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From Hobby Blog to Booming Business with Morgan Bullard
The Influencer Behind the Scenes
With so many different business models out there. How can you even decide which one is for you during this business series I hope to inspire you with some action steps interviews and behind the scenes from incredible women just like you. This week we are going to be digging in It's going to be a little bit longer than our normal episode but 100% worth it. So stick around as we jump in behind the scenes with Instagram influencer Morgan Bullard let's jump in. Let's. See just what it takes to take your blog into an Instagram influencer account and what a difference it makes when you put your passion and faith first in business.
Listen On Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher
Where can you find Morgan Bullard - @morgbullard on Instagram and her blog https://morganbullard.com/
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krishnasutherland
Hey, everybody we are back again and I don't know what week this is anymore. But I am so excited to have a guest here with me today I have Morgan on and I am so stoked to share her story with you and the amazing things that she has accomplished with her in her adorable. Family so I can't wait to jump right in? Um, I'm just gonna let her introduce herself because y'all don't want to hear from me anymore we are bringing Morgan on for the scoop. So Morgan. Why don't you just introduce yourself and really tell us. Um, why you started your blog originally and then I will jump into what it is now.
00:41.44
Morgan
Of course. So thank you Krishna hey y'all my name is Morgan like she mentioned um I am from just south of Atlanta like Krishna. We actually went to high school together which is crazy such a small world. I have 2 sweet little daughters. Ah Rosie she's 2 and Olivia she is almost four I've been married to my husband now for gosh this is year seven we'll be seven this summer for us which is crazy. And we've been together for a little over 14 years now. So we dated in high school went to college together got married literally two weeks after we graduated both started working our corporate jobs and that's kind of how I started with what I'm doing right now. Um. I was in outside sales rep I traveled a lot. Um I'd always been really into hair and makeup and beauty I was that friend in high school and in college that my friends would always come over to my house or my apartment and borrow my clothes or like help me pick them out outfits or get them ready do their hair and makeup and had always been. Something that was just really fun for me and so January of 2016 I kind of started like as my new year's resolution I was like I'm going to take something that's been my hobby and in my free time when I'm traveling with my sales job I'm going to just do this on the side do this in my hotel room when I get back at the end of the day. Instead of just like watching Tv or being on my phone mindlessly. Um and just kind of see what it turns into and it was so much fun in the beginning. It still is now um but it was definitely just a hobby I had no idea that it could turn into a career for me. It's now a career for my husband too. My mom I employ 1 or 2 other people. So. It's so cool how this. Um, something that was just like a fun little thing that I you know wanted to do turned into this. Um I'll say career for myself that technically didn't even really exist when I was in college ten years ago I mean. Maybe there were a couple bloggers here and there but like what it's transformed into today. It's pretty crazy and very very cool. So that's kind of in a nutshell who I am kind of my background and all of that. Um, and yeah.
02:47.59
krishnasutherland
That is amazing and you are so right when I think of like I I don't know influencer really like you're the first one that I ever thought like oh my gosh like I know one of the first influencers. So it is really an honor just to share your story and I'm so excited. Um, so let's see tell us today what it has become a business in.
03:06.26
Morgan
Um, well thank you.
03:13.12
Morgan
Are.
03:14.95
krishnasutherland
It is amazing that you're able to you know, bring in your family and also some ah employees in there as well. So tell us what is different now from the Hobby part of the block.
03:26.38
Morgan
Yeah, yeah, so everything and nothing. Um, so basically I'm still sharing things that I love things that I find interesting and I've basically just kind of found a way to monetize it over time. Um, as I've grown my following mainly on Instagram getting brands to pay for me to share things that I would already be talking about sharing using in my everyday life anyways, so that's a really big part of my business and then another big part of my business is like commission. So when people ah swipe up. So you call it tap now on Instagram on my stories or whatever you have it if they make a purchase I earn a small commission. So as my followers have grown over time in turn my commissions have obviously increased and that's become a very. Important part of my business as well. That really didn't exist in the beginning and I've kind of been able to grow all aspects of it over the last gosh six years now I guess which is crazy.
04:21.42
krishnasutherland
Yeah, that is it is really crazy and to see the transformation too because it's more um, like Instagram now than it is really the blog part but it's still all intertwined and important.
