They say everything happens for a reason. It took a lot of pushing on Sandi’s part and a lot of prodding on my part to get to where we are today. Sandi and I like to throw in the phrase “It’s a God thing” because, honestly, we never envisioned The Spoiled Home being anything other than an outlet for us to share inspiration and to connect with others who have the same passions as we do. Some of you have heard our story a million times. Many of you have not. Let me start from the beginning.
I first met Sandi a little over 14 years ago. I was a high school English teacher and cross country/track coach. Sandi was a hairstylist who had just opened Head Rush, a hair salon in town. I was looking for someone to cut my teen daughters’ hair, so I volunteered them as guinea pigs to see if Sandi was qualified enough to cut mine. After she passed the test, I decided to give her a try. I actually said to her, “You better not mess up my hair.” Fresh out of hair school and showing no signs of intimidation, Sandi confidently cut my hair. We have been friends ever since.
At appointments, we would talk about home decor and soon realized that we were the only two people we knew who weirdly and excessively got so excited about paint colors and design and decorating. We spent the weekends painting furniture or helping each other redecorate each other’s houses. I was coaching during this time, too, and Sandi confided in me that she wanted to run a marathon. I later found out that she thought a marathon was a 5k, but she only willingly admitted this to me a couple of years later after she fully committed to marathon training.
Since she had never run in her life, I started Sandi on a Couch to 5K program in January of 2011. We would run 5 days a week at 5:00 A.M. We NEVER missed either. In a weird way, I think that was God’s way of letting us know we would make the best future business partner for each other. We were accountable. Once, though, I remember it snowed and there was still ice on the ground. It was cold, too, like 8 degrees. In Oklahoma the gauge temperature is never the same as the real-feel temperature. Once humidity and wind chill are factored in, the 8 degrees that day actually felt like negative 15 degrees. Sandi said she didn’t think she could run because if she slipped, fell, and broke her arm, she wouldn’t be able to cut hair and make money. I said, “Yeah, you have a good point. But there is no such thing as bad weather. Just soft people.” (It’s a Bowerman quote I stole, but I think she thinks I came up with that). So, we ran that day, and she didn’t fall (thank goodness). In three months, Sandi ran her first 5k. The following April, she ran her first l/2 marathon. Two years and 4 months later of consistently running, Sandi and I ran a marathon together. That was in April of 2013.
By that time, both my girls had graduated high school, and I gave up coaching to simplify my life. Sandi and Rob had just purchased their 4th flip house, so that gave us new projects to discuss. Sandi approached me about starting an Instagram page where we could share our ideas and projects with others. She wanted to document her flip house and add other pictures of inspiration to our Instagram page. I told her no. Being a teacher, I had an aversion to social media and just didn’t want to “put myself out there.” I was also afraid of failure. By comparison, our houses aren’t that special. Sandi kept telling me that would be part of the appeal, showing people how we update and transform our homes. Still, I would decline her offer. I had just simplified my life. I didn’t want to commit to something new.
Sandi and I both share a personality trait: neither of us likes being told no. When I didn’t let her get out of skipping a run, she paid me back by not letting me out of starting up an Instagram page. In January of 2015, Sandi showed up at my house and began taking pictures with her phone. She and my daughter Lexi conspired to create an Instagram page, and with my reluctant consent, we launched The Spoiled Home with a picture of a bottle of wine or champagne (I honestly don’t know). If you go far enough back on our page, the picture is still there as a reminder of our humble and extremely generic beginning. Sandi’s friend Paula came up with our handle. We are so grateful; otherwise, we would be called “My Two Home Girls.” We keep that caption on our website, too, as a reminder of those early days when we didn’t have a partnership agreement or a plan. We just had a hobby.
