On this my birthday, I owe you all a big apology. Are blogs dead? Is this the end of blogging? And in particular, this blog? 

If you are looking for some recipes … just jump to here. But if you want to hear me out, read on to the end as I make restitution!

Are blogs dead?

The short answer is that you need to decide!

A blog is a great way for a website to stay current and relevant both to its existing client base or to potential new clients via Google but for many reasons, we have seen that over time, content creation has depleted many content creators who have been in it for the long haul. Here are some of the issues that I have assessed in my own journey on this blog. 

1. NEGLECT 

There is no other way to put it but to address the humungous white elephant in the room. I have neglected this space. I just have been posting less and less over the years especially since I moved to Aruba from Ras Al Khaimah.  I have had so much upheaval in my life and things have had a challenging time reconciling the MEGA transition that has been divorce and I think this space is the one that suffered most. I did new and exciting things, but still, I just stopped posting here with the regularity that you my audience have loved me for.  But that is about to change.   

2. DISTRACTIONS

I added new channels, new strategies and even incorporated my newsletter and email more efficiently… because for years I had previously collected your email signups but never really spent anytime nurturing them. So much so that by the time I started sending some emails, some people forgot they willingly signed up years prior! So I was working on fixing those issues. I relaunched my personal branding website into an online business hub www.kariheron.com , and growing that has been a major effort as it has allowed me to handle all my courses and coaching and serve as the hub of my entire business enterprise.

And plus I was also trying to leverage lead generation through social media -something I never did in the early years and which eventually became a distraction because, its just way more addictive than we think, even when we do it for work!

3. OVERWHELM

Some of you may or may not have known that this blog has practically always been a solo effort for the most part.  At the greatest, I may have enjoyed a generous 10% of contribution.  The truth is that blogging is not the only thing I do. I run an entire multi-faceted business as a solopreneur on top of being a solo parent to a young, active child in a foreign country. That has been a huge demand on me and as much as I felt like I TRULY MISSED THE CATHARTIC SPACE that this has always been, I just didn’t have the time!

4. WORKFLOW DISRUPTION

I lost about $20,000 of content production equipment in one short period and that that SIGNIFICANTLY affected my workflow. I had developed a highly efficient workflow prior to that which made it easier for me to produce, create and publish content effectively and efficiently and since the loss, everything has just been way more difficult than it needs to be. This is an OK state to work through short term, but over an extended period, it has proven to be a greater liability and has stolen what would have been hundreds of hours of solid production and publishing time. And if,  it’s going to devour my limited resources, you understand that over time, that would become a big demotivator. 

5. SPREAD TOO THIN

See how this stationary stone has been gathering moss from numbers 1-4? It continued to the point where I was just spread too thin. Too much to do, too little time. Only one Kari.  What to do, Yani? I have also been hosting destination in-person cooking experiences, which have been nothing short of AMAZING as it has afforded me the chance to meet and connect in such deeply meaningful ways with so many of you, but those are also very time consuming. I won’t stop them, but I am looking to do some more intensive in-person events for those who have expressed a desire to come back for longer cooking courses and retreats. 

6. CHASING WATERFALLS

I was trying to not be left out of new social media channels. Posting and reposting on so many different platforms. Maximising lead gen there but neglecting the most evergreen lead gen platform- this was literally chasing the proverbial waterfalls. I have seen the folly of my ways and I will now stick to the rivers and the lakes that I am used to. Sorry, corny me just couldn’t resist the TLC reference. Those were my girls in my teens!

But big and serious, after doing much coaching and processing from major identity shifts, I am really keen on dialing back on my energy expenditure across multiple platforms and focus on the ones that represent the core of my business.

7. THE RESTITUTION

For everyone of you who signs up as a subscriber and leaves a comment, I will send you a FREE copy of my e-Book Caribbean Dinner Party- Roti Edition to say “Thank You” for being patient with me.  Thirteen years is a long time to run a blog and I continue to invest thousands to keep it going because I believe in the power of what we are creating together. My efforts are nothing without your support and I want to say “Thank You” for being part of this community.

8. A NEW WAY FORWARD 

I have  really been honing into what the next iteration of my media and content business will look like and now is a good time to articulate it. 

I want to spend more time here. It means that I want to do at least 2-3 posts per week, even if some are shorter posts that share content produced on my Youtube Channel. 

Speaking of which, I will also be concentrating on long form video production on YouTube as a supplement to my blog here. So essentially, I am getting back to my core content creation and publishing and I need your help in the process. 

IF you wish to contribute to our content creation budget, that allows us to make the necessary investments to create quality content more frequently. 

Here are ways you can help us create and publish great quality content

1. For as little as $10/month , join and help us build our Membership and access private monthly LIVE  group sessions. Cancel anytime. 
2. Register for the next available cohort for Kari’s popular “Booked, Sold & Busy Challenge”
3. Shop our one of a kind originally designed Merch in our store 
4. Make a one off sponsorship payment of any amount directly via  https://chefandsteward.com/pay 
5. We need your comments and shares to help increase our number and reach more people and build a positive community dedicated to wholesome food, lifestyle, travel, healthy relationships, faith and business.