MAY 2016




#BB

BLOGGING BREAKTHROUGH IS AN ONLINE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO WANT A BREAKTHROUGH IN THEIR BLOG, CAREER OR LIFE. WE BELIEVE IN COMMUNITY, MOTIVATION & INSPIRATION

ISSUE 01

#BloggingBreakthrough

MAY 2016

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#BB

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03 Letter from the Editor

04 Your Inspirational Reminder

05 Motivation

08 Blogging & Social Media

11 How I Got To Where I Am Today

15 The Best Tweets From You

16 Let's Work Together 


This digital magazine is interactive so have fun clicking around!

#BLOGGINGBREAKTHROUGH

All imagery excluding interview photography taken by Tom Bray. !2

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Drum roll please...welcome to the first official issue of the Blogging Breakthrough magazine. I'm hoping that you're as excited as I am and you're already loving what this magazine is going to do, just from the first few pages. This is one my favourite things I've done as a blogger, probably because creating and writing magazines is absolutely what I love to do. Also, I'm a sucker for anything extra I can do to develop my personal brand, because really, why shouldn't we utilise the skills we've developed over time? Surely we should put our knowledge and passion into doing something for ourselves that we love. So that's what this is. But it's also for you. Actually, it's you that has made this possible. You see if it wasn't for your feedback, comments, views and thoughts, you wouldn't be reading this today. I wouldn't be nervously dancing in my chair wondering if you're actually going to like and appreciate this thing. But I am, because of you. The #BloggingBreakthrough community started off as just an idea. An idea to help bloggers with the basics and to share my own experiences so that they might help or inspire others. Then the series launched on the blog over the month of January and after that, the eBook was released, which you'll all have access to (and which I hope you love). By this point, I had no idea that this would turn into a full blown community, but it has.

magazines. Reading magazines, analysing magazines, creating magazines – they've been my first love since I was 16 and my ultimate goal was always to work for a magazine. So I thought, hey – why not create my own mini one? And here we are now with #BB - a digital community magazine that will hit your inbox once a month. I’m going to use this to highlight the content that you, my readers, have loved the most over the past month. In May's edition, you'll find your favourite inspirational reminder to see you through the month, a motivational article to help you grow, traits to help you be a better blogger, the How I Got To Where I Am Today interview and the best tweets of the month from you - head to page 15 to see if you're featured! And that's it. So all that's left to say is settle down, grab your favourite drink and enjoy this month's launch issue. I couldn't have done it without you. FAVOURITE PHOTO OF THE MONTH A SLEEPY MAISY

The eBook I created showed me just how much I love creating products like that and it made me think – well, why can’t I do something like that more regularly? I was preparing a talk I was doing to some high school students about my journey so far. I spoke about how I got to where I am today. As I was planning my script about high school, college, uni and my career, I realised that one huge factor that has stayed with me throughout is !3

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YOUR INSPIRATIONAL REMINDER 


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MOTIVATION What You Can Do Every Day To Grow 2016 so far has felt like a period of growth in lots of different ways. The first month of the year saw me grow with my blog by launching the #BloggingBreakthrough eBook, I’m continuing to grow in my career by learning more and being given more responsibility, and I’m growing in my personal life by the different chapters that are starting to appear. Reflecting on all of this recently has got me thinking about how crucial growth is for each and every one of us, and how we should embrace that every day. We start to grow taller from when we are little - that’s growth we can see. But it’s actually the growth we can’t see that’s more important. The growth during school when we’re becoming the person we’re supposed to be. The growth during university and work, where we’re becoming independent. And the continuous growth throughout our lives where we get to understand who we are. So I wanted to share with you, not only why this is important - but also some small things you can do every single day that will help you see your growth.