04:34.36
Morgan
Yes, no, it definitely is and now it's ah evolving even more like into videos and reels like kind of like based off of like Tiktok and so really, um, where I started versus where I am now it's. Like everything else. It's you just kind of have to keep up with the times and roll with the changes and figure out. Okay, how can I adapt and grow and like fit my my brand and my business staying true to who I am but also like staying with the times too and staying relevant.
05:01.69
krishnasutherland
Yeah, definitely I love that so when do you think was the first like turning point when you really saw your blog as a hobby turning into more than that turning into the business.
05:14.56
Morgan
Yeah I remember getting my first like paid partnership like with a brand like I remember I think it was like a boutique and it's one that I've worked with or I have worked with for a really long time and they track your sales like with your code and all that and she's like you know your. Really valuable partner to me like I really want to start like paying you to share this and I was like oh my gosh because before I was just getting sent free clothes and I was like oh my gosh like I love shopping like I love clothes like how cool is this like I just get to come on and wear it and talk about it and like they'll send it to me for free like that kind of seems like a no-brainer. So taking it from that and to being like hey we're gonna pay you to share this that was just kind of like the aha moment like wow like this this could be something you know, especially since I didn't start off trying to for it to be a business. You know what? I mean so I've never like pushed things I've never It's never felt forced. It's always just.
05:59.57
krishnasutherland
Yeah.
06:06.60
Morgan
Always want even the paid partnerships to seem like very organic and natural. Um, because that's how you build trust with your people and that trust that I've built with my people over the last six years is invaluable to me and something that's off brand for me. Um, is never worth it because once you lose someone's trust you can't build that back and so I've taken a long time to build that up and I really um, have been proud of myself I think for staying true to who I am leaving dollars on the table a lot just because I'm like you know what? at the end of the day like that's not worth it for me.
06:36.55
krishnasutherland
Oh yeah, I Totally agree and it is very much shown on all your platforms Equally how your brand is really you and you really don't sway from that at all and I think that is amazing because you can see so many other brands who definitely.
06:50.20
Morgan
Thank you.
06:54.00
krishnasutherland
Sacrifice The personal branding and you don't So I Love love that personal branding is one of my favorite I Love seniors that way. So oh no, it's definitely not easy, but you have done an amazing job.
06:58.91
Morgan
Yes, it's very important and it's a hard thing to to do you know? it's not easy to build a brand.
07:10.92
Morgan
Thank you, Thank you so much.
07:13.87
krishnasutherland
Okay, so let's see what. Sorry whenever we pause it will just um I'll cut this part out. But if you ever mess up. You can just like pause for 3 seconds and we'll like I'll know to cut that part out. Okay, um, can you tell me what role.
07:24.90
Morgan
There you get. Oh I get it.
07:35.91
krishnasutherland
Faith over fear really had in this journey for you.
07:38.34
Morgan
Yeah, so I remember actually a really good friend of mine in the beginning when I was thinking about quitting my corporate job and taking this full time which was. Summer of 2018 so Olivia my first daughter had just been born and I was going back from maternity leave and I was like god I've worked so hard to build this up and now it's like I'm a mom and all moms know that that's a full time job once baby's here. It's like nothing else matters I mean. Lots does matter but in that moment it's like nothing else matters and so like something has to give and it's not going to be by my business. You know that I've taken all this time and heart and love and poured into it and I definitely wasn't going to sacrifice being the mom that I wanted to be and so had a really good friend of mine tell me she was like god loves a leap of faith. And I just really remember that stuck with me and I was like wow you know what? like you're right like god doesn't encourage us to do the easy thing to take the easy way and so I'm like I have this great comfortable job I have the same amount coming in my bank account every single month. But. And the grand scheme of things is this what I need to be doing and at the end of the day I prayed on it I you know talked to my husband drew about it and I was like you know what? I just really feel like I'm being pulled you know in this other way and obviously I'm not saying quit your job and start this like with no plan in place. Not at all. But I kind of had a goal where I told myself I was like okay so. If I can make what I'm making at my corporate job for at least six months then that's enough to prove to myself that like I can do this and like I can make it work and the first 2 or three months that I tried like I exceeded what I was making at my corporate job and so that in itself I was like okay this is like this is a no-brainer. Um, you know sometimes we make.
