Here at Secret Blogger’s Business, we love nothing more than celebrating our Blog Squad babes wins. Once a month, a member who has been totally kicking A** gets chosen to share their story (and some of their best ass-kicking advice) here with us.

This month’s winner is the oh-so lovely, and just hella smart Danelle Harvey from the Female Musicprenuer. She has been absolutely killing it the past few months and truly deserves to be our #nerdboss of the month!

Danelle is here to tell us about her journey and how figuring out how to the best way to plan and structure her blog posts has made all the difference to her blog and business.

 

Tell us about starting Female MusicPreneur

It’s a blog for the Female MusicPreneur, to empower her and help her to own her music career, blaze her own trail, and significantly increase her bottom line.

After becoming an indie artist and sustaining a 25+ year career in the music industry to great success, I want to help others to do the same in their own right.

Although it informs, educates and trains, I also aim to connect female musicians to encourage theirs and each others’ success.

I aim to build a community of strong and empowered female musicians who set standards, achieve amazing things, and lift each other up.

 

What’s your story – what or who inspired you to start your business?

I have always loved blogging and vlogging.

I started doing it after I left my major record label deal and management and went indie.

I found it a great way to inform, vent, educate, speak my truth and also connect with people online, including new and potential fans, and sell and build my e-mail list.

 

Do you remember having a sort of ‘oh damn, I really can do this’ moment? What was it??

I’ve blogged since blogging began and had just returned to it after a 4+ year break.

It was a challenge.

I had to re-learn how to blog and to blog consistently again with my business schedule and studying law full-time.

After joining Kate’s Bloggers’ MBA, and going through the processes methodically, I realised that I could do it.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

To set a blog schedule and use a content planner.

I used to write blogs weekly and release at a set time on a set day, but there wasn’t much structure involved in my actual writing process.

Having a planner helped me to focus on creating related content or write for specific purposes at a given time.

Kate’s advice is priceless.

 

What do you find to be your biggest challenge, and what’s something that has really worked for you?

I find it tough to stop writing!

I can write for days!

What has worked for me is setting a word limit, or writing short paragraphs and using bulleted or numbered points.Click To Tweet

I try now to aim for 5 points per post.

If I go way beyond 10 or a similar number, I find it’s a sign to split the post up into more than one this way I end up with a blog series, which is a great way to keep readers engaged.

My fave blog acronym mantra is K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, sweetie).

 

What is the thing you are most proud of about your blog or online business?

The icing on the cake was being asked to do a guest blog for a prominent indie music blog even though I hadn’t published many blog posts at the time.

Actually doing it within the allotted timeframe showed me that I could.

Receiving great feedback showed me that it was information that female indie musicians required.

This makes me very proud as it validated my blog/business idea externally as well as helped my target audience.

This makes all my hard work worthwhile and proves that my passion to help others succeed was not just wishful whimsy.

 

Any tips for others who want to achieve something similar?

I was told what I have to offer would be of great value to the community.

So, my general advice is to just be active in your blog’s niche area, be a part of the community, ask for help, and offer it sincerely (when asked!).

 

If you could work from anywhere in the world, where would it be?

On a tropical island. I live on one, and I do!

Otherwise, it’d be a quiet room.

 

What was it that made you decide to join the Blog Squad community?

I am a Bloggers’ MBA member.

The Blog Squad seemed ideal as I love Kate’s vibe and persona.

The community has such a different and warm vibe as compared to the ‘strictly business’ communities I’m in, yet it is about business.

I found it refreshing and very informative.

I also think the community is great.

 

 

What has been your biggest accomplishment since joining the Blog Squad community?

Actually creating an e-course ready for launch.

I’ve wanted to do it for years, and I have created a few, but they’ve not been published yet as they’ve not felt quite right.

Over the past couple of weeks since doing the last MBA modules, it just came together.

I think it was because I followed the formula for how to launch it successfully.

The support from the community every step of the way has been amazing!

 

How would you describe the Blog Squad community?

An excellent community of down to earth blogging bosses that provides a wealth of info and support.

 

Moving forward, what’s next for you and your biz?

I am going to build it into a sustainable business.

I initially approached blogging from a different angle as a surplus to my business, but I now see how it can be an integral part of the business.

So, a restructure is imminent…

 

Want to learn how to plan and structure a blog post? Why not sign up to the Blog Squad waitlist here