Take a Risk, Start a Blog

Healy, welcome back to the blogosphere. I think starting a blog is obvious to those who've already been successful, or at least have seen some results. It's quite intimidating to people who've never even posted before. I don't think everyone should have a blog, or at least, not have one until you discover your brand (your passion, expertise, goals, etc).

Blogging is a lot of work and you get out what you put in, just like everything else in life. The blogging success stories typically come from bloggers who have posted hundreds, maybe even thousands of times, before they saw results. The aftermath of blogging for a few years is that you have people to market to and communicate with directly. These community members are the best asset your career can have.

Sadly, very few people can make money blogging or support themselves with a single blog. Ryan, Ryan and Penelope have been able to do it, but it didn't come easy. They spend a lot of time writing, building community, collaborating as a unit and starting a business out of shared passion.

You can do the same, no doubt, but you have to put the work in!

What you guys have done over the past year+ is truly inspiring. I am currently working on getting a blog going for myself, and I can tell you that it is directly inspired by what you all have done with Brazen Careerist. Thank you, and nice work.

I am so glad to hear someone else thought all those big 4 interviews, career fairs, and corporate events on campus are boring. I've spent this past entire semester watching all my friends go to those. And I haven't gone to a single career fair — despite all my friends thinking I am making a dumb decision — because I just can't see myself going down that path. At all. So it's nice to hear people like you Ryan, whose opinions on career topics I trust, saying the same things I feel about the whole corporate-as-usual scene!

I also get the "real major" crap all the time, and I just ignore those people now. But sometimes it is still a little terrifying when everyone else is taking the safe (boring) route and all have nice safe corporate jobs lined up already, whereas I keep maintaining that I'm following what I think are the new rules for success, but I don't even know where I'm going to end up six months from now. The uncertainty of things is scary, but I'd much rather do something I love than settle for something safe. And finding a community full of bloggers who think the same way has been such a relief.

And finally…I think you know by now what I think about Brazen and everything you guys are doing I just had to interrupt studying for an Arabic exam tomorrow because I saw a new post from Employee Evolution pop up in my reader! I know you guys are probably working crazy long hours but I wish you two blogged more often still…I love reading your posts!

Can't wait to see you guys in March!

Great to see another Employee Evolution post. What you guys have done is truly amazing. I know that it has energized me and many others in our pursuit to find that place where work, passion and fulfillment meet. Keep smiling from ear to ear!

@Dan Glad to be back! Agreed, blogging is a TON of work. Its so much work that I've basically been blogging once a week at the most because I can't even keep up. That said, I'm back in the game. Expect to see a lot more from me.

@Patrick Thanks so much. I can't tell you how great it is to hear people say such nice things about Brazen.

@Nisha Those interviews were terrible! I'm so glad I realized that before it was too late. It is pretty scary to not go the safe "boring" route. Life is certainly not as stable, but I know that in the long run its the right thing to do. Looking forward to seeing you in March, and congrats again on winning the contest.

@James Thanks! And don't worry Im still smiling.

I have been in the working world for two years now and essentially followed the advice of my dad to get a mainstream business degree and work in corporate america. This advice has lead me to discover my passion of the generational gap of the workplace and how to make companies more efficient.

A year ago I didnt even know what a blog was and now I have started one. It's truly remarkable how Brazen has brought people together though this medium and I anticipate great things for Brazen in the future.

I wrote a paper last spring about how blogging accelerated the careers of bloggers in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector — some of these findings speaking opportunities and being quoted in the washington post, and many more opportunities. it was amazing. Here's a link to my paper: Perspectives on Blogging in the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector http://www.nonprofitalternatives.org/images/PerspectivesOnBloggingNPSector.pdf

I shoulda done my own major too… I'm a Psych student, and they're currently trying ot get me to take this class called Junior Seminar. It's basically one big career fair dressed up as a "what can you do with a psych degree?" type of class. It agitates me because I will neither be able to hold those jobs (without getting fired for deploying with the army, or sticking something blunt in my eye from boredom) and it gives me the feel like I've been put on a conveyor belt to be manufactured into an upstanding citizen.

And there you go, i think you just inspired a new blog post.

@Chris I'm glad to hear you've discovered what makes you happy rather than just listening to the advice of others. Obviously you parents want you to have the best, but what was the best for them is not always what's best for you. I'm glad to see you in the blogosphere!

@Heather That doesn't surprise me in the slightest. I'm convinced that blogging is the single best thing you can do for your career. There is no better way to make the connections with influencers and share your ideas with people who can put them to use then by blogging. I'm excited to check out your paper.

@Kat Yep, I wish I had stuck with it. That said, I don't have any regrets. If I didnt have that experience in the corporate world, I may have never found the drive to do my own thing again. Looking forward to the new blog post!

Just in case you hadn't heard enough about SXSW: some final thoughts…

I feel like I'm a little late in the game to be doing the obligatory post-SX-wrapup blog post, but I'm going to do it anyways. And hopefully I can share some insight for those of you who might go to SXSW 2010. Especially the really young pe…