Ticket 2 Blog

If the idea of asking for help with your work makes you feel vulnerable... If you're worried about how to find a person you can trust... If you want tips on working with other humans for the first time... ...this episode is for you!

Practical new habits you can implement to combat overachiever psychology. Usual shownotes coming... someday.  Maybe.  No time for overachieving at the moment - haha :)

Is overacheiving... kind of killing you? Ever felt totally lost and uncertain what direction to take your creator life? How do you focus without feeling like you're losing out on one path or the other?   Links to references made in this episode: Episode 9 - in which Berna first realized she needed a break. The How to Make Hard Choices TED Talk by Ruth Chang Our fledgling Patreon! Places to talk to us online: Ticket2Blog.com Instagram Facebook New Blogger Support Crew (also Facebook)    Timestamp Listening: 1:36 . . .  the things Berna is trying to prioritize 5:26 . . .   how to prioritize your goals 5:53 . . .   the surprising choices that matter most 7:41 . . .  how to prioritize your life... passively! 10:06 . . .  how to prioritize... for control freaks 11:17 . . .  why we put part of this episode elsewhere. 12:15 . . .  why Berna recommends the '5 Whys' to prioritize your life 14:00 . . .  how to successfully take a break from life 16:36 . . .  a mental trick that will h

What should I spend money on as a new blogger? I keep seeing one professional blogging course after another. Are they worth it?  How do I know? If I decide to get a blogging-for-beginners course, how do I choose a good one? How do I know where to spend money for blog growth? SEO?  Graphic design?  Consultant?  How do I find the best blogging course?   Links to references made in this episode:   The Don’t Keep Your Day Job podcast episode – (where Seth Godin explains the important money mindset you should have around things you do for your future vs. things you buy for yourself). Felicia's Wallet Video Series – (where you can follow Berna's change in money-mindset). Shawn Matthew's Swagbot Creative – (where you can connect with the miracle man who designed our logo if you’re in the market for that sort of thing). The 99 Designs logo package - (where you get multiple submissions from many designers.  But we were wrong about the price!  It's $299.) Our last episode about marketing – (where we talk

How do I start promoting my blog without feeling like a bragging, dancing monkey?  What kind of blog marketing strategy should I start with?g? How do I balance creating content with marketing content? What are some blog marketing exercises I should try?   Links to references made in the podcast: The episode where Jema explains why it's an abuse of your privilege to feel insignificant The How to Hire an Entire Marketing Team without Spending Any Money article HeartandHustleKD.com - the home of Kellie Drewelow, coach for multipotentialites i.e. people who are doing a million things all the time How to Juggle Multiple Projects - the episode Kellie loved Podcast Movement 28-Day Challenge - the awesome free way to start-your-podcast.  (We used it to start T2B, and it's an example of something that we are always marketing for free because it's awesome and we got such good value out of it.) The SEO Challenge sign-up!  Add your name if you want to get onboard for the next challenge. The Monthly

How do I look at my blog metrics without obsessing?  A a beginner blogger, what success metrics should I be tracking? What is considered good website traffic?  How many followers should I have? How many subscribers should I have? How do I get over the scariness of facing my numbers reality?   Links to references made in the podcast: The page about blog metrics beginners should track How Berna turned looking at her money numbers into a fun game that helped her to financial success. The episode we talked about Berna's Honda car battery dying The How to Get Free Flights and the How to Travel on $20 a Day info that Jema isn't sad about not forcing on sheep milkers. MOZ - one of the website statistic authorities giving website scores - in the form of DA and PA (domain authority and page authority).  Alexa - another website statistics authority that ranks sites globally and by region The packing list that we always talk about The free website Jema uses to check broken links Episode 13

Will I lose readers if I change my focus? (timestamps below) Is it a beginner-blogger-mistake to focus on too many topics? How do I reign it in? Should I? How do I find my niche if I have tons of passions? I'm scared to focus in on one thing and lose readers in the process.  Should I? Could I have a bigger impact if I just focus on one thing? Links to references made in the podcast: Berna's fledgling (awesome!) personal finance creations One of Berna's top travel hack articles  The Blog Abroad - written by Gloria Atanmo (Berna's favorite travel blogger who she would listen to... no matter what Gloria talked about.) The Budgetnista - home of Berna's favorite personal finance content creator, Tiffany Aliche An example of how to nest a new project with what you're already doing: Check out how this podcast appears on Jema and Berna's internet homes. The last episode where Berna had a brand identity crisis: Why Projects Fail... and What Your Audience Thinks Regina's Ideal Reader Profile The

Is there a sane social media and content creation strategy? (timestamps below) Which social media platforms do I need to be on?  Which social media platform is best for business? How do I choose which format to use for an idea (video? blog? insta post?) How do I choose which platform an idea belongs on?   Which platform(s) do my followers want me to be on? Which channels best serve my goals as a content creator? Links to references made in the podcast: The episode where we explain Warren Buffet's favorite exercise for clarity around everything from which social media platforms to use to what you should be doing right now with your time and life. The episode that you didn't see any publicity for because Jema thought it was more important that Berna get an opportunity to learn about her boundaries/the reality of "sunset." Internships!  If you think you'd like free lessons on how-to-do online creator life, email us with a list of what you'd like to learn and why and your thoughts around why you