SAY YES TO SOMETHING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE This is key to embracing growth. A quote I’ve used a lot on this blog is, “if you do what you’ve always done, then you’ll get what you’ve always got”. It’s so true here. If you don’t do things to challenge yourself, how do you expect to grow? You can apply it to anything. Really, one of the biggest things out of my comfort zone that I said yes to was starting this blog. If you’ve done that, then really, you should have the mindset that you can take on any other challenge too. It’s scary to try things outside of your comfort zone. But you’ll never know how it went unless you try. Plus, that means you’ll grow either way and always learn something. ALLOW FOR CHANGE I’m not a risk-taker. I’m not a fan of big change. But sometimes, change is happening for reasons that we might not understand. Maybe we should just embrace it to see what happens. Just

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because we might not like it immediately, doesn't mean it won’t benefit us in the long run. Whether it’s introducing a new category on your blog, trying a new job using some new skills you’ve developed or negative change such as losing a job - for now, believe in the path you’re on and have faith in the positive direction the change will take you. You might not have power over the change, but you’ve definitely got power over how you let the change affect you. WRITE DOWN ONE THING YOU’VE LEARNT I definitely believe that we learn new things every day. It might not be like school where we’re actively being taught something. It gets different from that as you get older. It doesn't have to be a fact or a formula. It could be something about yourself, your friend, your other half. Something about the place you live, the job you’re in or your blog. Try writing down every day one thing that you’ve learnt, no matter how big or small it is. If you don’t think you’re growing, one look back at everything you’ve written down will change your mind. THINK POSITIVELY ABOUT EVERYTHING Something I’ve learnt during my life so far is that a positive mindset is key to everything. The way you think and perceive things is so important. I used to see it in myself all the time, that negativity. It affected everyone around me. It made me stay stuck in that same place, thinking I didn’t have a way out. Only when I had that breakthrough and changed my outlook to a positive one, was when things changed for the better. The only problem people find with this is that it’s down to you. You and you alone are responsible for your thoughts. But really, it’s simple. Think negatively and you stop growth. Think positively every day, and you will grow every day. TAKE NOTE OF LIFE LESSONS None of us would have got to where we are today on our own. I know I definitely wouldn’t. We all come across situations in our lives when we need help and advice. And until we get to that place, we don’t really pay much attention to the lessons we’re being taught on a daily basis. But they’re there, ready for us to learn. I learn something from my parents every single day, whether it’s just from something they’re doing or if I’ve asked them for help. But throughout your life you’ve got to be observant. Watch the people closest to you. Learn from them. They’re teaching you these things for a reason. You can’t expect yourself to grow unless you take advantage of the wisdom that others pass onto you.

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DON’T WISH - DO Wish you could be in a better job? Wish you had more motivation? Wish you were a more successful blogger? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but usually, the things we wish for can actually make us feel more negative. We always wish for what we don’t have, right? You’ll be familiar with this quote: “A dream without a plan is just a wish”. Well, it is. Because there’s no point in wishing for things if you’re not going to take any action to actually make them happen. And that’s where your growth comes in. You only have to take baby steps. Work backwards and formulate a plan. Take the job example - what path will you have to take to get from where you are now to where you want to be? Visualise the steps you’ll have to take. Visualise yourself doing them and completing them. Make yourself shine. Big yourself up. Get yourself out there. Research industries. Connect with people. Build your portfolio and reputation. If you wait and wish for things, you’ll never see them. But if you do what you can to get there, not only have you more chance of achieving your goals, but think about how much you’ll grow along the way too.

We are growing as people every single day, whether we realise it or not. And that means we’re never staying the same. Growth is a good thing - so why not let it happen?

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BLOGGING & SOCIAL MEDIA 5 Traits That Separate The Very Best Bloggers From The Rest Spoiler alert. There are LOADS of bloggers out there. In fact, more and more appear every day as we move into a time where blogging is seen as a full-time job. What does this mean for you? Well you might be thinking, “what’s the point in blogging if there’s already so many people doing it?” That’s not the way to think. The right way to think is: “so how can I make myself stand out from everyone else?” It’s hard when you’re just starting out, but learning from bloggers who've been around for a while can be the best way to grow your personal brand and improve your skills. And ultimately, become a pro blogger yourself. When I first started blogging, I was pretty much playing a guessing game. I didn't have a plan. I just wrote blog posts, published them and chatted a bit on social media. Then my eyes opened and I realised that I couldn't go on this way. If I did, my personal brand and blog wouldn't grow, and I'd wonder in five years why nothing had changed. Was this what I wanted? I bet you can guess the answer. So what did I do? I researched bloggers who were the best at what they were doing and payed close attention to them, to see what their process was and what made them different to all the other bloggers out there. What I found were some huge lessons and I wanted to share them with you today.

