Blogger’s Corner with Leanne from Cresting the Hill

The Blogger’s Corner series is an interview series featuring advice and experience from bloggers whose blogs are older than six months.

If you would like to take part, you can find all of the details here.

This week, we have the lovely Leanne from Cresting the Hill.

1 Introduce yourself

Hi I’m Leanne – I’m a 55-year-old empty nester living in Western Australia. I have a lovely husband, two adult “kids” who are both married and living a couple of hours away from home, and we have a gorgeous little granddaughter…. and two cats.

I work part-time as a receptionist for a surgeon, do a little bit of volunteering, love coffee dates with friends, movie dates with my husband, and blogging in my spare time.

2 Tell us a little bit about your blog

My blog is Cresting the Hill and it’s about celebrating midlife. I write about midlife, my family and friends, marriage, empty nesting, travel, I share quotes and thoughts, and lessons life has taught me – all from a positive perspective.

3 What can your readers learn from your blog?

I aim to turn around the idea that midlife is being middle aged and invisible and slowly dying, and replace it with the idea that it’s a fantastic time of life where we can reclaim our true selves and what’s important to us and live the second half of our life with zest.

4 What’s your favourite thing about blogging?

The connections I’ve made. I had no idea there were so many vibrant, positive, friendly women out there living this stage of life to the full and wanting to engage and encourage others who are doing the same.

Midlife blogging is an amazing journey and I love that I’m travelling along with a fabulous cheer squad.

5 And your least favourite thing about blogging?

The need to promote every post. There are 2.7 million blog posts written every day (I read that somewhere recently) and you can’t just write and expect people to find you – so you need to do the whole social media thing.

I keep mine to a minimum but it’s a necessary evil if you want others to find you.

6 Tell us one random fact about you

I love chips – I have never met a potato I didn’t like! If it’s made from potato, cooked and served with salt then I am in love.

7 If you could only blog about one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

It would be about celebrating midlife – encouraging women to see their value and to rediscover the person they lost along the way while they were being all things to all people.

8 What was the hardest part of starting your blog and why?

Having absolutely NO idea about what blogging was or how to do it.

I had never heard of HTML, SEO, scheduling, link parties, affiliates, guest posting, finding your tribe, Facebook groups (and the list goes on….). I just jumped in and started – I think if I’d known all that stuff I’d have run in the opposite direction.

9 If you could give new bloggers one piece of advice, what would it be?

Just start. Go for it.

Don’t try to figure it all out before you take the plunge – if you want to write then do it.

Also, don’t have huge expectations – you are probably not going to be the next mega-blogger, you will probably never have more than a small following, but that’s okay because you should be doing it for love – not for fame (although that would be nice)

10 Is there anything you know now that you wish you’d known in the beginning?

That it would be so much fun and that I would discover a community of like-minded women who encourage me every day. I wish I’d known how to connect up with them sooner – how to “find my tribe” as they say in blogger speak.

11 Do you have any long term goals for your blog?

I’d love it to keep growing. I’d love to connect with more midlife women and to be able to encourage them to be their best selves.

I’d also love to go to a blogging conference – but that scares the pants off me.

It would also be nice to have a sponsorship deal with a fabulous age appropriate clothing line – one can only hope.

12 Who’s your blogging hero?

I don’t really have one specific hero – I’d say it was every midlife blogger out there who writes and comments and connects with me. We’re all in this together and I love that.

13 What’s your favourite social media network and why?

Facebook – I’ve never been on Twitter or Instagram – I’m too old for all that tweeting and selfie taking. I really enjoy the few FB groups I belong to (after culling the ones that didn’t resonate). I’m trying to reach 1000 followers so I’d love it if you liked my page.

I also pin a LOT but more for fun than for my blogging.

14 Anything else you want to share with us?

No, that pretty much sums me up – except for saying thanks so much for inviting me over for this interview – it’s been fun answering the questions.

15 Where can we find you? (blog link and links to any social media)

My blog, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+