Author: Barbara Swafford

Have you ever noticed how when you write your thoughts on paper it helps to clarify your feelings? It’s no wonder keeping a journal is so popular. Blogging is the same. We often write (blog) about that which is on our mind. It’s not just posting to a blog that… read more The Unseen Benefit of Commenting

It’s Tuesday and time for the next edition of the New Blog of the Week (NBOTW) series. I was a late bloomer when it came to receiving comments on my blog. Sure, I got a few that said “Hi”, “Great post”, but these three bloggers became a constant; always visiting,… read more (Not So) NBOTWs – Oldies But Goodies

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I spent the time celebrating old traditions and making new memories with family and friends. I logged into my blog a few minutes each day and approved comments waiting in moderation. I never did open my email. While spending time away from my blogs, thoughts of… read more Is Posting Too Often A Detriment To Your Blog

Have you ever noticed when you’re doing something you love, time flies? In one sense, it’s almost like time stands still. This analogy is often tied to living your passion. Today’s Lesson Blogging is that way for me. When I’m engrossed in blogging activities, time speeds by. On days when… read more Is Blogging The Best Use Of Your Time

She started her blog in July and has been busily adding posts on a regular basis. It’s not a blog I get to visit as often as I’d like, but since the first time I landed on it, I added it to my Google Reader, under my category “Blogs To… read more NBOTW – An Explorer Of Life

A lot of good things have been written about Twitter. It helps to get your blog found, aids in social networking, expands your branding power, etc. It’s also written that Twitter is another time consuming social networking tool. Today’s Lesson I haven’t joined Twitter yet. In fact, I’m rather hesitant… read more Twitter – Do You REALLY Care What I’m Doing

When we played the avatar game in the “Are Domain Names Over Rated” post, the consensus was our avatars are easily recognizable in blogosphere, and do become part of our online brand. In the comment section, both Wendi of Life’s Little Inspirations and Jennifer of Down To Earth Girl had… read more You Asked For It – What About My Avatar

Have you ever said you would like to be a problogger? You know, quit that job for “the man”, blog for a living, only have yourself to answer to and watch the dollars roll in? I have. It sounds like a great job. You can pick your own hours. In… read more Be Careful What You Wish For

Envy and jealousy are common traits in most of us. Let’s fact it, if someone has something we want, we can easily get a twinge of jealousy. In some instances, if it looks like they didn’t work hard to get it, anger and hate may set in. It’s these negative… read more When The Green Eyed Monster Strikes In Blogosphere

I can’t remember exactly how I found this blog, but from the very start, I knew I would like it. How could I not. This New Blog Of The Week (NBOTW) author has written about my home state of Michigan and another favorite; Alaska. Depending on when you’ve landed on… read more NBOTW – For The Love Of Words

If you were to ask me, I’d say blogging is still in it’s infancy and has the ability to change how we receive/transmit news and information that’s important to us. But, what about those who have been blogging for years? What is their thought on the future of blogging? When… read more A.S.K. Darren Rowse – Problogger – What Is The Future Of Blogging

Happy Friday! I hope you had a great week and have a fun weekend planned. I have some good news to share. Last Saturday I was honored to be named a SOB (Successful and Outstanding Blogger) on Liz Strauss’ blog. I’ve proudly displayed my badge in my left sidebar. Remember… read more Casual Friday – The Floor Is Yours

You know her as Cath Lawson, business woman and blog author with an avatar that dons purple hair and who writes with such honesty and humor, you can’t help but read her every word. I know her as Catherine, my first and best blogosphere friend who has always been there… read more Interview With Cath Lawson – Entrepreneur, Aspiring Author and Blogger

Remember on Monday when we talked about our domain names and mistakes we may have made with them? When you think about it, how many of us know the exact domain names of some of our favorite bloggers? Today’s Lesson How do we recognize a blogger? Is it by their… read more Are Domain Names Over Rated

As I mentioned earlier, for my New Blog Of The Week (NBOTW) series, I”ll be including some older blogs, as well. In this edition of (Not so) New Blogs Of The Week, I’ve chosen two fabulous blogs written by women who live in Australia. In no particular order, the first… read more NSNBOTWs – 2 Gals From Down Under