09:21.40
krishnasutherland
Yeah.
09:25.24
Morgan
Decisions like that So much harder than they need to be but when you actually like step back and pray about it and think about it. You're like okay like God's literally putting this right in front of my face and I would be crazy to like not see it. You know.
09:34.29
krishnasutherland
Yeah, no I Totally agree and that's why we're here today. This podcast has been the same way. So I'm totally totally agree. It's all about the faith in the prayer and just knowing like what you're supposed to be doing in your strengths and where you go.
09:50.16
Morgan
Yeah, and the fear part I think a lot of times. It's really hard and uncomfortable putting yourself out there like am I going to be judged am I gonna lose friends over this like all of the what Ifs that you kind of like psych yourself out for but the thing is that I told myself I basically took like a no options approach like. This is what I'm going to do if I fail at it I fail at it I had fun at the end of the day I'm doing something that I enjoy and so who's going to tell me that that's you know the wrong thing to be doing and so that's what I always encourage people because people will be like oh I want to do this but like I don't think I can or I'm scared or I'm like you know what? like. I would be more upset if I didn't and then I would always be wondering you know that what if in the back of my mind.
10:31.85
krishnasutherland
Oh for sure and really you started this for no money at all. This was a thing just for you. So I think that that's like even more of just your journey and your story which is so amazing. Um, so what? about.
10:36.20
Morgan
And here at man.
10:44.74
Morgan
No definitely.
10:49.30
krishnasutherland
Your skills can you tell us some of your probably strongest skills like that. You really think are maybe your spiritual spiritual gifts or just something that you are amazing at.
10:59.36
Morgan
Oh my gosh. First of all I hate like true to my own horn. So this is so uncomfortable and so hard for me First of all, um, but I like to think that I'm a really good um Hustler like if I want to do something like if I so stick my mind to it like. I'm gonna get it done I'm gonna make it happen I'm a make it happen kind of girl I have been like my entire life I've always been very hardworking. Um and very just self- motivattivated so I would say that's probably 1 of my. Stronger qualities. It can also sometimes be ah my negative qualities if you ask my husband because I I like to like push and hustle and always do more and he's like all right sometimes you just need to slow down and so that's something that I've really been tried to focus on the last six months to a year is just being like okay like.
11:33.63
krishnasutherland
Um.
11:48.14
Morgan
There's a time to hustle and there's also a time to rest and so trying to find that balance which I have not found it yet. So spoiler alert there is no secret. There is no secret sauce I know right? if there was I would definitely be sharing it? Um, but I think just that that hustle like.
11:54.13
krishnasutherland
I Mean who has let's be honest.
12:05.52
Morgan
If you're a business owner which is what I consider myself. Um, no, one's going to show up besides you, you know you're you're the face nothing you know is going to happen if you're sick and you can't clock in and out like I do have working hours. But um, there is I think just a different kind of.
12:09.61
krishnasutherland
Um, um.
12:25.10
Morgan
Hustle that comes with you know, owning your own business and everything being on you at the end of the day.
12:27.80
krishnasutherland
Yeah I agree and I probably feel the same way. Um, definitely as a business owner I think hustle and like that work ethic that you kind of have or almost some people would call it like workaholic and hustle like go together for me.
12:41.10
Morgan
Then I mean.
12:45.41
krishnasutherland
In our family at least because we are both workaholics so that's kind of the hard one where we can't like stop each other. Um, but lately it has been hard like you're saying you know to pull away and like that strengthen you almost want to slow down sometimes but you also still want to get the job done.
12:48.67
Morgan
Um, her yes.
13:02.56
Morgan
Yes, it is. It's hard to because I don't know about you but I know for me like when I'm in the groove and like I'm going and I'm working I'm just like all right? Let's just do more. Let's just keep going like when I'm in the groove like there's nothing that can get me out and.
13:04.70
krishnasutherland
So there's like that fine line.