In the beginning, we didn’t blog or have a website; we just shared pictures daily. Sandi would post one day then I would the next. We began taking on side jobs decorating houses for people. Although Instagram was a creative outlet for us, we were passionate about actively engaging with our audience and working hard at building our following. Some big accounts shared pictures of our homes: a living room picture was named one of Pottery Barn’s Top 10 Pinterest Pictures of 2015; Tuesday Morning featured a picture of our home in their spring catalogue; General Electric paid us to feature a light bulb. We did not even know that making money on social media was a thing! We received an email inviting us to be influencers through the affiliate program RewardStyle. We were initially skeptical about signing up, but we decided to give it a try.
We started linking items through LIKEtoKNOW.it, meaning we could monetize off our posts and earn commission from linkable items. (To read our blog post explaining How Liketoknow.it Works, click here.) By January of 2016, our page had grown immensely. Sandi and I gained the attention of a local furniture store, and we were hired to do showroom designs. Since the pay was good and it gave us the opportunity to work together and tap into our creative side, we agreed. Rob and Sandi had recently bought their 5th flip house and moved about 30 miles away from my family. She was still working as a hairstylist. I was still teaching full-time. We would meet in the evenings when we would get off work and drive together to Oklahoma City. It was an hour’s drive one way for me and about 40 minutes for Sandi. We would work until 9 or 10 at night, then drive home. We did this until May when Sandi decided to give up doing hair and work at the furniture store full-time. I agreed to return to teaching in the fall part-time so that I could continue to work part-time at the store with Sandi.
Instagram story and 2017 were the year that changed everything for The Spoiled Home. When Sandi and I first started working together again, Snapchat was huge. We would go through our day, telling our story through Snapchat. We established quite a following on SnapChat. When Instagram Story launched, it was such an easy transition for us since we had been doing Snapchat stories for so long. We loved this new way for us to engage with our Instagram audience and for them to “get to know us” outside of a square.
Each morning before heading off to school, I would say “Good morning” and make small talk on Insta Story. When I started getting questions about “where my blouse was from?” etc. I thought, “This is so weird. Who cares what a 50+ year old is wearing?” I love sharing good deals, however, and would discuss other bargains on the story such as my Marshall’s or Target finds. Before long, I told Sandi we had to get an actual blog and website.
We launched our website in May of 2017, but I was the only one doing swipe ups or Instagram stories. I had this vision for how we could grow, but Sandi wouldn’t listen. For seven months straight, I felt I was working my ass off but sharing the profit with someone who didn’t have the same commitment or vision as I did. I needed pushed in the beginning, but it was Sandi who needed prodding now, if we were going to grow.
In September we were invited to Aurora, New York, to the Mackenzie-Child’s headquarters. After visiting with other bloggers and hearing their stories about how they had turned their blogs into their businesses, Sandi grew closer to seeing my vision. I wrote down a list of goals I had for The Spoiled Home and handed them to her. Then, I started prodding some more. In November of 2017, Sandi began helping me on Insta Story for the first time, by sharing Christmas gift guides and Black Friday sales. When she saw the difference her contribution made, I heard excitement in her voice. She soon began working alongside me in setting goals for The Spoiled Home.
Each month we would raise the bar a little bit higher. In April we were invited to RewardStyle’s Blogger’s Conference in Dallas, Texas, as one of the Top Global Influencers in the nation. All our goals were being met, but I felt as though I was a hamster on a wheel just running. When I would leave my teaching job, I was driving one hour one way to work 4 hours to get in the car to drive one hour one way back home. Construction on the highway started turning my one hour drive into sometimes 3 hours. I was exhausted. Sandi was exhausted. We knew we couldn’t keep up this pace, juggling it all. Randy and Rob have always been supportive of us, but we were getting more and more dirty looks about being on our phones constantly. During this time, our families were paying the price for our long work hours. Sometimes, we questioned if what we wanted was even worth it.
Family has always been Sandi’s and my top priority, and it felt as though family was taking a backseat more often than not. We confided in each other that sometimes we found ourselves hiding in the bathroom to answer DMs or respond to comments or to post to Instagram. Lots of tears were shed during those months. Lots of prayers were said. I know I prayed for direction. I know Sandi prayed for direction. We both questioned whether or not we even wanted to continue growing our business. We were reaching goal after goal, but we had lost our purpose. I said to her, “Remember when you were my hairstylist and I was a teacher, and our lives were simple?” We longed for that simplicity. Sandi and I had to reevaluate our vision for The Spoiled Home and find our balance.
