quit my “real” job.
I didn’t quit my job to be a full-time blogger, and my decision that day, while being the only thing I had thought about for the last 18 months, was completely spontaneous. And the best decision of my life, obviously. It wasn’t one of those jobs where I was sooooo busy and complained all the time about how much horrrrrible work I had to do. In fact… I had nothing to do. Ever. Okay, maybe there were like five days when I had stuff to do. But no stress. No challenges. Two days in, it became clear that the job was not what it was promised to be and over the next year and a half plus, I had a sickening feeling in my gut at the multiple *questionable* business practices I was now associated with. Even still, I didn’t once regret that I left my career as a personal trainer – I was ready for a change and craving something new, even if this was far from it. I was racked with guilt because I actually had a job when so many others didn’t and were struggling, which is the exact reason I kept it. My husband and I often talked about how others would love my job – sitting on their rear doing absolutely nothing all day in a very small office – but for me, who spent the last 6+ years surrounded by tons of people, working an active job, loving what I did – it was a challenge to say the least. I searched for jobs nearly every single day (um, I had from 8-5 everyday to do so… literally) but never even got an interview. While I have a degree, spending my entire 20s basically running my own business as trainer translated to one thing: I worked in a gym, where no degrees are required and stereotypes are too often the norm.
Many days I wished this was my work stash.
So I started a blog and spent the majority of my day reading other blogs and interacting with the blog community. It helped me from going completely insane. And stopped me from constantly online shopping too.
The day I quit, it was pretty much against everyone’s wishes – my husband’s, my parents – but I did it anyway. Within a week I began working a 30-40 hour per week retail job, which I worked for about 8 1/2 months, until this past May. It was fun and enjoyable – not what I wanted to do with the rest of my life – but it helped pay the bills because I still considered blogging my hobby. All the while, I wanted to fully be able to support myself so that was the ultimate goal.
The most common question I get asked is “how do you do all these recipes?” or something in regards to “what is your normal day like?” I’ll be honest: I spend about 80-100 hours a week on this site, every single week. The weeks before vacations, probably even more. Sometimes I can’t think of anything to make, so I just keep brainstorming until I come up with something. Other weeks are great and I have a boatload of ideas, to which I add to my always running master list of recipes to make (currently at 43 recipes… I think I’m good for awhile). Sometimes it is challenging and sometimes it’s easy. But everyday I love it so much.
I don’t find posting 5 new recipes a week for you guys all that excruciating. Most likely, because I posted 5 new recipes a week while I was working 40-hour per week jobs just like everyone else, albeit my quality was lacking and my pictures were horrific. So this seems like fun compared to that.
By request… here is what a normal work day is like for me. I’m a pretty big dork.
5:15AM: I wake up, throw on my workout clothes, head downstairs and immediately get on the computer. I respond to comments and emails from the night before, proofread my post again (or write it, if I ran out of time last night) and make changes if needed, and post my recipe post close to 7AM. I usually have a snack at this time but it just depends on if I’m hungry or not.
6:45-8AM: This is my most recent workout window. Depending on if I’m doing morning/evening yoga, I may move this a little earlier. I am, by fault of genetics, a serious morning person.
8:15-9:30AM: I eat breakfast then respond to emails and comments and questions, check out some of my favorite blogs, and get started on tomorrow morning’s post. Supporting other bloggers is huge to me. I rarely start experimenting in the kitchen before 9:30AM, because that is when I start to get the light needed for photographs. I try to get the majority of my computer time (i.e. responding to people) in now. I also may run to the store if I need ingredients for a recipe.
9:30-1PM: Often 5 days out of 7, I will to be in the kitchen at this time: developing a new recipe, testing ones I’ve already tried, photographing, not cleaning, and generally making a huge mess. I blast music and dance like an idiot and sing at the top of my lungs to the Jersey Boys soundtrack. Sometimes I blast the Young and the Restless from the living room and pretend I’m Mother Lovett. Shhhh. I didn’t just say that. (In all seriousness, I try to never turn on the TV during the day as I find I get sucked into the couch vortex which does nothing for me… or you.)
