SHIFTING ROOTS

home, garden, food, and prairie lifestyle

Why is Blogging & Social Media So Hard? My Honest Review of Shift U, The Serial Method & Influencer Intensive

Do you ever wonder why blogging and social media seem so hard? Why you post and create all this content and nobody seems to read it or react to it? You do all this work and your following isn’t growing and you’re definitely not making any money off of your blog.

You thought you’d be so much further ahead by now, but it’s still just your Mom and your best friend and that one random person who found you liking your stuff.

And do they actually click like on your stuff? No. They phone or text you about it, which feels nice, but doesn’t really help you. In fact, you’re pretty tempted to just throw in the towel.

But what if there was a way to stop worrying about the numbers, see real engagement, and make money even if you have a small following? Sounds crazy, right?

Photo by Blush Brand Photography

In this post, I’m going to tell you exactly how I’ve been moving my online business forward with the help of Nicole & Dan Culver and their groups and courses for online influencers. I’ve been in Shift U for the past year and a half, as well as the Serial Method and Influencer Intensive. So if you’re thinking about joining one of their groups or purchasing one of their courses, here’s what you need to know.

This post contains affiliate links, which means, if you purchase one of their courses using my links, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots! (P.S. While blogging about blogging is not my normal niche–it’s gardening–I hope you’ll stick around if you happen to be someone who loves gardening or someone who wants to learn more.)

The Early Days of a Blog

I’ve been blogging on Shifting Roots for the last 3 1/2 years, and blogging as a business for the last 1 1/2 years. I started blogging because I was tired and needed a career change. I was working as a private music teacher, teaching 50 private students in 4 locations and directing 3 choirs, all while caring for my Grandma and being Mama to a 2 year old we suspected had Autism (and was later diagnosed). My husband worked away, so I was mostly parenting & caregiving on my own.

That year I got mono at the end of November and almost cried with relief, because it meant that I could finally rest and it would be okay to sleep. While I was healing, I resolved that something had to change. I could not continue at this pace. Teaching music and being a performer was my dream, but it was costing me everything.

When I did my taxes that year, I realized that I wasn’t even making enough money to be considered above the poverty line. All that work and stress and I wasn’t getting paid enough. I needed some way to make money that didn’t require me to go back to school and wouldn’t suck up all my energy.

This is me and my daughter, I didn’t get nice pictures of me blogging with my son back when I first started my blog. And this is what our mornings often look like these days.

So I researched how to blog in the best way possible every night while my son fought a crazy sleep regression, and in February of 2016 Shifting Roots was born.

If you go back to those first couple of posts when I first started out, they’re not great. They’re not even about gardening. But everyone has to start somewhere and get the imperfect posts and mistakes out of the way.

My friends and family were supportive, but no one would like my stuff. Sure, they’d call and tell me it was good, but they wouldn’t press that silly Like button! I was so concerned with building my numbers that I joined share group after share group. Every day I would spend at least 2 hours liking other people’s posts and commenting on their stuff. I was growing a following, but it was filled with people who didn’t really care about my stuff. And I was really frustrated with how many people followed me (especially on Instagram) only to unfollow me a day or two later. I just couldn’t get ahead.

Before, my comments were along the lines of “looks nice” or something cookie-cutter. Now, they’re full of real engagement.

I was also scared to niche down. People already didn’t participate on my stuff and my following was so small–now I’m supposed to make it even smaller?!? Shouldn’t I go as broad as possible to hit as many people as possible?!?!

But it just wasn’t working. And I was starting to realize that most of the advice that was available for free on the Internet wasn’t that great, especially when it came to scaling up your business. So I had a decision to make–did I want to wait for 5-10 years to figure out everything on my own, or did I want to invest some money now and get an actual strategy that actually works?

I never wanted to be so physically weak and run down by my circumstances again (remember the mono?), so I decided to invest in myself and my business.

Now, before you think–oh Kristen is brave, I could never do that–I might be brave but I’m not without fear. It’s hard to invest money in yourself when you’re not sure if this thing is actually going to work out. It’s hard to tell your spouse who is working his butt off for his family that you want to try this new thing that seems so uncertain. But I’m here to tell you that if you put in the work, it’s worth it!

The Social Shift & Shift University

I first learned about Nicole Culver through Mellissa of Blog Clarity. I had been learning how to blog mostly through reading her stuff and purchasing all her courses. (Seriously, Pinning Perfect is practically a blogging requirement in my opinion.) She sent an email saying that Nicole was running a summer boot camp for bloggers. The price was right, it touched on a lot of the things I needed help with, and I was in.