The Best Bloggers… #1 | KNOW WHO THEIR AUDIENCE IS Having your audience in mind all the time is so important both for you, your content and streamlining your whole blogging process. I mean, how will you write amazing blog posts when you don’t know who you’re writing to? The very best bloggers listen to their audience and do everything with them in mind. Their content speaks directly to them, they’re !8

ABRANCHOFHOLLY.COM always interacting with them on social media, their words and images relate to them and their marketing efforts are spot on. It also makes it easier to come up with great ideas. When I first started out, I literally wrote about anything and everything, regardless of who it was for. Fashion, beauty, lifestyle, music – you name it, I wrote about it. But it wasn't focused. These categories didn't relate to each other. Then I narrowed down the focus of my blog to aim towards targeting people who were motivated, driven and inspired. This meant that I could pretty much write about anything, as long as it related to my overall theme. Once I figured this out, it made it so much easier to run my blog. This will immediately make you stronger as a blogger, because you have a solid audience that you can create content for, and who (hopefully) will share your content onto their friends who they think will be interested in it too. #2 | HAVE GOALS AND REMEMBER THEIR WHY If your goal is “I want to blog full-time” then that’s fab. But what happens then? Where do you go when you've got there? Remembering your why and having goals is so important as a blogger, otherwise you forget why you’re actually doing it in the first place. But it’s no good setting yourself a goal if you don’t know how you’re going to get there. You know the saying: a dream without a plan is just a wish, right? The very best bloggers have a plan in place to achieve their goals and keep improving. Whether you want to collaborate with a big brand or get your foot in the door for an online publication, having a plan to get there will not only make it doable, but will also make it a lot less scary than just trying everything and wondering why it’s not working. #3 | KNOW WHAT VALUE THEY CAN OFFER I know you’ll see the word ’value’ everywhere. Whenever I read a post about blogging, I’m pretty sure it crops up in all of them. But there’s good reason why. The very best bloggers know their value and they put this value into their

MAY 2016 writing to answer questions and solve problems. Sure, you might be a great photographer or vlogger, but how will that help your audience? Will it help them grow their personal brand, expand their reach and get their content in front of more people? Will it help them improve? As soon as you start showing your value to people, the sooner your audience will start to grow. We want answers to problems we don’t know we have and we don’t know where to look first. That’s what you’re there for. #4 | UNDERSTAND THEIR WEAKNESSES AND WHAT THEY NEED TO LEARN When you’re first starting out, it’s easy to do what everyone else is doing, even if you’ve got no idea how to actually do some of these things. Obviously it’s great to set yourself a challenge and try new things, but if you don’t know how to do something, there’s a good chance there could be negative effects for your blog. The best bloggers know what they can and can’t do and demonstrate this well through their blog. They have no shame in saying they don’t know how to make YouTube videos or their photography skills aren’t great – but I bet they’d be willing to give it a go. This works the same for your topics. The best bloggers know what they’re skilled in writing about and they don’t go around writing about things they don’t have interest or knowledge in. They know what they want to write about, they know what their readers want and they don’t deviate from this. But even though the best bloggers are aware of their weaknesses, they’re always willing to learn more to grow their skill set and be able to do more for their blogs. Our industry is always changing and constant attention is needed to keep up to date with what’s going on and stay ahead of the game. #5 | HAVE A BRAND If you have a blog, you have a brand. Even if you don’t know it yet or want to believe it. And it’s not just about having a cool logo or header !9

ABRANCHOFHOLLY.COM and matching colours. There’s a lot more to it than that. Branding is the image you’re projecting for others through all the platforms you are on. You as an individual are your brand, and these, what we call brand extensions – so your website, Twitter, your newsletter, your LinkedIn page - all work together to project your brand values to your community and audience.

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This ties in with knowing your target audience, what they want to know and how to solve their problems. Developing your brand is about knowing your message and why you’re even blogging in the first place. It also includes your beliefs as a blogger and the types of topics you choose to blog about – and the ones you don’t. There are so many different things that matter when it comes to branding. You want to be remembered, right? Your brand is how you do that. When you’re out there building your community on social media, or through your writing in a blog post, you want people to recognise your brand and know that this is you – a fantastic blogger.

