Today we’d like to introduce you to Paige Leitch.
Paige, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started An Uncomplicated Life Blog to keep my resume current while I “stayed home” to raise our first son, Henry. It was a hobby blog at first, but I was serious about it: I consistently posted content three days a week. Prior to that, I had been in marketing for over ten years, so I was well versed in how to get my name out there and in front of my target audience. My marketing background and consistency in posting really helped me get a good following quickly! After several months, companies and brands began to reach out to me to do collaborations. About 15 months after I launched, I was fully monetized and had transitioned my career to a professional blogger. I never thought I’d be self-employed, but it’s such a natural fit. I LOVE writing and storytelling and I get to devote as much or as little time as I have a week to it. That’s the third thing that sets my blog apart from others out there. There’s a real focus on STORYTELLING in an authentic, relatable way. Even if I’m partnering with a brand and my post is sponsored, I’m telling a story about life: motherhood, womanhood, humorous and surface level, or emotional and deep. My passion lies in writing about the shared human experience.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
NO! And guess what? It’s still not! Every month I wonder why I do it. Some weeks, I contemplate pulling the plug on the whole thing. I have an internet-based business, often opening up my life in real and raw ways. Not everyone likes me and when a person hides behind the guise of their keyboard, they let you know just how much they don’t like you. I still remember my first scathing comment! It had to do with my first son and how I felt about him needing to wear a helmet to reshape his head. This person laid into me! I was immediately in tears and mad as hell. I texted my sister about it and she said, “You know you’ve made it when the negative trolls come out because that means that your reach is expanding beyond your friends and family. Strangers are hearing about you, seeing you, reading you and commenting on your content!” That put it in a whole new perspective for me. Each time I get a nasty, negative comment, I know two things: I’m reaching a bigger audience and that person took time out of their day to help me reach even more people AND to tell me about themselves. Whenever there’s negativity online, rest assured that it’s always about the person commenting and never about the blog post. It’s their own inner-demons, their own insecurities manifesting themselves and they’re taking it out on you. Leave those negative comments be, and silently thank them for expanding your reach further. That’d be my advice to new bloggers!
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
The feedback I most consistently get, that makes me absolutely thrilled, is that I’m REAL. So often in the world of “influencers,” all you see is two things: 90% of the time, you see beautifully staged photos, perfectly styled children, fantastic homes, and amazing marriages. 10% of the time those influencers “open up” to how their life “isn’t perfect” in some whining manifesto of how their house is dirty and their kids had tantrums. It’s either all perfection or a hot mess. I specialize in NORMALCY in every day. When I write a blog post or engage on social media, I think, “How can I talk about the everyday, normal things women experience in an authentic, entertaining way? How can I make diaper changes, or gardening, or sleep deprivation entertaining? How can I make dinner preparation something that’s readable and likable?” And that’s the thing: life is a series of normal events. Sure, every now and then things get really great or really bad, but mostly, it’s just a series of regular, daily events. I talk about those daily events in entertaining ways. I blog about a recipe you’d actually make, or a DIY that’s realistic and feasible, or share my thoughts on a current event. That’s what’s different about me: my Instagram photos aren’t staged and they’re taken by me. I don’t use filters or pre-sets. I’m just an average woman with a regular life, determined to make it entertaining. My favorite compliment or comment I get is, “you don’t know me, but we’re secretly best friends!” I LOVE hearing that! That’s what I aim for. Being a woman’s online bestie.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
I think the thing I’d wish I’d have known was that every job, every single one, has parts of it that aren’t fun. There is no “dream career” that is sunshine and rainbows ALL the time, despite what your college or university sold you on or what you’ve read about. Yes, some days even my blog feels like “work.” Don’t buy into the lie that “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life!” What a Utopian dream! Even though I’ve been blogging for five years and it is absolutely, without question or doubt, the best job I’ve ever had, there are days where it’s a bummer and there are things about it that stink. And you know what? That’s ok! As long as the bulk of it is fun, and you love the people you’re surrounding by, it’s a good fit. Strive for the 80/20 rule: 80% of the time, you’re having a good time and 20% of the time (or less!) you’re doing boring/mundane/buzzkill work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.anuncomplicatedlifeblog
- Email: paigeallisonleitch@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/anuncomplicatedlifeblog
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/anuncomplicatedlifeblog
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/anuncomplife
- Other: www.pinterest.com/anuncomplife
Image Credit:
Adrianne Mathiowetz Photography
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