I watched the videos over and over, and my skills slowly got better. A few months later, Nicole asked if I’d like to be part of her blogger to business group (now Shift University) and I said yes. Again, I was a little scared to commit, because I was making some money through the odd sponsored post and getting some freebies, but it still wasn’t serious enough that I could stop teaching or even consider it.

Shift University made such a difference. Finally I could get answers to my blogging questions that weren’t just based on rumours and conjecture. (Remember the shadowban on IG?) Every week there were videos to learn about mindset, money, content planning, photography, Instagram and more. And Nicole really listens! If there’s something that everyone seems to want more help on and it’s not her specialty, she will find someone to come and do a presentation for us.

Everything is recorded and ready for you to access in Membervault whenever you need it. I usually listen to past recordings or catch up on the ones I wasn’t at live while I’m feeding the baby or doing dishes.

Get Access to Shift U here!

P.S. Access to the previous recordings is worth the price of membership alone. There’s something there for every stage of business you’re at.

Progress over Perfection

Nicole has also taught me how to get off of the content treadmill and given me the mindset shift to not worry about perfection. This was really important this year as I had my baby girl. I was so nervous about running my blog and keeping up the pace with a newborn. But with Nicole and Dan’s encouragement I was able to rest, enjoy my baby, and put one foot in front of the other and get it done.

Since I’ve had my baby girl, I’ve had a local TV appearance, been featured in another gardening blog, featured in a local magazine, in talks about sponsorships with a couple of different seed companies, and continued to show up on social and make money on my blog. The trade off? A lot of dirty dishes, and unweeded garden, and occasional tears. But I’m really proud of what I accomplished and I know that I would never have been able to keep my business going without losing my mind if it wasn’t for the mentorship of Nicole and Dan.

Part of how I was able to do all these things was because I had a solid content plan. I wasn’t just winging it and I was able to focus on the tasks that paid off in my business. Nicole has an amazing free Facebook Group, The Social Shift. It will give you a taste of Shift U and help you start to grow a raving audience & successful business.

A raving audience? Yes Please!!

A Strategy No One Else is Using

The key thing about what’s going on in Shift University is that Nicole and Dan are teaching us a blogging strategy that no one else is really teaching. It doesn’t rely on huge traffic, a huge following, or selling your soul. It frees you from worrying about your numbers and lets you create real connections with real followers.

Before I used their influencer marketing strategy, I hated Instagram because I could never get ahead. I had pretty enough pictures, but I lost followers as soon as I gained them, and it was so rare to get a real follower (aka not a bot, business, or another blogger–not that the last two aren’t followers, but they have their own motivations). Same with Facebook. Nobody talked to me except my Mom and my cousins and it may or may not have been out of pity.

I went from begging & hoping for engagement, to people actually using my hashtags on Instagram.

Now almost all of my followers are real followers. I don’t worry about my numbers because I’m more concerned with attracting the right people instead of just sheer numbers. People actually share my stuff on Facebook, and I have regular followers from all over North America and beyond that I have never met. My engagement rates have never been better, and my people regularly follow my gardening advice, make my recipes, and participate in my weed-picking contests.

Do you ever find yourself posting and praying? Posting something random you think is cool, and praying that everyone else will too? When you use Nicole’s methods, you’ll finally know what your people want to see and have them binge on your content.

Sure, sometimes I get it wrong and there’s the odd content that doesn’t resonate. But with Nicole I’ve learned a system for figuring out what my people really want to read about and 90% of the time my people are excited about what I’m putting out there.

Get Access to Shift U here

Before the Shift U, nobody made my recipes–now they do and sometimes they even take pictures and tag me in them.

The Serial Method

If you are serious about finding your perfect people and delivering content in a way that has your audience hungry for more, you need the Serial Method.

Nicole shows you exactly how to find your perfect person, figure out what resonates with them, and create a series of content that makes them hungry for more. Maybe this sounds too perfect, but I promise you it works.

I use the serial method to gain trust and show my expertise with my audience by creating simple serial series, and make a larger serial series with a product launch twice a year. I’ve also been using this method to pitch brands with something that no one else is doing. It’s not just another blog post–it’s so much more.

I got tagged in this post after my jam making Serial Series

You will go from wondering it you’re making a difference, to having people message you to tell you how much they love your content and feel like you’re reading their mind.

