So, I experienced my first failed blog launch and it felt pretty...Bad.

Not disappointing or surprising. Not even eye-opening or inspiring. Just…Bad.

I never thought a brand I worked for MONTHS to bring to life would flop so quickly but it did, and I can't deny myself as the main reason for its failure.

I, Makayla Lynn, am the reason why Blogging Bosses didn’t survive its first month—amidst the many technical issues and frustrating series of events. I take responsibility and now know, after months of deep-thought and a plethora of pity parties, why all of this happened.

Give me a minute to swallow my pride and explain, in a timeline of events, how all of this could've been avoided.

1. here’s how it all started

I started working on Blogging Bosses in August / September of 2017. I thought up what I felt was a genius idea and swore that the name, alone, would be a hit.

Blogging Bosses.

Who wouldn’t love that name? Who wouldn’t want to be associated with a brand that made them feel like the ultimate #boss? Who wouldn’t want to read post after post because they trusted whatever website had a hastagable and t-shirt worthy name?

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Little did I know, back in August, that I was entering into a niche that was both cutthroat and extremely rewarding—if done right.

If I had the work ethic and drive to create valuable content, consistently, and develop new methods to better new bloggers’ lives with my services—I would be successful.

Problem was…I didn’t have the drive to prove that I had all the necessary qualities.

All I wanted to do, for six months, was relish the name I so ‘boldly’ came up with and dream about what kind of empire that name could establish on its own.

I wasn’t worried (yet) about the products, posts, and actual content that would act as meat for the sandwich. I was concerned with how my logo would look alongside the name, how much my t-shirts would please the blogging world, and how fun my hashtags would be to use.

I was worried about the once fresh but now stale bread that was my ‘branding’ and the physical features of said 'sandwich.' I was breaking my #1 rule and occupying my mind with how something looked rather than how it felt. 

what I did:

Spent five to six months designing and thinking up the physical aspects of BB (Blogging Bosses) rather than focusing on the "meat and potatoes."

what I could've done:

In these first initial months, I could've spent a few weeks branding and enjoying the process of establishing a 'look' for Blogging Bosses. If I spent every day for two to three weeks designing and researching visuals I love, I would've knocked out my graphics within a months time.

 

2. here’s when I realized I was screwed

Can you guess what my smart-self was doing come December of 2017?

I was STILL changing my graphics.

Since August, I had redone my logo three times and changed ALL of the social media/post images until they matched the wannabe-minimalistic ‘look’ that I visualized.

I spent almost SIX MONTHS branding myself to ‘perfection’ and realized, right before the new year hit, that I had to actually release this thing after months of hinting at its birth.

I remember the exact moment when I decided it was time to spring into action. I created two major pieces of content in one week and had the audacity to call them ‘quality.’ I thought that my email course and eBook would be a hit, knowing good and well that they were, essentially, the "afterthought."

It amazes me to this day how two MAJOR pieces of content I was about to 'sell' to my audience were incomplete, "let me do this so I can release this website," projects.

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So, after finishing the ‘meat’ of my new blog within two weeks time, and changing my graphics once more for good measure, I was ready to create quick social 'blurbs' to start teasing the release.

I retrieved my lost Blogging Bosses twitter account password from September and started hinting at my launch with false excitement that covered the stress I was, actually, experiencing. I was telling my audience, in 200 characters, why they should trust a brand I wasn’t all the way familiar with.

In all actuality, I never had the chance to sit down and look at my site to 'take it all in.' I never read over my branding sheet and proof-read my content three times over before hitting ‘publish’ simply because there was NO TIME to do anything but ‘finish.’

Once the day I put as my ‘launch date’ was surpassed with NO site to be found, I knew I was screwed.

what I did:

I rushed the last MONTH of my 'launch' by finishing everything that should've taken more time, within two weeks, and released my site without proper notice or preparation.

what I could've done:

After I knocked out my main graphics, which should've been one to two months after I first created the website, I could've started outlining my content. If I created an outline for my email list, email course, templates for blog posts, and future eBook themes, I would've been a lot better off.

 

3. here’s when I realized I needed to let it go

I released Blogging Bosses to the masses a couple days after I claimed my site would be ‘live.’ I wish I could tell you exactly how many days, alongside other details, to make this post a ‘case study,’ but I blocked out the majority of that week to self-preserve (lol).