13:18.34
Morgan
So I really have to make an effort like you know 5 or six o'clock I cut it off like that's family time with my girls like I don't want them to be like hey mommy has to work because I do have so much flexibility I set my own schedule my own hours I can work obviously in my bedroom my kitchen wherever I want to? um. And I don't want to like ever take that for granted, you know what? I mean.
13:36.14
krishnasutherland
Yeah I love that that's amazing and it's important to know that you know bloggers and Instagram fault like influencers all the things like they have to have a life too like it can't just be all you know, social media and then not you know building the relationships that really matter.
13:53.26
Morgan
Yes, and I think that's what people forget a lot too is that they either think that my a my life is perfect because that's you know what? they're looking at on my stories and on my feet and that's not the case at all I'm like it's easy I'm not saying that I fake it ever because I definitely don't come on and ever.
13:55.72
krishnasutherland
So I love the use of that.
14:12.87
Morgan
You know act like I'm in a great mood if I'm having a sour day then I just won't be as present. You know on stories if that's the case. Um, but you have to think like Instagram stories are a 15 or a thirty second even a minute clip out of your entire day and so I'm like yeah like that was a great moment but I also had some.
14:15.14
krishnasutherland
Right.
14:30.97
Morgan
Pure chaotic and bad moments today you know that I'm not proud of and so you kind of have to be careful of that too because it's definitely not all rainbows and butterflies in sunshine and it is really easy to never turn it off because I am sharing my life and so your life until you're dead and it's very morbid is not over and so it's.
14:32.20
krishnasutherland
Um, yeah.
14:46.47
krishnasutherland
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.
14:50.82
Morgan
Always going and there's always something to share and always cute moments with the girls and so in that family time I'm just like any other regular mom like I'll take pictures of them and videos. But I'm not like posting and sharing and editing and doing all that kind of stuff. Um, you know while I'm with them.
15:02.73
krishnasutherland
Yeah I love that So where do you um, find the balance in everything from working because obviously you're working at home and home businesses are extremely hard then your mom you're a wife so tell us about the balance part.
15:16.75
Morgan
Yes, I feel like at any given moment I can't be the best everything I'm not gonna lie to you. It's like sometimes I'm a good employee other times I'm a good wife other times I'm a good mom and I try to balance being really good at them all the time I'm not perfect. Definitely by any means I have.
15:23.14
krishnasutherland
When.
15:36.29
Morgan
My faults. Um, you know in shortcomings just like everyone but I think setting those dedicated working hours. So for me like it's really like 10 to 4 10 to 5 if I'm lucky and really just like grinding it out then I get help with Rosie during the week my mom helps me with her. And then Olivia is at school three days a week and so I know kind of during those hours that's like hey mommy's working you kind of like they're kind of like you know doing their own thing I'm doing my thing and then coming together at the end of the day and not like letting all of the things that I need to do or like. Creative things because a lot of times like I'm constantly thinking of like creative videos to make or like outfits to put together or something like that and so just kind of like pushing that back and not thinking about that and being present and in the moment is it's so so important.
16:24.76
krishnasutherland
Oh yeah I love that and I love that you say you're always creating too because that's part of any business owner really like you have that mindset when you start going in then it's hard to get out of that. But it's it takes a lot of discipline.
16:40.37
Morgan
Know it does and I'm always all over the place and I have a mombrane. So so bad which I'm sure you have your mombrane moments too. So if I think of something really cool or cute or great idea I'll just write it down like on a note on my phone real quick. So I don't forget it. And then later like the next day or whatever when I'm working I'll go back and reference it so that's kind of like my way of like not forgetting but also like not being like hey I have to go write this down somewhere you know.
17:03.40
krishnasutherland
Yes, that's awesome. So what do you think your favorite part of the business is.
17:10.32
Morgan
Um, I'd say my favorite part is probably connecting with all the other women. It's so cool. How many different girls I've gotten close to influencers other influencers that I would have never met I'll call them my followers which is such a weird word but all of my people.
17:26.95
krishnasutherland
Yeah.
17:29.98
Morgan
Um, I mean literally all of these people I would have never had the chance to communicate with a lot of my close followers have gotten to known Well I know very well I've had a closet sale where these people have like come into my home and shop my closet which is super cool and also like very trusting of me.