Want to see it in action? Give me a follow on Facebook or Instagram, and I promise you’ll see me do at least two every month.

Nicole has broken the Serial Method into bite sized pieces for us. There’s no guesswork–once you figure out your person and what they want, there’s templates and examples for every step of the process, plus a weekly group call to get your questions answered.

Click here for the Serial Method

Nicole explains it better than I do, so watch her video series for more information. The video series alone will shake up how you think about social media and provides value to you as a blogger.

Watch the Video Series Here

Are your DM’s a ghost town? You’ll get love notes like this after you start applying the Serial Method.

Influencer Intensive

When you’re farther in on your blogging journey, the Influencer Intensive is the next logical step. I joined this group shortly after my baby girl was born and I was terrified. Could I actually take this on? Would I really do the work?

It was the right decision. With weekly group check-in’s and monthly strategy calls, I know it was instrumental in keeping my business moving forward. Sometimes you just need someone to say, “You need to charge what you’re worth” or “It’s okay to feel the fear and do it anyway.” A personal one on one call is so much more effective than just reading something and feeling guilty that you’re not doing it, or confused as to what the next step is.

There is never a right time. I didn’t feel like joining the the Influencer Intensive when I did was the right time. But when would be the right time? When baby is 1? or 2? Or when the stars magically aligned?

But instead of regretting my choices and wishing I would have signed up months ago, or still waiting for the perfect moment, I’m ahead in my business and getting the skills, accountability, and motivation to keep going.

When you join, do everything you can to get on the live calls. You’ll get even more feedback and help on your projects, and it’s helpful to see other influencers going through the same struggles as you.

Trust me, you aren’t going to get this kind of help for free, and if you do, the help is likely not that good.

Click here for the Influencer Intensive

I’ll admit this picture of working with a baby is pretty idealized, but by putting one foot in front of the other and taking consistent, daily action, we’ve been making it work! And edible flowers and vegetables from the garden make surprisingly good baby toys.

The Fine Print

While Shift University is going to be amazing for your blog and business, it won’t work unless you do. It will teach you to work smarter and with better strategy, but it is no substitute for sitting down and actually doing the work. Fill out the handouts, dig deep into the questions, show up for the Zoom calls (or watch the replays if you can’t), and test out the strategy for yourself. The people who show up and do the work always end up getting the most out of the courses and the group.

I hope this review has helped you make your decision. I highly encourage you to join her free Facebook group, The Social Shift, and see if you like her mentoring style. You’ll be that much closer to growing your audience of raving fans, and levelling up in your online business.

Take me to the Social Shift!

Feel free to leave questions in the comments, I’m happy to answer them!

A Grain of Salt: What You Should Know Before Following Gardening Advice on the Internet

This post has been on my heart for awhile and I feel a little bit hypocritical writing it. Hey Kristen, you’re a garden blogger–you literally give gardening advice on the Internet for a living. But it comes with its challenges. And when I talk to new gardeners about what they should and shouldn’t do with their gardens, I’ve been realizing that they probably don’t know which advice is good, which is bad, and which could actually ruin their gardens.

Because let’s face it, I can give you all the advice in the world, but if you live somewhere substantially warmer than I do, not every single thing I’m going to say will apply to your situation. Or maybe different bugs are more common in your area than mine. Or I could try and follow the “what to plant guide in January” written by another blogger and laugh because everything here is covered in snow and nothing will survive in -30 weather.

So next time you’re trolling Pinterest looking for gardening and landscaping ideas, have these words of wisdom in your mind.

Before you follow that cool piece of gardening advice, tips and tricks, or some sort of hack, read this first and avoid heartache--especially if you're a beginner gardener planing your first garden. #gardening #advice #tips #tricks #ideas #beginner

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase anything, I earn a small amount of money at no extra cost to you. You can read more about it in my privacy policy. Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots!

The Number 1 Rule of Gardening Advice: Where Does the Writer Live?

I love gardening magazines, but I also find them frustrating. They’ve shown me 50 pages of gorgeous ideas that I want to try RIGHT NOW, but all I can accomplish in my zone is maybe 5 pages worth. That’s because I live on the Canadian Prairies and the magazine I’m looking at is published in New York, and most of the authors live in the North Eastern United States.