In May, I decided to leave the furniture store to focus full-time on our blog throughout the summer. My hamster wheel started rotating less, and I felt so much relief. Sandi and I surpassed all goals we set for The Spoiled Home that summer. Seeing what our business could do with me concentrating on it full-time while Sandi worked at the store began a new dialogue between us. What if Sandi and I switched roles, and she ran the business full-time while I went back to work for one more year? I just needed one more year to fulfill my teacher’s retirement. Plus, it was my son’s senior year, and I felt it was nice closure to a 29 year career if I went out the year he graduated.
In September, The Spoiled Home was featured in @liketoknow.it’s book Stories From the Influencer Next Door. Sandi and I were invited, along with several other bloggers, to visit the Delta Faucet Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. In October, Sandi’s hamster wheel slowed down, too, when she quit the furniture store to focus her energies on managing The Spoiled Home full-time. In May of 2019, I retired as an English teacher after 29 years. Now, we work alongside one another again.
Each morning our day starts extra early searching out “daily deals” to share. We rarely discuss with each other what stores we are searching, we just go on the hunt for bargains. Big sale days like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, for example, we most definitely communicate and have a plan. Throughout the day, we talk constantly. Individually, we reply to comments on our personal blog posts or Instagram posts, but together we share the responsibility for handling DMs, emails, business meetings, phone calls, creative content, goal setting, and every other aspect of our business.
We joke all the time that we grew by winging it. I don’t ever want to discount the hours and hours that we both invested into building our brand. By ‘winging it,’ I mean we never set out to have a business. We set out to have a hobby. The rest has been a “God thing,” and we are just along for the ride. However, the two of us have spent endless hours researching and learning everything we can about staying one step ahead of our ever-changing industry.
So what’s the lesson? How do you grow your Instagram? We could tell you exactly what we did. You could write it all down. You may make it, you may not. I can only tell you what I know:
*First you have to have a vision and know that you’re going to have to work your ass off. Sandi and I joke all the time that we sold our soul in the beginning. That was before money was made and before algorithms. Our goal was (and still is) to work hard and be kind. We answered every comment. We played every #WIDN (What I’m Doing Now) hashtag game. We knew everyone we followed on Instagram by Name, not handle.
*Engage with your community. We have always responded to all recent comments on our posts. Up until recently, we responded to all our DMs. Sandi and I have a difficulty letting go of answering all DMs, but we understand how necessary it is for us to maintain our work/family balance. We still do our best to respond to comments, however. We believe in connecting with others and just plain old good customer service.
*You have to be consistent. While we don’t always plan our days, we do have a content calendar. We like to keep a routine. We shoot content live. If a collaboration requires pre-recorded stories, we negotiate that piece out of our contract. We’ve always been in the moment and want to remain so.
*Set goals. If you don’t reach them, don’t see them as failures, see them as setbacks. Drop back and punt, and get back in the game.
*Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. I remember Sandi saying, “But I am not skinny!” and I said, “And I am not young!” We are like the odd couple of Instagram. We aren’t like anybody else. We’re just us! The best thing about Instagram or about starting your own blog–you can find your niche. Just be you.
*Be remembered- through being creative, through getting embarrassed, through your willingness to stand out.
*Find your purpose- Remember, we never began our blog to make money. We did not know that was a thing. When it became lucrative for us, we had to remind ourselves why we started in the first place. As a teacher, I struggled. Why didn’t people find the same value in me as a teacher as they did in Shalia sharing a sweater? As a teacher, I impact the future, for heaven’s sake! My co-workers are real heroes, touching the lives of children every single day. That’s badass. I don’t want to seem ungrateful. I don’t want to come across as unappreciative of everything Sandi and I have worked so hard for. I just want you to know that we have to feel that there is a reason for this platform. Sandi and I grew up in homes that taught us to serve others. When we lost our purpose, we lost our love for what we do. Now, we make sure that we find ways to give back. By serving others, we gain spiritual renewal and balance. We make sure that we give back to our community and to several charities.
