Even though I’ve been blogging for about three years now, I didn't get really serious about turning my blog into a business until the three year mark. I’ve been blogging relatively consistently the whole time, but now, since I'm making it business, instead of just a hobby, I’m in the "intense work phase," where I’m blogging practically every day and promoting myself as much as possible, in my first steps towards entrepreneurship.

Blogging can be a really fun way for many of us to express ourselves and let our creativity shine. It's like a blank canvas that's all yours that you can use to create the perfect masterpiece. However, in today's age of social media, it's easy to feel unconfident as a blogger, especially when you're just starting out. As you brainstorm on your ideas for your new blog or as you put yourself out there with your existing blog, without getting the response you wanted to get, negative thoughts can start to creep in...thoughts about not being where you think you should be yet or self-doubt or fear of being judged for the type of content you create. These can all be hindrances in being confident as a blogger.

Last year, I started to take my entrepreneurial aspirations a lot more seriously. I started listening to podcasts more and more as the months went on, as I was sitting at my desk at my 9-5 or as I was getting ready for work in the mornings. I ended up with an arsenal of eight podcasts that I love that help to provide wonderful information for anyone aspiring to be an entrepreneur.

Both blogging and starting a business can be considered experiments, at times. Yes, you can do all the research that you can, but really, it all comes down to executing, evaluating the results, and making the changes to get better results as you go. Here are steps that you can take to determine if it's time to change direction on your business or blog.

Last weekend, I had the privilege of attending the MogulCon conference in Atlanta that was hosted by Felicia Phillips of The PINKpreneur Network. The event was tailored just for entrepreneurial and influential corporate women. I had such an amazing time. As someone who is an aspiring entrepreneur, it can be somewhat of a lonely pursuit, as I am the only one in circle of family, friends, and close acquaintances with entrepreneurial aspirations. Considering all of this, it felt really good to be in a room full of successful black women entrepreneurs who were living their dreams. There was SO much inspiring knowledge that was shared, so it was hard to narrow it down. But here are my top ten life and business lessons that I learned from influencers at the conference that can serve as inspiration to fellow aspiring entrepreneurs.

So in 2016, I really pushed myself beyond what I perceived to be my limits. I started blogging in 2014, but for the first time, this year, I overcame stagnation and gained the momentum needed to do it well and to do it consistently. I also did freelance website work, and took an evening class, ALL while juggling a full-time 9-5. When I look back, I now see that my lack of momentum was due to a lack of confidence in myself and in my abilities. Here are the 7 actions that I took in 2016 that helped me to finally overcome my stagnation and my “lukewarm” pursuit of my dreams once and for all. You can watch me talk about it in video or read it below!

My main goal in life is to have no regrets, so I won’t grow old with any “what ifs.” I can't remember where I first read about this concept, but what I've learned is that life is basically an EXPERIMENT. It's trial and error. Below, I listed some of the principles that have helped push me to live life to the fullest and to overcome fear of failure.

So many of us second guess ourselves and our abilities, thinking we have to be absolutely 100% certain of every detail before making a decision and perfect in our abilities before taking action, especially when it involves our careers. In our minds, we toss ideas around back and forth, never really coming to a conclusion. We end up stuck in this place of limbo and indecision, at times. Here are six tips that I've been incorporating into my life to keep my career momentum going, even when I feel unsure, unsupported, or like results aren’t coming fast enough.

Our 20s can be some of the best years of our lives. It's in this decade that we get our first "real adult" jobs, we go on fun trips and have amazing new experiences, and we just discover and learn more about who we really are. However, many of us can make our 20s more complicated than they really need to be by wasting our time, energy, and thought power on irrelevant things. Now that I'm older and wiser, it's been nice to have more energy, laughs, and just an overall better quality of life because I've learned what to give attention to, what to ignore, and how to live in a way that truly matters to me, when it comes to my career aspiration and personal life. Check out my list of 10 things to stop doing when have made up your mind that you want to live an authentic life that fills you up.