Most of the plants they’re using won’t be hardy enough for my zone (zone 3, versus anywhere between zone 5 and 7). Any non-organic soil amendments they suggest might actually ruin my soil if I tried them here. And if they published a guide telling me exactly when to plant my plants and harvest them? Also wrong–because my growing season is at least a month (if not two) shorter than theirs.

Is the advice wrong? No. But most of it isn’t meant for my growing conditions.

So next time you’re looking at a magazine article or blog post, take a quick look at the “about me” section and see where in the world this author is from, and if the geographical location is similar to yours.

Exceptions to this rule: remedies for bugs and pests, tips on composting, crop rotation, how to grow a certain vegetable, general plant care.

Just because you’re in the same zone as another gardener, doesn’t mean you’ll have the same results.

This point feels like a sucker punch to the face. I live in Saskatoon, SK, which is zone 3. Some other locations that also are in zone three are areas of Northern BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Northern Ontario, Quebec, and areas around Wyoming in the mountains.

Guess what? We are all going to have different results.

Being in Saskatoon, I will have the most in common with readers around Edmonton, most areas of Saskatchewan, and most areas of Manitoba. Why? These areas are all on the Prairies.

But why didn’t I mention Calgary? Because Calgary gets chinooks, so their growing conditions are completely different from everyone else on the prairies–even though we’re in the same zone. In fact, someone even wrote a book about it.

P.S. You should also check out this one he wrote too, it’s one of my favourites.

Will 95% of the gardening advice work? Yes. But your results may be quite different because of daylight hours, soil conditions, and that year’s weather.

Your Soil Makes a Difference

One man’s invasive perennial is another man’s favourite flower that he or she would be happy to have all over their garden. Some of you have rich soil that plants go wild in. Others of you have terrible soil that will need many years of compost and manure for plants to grow well.

Nowhere are the consequences of this rule more keenly felt than in the comments section of my post, 28 Perennials You’ll Regret Planting.

All of my plant suggestions are based under the premise of what plants I think a brand new gardener would be frustrated with, or not willing to put in the work of weeding/removing in 3-5 years when the plant takes over everything. It’s also tinged with a little bit of frustration over having to remove over 400 ferns and countless bits of lily of the valley and bellflower from my current yard over the last 3 years.

But if you just skim through the pictures, you don’t know that. And you’ll probably get really annoyed with me in the comments. And if you didn’t read the disclaimer on how I live on the Canadian Prairies in zone 3, you probably also won’t understand that 1. Our soil (in a general sense) is pretty fertile right out of the gate. 2. Certain plants aren’t on the list because they would never survive the winter here 3. Some plants that are “well-behaved” here are a problem in other areas of the world because our cold winters keep them in check.

In fact, I had so many suggestions about plants that were a nuisance in other areas of the world, that I wrote a whole follow up post on the 50 perennials you’ll regret planting.

Learn the Basics of Gardening in Just a Few Minutes

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If you Love a Plant, Plant it.

I give suggestions on flowers and vegetable varieties that I think will work for a certain situation all the time. I also give suggestions about which ones I think you should avoid. Sometimes I tell you to avoid your favourite plant.

Don’t ever let some person on the Internet stop you from growing something you love! For this reason and all the other reasons stated in this post, you can plant what you want to plant.

One exception to this rule: If the plant shows up on your Province or State’s list of Invasive and Noxious Weeds. To find the list for your area, google [your Province or State] + the term Invasive Weeds.

One Man’s Weed is Another Man’s Salad

There are many gardeners on the Internet who hate weeds and need to see every last weed in their garden destroyed. There are others who embrace the weeds and use them in salads and tinctures. Neither of these people are monsters (or hippies). They are just people who see things a different way. If the blogger you’re reading doesn’t resonate with you, find another one who does.

Related: 6 Tips All New Gardeners Should Know

I tend to fall into the “all weeds must go” camp, but for the love of all that is good, please don’t spend money on dandelion seeds. If you want to grow dandelions, I will happily collect some seeds for you from my yard. (And yes, I have seen seed packets for dandelion seeds in the stores this year.)

Before those of you who embrace weeds get mad at me and start lecturing me on the bees, please know that I respect your decision to embrace the weeds. It’s just not my thing.

Chemicals, Organic, GMO, Safe Seeds, oh my. . . .

Want to make gardeners fight? Just mention the words chemicals, organic, GMO, or the Safe Seed Pledge and watch the tensions fly. And let’s not even talk about the R-word (Roundup) or the M-word (Monsanto). Where’s that meme of some guy eating popcorn when you need it?