1-1:45PM: I’ll eat lunch and respond to more questions/comments/emails. This is really important to me. My favorite part about blogging is the community we have here on my site, and I try so hard to respond to each and every relevant question that comes my way. I know exactly what it feels like to send someone an email and never receive a response, and I don’t want my readers to feel that way. Obviously there are exceptions, obviously some slip through the cracks, and obviously I’m completely aware that once there are children in my life, there is no way this will happen.
I also spend about 10-15 minutes working on a Crumbs post here if I have one that day, and schedule it to publish around 4:30 or so.
1:45-5:15 PM: Back in the kitchen! Same stuff… developing, testing, creating, tasting, not cleaning, taking notes and photographing if needed. If I am not doing recipes or photographing, this is the chunk of time I spend writing and working on freelance and other projects. That happens 2-3 days per week.
5:15-5:45PM: Clean the kitchen that looks like a bomb went off. Blast music and shake the house. Decide what’s for dinner if it isn’t already made and coming from a blog recipe. Not a big deal because my husband doesn’t get home until 8:30-9.
5:45-7PM: Upload selected photos from the day, edit if needed, upload them into my actual blog posts and type the written recipes into the posts so I don’t lose them. If I don’t do this the day of, the photos + recipes just accumulate and I end up needing 6+ hours of computer time, which is awful. I also like to type out the recipe I’ve written throughout the day to make sure it’s free of typos (it never is) and check it out while it’s fresh in my mind.
This is also the time chunk where I might go to yoga in the evening if I didn’t go in the morning, or when my cousin and I (and Natalie – hi Nat!) will go on a big neighborhood walk (about 5 miles) and BS the entire time. It’s a nice break. But if I do that, I usually end up coming home and spending the rest of the evening working.
7PM: I may eat dinner, depending on what time my husband is going to get home, or I might wait for him. I finish responding to any recipe questions/comments (again, they too are a pain if they begin to pile up), prepare dinner if needed, work on my post for the next morning, finish uploading some pictures, work on miscellaneous writing pieces and figure out my game plan for the next day (what recipes I’m making/what I’m writing/what I need from the store). Work, work, work.
9:30-11PM: Try to take some downtime from technology and relax and talk about our days, which doesn’t always happen. But if I am working, at this time I’ll watch trashy shows while doing so. More so than not, one of us has the computer in front of us.
11PM: Head to bed… and sometimes get waaay too involved on my iPhone and end up working from bed for a little while longer.
There you have it.
I can be flexible and occasionally will take a weekday afternoon to visit my friends + their kids or hang out with my mom or in last Wednesday’s case, leave the house around 3 to head to dinner and see Wicked. For example, this week Ashley will be in my area on Tuesday and we are leaving for a short trip on Friday to celebrate our anniversary, so I’m working continuously through the weekend.
I like to keep my weekdays as “workdays” because I really love having an actual weekend, even though I still may work through most of it anyway. I also don’t like to spend Saturday and Sunday developing recipes and cooking all day (I did that for the first 1.5 years of my blog… enough) because it takes away from fun things we could be doing… and when my husband is in the kitchen we want to kill each other. Often on the weekends I still end up making 2-3 recipes (today I did 3) but it’s in a much more relaxed fashion. I sleep in a bit, work out when I want, write when I need to, do recipes when I want and change things according to our plans.
I work best on a structured schedule, and I’ve tried to develop one for myself time and again when it comes to recipe development, such as spending Monday and Tuesday only doing recipes, Wednesday through Friday only writing… but it doesn’t work out. Crazy things come into play – like the fact that it may rain 3 days in a row and I have no light in my house to photograph food.
I don’t view blogging as a long term career, but more so as a creative outlet and launch pad for my job as a recipe developer and writer. I am very grateful that this is part of what I can call my “work,” but it certainly didn’t fall into my lap. I can easily say I’ve never taken one day off from my job… and that’s okay. I’ve been on the other side and am willing to do what it takes to enjoy my life. I don’t believe that anything worth it comes easy. Plus… I’m sort of in love with it.
And a fun fact? My crazy dreamy kinda goal in life is to write fiction novels. I have the most insane imagination.
Alright. Enough with the serious stuff. Any questions? That’s what 2 glasses of wine will do to you.