Our goal from the beginning was to Work Hard and Be Nice. Our goal hasn’t changed. We hope to uplift, inspire, share a bargain, a laugh or two, and maybe even a life hack. At the end of the day, we want to make a connection. What we do here isn’t terribly important. Relationships matter. Friendships matter. People matter. We feel blessed beyond measure, and we can’t thank you enough. The title was to suck you in and get you to read our message. Sorry. This is more about how we feel than how to grow a blog. We could put it step by step on paper, and you could follow those same steps. It may or may not work for you. People can see through people who aren’t authentic. People can see through people who aren’t passionate. Have some grit, throw in some mental toughness and perseverance, stay authentic and passionate, have a good friend to lean on, a family who supports you, and stick to your purpose. Above all else, just be nice to people because how you make people feel is what you will be remembered for anyway.
God bless you and may your 2020 be filled will all the good stuff.
Shaila,
Your skirt is just perfect :). I was so enthralled I even put my readers on so I wouldn’t miss a word.
I am a 46 year old mom whose ready for her second act. I have one in college, once going to college next year and the youngest is about to drive – which means he won’t really need me either.
You and Sandi have inspired me to get out and do something. Although I’m not quite sure what that is but I won’t know till I try right??
Good luck and God Bless.
Sarah,
I love that you put your readers on. I am constantly looking for mine! I hope you find what it is you want to do. Just have the courage to go for it and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.
Good luck and happy New Year!
Shalia
Wow, I love your story and so happy for your success! You two really are so different from the rest of the influencers I follow, and it’s totally refreshing. ?
Michelle,
Thank you so much. Have a great New Year!
Shalia
This is the first blog post I’ve ever read in its entirety. I’ve been following you ladies for years and you have continued to inspire me in more ways than you probably realize. I was a teen mom (im 34 my son is now 15) and most moms my age don’t have teenagers! You guys both mentor me in ways thru IG & stories that help me not just find good deals, but be a good mom. By good, I mean be present and show grace. I know I’m not alone! Both of you play such a big role in my life and don’t even know it…NOW THAT’S GOOD STUFF! I I am also a working mama, and I am working on making my IG account more home decor/lifestyle related. I am gaining confidence through influencers like you to truly share and not be afraid to be myself. Truly, The Spoiled Home is something special and I am so grateful that I came across your account many moons ago. Love you ladies! ♥️
Melissa,
Thank you for your heartfelt post. You sound like the best mom. Sand and I weren’t teen moms, but we were both young moms who did a lot of solo parenting because of the line of work our husbands did. If you are teaching presence and grace, then you will raise a compassionate young man. I hope you have the courage to follow through with whatever it is you dream for yourself. Best of luck and happy new year!
xoxo,
Shalia
My instagram favorites!!!
Thank you for starting your blog! A customer of mine ( small ladies boutique) told me I should ck out your insta feed. You both inspire me every day ! Love both the clothing and home decor!
Thank you both!
D
Loved what you wrote! Have a great year!
Wendy,
Thanks for always believing in us and for being a friend. Have the best 2019!
xoxo,
Shalia
You two were one of the very first big accounts I followed. I didn’t know much about Instagram for over a year, heck, I still don’t. I do know that the two of you are authentic and amazing! You are the first stories I watch in the morning then when I get home from work, you’ve become friends! I pray some day, we will meet! Thank you for all the great finds for my home and body! Thank you for being real life sweethearts! XOXO
Love this and both of you! Thanks for sharing and being transparent. ?
Marissa,
Thank you so much for your sweet words and thank you for following our journey.
xoxo,
Shalia
Love you girls. Love this post ?
Carissa,
Well, we just love you, too!
xoxo,
Shalia
I love the not to work hard and be nice. Y’all are amazing, this was a great blog post! Happy New Year!