Becoming a brilliant blogger isn’t a walk in the park, but it’s definitely doable if you have a strong idea of who you are, what your blog is about and who you want to help. It’s worth taking time to go through these points and have a think about your own action steps for each one, just so you can get more of an idea of what you want to get out of blogging and how to actually do it. Because once you do that, you’ll definitely be on your way.

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HOW I GOT TO WHERE I AM TODAY An Interview With Stephie From Tea In Your Twenties Stephie writes things, overthinks things and drinks too much tea. Sometimes, the three collide and she makes a show. Other times, she blogs. She started her own theatre company and currently works as a programmer, working hard to follow her dream. I asked Stephie to be the guest for this month's interview and share her career journey so far. I hope it will make you feel as appreciative and inspired as it made me.

DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO GO INTO YOUR CHOSEN CAREER? I think deep down yes, I’ve always wanted to work in theatre, it’s my passion. Of course there were times when I thought that passion was unrealistic and listened to the non-believers who said that the arts weren't a viable option, but that was more because of lack of knowledge than determination. A lot of people hear you work in theatre and presume you act or write or direct, and while I do do that, there are so many other roles out there too. Roles that for a long time I didn't know existed - something I think arts courses should make a point of teaching you when you’re still in education.




WHEN DID YOU START TO DEVELOP A PASSION FOR WHAT YOU CURRENTLY DO? Well I’ve been acting since about 9 (you can read that story here) but my main passion is now making sure theatre is

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ABRANCHOFHOLLY.COM accessible to as many people as possible. A lot of people think that theatre or the arts aren’t for them, and I just don’t think that's true. I really became passionate about that after university when I left an environment where I’d been surrounded by other people who loved theatre, and came home and realised the majority of people I knew just didn't get it. I started writing and performing theatre that my dad could understand, and now I work with venues and community groups to make sure that the theatre we put on interests the people who live nearby.

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WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AT SCHOOL? DID YOU ENJOY IT? WHAT WERE YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECTS? Erm, I was pretty bubbly at school, and didn't take it too seriously because I was clever enough not to have to put in too much work. I guess I was a bit lazy in that respect, something which changed when I took my A Levels! I was bullied for the first couple of years of secondary school and I didn't enjoy that so much, but in our GCSEs when all the cliques began to fall apart, that all stopped and I enjoyed it much more. I didn't take Drama at school. It wasn't really seen as a proper subject, and it was only ever taught by whichever English teacher was free, so my favourite subjects were actually English Literature, History and Languages. I was also weirdly good at Science, and I’m pretty sure my parents have wished several times I took them up instead! WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? DID YOU GO TO UNIVERSITY OR STRAIGHT INTO WORK? I went to Lancaster University after college and loved every minute of it! I studied English Literature and Theatre Studies combined. I was really lucky to have had a tutor at college who took me aside during the application process and gave me a list of where to apply and what to do. I guess sometimes people can see what you want before you do, because at 17 I was still confused and technically my best A Level was Modern History! HOW DID YOU GET YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITHIN YOUR CHOSEN FIELD? I did quite a bit of work experience at university. I didn't join the drama society because I realised I didn't want to act so much anymore, so got involved with the the arts centre that was on campus instead. I became a student ambassador, which involved trying to encourage other students to come and see what was on, ushering events, and social media marketing. As well as helping out when professional companies needed extra hands setting up. I once spent a whole weekend hoovering the outsides of sacks that were covered in and full of soil! It was never ending! WHAT PATH DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW? A really really windy one that felt like it was going in circles for a long

