If you want to be successful in business, you need to take risks.
A few years ago, I took a life-changing risk.
And today is the first time I’m finally writing about it on the blog.
When I started Chocolate Covered Katie, I never expected this to become my full-time job. My high school friends were all making blogs or Myspace pages back then, and we were doing it just for fun.
When a company contacted me about putting ads on the site, I thought their email was spam and came very close to deleting it. My blog was getting around 700 visitors per day, which I thought was a ton.
Then suddenly, Pinterest took off and changed everything.
Readers began pinning my recipes like crazy—for example, this recipe has over 1 million repins!
I was in college and in way over my head.
Traffic surges kept crashing the website, and hundreds of new reader questions and emails poured in each day.
I spent nights and weekends reading up on CSS and PHP and devoted my days to mastering aperture, F stops, and shutter speed. I was suddenly interested in subjects I’d never even thought of exploring: photography, business, computer programming?!
Interest in my actual college classes took a back seat, and my college social life swiftly dropped to nonexistent.
At the time, blogging was not a “real” job.
No one was a full-time blogger—at least, not anyone I knew.
But I couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that this could really turn into something fantastic. If I didn’t take the chance to explore the opportunity, I knew it wouldn’t exist forever.
While I did initially tell readers I’d made a decision to blog full-time, there was a part I left out:
I dropped out of college to write a blog.
It sounded like such a crazy idea at the time, and there were definitely people in my real life who didn’t support my decision and were vocal about letting me know it.
But when I decide to do something, there is no talking me out of it – I wrote about this once before.
Both of my parents were supportive when I told them about my decision, but they did worry about me not having a degree, especially with the future of blogging being such an unknown.
Out of respect for them (because they seriously are the best), I went back and finished a year later online. Although I started college at Bryn Mawr and transferred to SMU in Dallas, my degree says I graduated from Penn State.
Somehow, I never seem to do anything the traditional way.
So was the risk worth it?
I love my job and get to eat chocolate every day. Definitely worth it!
Side note: If you want to read more about my college journey, you can do so here:
Chocolate Covered Katie – College Story Part 1
*For all who’ve been asking, here’s my simple tutorial for How To Start A Blog.
Katie, I have always found you to be so positive, kind, upbeat… and am reminded after reading this Blog, you are *so* generous! I found you a few years ago when I was working on moving to a plant-based diet, everything yummy I Googled sent me to the same place – here!
I don’t want to bore you with details, but we just love you around here. I have been disabled for some time, but in that time with so much of my life changing, I discovered I actually liked baking, loved it even! I live with my folks – who, like yours, were extremely (& sort of surprisingly!) supportive about my sort of !beyond! traditional University choices when I struggled with future hopes and the school where I was not happy, and then transferring to my favorite school, the University of Oklahoma, where what I wanted to “be when I grew up” was not taught, not something I could get a degree in. So I bounced around a LOT, and I have no idea why my parents didn’t tell me to cut it out 🙂
I have hoped for the past 5 years to start a home-based business and this really encourages me! And also like you , I want to finish those few classes and (oh! go away, silly tears!) I want so much for my parents to see me walk or wheel or heck, have a friend give me a piggyback ride!, across a stage to receive my degree. Hoping hoping!
Some tradition is very nice. But some of us also just aren’t made from the same mold, which i think is very cool. Life would be so boring if we all did things the same way! It is just so neat that you found your niche so early in life, this is a fantastic Blog (and book!) and I have learned so much from you. I feel like you are part of my “team” when my stubborn Dad sets down his junky desserts and dives into a CCK recipe! You might very well have helped us get to keep him here still, he had a heart attack 4 years ago.
Now if you can come up with some sort of plant-based hot dog, which for some wacky reason is my Dad’s favorite food? You will be the biggest hero in this house. 😀 (I Guess we all can have one vice, but my STARS that man likes junk!) :0)
Thanks again for being so kind and sharing your life a li’l bit too!
Aw thanks… I can try. Have you tried any of the plant-based hot dogs on the market? I haven’t tried any in years but think I’ve had the Lightlife ones a few times, years ago, and liked them.
Wow, Katie! You are so inspiring. Thanks for sharing your story. As a high school kid it’s nice to know that non-traditional schooling is sometimes the best option of all, depending of course on your circumstances.
Hi Katie! Your blog and recipes were among the first to get me interested in cooking and baking. One of my first “trial recipes” was your avocado cream sauce, which I now make all the time! I actually recently started my own food blog on Instagram (@24bbakery) because I’ve been inspired by you to share my love for food and health with others! If you have any advice on starting a successful blog I’d love to hear from you!
Thank you so much for making it!
I tagged all of my posts about blogging… hopefully one of them can maybe be helpful! https://lett-trim.today/tag/blogging-tips/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Ha! I can’t even imagine telling people you were going to quit college to write a blog. Even now, blogging isn’t exactly something everyone thinks about when they think about career choices, but a few years ago?! That would be like telling people you were quitting college to play professional quiddich. Which would be really fun, by the way.
Love your blog!
Your story is very inspiring! I started blogging about 3 years ago and wished I had gotten into it sooner. Now, with two small kids, there is no way I can quit my day job and blog full-time. I’m contented by positive feedback on my recipes and increasing my views per day.
Hi Katie! Awesome story and very inspiring 🙂 I started blogging about a year ago about my journey with scoliosis and my surgery. Recently the hospital I had my surgery at in NYC came to me and asked me if they could share my story and my blog. I happily said yes! The NY Post and Daily Mail ran the story last week which was great exposure. But now I’m wondering how to keep gaining traction and visitors… Do you have any suggestions for those of us still trying to figure out the blogging thing 😛
PS I LOOOOVE your blog and all of your recipes! Your muffins in my house always go like hotcakes!! … And my family doesn’t even like to eat healthy like I do – haha!
Oh wow, congratulations. That is fantastic exposure!
I tagged all of my posts about blogging… hopefully some of them can be helpful. I would say Pinterest is one of my biggest traffic sources and a great place to focus if you want more traffic. https://lett-trim.today/tag/blogging-tips/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
SO amazing to hear this part of your story, Katie! Thank you for sharing 🙂 You’re an inspiration and great role model to all!
Wow! That really must have been really, really scary at the time. Obviously it paid off and we are all very grateful! Stumbling upon your blog was what first inspired me to try to find healthier alternatives for baking 🙂
What do you think the blog would look like today if you hadn’t committed to it full-time back then?
Probably would have had to give it up by now… I am in awe of anyone who can run a large blog and have a full-time job too. (And I know some people do it!) Blogging is a lot of fun, but it’s also time-consuming… many bloggers even hire staff.
I remember thinking about giving it up at the time. Am happy I didn’t have to after all 🙂
Hi Katie!
Wow, I think that is incredibly brave of you to leave college for your blog! Talk about determination!
Also I just wanted to let you know I just bought your cookbook!! I’ve made your recipes off your blog but now I’m so happy to have some in print! It looks incredible!
Thank you so much!!
Wow that was really a huge risk! But it was a good choice, I see! I admire you because I would’ve never had the guts to try something like that.