Cory,
Thank you so much and Happy New Year to you!
xoxo,
Shalia
Thank you for sharing your story. The two of you continue to inspire me. I am an elementary art teacher and I absolutely adore my students, but I often find myself wanting more. We will see what 2019 brings. Thank you both for inviting us into your homes and making us smile. Cheers to 2019!
Alison,
Thank you for being a teacher and for following our journey. I hope you find that 2019 fully fulfills you.
x0x0,
Shalia
I love your transparency as you share your story. You and Sandi (and Rob) are a breath of fresh air! You are relatable, positive and funny. Thank you for sharing! It’s an inspiration!
Thank you for sharing this. I am a Jr High Pastor and I don’t want to change that but I feel called to start a blog/IG to encourage and help people. I follow you two as well as other designers (my passion and hobby) and I love the laughs and advice I receive. I want to give this way as well. I’m really not about making money, that would just be an extra blessing. Right now I’m reading blogs like yours to hopefully glean good advice to start this journey.
Lori,
Thank you for doing your line of work and pastoring/mentoring young adults. Blogs are a great way for your message to reach a broader scope of people. We wish you the best luck with your calling. I think too many people start out to make money, and when that doesn’t happen quickly, they become discouraged. I hope 2019 is the year that your IG/blogging journey begins.
xoxo,
Shalia
I love both of you and feel like y’all are my best friends! I’m a retired PE teacher and started following you the first year I retired and I’m so glad I did! I love your home and your clothes! Thanks for sharing all the things with us. I believe in God things…that’s good stuff!
Penny,
Thank you for being a teacher. My aunt was a PE teacher for years, and I still believe that teachers have the most important job. I hope your retirement is everything I look forward to. God things are always good things and reminders that we need to trust in Him always. Happy New Year!
xoxo,
Shalia
This makes me love you both even more! Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to see what 2019 holds for you❤️
Alex,
Thank you so much! Thank you for following along on our journey. We look forward to 2019 and wish you the best in the upcoming year as well.
xoxo,
Shalia
I’m another old lady (53) on instagram and I am so glad I am not alone. Having you and a few others ladies I can relate to helps me get inspired me to continue my healthy and fashionable home inspiration and clothes sales for the middle aged women instagram posts I do. I am not as huge as you guys and it must be some sort of magical special potion you all have plus some hard hustle! love you both!
Heather,
I rarely look at something and think, “I probably shouldn’t wear that because it’s not age appropriate.” I hope you don’t either. Classy and fabulous comes in all shapes and sizes and numbers. Good luck with your Instagram, and here’s hoping that 2019 brings you all that you hope for!
xoxo,
Shalia
What a great story! I have had an Instagram account for awhile but just started posting. I love seeing the inspiration and “meeting” people! It is so much freaking fun! My husband doesn’t agree because because since I started following you guys I am enjoying shopping! I’ve never been a big shopper because I couldn’t find my style..in my home furnishing or my personal style. So as someone you guys have influenced tremendously..thank you…thank you for pushing each other because you guys are golden together!!!
Tina,
Thank you so much for your kind words. Since Sandi and I don’t communicate what bargains we find each morning, we find ourselves shopping each other’s links all the time. Haha! Sometimes, the deals are just too good to pass up! Keep on styling. I’m sure your husband secretly loves that you care about how you and your home look and feel. Have the best new year!
xoxo,
Shalia
Love this and both of you. Honesty and integrity and humility and humor all in one is a rare find. And, you are still inspiring others, you just don’t get to see us all sitting in your classroom staring back at you 🙂 Keep up the good stuff ?
Michelle,
Thank you so much for the reminder that we can all be a daily inspiration and have the power to change other people’s outlook on each day. Your analogy will stick with me! Thank you!
xoxo,
Shalia
Wow! Loved ready your story and how you got started! I created a jewelry business with a friend that started as a hobby! Such fun times! Thinking about doing something again. I love your stories, blog and swipe ups! You two caught my attention by being yourselves and sharing deals that are on trend. You shared your homes, ups and downs and the humor! Keep it up Girls your so inspiring! And you’ve become like a friend! I also want to see what Sandi and Shala are up to! Happy New Year!
