5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Wedding Sparrow
Even though I’ve been blogging for over 6.5 years, there is so much that goes unpublished. I've always been super wary of what I put of myself online. "What if this image doesn't fit my brand?" "What will people think of me if I give this opinion?"
I’m just not a natural over-sharer but this industry is becoming more about influencers than brands and that shows every time I post about myself on the blog. These personal posts get around 5 times more traffic than a wedding or editorial on the blog. I mean, I'm flattered but I do wonder what everyone is thinking!
Lately I’ve been pushing myself to step outside of my comfort zone a bit and open up more. I'm hoping I can inspire people and help people relate to me in this crazy make-it-up-as-I-go-along life. After all, that's how this blog started and what made it so popular.
I’ve learned that I don’t have to spill my guts to connect, or be talking into a screen all day. I’ve really enjoyed getting some of my feelings out and communicating and connecting with all of you, beyond just fluff stuff (I do love fluff stuff, though!). To continue with these posts I’ve been sharing, I wanted to make a list of things you probably didn’t know about Wedding Sparrow (and me).
- The question I get all the time is: What does Wedding Sparrow mean? Are you the Sparrow? Not quite but it's an interesting branding exercise nonetheless! When I started blogging, I wanted a name that had good SEO potential and that meant utilzing the word 'wedding'. I then thought about what I liked and for some reason, the sparrow popped into my brain. It was a great dual meaning too as the sparrow flies all over gathering things for it's nest to make it beautiful and that's exactly what I was trying to do - curate beauty from all over the world to show off in one place. So I guess I am the 'Sparrow'... ha!
- When I first started Wedding Sparrow, I knew nothing about the wedding industry, or blogging. The wedding world seemed so large and I often didn't know where to start in my quest for inspiration when planning my own wedding. My corporate day job (did someone say automated telephony?? Snooze...) was a world away from this new, more creative role I was carving out for myself and it made me nervous to commit to doing it full time when I had no idea what I was doing! Alas, the rest was history and I'm so glad I was able to pivot in my career path after the age of 30!
- I’ve traveled all over the world and I even grew up in Papua New Guinea. Yep, you read that right. I was born in the UK and my father got a job out there (he was in the navy so traveling wasn't a new thing) and we all relocated to the small island off the coast of North Eastern Australia. We lived there until 1988 and then moved back to the UK, Australian accent and all! Sometimes when people my age mention tv shows or things that were popular in the early 80s, I have to admit I wasn't privy to them growing up in a more remote location!
- I'm a pretty happy introvert. I like my own company and can sometimes seem like I have RBF. This can make for an exhausting time at public speaking events and workshops when I genuinely want to meet everyone and learn all about them and make them my new friend but my shyness creeps in and whispers "Are you crazy?". So if you ever meet me at an event, come and make the first move - I'll be grateful for it...
- You might know that Andrew and I have worked together in some capacity since the start of WS. Being a Graphic Designer and Branding Pro, he's designed every website I've had (and will continue to do so). What you might not know is that working together isn’t always the easiest. He's a tad opinionated and he also holds his own opinion in high regard being so experienced in the world of internet. So when differences come up there’s rarely a winner, although we both like to think we won. Truth be told, the final result is usually better than if we had just done it my way. Pushing each other’s boundaries always leads to some great ideas…even if there is some bickering in between. Luckily, we’re comfortable enough with both being able to share our opinions without taking offense (OK I'm working on that one...), while also realizing what our strengths and weaknesses are so we know what our main focuses should be.
