I was shocked and delighted that during brunch with my MOH last year, when I was talking about having two jobs, she assumed that I meant my blog was my other job. I actually meant helping out at CorePower, but honestly, blogging is way more time consuming… and I actually make more money from The CaroLove than I do cleaning the yoga studio. I do consider my blog a little side hustle. I know it’s gauche to talk about money but people ask me about this all the time. For me, the money I make from contributed posts and some advertising is enough to chip away at credit card bills, but I certainly can’t live on it, and I don’t think I’d want to. My blog is for me and I like that if I’m not feeling inspired or motivated to write that I don’t have to.
However, I would love to create something out of my blog. Be it a boutique or event planning service or something. I’m not 100% sure what that something is yet, but I have seen a few ladies create businesses from their blogs that I find truly inspiring. My original thought was to put them all in one post, but I realized once I got started on Lindzi that it would be a monster of a post and I actually want you guys to read it and learn! So, without further ado, let me introduce Lindzi of The Trendy Sparrow.
The Trendy Sparrow wasn’t born overnight. Creator & owner, Lindzi Shanks, started out as a psychology major with the intent to get a PhD & become a professor. She started TTS as a side job while in college; making a little extra money in addition to her other multiple jobs. She grew TTS so much that she was able to quit all of her other side jobs and only focus on school and her Etsy store. Keeping on her original path, Lindzi gained an MA in Psychology from The University of Chicago. However, while in graduate school she felt like something was off. She noticed that she answered Etsy emails and designed new products while in class; barely listening to her professors. She could tell that her heart was in TTS, not in her planned career path. In June 2014, Lindzi made a huge leap of faith. She postponed gaining a PhD to run TTS full time. Within a year, she grew TTS to include art prints, coffee mugs, apparel, and more! Now she has no intention of ever turning back to the life she thought she was supposed to have! Lindzi now runs The Trendy Sparrow and the conjoining blog full time, building it into a fabulous empire and constantly remembering that it is more important to do what you LOVE rather than what you think you are “supposed” to do.
I actually think I found Lindzi’s Etsy shop before I found her blog. I’m an Etsy NUT and a huge Gossip Girl fan so when I stumbled across the The ORIGINAL – What Would Blair Waldorf Do / black and gold travel coffee mug I knew I had to have it. She also made me a custom mug with my favorite Lion King quote on it. Since then, and it was only a couple of years ago, her shop has grown exponentially. While her Etsy shop is still open and thriving, her online boutique can be found right on TheTrendySparrow.com. She’s also co-owner of XOMarshmallow: Gourmet Handmade Marshmallows – Made with Love.
I think the coolest part of Lindzi’s story is that she recognized that she was not on a path that was right for her and followed what she loved. Her empire is getting stronger day by day and she is truly a role model for those of us who can’t quite figure it out. She followed a passion and created not one, but two businesses!
When I think Boss Babe, I think of Lindzi, but there are so many bloggers who have businesses integrated with their blogs. I’d love to share as many as possible- so let me know! Please, even let me know if it’s you! I have a few others that I’d love to share, but I’m all about empowering bloggers!
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