If you want to find sites about strictly organic gardening, you can find them. If you want to find sites where they discuss chemical interventions you can find them too. Just play nice in the comments, okay?

I’m going to say one more thing on this topic. Whatever side of the fence you fall on, just consider reading a couple of articles from a reliable source that support the other side’s opinions. Just so you can see where their arguments are coming from.

In today’s world of curated feeds, it’s way too easy to confirm that your opinion is right, because all you ever see are articles written by people who have the same opinion as you.

All Shade is Not Created Equal

I feel like this is one of my gardening mantras. Anyway, as you’re scrolling through Pinterest, you’ll probably see some pins about vegetables that like the shade, or the best perennials or annuals to use in the shade. In fact, I might have even written one of them.

I feel you. A mostly shade-covered garden sucks and it can feel like there’s nothing you can plant. So an article saying that there is hope is just what your heart needs. But repeat it with me, “All Shade Is Not Created Equal!!”

First of all, there’s part sun, part shade, dappled shade, and full shade to sort out. Then is also depends (again!) on where you live.

If you’re in zone 3 like I am, I don’t care how much those articles on vegetables that love the shade say they love the shade–your vegetable garden is going to look super sad if it gets no sunlight or 3 hours or less. Does spinach and lettuce do better if it’s not pelted by the hot July sun? Yes. But it also can’t tolerate no sun whatsoever.

P.S. I also realize the people who write these articles know this, but I really feel the need to point this out for beginner gardeners who might not.

Finally, you might also see posts talking about the use of shade cloth so your vegetables don’t scorch. Solid advice if you live in the Southern United States. Totally unnecessary if you live where I do.

Weather Trumps All

Sometimes, you can do everything “right” and the weather simply won’t co-operate. It can just be a bad growing year, and there’s nothing you did wrong. There are some years where everyone in your area will have bad carrots, tomatoes, peas, or whatever plant happened to be the one that didn’t get the weather it needed to thrive.

It’s okay. Even market gardeners have bad years for certain vegetables.

So What Now?

It’s my hope that after reading this, you’ll have a better idea of what advice is good advice for you and your area. I’d also love to know if there’s anything you think I missed. Who knows, I might even have to write a part 2 if there’s enough stuff.

If you’ve read this and feel even more frustrated and confused, you need my online gardening course. It’s a no-nonsense virtual handhold through your first year of gardening and beyond, all in one place.

Check it out here:

How I Used Adventures in SEO to Make Money Blogging

Hey there!  Thanks for clicking on this post.  My name is Kristen and I do not blog about blogging.  I actually blog about gardening and food 99% of the time.  Wait, don’t go!!!!!

If you clicked on this post, you’re probably like past-me.  You have a blog, it’s doing alright, but you’d really like it to make you actual money to pay your bills, not just that $4 you made on Amazon Affiliates last month, or another free bag of chips in exchange for selling your soul on social media.  (Please tell me it isnt’ just me!?)

Do you wish you knew how to make money off of blogging? You can start making passive income on your blog if you know how to harness the power of SEO, Google, and Pinterest. Here's how I did it--without being a blogger who blogs about blogging!! #blogging #makingmoney #stayathomemom #entrepreneur #SEO #Pinterest #Google #onlinecourses

This post contains affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase something from one of my links.  Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots!

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The Best of Shifting Roots 2017

Hard to believe that 2017 is almost at a close.  Here’s a look at some of the most popular and talked about posts this year.  I’d love to know your favourite in the comments!

The Post that Got Picked Up by Viral Nova

Last Easter I tried over 30 different methods of dying eggs naturally.  I document all my successes and failures and tell you which ones are worth your time.

P.S. If you need a way to eat all of those hard boiled eggs, head on over to Cheesy Eggs on Toast.  You’ll thank me later 🙂

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No Nonsense Advice for Starting a Blog

Are you thinking of starting your own blog?

I’ve seen a lot of how-to posts around the internet claiming to have all the answers.  Some are excellent.  Others. . . not so much.  How much effort does it take?  What’s the best way to get started?  How do I get followers?  How do I make money?

I don’t have all the answers.  What I can give you is an honest look at my journey and what you can expect if you start a blog and have almost no knowledge or experience with blogging.

No claims of getting 1000 subscribers in 3 days or anything crazy, promise.  (Kudos to anyone who has managed that starting from zero!  I could learn from you.)

starting a blog

[Read more…]

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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