Tammy,
Isn’t it the best when you can share a business with a friend? Congratulations on your jewelry business! Thank you for taking the time to read the post and for following along on our journey. Happy New Year to you too.
xoxo,
Shalia
I have followed you both from the beginning and it has been so fun to watch the growth. I remember how camera shy Sandi used to be and I feel like now she just owns it and even shares a hug or two!!!! I love when you tease her about her polls that she does that don’t make sense lol! You don’t just make it all about the swipe ups and links but you both share your family, funny stories, and memories with us too. You make me smile every day and I love how authentic you both are. Thank you for just being you XOXO
Ashley,
Thanks for following from the beginning. Haha! The polls with no way to really answer. Those Sandi polls are the best! If we can bring a smile to just person or uplift in some way each day, then we feel we have succeeded.
xoxo,
Shalia
Love your Insta! As a fellow teacher and diy’er and fellow 50ish year old (with my youngest graduating from high school this year )I am drawn to watching you and Sandi everyday. It is refreshing to see my generation rocking the ‘gram! Thanks for sharing your story!
That’s good stuff!
Coleen,
First of all, thank you for being a teacher. I have such mixed emotions about my youngest graduating, but with each new season comes new joys. Thanks for following Sandi and me. I hope your second semester of school is fabulous!
Shalia
It is so fun to read your stories everyday! You are both so real and honest… in this sometimes trying world we live it is so refreshing!! Thank you for your time and expertise in finding the best deals out there… my pocketbook appreciates it!! And that’s “good stuff”!
Nancy,
Thank you so much for appreciating those deals! It seems like such a simple task, shopping on line, but we do put a lot of time into searching out what we feel are the best bargains. Thanks for making us feel like our time is worth it! We hope you have a very blessed 2019.
xoxo,
Shalia
I love your story and the skirt wasn’t to long. Found your account through a friend from college that decorates homes. God does have a perfect time, to see you both blessed and blessed others with your work. Both your stories daily are amazing, thank you and your families for the laughs. And I never thought my walls would be a color of white again or up my fashion until the Spoiled Home. Thank you and may 2019 be a blessed year!
Marshelle,
Thank you so much. I wish The Spoiled Home had been around when I had a red kitchen and Sandi had yellow walls. Thatsgoodstuff. Thank you for listening to your friend and for following us. I hope you have the best 2019.
xoxo,
Shalia
I’ve been following you girls for a little over a year now on instagram and honestly, one of the main reasons I’ve kept my instagram was I LOVED following your account. Its nice to know I am not the only OCD person out here in this world and who likes to vacuum everyday. I spend hours looking at other peoples stories and post and I sit here thinking, I can do this. Lots of the topics you guys share are things I love and love to do. Your blog post was very informative and helpful.
You girls are awesome! Thanks for sharing your passion and inspiring me to do the same.
Nellie,
Thank you for following us. We are glad you kept your Instagram. Thank you for that. I hope you following your passion and that 2019 is your best year yet!
xoxo,
Shalia
I have never read a full blog post from any influencer I follow because I’ve never related to them…they were all about outfits and beauty things they received telling me how great they were, insert my finger scrolling. I may not be able to relate to everything but the meaning behind your blog I can relate too. I’ve been feeling stuck in a rut for months maybe longer for work and always wanted to start a blog just to be more relatable to people because I found many of my influencers were not.. I decided this weekend that’s it, I’m doing it. This post really really just encouraged me in ways you can’t imagine so thank you! I followed you on a whim after moving into a new condo and finding myself decorating my first ever big girl place with my boyfriend. I have a vision of what I wanted it to look like and feel like but also find myself drowning between a full time job and trying to make this vision come to life. I DMed you guys about a West Elm couched I splurged on and it was the first time ever I received an answer back and it made me tell everyone- Wow they answered and helped me! I love your blog and the two of you!!
Thank you for the words of wisdom & have a Happy New Year!