Here are some raw facts that I CAN tell you, ever so painfully…

— I had four posts on my site when it launched. Three of those four posts were on this website, TheMakaylaLynn, before being transferred over to BB.

— I had a ‘clarity session’ portion of my site that would act as a wannabe-coaching service that I had the nerve to offer immediately. (No shade to those that offer coaching early on).

— I had an email course drafted that I rush—umm—wrote in two days.

— I still had an unfinished ‘work with me’ and ‘resources’ page that I promised myself I would finish when people 'visited my site.'

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I mean, let’s be honest…I had a site, a couple posts, and I even created a hefty piece of content that acted as my content upgrade for an email list. I had what a lot of beginning bloggers would call an empire.

On the other hand, as someone that has been blogging for two going on three years, it was a travesty.

I knew, after pressing publish on my site, that I just released something that should’ve never seen the light of day.

It took me months of branding and cute designing, weeks of tireless writing and work, and days of stressing and doubting my abilities to realize that I should probably stop and sit down to breathe.

I remember the moment I sat down on my bed with my computer and REALLY looked at my website for what felt like the first time. I knew that opinions would vary but, after walking through each page as a random person, I wondered why anyone would stay for long in the first place. (That's a "cringe" and harsh statement, but true).

I knew it was time to let this platform go because I was ready to let it go. There wasn't a bone in my body that desperately wanted to revive what was lost back in October of 2017. I was already done.

Sadly, before BB had a solid chance to shine, I was already pressing the ‘maintenance’ button to shut it down.

This, my friends, may be the history of Blogging Bosses but it’s surely not the end.

what I did:

I launched my blog, expecting the many issues to take care of themselves, before tending to the obvious cracks and holes. This led to the finished product looking and feeling like there was no solid effort or purpose behind its creation.

what I could've done:

I could've stopped myself mid-launch to alert my small audience that BB would take longer than expected. Instead of taking my losses in stride, I tried to prove that I could complete a large task, like launching an entire platform, without struggling.

 

4. here’s how I plan on coming back

So, even though Thanos snapped his fingers, Blogging Bosses will return! (Too soon?)

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But don’t get excited…

I plan on taking my time with this platform because my words and content ARE quality pieces of work, and deserve the extra attention to become truly sought-after resources.

In its time, this brand will flourish into what its meant to be. Time can't be my enemy throughout this journey, and 'stress' can't be my indicator of whether or not I'm working hard enough.

Even though we've all heard that it’s best to 'start' rather than ‘launch,’ like many of our favorite entrepreneurs' tweet religiously, I know the value in taking MY time to release something great.

In this day and age, we have to have better discernment over our projects and hobbies. Some things are best thrown into the universe whereas others are best revealed deliberately over time.

Blogging Bosses needs a slow and deliberate launch, which is OKAY. There are thousands of future bloggers that will rely on this site one day (speaking it into existence), and it needs to be ready to hold that responsibility.

So, with that said, I’ve developed an unofficial game plan for myself.

This summer I will:

— Write three - four blog posts for BB and add them in, published or not.
— Continue working on revamping the email course or proof-reading to ensure it makes sense the day after adding a new portion.
— seek help with my logo and other major branding elements that I, sadly, can’t handle on my own.
— create an actual launch game-plan that will last a total of two weeks before launch day (whenever that is). I need to give myself time to create graphics, write tweets/Instagram posts, and create a feeling of build-up for expectant followers.
— have a moment each week to breathe and look at my site in its raw form.

what I will do:

I will follow my game plan and forgive myself for this 'failed' launch. Each day is just another opportunity to get things right.

Failed blog launch? Try again and remember that each day is just another opportunity to get things right. Share on X

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If you knew anything about this brand while I was in my faux-launching stage, then you understand how much potential it had without actual direction.

I know I let some people down and probably confused others who know my work ethic—which is the worst feeling. If there's one thing I know about myself, it's that I hardly ever give up. I may disappear, and I may act like something is gone from my memory, but it's always there and I'm always working behind the scenes.

Hence the return of my precious Blogging Bosses.

This is just another lesson I had to experience in order to know what it feels like and can't wait to share my story in future posts.

As always, Live Intentionally my friends,

- Miss Lynn