Happy Monday everyone! It was a pretty crazy weekend, and I sure as hell was not expecting it to be. I was just hoping for a relaxing few days honestly. I had a gross cold all of last week and I just needed a few days to recharge. I did treat myself and do a tiny bit of shopping on Saturday though, but it was time to swap my summer wardrobe with my fall one and I desperately needed some essentials.
Maybe this is because I am not a fan of large crowds, but I have no clue why anyone would think going to the mall to shop is a fun way to spend an afternoon. It’s exhausting! And expensive! I dragged my HB with me because he needed a few things too, but after a few hours we both felt like hangry zombies. Hangry zombies with very sore feet.
Despite that, it was a successful shopping day and I had an extra kick in my step because my podcast episode with Doug Hoyes on Debt Free in 30 aired that morning. I listened to it while having breakfast and I was pleasantly surprised that I actually sounded like a pretty interesting guest. I guess all of those hours of me interviewing people on my podcast has really helped me in the public speaking department.
Other than that, my HB and I were just planning on watching a movie (we watched Whiplash, very good but not a big fan of the ending) and eating some homemade pasta. While preparing dinner I made sure to text Cait from Blonde on a Budget to wish her luck at the Plutus Awards (she was nominated for Best Canadian Personal Finance Blog and Best Educational Resource for Personal Finance). To my amazement, she texted me back telling me that I actually won the award for Best Canadian Personal Finance Award! Say what? Is this real life?
I’m telling you, when I was at FinCon last year I thought to myself “There is no way my blog is big enough to ever win a Plutus Award.” There are so many amazing blogs out there, especially here in Canada, it literally seemed like a pipe dream to me. But fast-forward a year and look where I am!
I’m still a bit in shock, but then again I started thinking about why I (most likely) won the award. First, I switched the design of my website. It was dated and needed a refresh and I know the redesign definitely helped me retain a lot of my loyal readers and gain new ones. Second, I search engine optimized the crap out of my posts. Sure, a lot of my posts get published and are soon forgotten after the first week, but there are a number of posts that are over a year or two old that continue to get high traffic on a daily basis. Third, I was more honest than I think I’ve ever been. I know I was pretty darn honest about my experience moving to Toronto and being unemployed in 2014, but in 2015 I shared my experience house hunting in a hot market and I think those posts really resonated with people. Those posts are the main reason I’ve been getting media attention from the CBC and The Globe and Mail, so that must say something. Fourth, I do think the addition of my podcast helped my blog. It added another layer and was a new way for me to show you all who I am, what my personality is like, and strengthen our blogger/reader relationship.
All in all, I am humbled, grateful and super pumped for what’s next. I know I said it was sort of funny to be nominated for this blog award right after I announced that I was going to do a rebrand of my website, but I actually think it is the perfect cherry on top. The perfect close to this 4 year old Mo’ Money Mo’ Houses chapter.
One last thing before I go, I did something a bit crazy and nerve-wracking yesterday and broadcast my first ever Periscope. It’s no Oscar contender, but I’ve always wanted to try it out and I hope to do a few more in the future (who knows, maybe I’ll even make it a regular thing). Make sure to add me to Periscope to check it out (it’s only live for 24 hours) and to see my future broadcasts.
Cheers!
The post My Thoughts on Winning a Plutus Award & What’s Next appeared first on Mo' Money Mo' Houses by Jessica Moorhouse