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ABRANCHOFHOLLY.COM LONG time! Short answer? I took an internship marketing at a venue in Manchester, which sort of became a proper job for a year or two. Alongside this I started writing and performing my own shows which I toured to different cities to perform. And I managed a bar and waitressed a lot too! There were a good couple of years where I felt very very lost, and I stopped valuing my own skills for a while. It came to a bit of a head in 2013 when I finally quit the venue in Manchester and moved home. For a few months I just waitressed and spent my time figuring out what I wanted to do. Those months were a god send. That's when a professional theatre invited me to perform with them. I was commissioned to write a children’s show by a festival, and I also worked as a community artist helping people with Alzheimer's and their families. Once I built up my confidence again and had really honed in on what I was passionate about, I looked for a full-time job. The one I have now is the first one I found and applied for and the rest is history! Sorry that wasn't all that short an answer after all! WHEN DO YOU THINK YOU GOT A BREAKTHROUGH WITH YOUR CAREER? Hmmm, I don’t think there is one breakthrough moment. There were lots of small breakthrough moments that got me to where I am now, and if I removed any one of them, or any one of the stumbling blocks I fell on along the way, I’d never have got to this place. But some moments that stand out to me are the first time I performed my solo show. That was a big moment, because for so long it had been just me, a script

MAY 2016 and an empty room, and I remember thinking the afternoon before the show, OH MY GOD I HAVE TO SHOW PEOPLE THIS. Once I’d done it, that was a huge confidence boost. I’d say the other obvious big one was actually getting a fulltime job, but since then there has been so much learning and confidence building, that especially at the beginning it felt like I was having a breakthrough every month! WHAT'S BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR? Having the confidence, determination, and faith to just see it through. Even now, my job is on the line because of funding, and I have to keep the faith that all my hard work will pay off. Sometimes it feels like it would be so much easier to just go and do something that isn't the arts, but I know I’d find it harder because I wouldn't love it, and that no one's path is easy. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT? I have two, as a performer and a writer. My biggest achievement has been making shows that people liked. My two favourite memories are performing at Buxton Fringe to a sold out audience and getting a standing ovation (they even asked for my autograph) and the other would be going back to Lancaster to perform at The Duke. On the other side of it, in my current job (where I organise other people and companies performing), I would definitely say my biggest achievement was Back of the Bus last year, which was a dance show that happened on a moving double decker bus. I had to organise the dance company coming over from New Zealand, convince the local bus company to give me a bus and a driver for ten days for free, organise 6 different routes the bus and the show would travel on, secure 18 venues that the bus stopped at, and then sell out the show 13 times! I don’t think I slept for a month in the run up, but afterwards I knew I was so much more confident and capable. Another breakthrough moment I guess! WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AND YOUR CAREER GOING IN THE FUTURE? I can’t imagine it will be a straightforward path! There are still new things I want to try and I’m not tied down to any one job role in the theatre. I’d like to work more with people with Alzheimer's and Care Homes in some way. I’m currently writing a piece for young people to perform, and one day I’d love to be the artistic director of my own venue or company (the person that chooses what direction a theatre goes in and what message they want to give out).

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IF YOU COULD SHARE THREE OF YOUR BIGGEST LIFE LESSONS WITH ABOH READERS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE? #1 | Trust your gut and listen to it. If something doesn’t feel right for some reason, spend some time working out what it is and take action. #2 | Stick to your guns and passions, and believe in yourself. People’s passions and interests change over time, and it’s OK to change directions, or take a step back, as long as it’s your direction and not what somebody else has told you you should do, or something that just seems easier! #3 | Things happen for a reason, and as long as you work out what that reason is and also take responsibility for it, even if it is seemingly out of your control, you’ll be OK.




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I've kinda fallen for @abranchofholly... You NEED to read her #breakthroughblogging series - it's ! " It's eye opening! It's really inspiring me to make changes to my blog 😁 Thanks so much! 💕

- Becky @bkyrouncefield World stationery day is my new favourite day, and what better way to celebrate than new notebooks…

- Stephie Claire @TeacupTheatre Hey Holly! I just downloaded your Ebook! Thanks for your inspo! My Blog http://dianajune.com is new and ready to rumble :) - Diana June @Di_anajune !15

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A BRANCH OF HOLLY

Holly Sutton is an Online Marketer and Freelance Writer, who specialises in social media, content and brand-building strategies in order to help you grow your online presence and get to where you want to be. She also runs a blog called A Branch of Holly, in which she shares motivational content, her personal experiences and how to optimise your online presence to reach your goals. Her main aim? To inspire you that you can get to where you want to be. All you need is a little help.

LET’S WORK TOGETHER If you’re looking for a freelance writer or social media manager, let’s talk. Drop me an email at [email protected].

@ABRANCHOFHOLLY

@ABRANCHOFHOLLY

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