Exact Dress ⊥ Photography by Erin Dudley

It’s been so long since I sat down in front of my laptop to create a blog post, but SHE IS BACK QUEEN!!!

Two years ago I was sitting on the floor in my living room with my boy, Bruno, and changed my IG handle to LUXANDPUPS. Finally after along time of debating whether or not to start a blog, I did. By no means am I saying I am the best blogger or “influencer” (yuck I hate that term lol) but I have learned a few things along the way. I want to share a few things that have stood out and have helped me thus far.

Be particular about your collaborations

Even from the very beginning, I told myself that I wouldn’t just take on any collaboration that came my way. While it is tempting, especially at the beginning, to collaborate with every company that emails you, take a step back to see if this fit into your blog. Is this product or campaign something that you relate to or are passionate about. This also leads me to my second point.

It’s okay to say no

If this campaign doesn’t align with your blog’s mission, it’s okay to say no. I was rejecting about 99% of email that came through at the beginning. I would politely respond letting them know that, right now, isn’t a good time for xyz reason. I feel like my blog’s mission is a little clearer now, so companies that fall within my niches, reach out more often.

Define your mission

Now, I hear it ALL THE TIME – fine your niche, have a niche. While it is important to know what you will be talking about, I also do not think you have to have a specific niche. Which goes against everything ‘social media strategist’ say. I love being able to talk about being curvy, empowering women, nontoxic skincare, luxury purses, being gay, and a dog mom. This is my blog. I do think it’s important to find a way to tie every topic together and be relatable. So my blog has a mission, not a niche.

Respond to every email

Once those collaborations start coming through, make sure to respond to them, even if it is to decline. You never know, even if you decline now, there might be an opportunity to collab in the future. If you move forward with working with a company, respond to their emails as quickly as possible. I try to respond by the end-of-day.

Get out there and make blogger friends

I have been so lucky to have made friends with some really amazing bloggers. They not only allow me to bounce ideas off of them, but we share contacts or motivate each other to know our worth. It’s so important that we stick together and help out when we can. It’s all about community over competition for me.

There you have it folks. These are just a few things that I have learned in my short two years of blogging. I would love to know if there are any tips you have for me or other bloggers that might be starting off. Thanks so much for being a part of my life! I cannot explain how grateful I am to have met so many wonderful people on the internet.

XO, Em