How Do You Make Money as a Digital Nomad? (timestamps below) How can I create an income and a living as a digital nomad, without selling out or compromising my morals? How can I overcome my fear of lack of money as a creator? How can I develop better emotions around money so I can focus on having the courage to create?   Links to references made in the podcast: FAQs about how Jema makes money Meg Jay TED Talk about spending your time intentionally The Brene Brown book with the quote about the creator doubt never going away    Places to talk to us online: Ticket2Blog.com Instagram Facebook New Blogger Support Crew (also Facebook)   Timestamp Listening: 0:42 . . . Who are these people? Jema & Berna introduce themselves 2:52 . . . How Jema started her first online business (and why she quit immediately) 4:47 . . . The first two mistakes Jema made while trying to make money as a digital nomad 6:10 . . . The 8 different ways you can make money as a digital nomad (and why Jema does basically none of them

How Do You Deal With Money Fears? (timestamps below) What do you do financially to live life on the road long-term How does your budget change when you start to work AND travel? How often should you spend huge amounts of money on fancy dinners or adventure activities? How do you keep the need for security from taking up too much of your travel time? Links to references made in the podcast: How to work exchange like Jema was when recording this ep How to house sit like Berna was when recording this ep How Jema affords to travel How to travel on $20 a day 6 Unspoken Truths About Making Money While Traveling How Berna went from hating budgeting to cashed-up globetrotter Youthnotes - one of Berna's passions Gifts of Imperfection - the Brene Brown book that reveals what's actually important to you... isn't on a bucket list Jema's packing list she didn't even know was #1 on Google because she was so focused on just doing what she loved The story of the two women who did what they loved when they were down to j

How Do You Transition to Remote Work? (timestamps below) How do you go from vacationer mode to living as a digital nomad? Should I just stay put for a little while to get a remote work routine established? Is it possible to work and travel when you're becoming a digital nomad? Why is it so exhausting to work and travel? Once I start to work remotely and travel, how do I avoid constant overwhelm and exhaustion? How do I deal with the lack of friends and social network when living the digital nomad life? Can digital nomads make friends?  How? What's the deal with co-working spaces?  Co-living spaces? Links to references made in the podcast: How to Become a House Sitter - like Berna! (and Jema)  How to House Sit Your Way Around the World (and Other Free Accommodation) - the house sitting podcast episode from the Postcard Academy The Hidden Cost of Too Much Travel - identity loss How Bossy People Ruin Lives - also identity loss Facebook Ticket 2 Blog Support Crew - where we talk about co-working spaces &

How Do You Prioritize Multiple Projects? (timestamp nav below) What are some good time management strategies?  Especially when faced with multiple projects with different audiences & intentions? What do you do to effectively manage your time so you have time to create (while juggling multiple projects)? How do I strike a balance between going with the flow vs planning? How do you know when it's time to stop and hit the reset button? How do you make time to stop and hit the reset button? How do you keep work from sneaking in and eating up your rest/reset time? Links to references made in the podcast: Jema's project buckets free SEO training for newbies T2B support crew Podcast Movement - a great FB group for podcasters where Jema runs a weekly activity. (NB - Jema's activity not available for summer) Jema's Half the Clothes travel website about to deploy its life hacking section and five new articles Where you can contact Jema if you're interested in an online business internship Wanderlife.co - the

(Jump below for timestamp navigation) What are SEO keywords?  Where?  When?  Why? How do I do SEO?  When I put my fingers to the keyboard, what should I know about?  . I know I should be using keywords, but what words do the SEO Robots like? . How long will it take me to stop hating SEO? . Can I still be funny and have good SEO? . How do I know if my SEO is working? . How long does it take to SEO a piece of content?   Links to references made in the podcast: The "Why a Hard Working Perfectionist... Doesn't Want a Job" article Jema wrote that she hasn't SEO'd yet.  (So it's only getting eyeballs from established readers and people who come from pages that have been SEO'd.) . How to Have Time to Do Everything - the article Jema wrote for the ep5 shownotes that she then SEO'd. . Episode 1 - where Berna and Jema rank their weirdness on the scale of 1-10.  And where we talk about blogs vs. journals. . Google's 200 Ranking Factors that we talked about in episode 7... where you find out about a million (okay

(Jump below for timestamp navigation) Today your no-bullsh*t podcast asks: What is SEO?  Do I have to? Why is every online guru yelling at me about SEO? . Can you please explain it to me like I'm a five-year-old? . I wrote an article.  How do I make the robots happy about it? . What do SEO robots like?  What do they not like?. . How do I balance keyword-searchability with being creative? . If everyone's using the same keywords, how do you rise to the top? . Is it cheating to go back through your articles and SEO them?     Links to references made in the podcast: Google's 200 Ranking Factors that go into determining your SEO score. . Jema's packing list that rose to the top and has been at the top of Google for years because of the value it provides. . Episode 4 - where we talk at length at the importance of starting now, because no one is listening but the search engine robots! . The How to Milk a Sheep article Jema wrote that's still at the top of Google six years later because she was first.  Her artic