242 Comments on “365 Days”
I have also noticed that I shop online a lot less than I used to pre-blog. Even though I am a full-time graduate student, I still manage to post something 5 days a week because I love doing it, and eating the results! But I sometimes cannot keep up with comments and the blogs I like to read pile up in my Google reader (I don’t have nearly the size following that you do!). Congrats to you for a successful 365 days and many more to come!
I appreciate SO MUCH the time you take to respond to comments, tweets, emails :-) That’s one thing I really love about the blogging community. And, I think it’s pretty cool when someone as “big” (in the blogosphere, or at least in my blogosphere) responds to my comment! I’m so glad you do what you do:-)
As an Army wife, I would love to do this as a full-time job someday…because I could do it from anywhere! Blogging is very much just a hobby for me right now, but I’d like it to eventually expand into something more. Thanks for doing what you do! I’m glad you enjoy your work :)
I totally agree – one of the bonuses is that I can still do it (maybe not at full force) when I have kids.
Oh! What genre of fiction would you like to write?
Probably young adult or women’s fiction – not trashy romance by any means – but more so like a novel with a hint of chicklit.
As a librarian I have to tell you that YA and tween lit (~9-12) is HUGE right now. Plus a ton of adults read this genre as well. I say give it a whirl. I know ‘my’ teens love reading books with food in them, so you could even incorporate what you do now.
I read a mystery series based around a Donut Shop, which had recipes included!! Great Idea
I also really appreciate how you respond to tweets/comments. I am so inspired by you and your success at blogging – I am contemplating changing careers to be a recipe developer/writer and eventually open a bakery. I LOVE your food photography too! So gorgeous. Thanks for doing what you do! :)
Congartulations on your leap of faith…. and also on recognizing that once there are children in your life that things will be different ;) Hope this lands you where you want to be and in the meantime keep up the fabulousness!!
I swear I must’ve worked for a dude who was the relative of your boss at your former job. Your story really echoes mine. I worked at this boring job for40 hours each week for 15 months but really all I was paid to do was tweet all day. This was pre blog so yes I was paid to sit on my butt & tweet all day. All the work related tasks would take two hours tops to finish & they never had more work for me. While this may sound wonderful & how most people would like to spend their days, I too can vouch it gets old really quick. Like you I also quit & have never regretted that decision,although I admit I was feeling guilty since so many people in the country had been laid off & I just decided to quit.
Thanks for taking us through a typical day. It’s wonderful that you have all this creative energy day in & day out. I also appreciate that you get back to us, especially since you have one of the more popular foodie blogs. :)
Love this post. We totally appreciate all of the hard work you do!! And I think it’s awesome that you take so much out of your day to respond to comments/emails/etc.
You’re awesome. :)
The end.
loved this post, with a peek into your thought process, life, and dreams. go go go!
This is amazing. It’s really educational/inspiring to find out how much time you actually pour into this here site. Sometimes I think it’s easy for beginners (read:me) to think that a career in blogging is an easy thing to do, but you demonstrate just how huge of a commitment it really is, and how it’s something you have to dedicate a big BIG chunk of time to if you want that to be your only job. I’m so glad you took the plunge (excuse me for sounding cheesy), and congrats on your success! I love what you create here. LOVE it. I think I’m addicted. It’s like crack. (but what would I know, I’ve never tried crack).
I loved this post! I wonder how someone does this as a job and what it requires in order to get a website like yours up and going everyday. I spend allot of time on my blog viewing other blogs… coming up with ideas and then cooking. But with 3 young kiddos I find it hard to devote enough time to get my blog to where I’d like it to be…. My hope is that by the time I get them in school I’ll be able to devote full time hours to it and MAYBE it will get to where yours (and the many other bloggers out there that I love!) is. But for now it is a creative outlet to keep me sane through the days of changing diapers and Yo Gabba Gabba.
Loved reading this post, even though the little guy was tugging on me to go “play”, I just couldn’t stop reading. I’m thankful you really explained your day, as I’ve often wondered how you do it, blogging full time, and making a living at the same time.
Here’s to “YOU” and your dream of fiction writing someday! Until then…please don’t stop cooking.