17:43.38
krishnasutherland
That is cool. Yes I might be painking.
17:49.74
Morgan
Um, and I think just right right? No I had so Drew vetted them very well. Um, and everyone was oh my gosh seriously even sweeter in person than online which was wonderful. Um, but yeah I think that um I'm sorry Krishna I forgot the question gonna have to cut this part out.
18:05.87
krishnasutherland
No, that's okay, all right pause for 3 seconds okay Okay, um it was your favorite part of the business.
18:08.46
Morgan
I Like that off ontainment.
18:18.70
Morgan
Okay, I'm continuing on with my story. Yeah, just connecting with all of the women. Um so many people too I feel like have opened up to me I feel like a lot of times people feel like bloggers or influencers are almost like.
18:20.92
krishnasutherland
Okay.
18:35.72
Morgan
Therapist or like your girlfriend and so it's like I've had so many people like announce their pregnancies to me like after they've gone through like ivf or miscarriages and just so many beautiful and sad but just heartfelt stories that it's just like wow like. It's all about perspective. You know it's like you have a bad day and then you read someone else's story or like they message you about something that's going on in their life and it really just like kind of makes you take a breath and be like wow like um, a moment just to have gratitude um, and just to be thankful because I'm like okay there. First of all trusting me enough to share this with me which is super cool and it's also so important for me to like not get so caught up in the everyday and be like okay this little problem that I think is a big deal really isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things and so I think that's really important. So I think overall just the. Sense of community that I have with this that I wouldn't have ever had without it honestly.
19:26.33
krishnasutherland
Yeah, that's amazing and what do you think your biggest struggle is or dislike of just overall the business.
19:36.30
Morgan
So I think my top qualities is also my biggest struggle just not turn. Not it ever turning off, you know, a lot of people say in typical 9 to 5 jobs. They go to their office. They do their job. They come home. Um, you clock in and you clock out and so there's no physical clocking in and clocking out for me and so that's kind of on me to be like self-check be like hey all right? It's not it's over and Drew will tell you like that's what I struggle with the most too and I'm trying to get better at that I also think no one's letting you know you're doing a good job. Unless people are you know messaging you saying you know, love this or key off it or whatever. Um, you know in a typical job. You have a review with your manager and when you're a business owner. Um, it's pretty much just like it's just you most of the time and so you're like well I hope I'm doing a good job like I hope this is sticking and I hope everyone's enjoying this and. And the back of my mind I know that they are because they wouldn't be there if they weren't but I think sometimes that is really hard to like not I guess getting recognized for all of the hard work. You do that? No one ever sees just like being a mom. You do all sorts of work that no one ever sees and you don't ever brag about it because why everyone everyone has to do it. Um, and it's the same thing you know.
20:49.10
krishnasutherland
Oh yeah, for sure and really, that's I mean when you're starting a business that's like probably a lot of people's worst struggle and why so many people fail and give up their business so early because they don't have that you know inner drive.
21:01.49
Morgan
Um, over.
21:07.38
krishnasutherland
To kind of push themselves a little bit more. So can you tell us something that kind of inspired you to push past that and just keep going.
21:14.53
Morgan
Yeah, So I think that's just innately who I am I grew up where my dad worked and my mom stayed home and I loved my childhood. Um, but I knew that I wanted to have the freedom just financially to be able to help support my family and I think in the back of my mind just knowing that and knowing that like I'm showing my girls how hard I work just like my mom showed me how hard she worked like around the house. Um. That's so important to me and that's always kind of you know my why or driving me, you know, especially on the hard days.
21:54.52
krishnasutherland
Yeah, and that's amazing I love that too. So um, you're very consistent on your um Instagram on your account and with your brand. So how do you think that consistency plays in ah all of this business but also specifically in the beginning like what was the consistency part.
22:19.94
Morgan
Yeah I think anything you're starting for the first time consistency is literally everything no matter if it's your business social media which that is my business eating healthy working out all of those types of things like once you get into a routine and a groove. Um, I think that is like the biggest thing and I think a lot of people sometimes will dive into Instagram or blogging or whatever like one hundred miles an hour and then not really see the results that they're wanting and then they give up but really, it's a slow drip over time. There's gonna be really good times and there's gonna be just like yeah. Not so awesome times. Thankfully, those are far and few in between you know for me now. But as I was starting off. It was definitely hard like I was like all right like ah do I keep going like you know what do I keep doing but I think just pushing through and knowing that um. You know you're doing it for a reason and you're enjoying it and at the end of the day. Really what more can you ask for.