No matter what your level of expertise, blogging mistakes are inevitable. I know I’ve made my share. When Darren Rowse, author of Problogger and co-author of ProBlogger: Secrets Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income agreed to participate in my A.S.K. (Answers Sharing Knowledge) series, I wanted to know his… read more A.S.K. Darren Rowse – Problogger – What Was Your Biggest Blogging Mistake

What a great way to end the week. I am honored to have Tom Volkar, Life Work Coach at CoreU and author of Delightful Work sitting down for an interview. After answering my questions, Tom has agreed to provide free coaching in the comment section. Let’s read what Tom has… read more Tom Volkar – Life Work Coach – Answers My Questions And Yours

If you blog, in some sense, you’re a teacher. You’re sharing your thoughts, opinions, life lessons, and/or stories from the past. In many cases your words will resonate with others and they will learn “something” be inspired to do “something”. Our work may create a light bulb moment leaving our… read more Bloggers – Virtual Teachers On The Internet

Have you ever had a job where you were required to learn a lot of new stuff? You know the ones. You knew the basics but in order to do your job well or to advance, you had to learn more. Or maybe the job tested your people skills on… read more Blogs – Information You Won’t Find In A Text Book

She’s a thinker who shares her thoughts. When you read her words, you realize she’s happy with who she is. When you see her avatar, her smile will make you smile. This “New Blog Of The Week” (NBOTW) writes stories of where she came from, what she learned and where… read more NBOTW – The Happy Thinker

If you blog, you’ve most likely heard stories of how A-list bloggers are pulling down a six figure income. Reading those stories is one reason many are attracted to blogging. They, too, would love to quit their day job, stay home, blog in their pajamas, and watch the dollars roll… read more A.S.K. Darren Rowse – Problogger – How To Become A Six Figure Blogger

Have I got a treat for you today. Although this isn’t the first guest post on Blogging Without A Blog (BWAB), it’s the first time I’m using a “substitute teacher”. Two weeks ago when I was buried in work from my paying job and blogging was taking a back seat,… read more Blogging To Do List – Do It, Delete It Or Delegate

Have you ever heard the saying, “When you point a finger at someone else, you have three (fingers) pointing back at you”? It reminds me of negative publicity business owners are subjected to which is often generated by their competitors. Look at Donald Trump. He’s the subject of tons of… read more How To Survive A Bashing In Blogosphere

You, my readers, are awesome. Remember last week when I was interviewed by Stephen Hopson of Adversity University? Based on how many comments “Part 1” got, it broke his comment record. How cool is that? The second part of the interview is now live. As I mentioned earlier, the first… read more It’s All About Me – Part 3

Here’s another daddy blogger who is making his mark on blogosphere. By reviewing his early posts, he writes how he and his wife made a decision to have him stay home with the four children and she would to work. I knew he was a great guy when he dedicated… read more NBOTW – Bringing Me To Tears

Most bloggers get impatient and want fast growth. We try whatever others suggest to grow our blogs and drive traffic to them. Some techniques work better than others, but no one tells us what to expect, when. I wanted to ask someone who has been there, so in this third… read more A.S.K. Darren Rowse of Problogger – When Do We Know Our Blog Is A “Winner”

Happy Friday! First, a quick recap of the week: On Monday Darren Rowse of Problogger shared his answer to how he addresses comments on his blog. The comment section exploded with great ideas of how we can manage our comment section. Tuesday I expanded on the New Blog of the… read more Who Taught You – Open Mic

Remember the interview I did for Blogger Dad? Shortly after that, Stephen Hopson of Adversity University asked if I would agree to do an interview for him, too. I said “yes”. Stephen’s questions are a little different than Blogger Dad’s. Here’s a sampling from part one (it’s a two part… read more It’s All About Me – Part Two

The more I blog, the more I realize it’s not just brand new bloggers who want and/or need additional traffic to get found. So as a “extension” to the New Blog Of The Week (NBOTW) series, I’ll also be showcasing blogs that are more than four months old. I wasn’t… read more Not So New Blogs Of The Week

I don’t know about you, but I love getting comments on my blog posts. Granted, they do take time to answer, but for me, there’s nothing better than the sense of community that forms in the comment section. Recently I’ve noticed some blog authors have totally closed their comment sections… read more A.S.K. Darren Rowse – How Does A Problogger Deal With Comments