I only wish you truly wanted more and more work back 1 year ago. I could have worked on piling some up.
aww it was fun to learn a little more about you girl! <3 I left my job almost exacly a year ago too! I had to.. The USMC stole my husband to a new state and then 6 months later, a completely different base/town/area in that state. bahhh! But its been amazing having the time to sit back and really think about what I want to do next! Once we're settled i'm making my move! <3 I'm happy to even be able to comment eek! (no internet for over a month b/c of the hurricane shenanigans!) so I just wanted to ramble a bit and say hello! MWAH! missed you so!
Jessica, this is SUCH a great post. Honestly, although I absolutely LOVE your creative recipes, I’ve always wanted to know a little more about “who” the woman behind the lens was. I had picked up that you were once a personal trainer through some posts, but never really got a feel for why you blogged or how you started.
This is obviously the post that answered all of those questions for me :) You are such an amazing and inspiring person, and all of the work that you put into your site truly shines through. Honestly, one of my favorite blogs to read by far.
Keep it up– you are making magic!
I really loved this post! I love that someone else goes to bed at that time and gets up at a crazy hour like me. Life is full of surprises and I really just go with the flow of things. I can’t say that things have ended up exactly like I thought it would, but at this point, I’m loving where I’m at and well…that feels pretty darn good. Thanks for sharing Jessica…today and everyday.
Wow loved reading about your day/ seeing my dream life played out. I think it’s amazing you had the courage to pursue blogging as a job even though many people may not view it as a “real career” its clear you put so much time and passion into it.
I love this post! Thank you for sharing your blog process with us. So many people don’t realize the true amount of work that goes into maintaining a blog like yours.
Btw I would totally buy whatever book you write. And of course the best writing advice is: just write. Keep writing and more writing comes. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. (just giving my $.02 since I’m a writing teacher and can’t help myself.) :)
Love this post Jessica :)
Loved reading this Jess! It’s so crazy (in a good way) how much time & energy you put into your blog..and it sure does show! As you know, I absolutely love your blog & typically make at LEAST 2-3 of your recipes each week. (right now I haven’t been because my husband has been out of town a lot lately & I don’t like to cook for myself..I just eat foods that he doesn’t like while he’s gone :) )
I seriously cannot wait to see what lies in the future for you, because I just KNOW that it’s going to be AWESOME…without a doubt.
Thanks for doing what you do! You rock!! :D
Thank you for sharing that! I am so glad you spend as much time as you do on your blog. Your hard work and dedication truly show, and does not go unnoticed! Thanks for the always fabulous recipes and pictures! Keep up the wonderful work, I cannot wait to read more of your blog!
I have noticed you on the computer around the same time as me in the mornings…not that I’m stalking or anything! Just notice that when my post goes live, so does yours, and then your facebook does, etc etc. Although, you are way more creative and committed than I am at this point. I get about 45 minutes early AM, two hours for cooking/writing/photos, and then maybe 30 minutes before I crash in front of my TV at night.
Love love love your honesty. Your time and dedication shows in what a great blog you have, and the amount of loyal followers (ME!!). Thanks for being an inspiration for this newbie!
Aimee @ ShugarySweets
For a newbie, you are killing it Aimee. Your blog is awesome!
i love this post! so great to see an inspired young women follow her heart. i too quit my “perfect” job as a law firm associate 2 years ago with no plan, no other options. but i knew it was the right thing to do. i now work part time for a non profit organization, and blogging as become a passion. i make less money, i don’t have the crazy job title, but i’m happy :)
You can’t put a price on happiness!
Congrats on your 365 days. Your blog is very entertaining and informative, and just lovely to look at it. It is absolutely one of my favorites.
I love cooking, especially desserts and sweets, and hope to channel this into a business someday. To be able to pursue my creative interests AND write, as you have done successfully, would be a dream come true. We are one of those families making-do with the realities of our economy. My Mister has been out of work for almost a year now, and my little job, which was supposed to be just a comfortable position in an enjoyable company while I finished school, has become our anchor. I’m grateful to have the job, no doubt, and am lucky that I do enjoy the place that I work, but I don’t want to work for someone else forever. Our plans just got derailed for a bit.