23:19.33
krishnasutherland
Yeah, and I think it's that why too that really pushes you because if you don't have a reason why like there's really no reason in your head to keep going. So.
23:25.70
Morgan
Um, know it is excuse me. It definitely is and um, it's been so fun too. I think there are times in every job. Where it's like I like I'm kind of getting a little bit burnout like this isn't fun anymore and I think it's really important when you're going through those I guess seasons I'll call them to take a break. You know what? I mean sometimes you need to break I was kind of feeling that way in November December those are like my busiest months of the year because i'm. Ah, sharing black Friday cyber Monday holiday content christmas gift ideas all of that good stuff and um, it's just a lot it's a lot of creating it's a lot of being on. It's a lot of being consistent and posting. You know all the time. Um, and I was just really feeling like creatively burnt out and so I didn't. Officially like log off of Instagram or anything like that over the holidays. But I really really just slowed it down and was just really only sharing a couple things here and there just family stuff and just really being present with my kids and then having that mindset where. I'm gonna start back after the new year like full throttle. You know that Monday last Monday was like 1 of the most productive Mondays that I've had in a long time and I think when you have those kinds of days after taking a little bit of time off to breathe. It's so rewarding and just makes you feel so good and you're like okay this is what I needed this is the fresh breath of air like. Let's kick some butt. Let's get some things done. Um, and I think it's it's so so helpful.
24:54.94
krishnasutherland
Yeah, and let's be honest, like everyone has to be either going through or already went through this season of depression and Burnout and craziness with you know our society changing and everything being overwhelming like moms and everything. So.
25:10.79
Morgan
In yes.
25:12.84
krishnasutherland
Is there any advice that you could give on and just kind of that season like how do you feel in that season and then how do you get out of that season.
25:18.38
Morgan
Yes, it's very hard I'll say I'll say that I'm getting out of it right now last year was probably 1 of the hardest years of my life. It was the best year for my business. Ah, really great year and a lot of for a lot of different reasons watching my girls grow but for me personally speaking mentally. Emotionally it was a very very very hard exhausting taxing year that I was not sad to leave once we rang in the new year this year um I think praying through it. Um I think seeking counsel whether that's going to therapy or talking to someone who's older and wiser and more seasoned than you are to get a outsider's perspective or um or just sometimes to have a voice of reason or just sometimes to word vomit.
26:04.59
krishnasutherland
I guess.
26:07.13
Morgan
Sometimes we just ask women. We just need to talk. We just need to get out there. We just need to say everything and sometimes that's not always what we need to be saying so either finding the right person to say that to usually not your husband, especially if it's about your husband. Um and just. Praying through it honestly and I know that sounds so cliche. But I think last year really taught me the importance of prayer. Um I had always prayed before last year but it's not that I didn't really know why but it was kind of just like a thing that I did out of like habit and obligation and so I think really just reevaluating. Um. That part of my life was very very important. There were a lot of hard days last year and I think just pushing through them and at the end of the day not letting your pride get in the way of your life. Um, the way that you you know, talk to your kids. Maybe you get easily frustrated with them like sometimes I do especially you know after a long day and then it's like dang like I shouldn't have said that or you snapped at your husband or whatever it is um and I think just at at the end of every day reflecting on you know things that you could have done better and praying about that and you know letting it.
27:01.71
krishnasutherland
And if it please.
27:13.74
Morgan
All come out and you know asking for forgiveness and moving on and starting fresh over the next day it's never too late to start over and to ask for forgiveness and to move on and I think that's something that's really important is you're never too far gone and there's never a problem too big that you can't talk to god about honestly.
27:31.45
krishnasutherland
Gosh yes, all of those things. yes yes I mean I'll be honest, everyone on this podcast knows I am definitely going through that season 2 and probably November December was my hardest too and I think I would agree like ah.
27:32.99