Alyssa
Alyssa,
Thank you so much for taking the time to message us. I hope you love your West Elm couch, by the way. We both love ours. It means so much to us that you are encouraged to follow your passion. We hope you have nothing but the best of luck in following your dreams.
xoxo,
Shalia
❤️ loved it! That’s why y’all are my number one Instagram girls. So real and fun with the right amount of dry sarcasm. God bless! K.
Kerry,
Thank you so much. And thank you for appreciating the dry humor. Some people just don’t get it. They’re no fun, by the way.
xoxo,
Shalia
Hi Shalia and Sandi,
I have loved following you two on instagram. If there are no other accounts I look at each and every day, I try my best to always look at yours. I enjoyed meeting you at the furniture store when you worked there. You’re entertaining and I love seeing all the incredible changes you make to your homes. Thanks for sharing your inspirational, life changing story of how you two built your business. Keep it up, ladies. You’re making it happen. ??
Lori,
Thank you so much and so glad we got to meet you at the store. Our houses are ever evolving, but I guess thats the way it should be. Otherwise, we would get bored too easily. I hope you have a great New Year. Happy 2019!
Shalia
I can’t remember when I first started following you guys but I was hooked the minute I did! It felt like I had two new friends. That is what I love about you both, you are so real. I am the old one, 60 this last November, but your stories have no age boundaries. Thank you for sharing your time and lives. Have a great 2019.
Lea Ann,
Thank you so much. I we feel like friends, then that is the best compliment we could ever receive. Thank you for following along with us.
Shalia
How did you ever add any links to your insta. I’ve had a blog, insta, FB account for years but I’ve never done a whole lot with it because I’m also a pediatric nurse mom of 2 under 4 and so time. I’m a previous graphic designer, photographer, crafter, home decor crazy lady. I’ve been so inspired by you guys but I’m nowhere near close to 10k follower more like under 500. How would I even link anything is my question. Thanks for everything you guys are amazing.
Hi, Alejandra,
We began by tagging items we purchased and telling people where we bought items. It is a slow process. Eventually, we were invited to be an influencer for the RewardStyle affiliate program where we are able to link items for commission. You can go to their website and see more information there, and I linked a blog post explaining how their program works within this post. Prior to being picked up, we just made sure we shared content everyday that had products of interest, and we tagged those items.
Good luck,
Shalia
I love this!! So heartfelt and genuine. I am a 50+ mom of adult children in my second act as a florist.
I worked for my family construction company for 20 years and just needed a change! I love construction…the look of a new paint color, the change a light fixture can make, changing any small thing to freshen up a space. I could talk decor, construction and furniture for days.
But I love fashion, makeup as well so when I first saw your blog I was in heaven…
I just love your blog & so happy for your success… Cheers to the new year and to second acts!! ????
Thank you so much and thank you for following us! Love that you are doing something you enjoy as well.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. Your Insta stories are always first on my feed. I know it’s a Instagram’s crazy way of knowing what I like. I think your partnership is what I love about your Instagram! The variety of personalities, families, and styles are awesome !
I also applied your ability to be Partners. My husband has been in business with a partner for 21 years. It can be good and it can be bad. We definitely know the ups and downs.
Thank you both, again!
Renee,
Thank you for reading our story and for watching our instastories. Many people don’t understand why Sandi and I would want to share a business, but I honestly can’t imagine it any other way. I hope the best for you and your family.
Shalia
That’s good stuff. I would love to put myself out there like you too have. For me it would be a hobby I love and an outlet. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you and thank you for taking the time to read my post. We have enjoyed the journey and the people we have been able to connect with because of it.
Just read this and it truly hits home for anyone in business. I love keeping up with you guys, the authenticity is clear and you’re both so relatable. I’m a financial advisor running my own practice, gonna share this with some other lady advisors so they can pay attention to the final paragraph.
Keep on bringing us the “good stuff”….I find myself saying that all the time. ??
Ali,
Thank you so much for your kind words. Happy New Year!
Sandi and Shalia