So I applaud that you’re not only successful at what you do, but that you realize how fortunate you are to be able to enjoy this opportunity. There’s no reason that you could not someday write fiction as well. I look forward to more of your blog, and anything else you accomplish in your future.
Cheers!
It’s so good to see how everything has changed for the better from last year. I remember your–I’m quitting my job– post and how nervous you were. Good to see you now have a better quality of life doing what you love. Your day breakdown is fab and makes me realize how much work you put into How Sweets, which is pretty fantastic! :)
I definitely remember your comments then!! Thanks for sticking with me girl. :)
love this post. Thank you for showing + telling that full-time bloggers don’t watch TV all day. I’ve always wondered how you recipe bloggers find the time to cook between meals! I’m lucky if I can pull off a 20 minute meal with a few action shots!
Great blog, Jess. One of my favorites of all time!
It’s been nothing short of amazing/inspirational to see you grow as a writer/blogger/photographer/recipe developer. Thanks for sharing all of this with us!
What a great post! I love reading how other bloggers do manage their time. I’m not completely bored out of my mind right now but do wish that I was busier and being challenged more. My blog is definitely helping me be creative and put my energy somewhere when I’m not at work. You are an inspiration to many and I love your commitment to your readers and the blogging community…it’s one that I’m so proud to be a part of!
Thank you for this post. Sometimes I feel like I spend all day on the computer with nothing to show for it…but I’m so happy because I love what I’m doing. I don’t have a question…more I’d love some tips on how to get to the point where I can make at least enough money on my blog so that I can buy some sugar without feeling guilty. Or that I can pay that designer to design a logo or to host my own site. And tips would be welcomed! :) LOVE your blog BTW.
Hahah Dorothy this made me giggle! I often feel weird giving other bloggers tips (and don’t do it) because I don’t feel that I am qualified to do so, but I think there are 3 important things. The first being: write in your conversational voice that is true to yourself. My voice is my voice is my voice – I’ve written the same way since day 1 of this blog and while some hate it and others like it, I never feel bad because it is me. Second, provide new and exciting content daily or at least a few days a week. For me, this is taking a recipe that I may like, and thinking how I can make it different without being weird or gross. An example is my buffalo chicken enchiladas – I wanted a twist on regular enchis, and these worked. They are a pretty popular recipe on my site now because of that. Third… I hate to say it but I truly believe it’s all in the pictures. I saw the biggest surge in traffic on my site last year after I began using my DSLR. People eat with their eyes. It constantly amazes me when a vegan may comment just to tell me my beef pictures look awesome, or when I see a broccoli recipe on another site that makes me actually WANT to eat broccoli. I really believe that having good pictures is key, and this is coming from someone who really dreads photography.
That’s my two cents. :)
what happens between 7-9:30pm?!? :)
yours is without a doubt one of my all-time favorite blogs. thanks for quitting your job so we can all “hang out” with you every day J! xo
Girlie you are an inspiration to us all! You ROCK!!
Now I want to know more about your imagination!!
this is all too weird.. a year ago today i quit my full time job.
SO SO WEIRD>
i found another job, but i quit my job cause i wanted to blog.
i was wondering how you write so much everyday and take amazing pics, your work schedule is definitely intense and you work hard. thank you for sharing.
Wow – that is crazy!!
I have always dreamed of writing fiction novels, probably because I read them CONSTANTLY. I think they can’t be THAT hard, but I’m probably terribly wrong. Girl, you are a work horse, which makes sense, because you have, by far, my most favorite blog! :)
I found this post to be so inspiring. I know you work so, so hard on your blog, and it shows!
Congratulations on 365 days to one of my very first blog friends. xoxo
I loved this post, Jessica! Very interesting and inspiring. Just one question: WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YOU DO WITH ALL THE FOOD? And okay, it’s two questions: are you writing/developing recipes elsewhere? I know you write for Tasty Kitchen…is there anywhere else you write?
Love your blog and LOVE YOU. You’re my little cheesy bacon butter soul mate.
Ha! It totally depends on what I cook when… I try to do desserts around weekends/parties/entertaining, etc. Sometimes I make 4-5 desserts on a Saturday and make everyone come over and eat them. But I may post them over the course of a month, you know? And occasionally I do some other freelance for some local magazines, I’ve written some fitness pieces for another mag, I’ve developed a few recipes for a handful of companies – but I don’t write on any blogs or a routine column or anything. :)
Hi Jessica,
How did you land these freelancing jobs? Did they come across your blog and ask you, or did you approach them?
