Happy Birthday to Heather’s Blog!

Heather Masson has been blogging at HomeWithHeather.com for one year as of this month, and she is celebrating her blog's first birthday with a fun meme - for which I got tagged 😀 . If you didnt get tagged, you might play along anyway to toast Heather on reaching this fun milestone!

Heather asked 5 great questions of her favorite bloggers, as a means of getting to know them a bit better. Read on and find out how long I've been blogging (here and elsewhere), who my mentors are, why I blog, what I love about working online, and more...

How long have you been blogging?

I have been blogging here at ClickNewz.com for 20 months. Prior to that I blogged on blogger for 19 months (started on August 26, 2004) - so I have been blogging for just over 3 years.

What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?

Initially I was inspired by the blogs I was reading. I wish I could remember what those first blogs were, but I dont. I just remember that I found myself going back to them again and again. At the same time a lot of "Internet Marketers" were just starting to talk about the benefits of blogging... so I decided to get my feet wet with a blog of my own and test it out for myself.

Shortly after I started my blog on blogger - within 2 months at the most - I met Paul Short. At the time he owned a blog network and authored a guide titled RSS Exposed. He quickly became both my friend and mentor and inspired several new blogs (this time on WordPress) that same year.

Other blogging mentors along the way include Teli Adlam, Darren Rowse, Brian Clark, Yaro Starak and Rae Hoffman to name a few.

Are You trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?

I make money blogging, both directly and indirectly. The nature of my online business has me testing various methods of making money online and so I started blogging as a case study. (The results have been positive 😉 😀 )

I have to admit, I really enjoy it too!

Tell me 3 things you LOVE about being online.

Oh gosh, just three?! I'll give you my top 3 then:

• Having my career online allows me to stay home with my 2 children full-time. While they are older now (11 & 16), its still nice to be available for them anytime "no matter what". And I absolutely love the lifestyle - easygoing, flexible schedule, etc.
• Having the opportunity to pursue a rewarding and profitable career, without limitations. Practically anyone can start their own online business venture without regard for age, gender, location, education, prior experience etc. I love having this opportunity, sharing it with others, and knowing there is no 'cap' on the profit potential.
• Making friends around the world with some of the most fun and interesting people out there. Having open international communication at our fingertips is way cool - and add in getting to meet many of these friends and peers at industry events, and it definitely makes my Top 3!

Tell me 3 things you STRUGGLE with in the online world.

Keeping up 😆

Seriously, the internet moves fast, but I wouldnt have it any other way. I do like the fact that it is challenging and interesting and that there is always something new to learn and test.

Another would be SPAM. 😐 grrr

I have a handle on it, but it does cost me time and money. Its simply out of control. And it bothers me that everything "they" do to control it only hurts legitimate publishers - and hasnt yet curbed the amount of spam I see. If anything, I see more and more every year.

Third - well, I suppose I'd have to mention dealing with weirdos, freaks and jerks. People who will do and say things behind the anonymity of their computer monitor that would (hopefully) not act that way in a face-to-face situation.

That is definitely the minority in regards to the people I deal with online - and by a long shot. But sometimes just one bad apple can really ruin your day.

Happy Blogging Anniversary, Heather! 😀

Best,