Candice S.This post was sponsored by CLEAR CARE® PLUS as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I received financial compensation for my participation and endorsement.
At the beginning of the year, I laid out all of my blog goals and what I wanted to accomplish professionally. Then I shared my personal goals in a later post. If you haven’t seen my blog goals for 2016, here they are.
My 2016 Upgrade Experience
I decided to invest a pretty substantial amount of money into my business this year. I knew it was necessary but as a small business owner, I just wasn’t ready to part with my income so easily. I kept procrastinating throughout 2015 just hoping that I’d have a huge surplus, so I could splurge on what I know I needed. Well as most small business owners know, there isn’t always a splurge. For me, my income ebbs and flows. Sometimes I make just enough to stay above water, and contribute to my household. Then there are times when I make more than enough to put a chunk away into Savings.
The reality is. I am my own investor. Nobody loves what I do more than me. I pour my heart and soul into this blog and the marketing efforts that go along with it. It’s a tough job handling this alone AND being a work at home mom to a 1-year-old each day. But it’s my responsibility to keep this ship afloat.
One of the ways I invested in myself this year was by upgrading my camera & video equipment. I was desperate ya’ll. Great content is crucial to growing a successful blog and remaining relevant in media. Semi-professional and pro grade pics/videos are industry standard when trying to grow your brand and increase engagement. So I had to do away with my old ways of taking pics & shooting video. I had to upgrade to professional equipment if I want to remain competitive in this industry. Doing so has not only led me to more opportunities, but it’s made life easier for me as far as video recording and beauty shoots.
My equipment upgrades this year
- New Tripod
- DSLR Camera
- Shadow Box Lighting Equipment
- Diva Ring Light
- New Back Drops
- USB Microphone
- Remote Shutter for DSLR
It feels so good to hear compliments on an image or a video that I edited now because I know how much work went into creating each piece. I feel so proud to show off my new site and share my accomplishments. My upgrade experience has been so rewarding. This year I was even nominated for a Southern Blogger Award for Best Lifestyle Blog. I was so shocked and honored. Although I didn’t win, just being nominated made me so proud.
Having great visuals and content has also allowed me to work with more brands that I love and that coincide with my lifestyle, such as CLEAR CARE® PLUS . As a long time contact lens wearer, I’m really looking forward to getting my bubble upgrade and taking care of the health of my eyes, by trying their soft lens solution with Hydraglyde. They are the #1 doctor recommended hydrogen peroxide solution, which means you can see the bubbles working! CLEAR CARE® PLUS wants to help you upgrade your experience too. Not just your eyes. They are taking upgrades to the next level with their Bubble Upgrade™ Sweepstakes. From 8/10/16 to 9/6/16, a winner will be selected every Wednesday to win an upgrade experience (each valued at over $10,000), spanning categories from sports, travel, and self-improvement. So when you’re ready enter the sweepstakes at the bottom of this post. Good Luck Stars!
Some of my favorite visual content from 2016
[videogallery video1=”youtube” url1=”u1r-OIAbUlw” image1=”https://naturallystellar.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/YouTube-Video-Cover-e1471914288841.jpg” caption1=”Unzipping A Rental From Rent The Runway – Designer Rentals ” video2=”youtube” url2=”OTBa29zxLRE” image2=”https://naturallystellar.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/FullBeatOooOptimized.jpg” caption2=”LANEIGE BB Cushion Demo on Brown Skin ” ]For Official Sweepstakes Rules, Click Here: http://bit.ly/2bhQjfo
Candice S.