(Jump below for timestamp navigation) Today your no-bullsh*t podcast asks: How do you manage separate identities and projects as a content creator? What do I do when I get overwhelmed with projects?  Can I combine them?  Give up?  Something in between? . What happens to my audience when I change my mind?  Do they get mad?  Do they leave? . What happens when I do something I care about outside my usual content area? . How do I deal with all the crap that I’m trying to do for other people that’s driving me crazy?  How do I disappointing other people without crushing my own soul?   Links to references made in the podcast: Why Jema also didn’t run away with the circus, on top of never following through on her intention to blog about circus school. I Just Discovered – the website Jema made months ago, but has lingered in the “not as important as Ticket 2 Blog, or Wanderlife.co, or HalfTheClothes.com. Episode 4 – Which explains how long it takes to make “evergreen” content (info that’s good for years and years)

Today your no-bullsh*t podcast asks: Where do you get energy for creating and marketing when spending so much time on travel (and often not having WiFi)? How does one balance time for creativity with the need to market? How do you produce or promote when you don't have dependable wifi? Do you ever feel like marketing is taking over your life? How do you deal with the guilt when you don't take time for boring and stressful marketing?   Links to references made in the podcast: The Accountability Partner concept How to Inventory Your Life (and Have Time for Everything) How Bossy People Ruin Lives Why a Hard-Working Perfectionist Doesn't Want a Job Depression for the Un-Depressed Jema's Circus School past-life Warren Buffet's 5/25 rule (which it turns out is a teeny bit different than we thought, but just as useful) Berna's 5/25 rule results That podcast where an  Olympic sports psychologist talks about How a Life of Constant Challenges Improves You - an episode from Outside Magazine's excellent podcast.

Today your no-bullsh*t podcast about being a blogging nomad asks: "How do I produce content consistently when travel (or life) takes up most my time?" Ever get excited about a project, throw yourself behind it, build up a big idea of what it should be, get all perfectionist, and end up burning out? Want to hear an answer you'll actually like about how often you should be publishing content? This episode is for you! Links to references made in the podcast: Lilly Singh and Grace Helbig - Berna's favorite YouTubers Lore (by Aaron Mahnke) - Berna's favorite podcast "Why I'm Quitting the Internet" - the article that led to Berna and Jema connecting The epic packing list - one of Jema's evergreen content centerpieces The Elizabeth Gilbert TED Talk about why you don't have to feel guilty about not producing on a schedule. We're so grateful to Pitx for our music.  We grabbed a snippet of (modified) their work, which we get to use thanks to this legalese.

Today your no-bullsh*t podcast about being a blogging nomad asks: "How Do I Document Without Being an A**hole?" Ever come across shareable moments, reach for your camera, and suddenly get hit by a wave of "“UGH, obnoxious tourist” shame? Can't stand the thought of being that person with a selfie-stick? Ever ask yourself: What's the point?  There are a million photos of this on the internet. Am I giving up living in the moment? Am I missing a chance to capture good content? Can I enjoy an experience AND document it? Am I ruining things for people around me? Should I apologize for taking pictures? Is there a way to capture cultural performances without being a total a**hole? (spoiler alert: there is!) This episode is for you! Links to references made in the podcast: Berna's article about representation: Brown Girl You Belong   Timestamp Navigation: 1:38 How Berna feels when attempting to document her travels 3:34 Jema reveals why taking photos can feel icky (but doesn't have to!) 5:01 What Jema does (and r

Today your no-bullsh*t podcast about being a blogging nomad asks: "Should I Become a Blogger?" It seems cool, hip, and maybe financially beneficial.  Is it the right route for me? Do I have what it takes?  Am I asking myself the right questions? How can I understand what's involved before I decide to start? Links to references made in the podcast: Berna's viral YouTube vids: Felicia's Wallet Jema's well-known packing list written in a Bangkok internet cafe with no air-con. Whether or not bloggers were writers first.  Jema's anecdata from polling fellow platform owners: 1 in 4 were not writers first, the rest were.   We're so grateful to Pitx for our music.  We grabbed a snippet of (modified) their work, which we get to use thanks to this legalese.  

Today your no-bullsh*t podcast about being a blogging nomad asks: "What's going on here?!" Who are these talking heads? Who is Ticket 2 Blog for? What can you expect from Ticket 2 Blog? How did your hosts meet? Why did we start this podcast? We'll also introduce each other and wrap up by asking each other some of our favorite quirky interview questions. Links to references made in the podcast: Berna's Travel Website: See What Else Jema's Travel Website: Half the Clothes Farofa!   We're so grateful to Pitx for our music.  We grabbed a snippet of (modified) their work, which we get to use thanks to this legalese.