Em
Wow… you just showed me what blogging would be like ALL ALONE IN MY HOUSE. I don’t know whether to throw my camera into my monitor out of jealousy or be grateful I only post 2-3 times a week. :)
I love that you’re so dedicated to blogging. You’re fabulous, my dear :)
I would go with be grateful… lol! Thanks Natalie!
You are great! I love your openness and how much you are willing to share. I’ve been swamped and haven’t had time to comment lately, but you never fail to inspire me. I hope you do write a novel someday!
YES, YES, YES a million times yes! I’m in a very similar place right now with my 9-6, the guilt, the loving writing, the whole shebang. I read through the other posts you linked to, too. When you said that your husband said ‘It’s called work for a reason’ and that’s just not enough for you – that is EXACTLY that conversation I’ve had with my fiance, bless his heart. I’m trying very hard to hold on to the hope that I CAN have meaningful work doing what I love someday. You made that easier to do today. Thank you so much.
I definitely think you can! However, I do look back on those posts I wrote with some wisdom… or older age, or something. I think that our generation has been raised to do anything you want! be anything you want to be! along with the whole sense of entitlement thing. I definitely believe that we should all be able to do what we love, because because of this craptastic economy it may take a little longer than we want to even imagine. At least it took a lot longer than I wanted it to. My husband is 10 years older than me and is much more realistic – I don’t agree with him on that stance at all, but I know he has no sense of entitlement when I – at least because of this internet generation I’ve grown up in, with everything at my fingertips – inevitably has some. Keep on going girl!
Thanks for sharing! You have turned this blog into an amazing place and I am sure your future is bright!
Congrats on a great first year! I just started reading and had no idea about your back story. Having a job that you really, really dislike is the worst. Good for you for finding happiness!
I love this post! I love seeing snippets of the lives of bloggers I follow! Your hard work definitely shows, you have one of the most fun, creative, and funny food blogs ever. An inspiration, really!
This is an awesomw insight into your life and it’s great to get to know you better, Jessica!
I thought of you tonight while cooking bacon on the stovetop and wondered what your method of cooking it was? I’m thinking you use the oven?
I do both! Sometimes I do the stovetop and other times the oven… I think it just depends on what else I’m cooking at the time. I like doing it on the stovetop to get the grease and save it, but love the ease and perfection of the oven.
This was so inspirational. Thank you for sharing :)
Love your blog and this post!! If you don’t mind me asking – do you make any sort of decent money off your blog? I know that question probably sounds totally rude (I hope it doesn’t), but I am honestly just curious. I have read that blogs like The Pioneer Woman, etc, make the most money from their advertisers, and that fascinates me.
I make enough that I could comfortably support myself (without my husband’s income) if need be, but I’m nowhere near PW. But yes, the only way bloggers make money from their blogs is from advertising (for example the Foodbuzz ones on my sidebar) unless they have some sort of donate button or sell something from their site.
Dang girl, that is so great!! You should be so proud! All your hard work is paying off (literally and figuratively, lol). : -)
I just saw that this person asked the same type of question I did. I think it’d be great to do a “how to make money” blogging series… One thing that perplexes me is the whole google reader thing. I subscribe to you and don’t think you get any “income” from my reads…
You are right – bloggers don’t “paid” unless their blog is clicked on – most ad networks pay per # of pageviews and they don’t count in an email or google reader feed.
I hope you know I’ve loved you since before you quit your job- I remember that post. Can’t believe it’s been a year! You are amazing at what you do and I think you should pursue writing a novel as well. I think you would come up with something fabulous! :D
This is stupid
You know how I knew before I read this post that you put massive amounts of work into this blog? Every recipe of yours that I have made has turned out excellent and you respond to questions asked in the comments section.
Please, keep this up!
This was a great read! I enjoy reading your blog everyday! Most of the time it’s funny and creative, I sometimes share some of your stories with my family. I hope your dreams come true as a novelist, but I can see a cookbook in your future. Wish you all the best!!