Welcome friends! Notice anything different?
There has been quite the ruckus around here the last few weeks. We’ve been working on changes, lots of changes. See, I have had this blog of mine for just shy of four years, since March of 2012. While I’ve redesigned here and there and updated some minor things, overall my style and ‘voice’ has been about the same. A girl can get tired of repetition. And this one has. I’ve been thinking about a complete rebrand for a very. long. time. Like for a couple of years, but who are we kidding? I’m a busy lady! First, I couldn’t figure out what to change. Then it was a matter of when, and the hardest one of all..how??!
The Rebrand
So I started at the top. Literally, at the top of this blog, with the title. My blog was Chase the Star, which seemed like the perfect title to me when I started writing. See, before my son Chase came along I was a stepmom, which is a role I take very seriously, but as my fellow stepmamas can likely attest to, may leave you yearning to have something of your very own. When Chase was born he was all mine (and the hubs’ of course), so I felt it was appropriate that I named my new blog endeavor after my little bundle (because that’s logical?). Because ‘Chase the Star’ screamed DIY and crafts, right? Right. Never once did I think that it may cause confusion to my readers. To be totally transparent, I wasn’t thinking that this blog would really go anywhere at all. I held on to it over the years because despite the not so great title, it caught on and I grew myself a little bit of a following. I knew if I changed the title I risked losing some readership.
BUT THEN SOMETHING ELSE STARTED TO HAPPEN.
Initially I started blogging to document my DIY projects as we were settling into our new home. After almost 5 years here, this is no longer our ‘new’ home. And while I still love to DIY and decorate, I just don’t have the time these days, and don’t do it enough to fill this blog with constant material anymore. At the same time my kids started getting older, more involved in their sports and school, and I went from working from home to working outside of the home. With so many changes it was clear that I had transitioned into a different ‘season’ of my life and its focus had made a hard left from home and crafty projects to raising a busy family. Suddenly, I no longer felt I was being authentic in my blog, and it showed in my posts. I finally came to terms with the reality that if I want to continue to blog, and I do because I love it, I need to make some major adjustments, even at the risk of losing some of my audience. It took me a while to wrap my head around that, but in the end I know in my heart that I need to be a genuine representation of myself on my blog, and if some lose interest, that’s 100% ok.
Thanks to my friend Kirsten at Sweet Tea and Saving Grace I learned the tools necessary to rebrand. I implemented her strategy and with the help of my hosting company and a blog designer, Hello Life was born! While I am still a creative at my core, I am so much more (totally rhymed there). I am a wife, a working mom, stepmom, and homemaker. I am a woman of faith, and my life is full of real family scenarios, good stuff and bad. I am also a woman and I love things that many modern women do like fashion, fitness, home décor, traveling, movies and TV (Netflix addict), and yes, crafting and DIY too! Balancing it all can sometimes be really daunting, but like many of you who can relate, it’s not impossible.
SO, HELLO (CUE ADELE)! I’M THRILLED YOU’RE HERE!
To those of you that have been around since the beginning, a heartfelt thank you. Your loyalty means so much! I hope we can embrace this new journey together, and that you’re as excited as I am! To those just discovering Hello Life, please disregard all of the above. HA! I kid. Thank you for visiting, I hope you stop by often!
Are you a blogger that is considering rebranding? Or have you already done it? I’d love to know, share your thoughts below!
There I go rhyming again…
Sharon Garofalow says
Barbara!!! I noticed your new name on Instagram last night! I love the new look! I totally understand wanting to share more and refine the focus. Congrats to you!!! I look forward to watching your growth!
Barbara says
Thank you Sharon! I appreciate the support and the love on Instagram!
Dinah says
This is so exciting! I’m so excited for you and after reading this post, re-branding absolutely makes sense. I can’t wait to continue reading your journey. Congrats!!!
Barbara says
Thanks Dinah! It means the world to me that you will continue to be a loyal reader! XO
Ginger says
Your blog is looking great! I love the look and the new name! :)
Barbara says
Thank you Ginger! Appreciate it so much :)
Steph @ Crafting in the Rain says
Looking great! And as long as you love what you’re writing about, your blog will do well. I’ve never thought about rebranding, and I’ve been blogging under “Crafting in the Rain” for 5 years too. I joke that I might be in trouble if we ever leave the PNW, since that’s what sparked the name. :)
Barbara says
I love your blog Steph and it’s a great title! Thanks for the support!
Vanessa pereZ says
Congratulations my friend!! So happy and excited for you. This new blog looks amazing. You are an inspiration to us all. May God continue to bless you and guide you through this journey.
Barbara says
Hi Vanessa! Thank you so much, that means the world to me! God bless you guys xoxo
Saralyn says
When you changed your blog name, Pinterest branded the links to your posts as suspicious, and when I attempt to post to Pinterest with your new blog, Pinterest says it’s an invalid image.
Barbara says
Hmmm, thank you so much for the heads up Saralyn! I will reach out to Pinterest for assistance!
Anna welliver says
I love the rebrand and this post. I definitely can relate to most of the post and it is wonderful!! Thank you!!