10 Lessons from 10 Years of Blogging

The Velvet Runway celebrates Ten Years : 10 Lessons from 10 Years of Blogging

I can hardly believe it, but this September marks ten years of The Velvet Runway. When I started back in 2015, blogging was just a hobby — a place to share my love of fashion, travel, and lifestyle and the blogging world looked very different. SEO was a foreign concept to most, and keyword research was rarely discussed. Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram were in their infancy, and Google+ still had a presence.

In those early days, monetization meant a few sponsored posts here or there, maybe some affiliate links if you were lucky. My first blog posts were … well, awful. But I was so proud just to finally hit the Publish button. Because while I had no idea what I was doing — not the technical, not the financial, not the marketing — I knew that I wanted to see what I could build.

But, it was so much harder than I expected. Not only did I need to figure out the technical side of running a website, but I also discovered that being a blogger meant wearing many hats (thankfully only metaphorical ones): writer, photographer, editor, marketer, and even accountant.

And yet, here we are — ten years later! Very few blogs make it to the 10-year mark and studies show that “fewer than 10% of bloggers manage to generate income from their endeavors”, which makes this milestone feel extra meaningful.

What began as a hobby has since become my full-time career, but it hasn’t been an easy road. I made mistakes — lots of them — and I’ve had to learn by trial and error. That’s part of why I feel so strongly about sharing what I’ve learned, both the human lessons and the practical strategies.

To mark ten years of this journey, I’m sharing 10 human lessons from 10 Years of Blogging — the mindset, the resilience, the heart of blogging — that I’ve learned along the way.

10 Lessons from 10 Years of Blogging: A Decade of Growth, Grit, and Gratitude

When I first hit “publish” on my very first post, I had no idea that blogging would become such a big part of my life. I certainly didn’t imagine it would become my career. Back in 2015, I had no roadmap. I was improvising my way through blog posts, photography, design, social media, and often felt confused and overwhelmed! What surprised me was realising, several years in, that this thing I’d started for fun was becoming something much bigger.

Today, The Velvet Runway is a thriving platform with readers around the world. Earlier this year, it was recognised with the Best Travel & Lifestyle Blog – France award by LUXlife Magazine — a moment that made me realise how far this blog has come.

And while I can’t share details yet, I’m thrilled to hint that there’s another exciting award announcement in the pipeline. All of this recognition is incredibly validating, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took ten years of showing up, writing, refining, and pushing through the tough days.

It was definitely NOT easy. I stumbled, experimented, made mistakes, and learned by trial and error. That’s why I feel so strongly about helping other bloggers. I want to share both the wins and the mistakes — because if you’re just starting out, you don’t have to wait ten years to learn what I know now.

Sometimes I look back and think: if I’d known some of the things I know now, I could have avoided a lot of wasted time, doubt, or frustration. That’s where the new Blogging Tips category comes in — not just to share what’s worked, but what I wish someone had told me early on.

10 Lessons from 10 Years of Blogging

So, let’s dive into the 10 human lessons learned from 10 Years of Blogging — the ones written in sweat, curiosity, perseverance, and sometimes failure.

Lesson 1. Start before you feel ready

When I launched in 2015, I didn’t have everything figured out — not even close. If I’d waited until I did, I’d probably still be waiting. Blogging is a journey where clarity comes from action.

Your blog won’t look perfect on day one. Your brand will evolve, your design will change, and your niche may shift. That’s part of the blogging game — it’s everchanging.

The worst thing you can do is stay stuck in the “waiting for perfect” zone, because perfection never comes. I didn’t have it all figured out, but I took action anyway. I hit publish on posts that make me cringe now — and yet, without those posts, I wouldn’t be here ten years later.

The real secret is to keep taking imperfect action. The courage to move forward, even when it’s messy, is what gets you to the next stage.

Pro Tip: Don’t let perfectionism hold you back. Your first post won’t be your best — and that’s okay. What matters is starting.

Lesson 2. Consistency beats perfection

There were so many times I tied myself in knots trying to make every post flawless — and all that did was slow me down. There were times I obsessed over tiny details — the lighting in photos, the precise phrasing, the exact tone. But, what kept The Velvet Runway alive wasn’t perfection; it was consistency.

Readers come back because they know they can rely on you. It doesn’t matter if your images aren’t magazine-level or if your writing voice takes time to find. What matters is showing up, week after week, with something worth sharing.

Consistency creates momentum. It builds trust. And over time, it compounds into growth you never thought possible.

Pro Tip: Pick a realistic posting schedule and stick to it. Readers value reliability more than perfection.

Lesson 3. Mistakes are part of the process

If you’ve ever felt discouraged by blogging mistakes, let me reassure you: I’ve made plenty! Awkward layouts, cringeworthy photos, SEO errors, broken links — you name it, I’ve done it. But each mistake taught me something invaluable.

And it’s not just bloggers who learn this way. Think of Sir James Dyson: it took him 15 years and 5,126 failed prototypes before he perfected his bagless vacuum. Today, Dyson is a multi-billion-dollar company. That didn’t happen in spite of his mistakes — it happened because of them.

Blogging is the same. You need to be willing to experiment, fail, and try again. Most people don’t keep going — they give up when things get hard. But those who persist through the uncomfortable, messy middle are the ones who build thriving blogs.

Pro Tip: Don’t fear failure — treat mistakes as tuition for your blogging education.

Lesson 4. Invest in your skills and tools

For too long, I resisted spending money on my blog. I thought I could figure out everything for free. And while there are plenty of free resources out there, the turning point came when I started investing in myself.

Photography courses improved my visuals. SEO training brought more readers. Upgrading to better hosting and tools saved me countless hours of frustration. Each investment paid off many times over.

The bonus? Blogging also teaches you unexpected skills along the way. I never imagined I’d learn so much about design, social media strategy, or financial planning. But a blog stretches you into areas you’d never anticipate.

Pro Tip: See blogging as a business (because it is!), even if it starts as a hobby. Invest in yourself and the right tools early.

Lesson 5: Inspiration comes from living life

Some (Most!) of my best blog posts didn’t come from staring at my laptop. They came from moments of travel, conversations with friends, or simply giving myself permission to step away.

When you’re too focused on producing content, you risk running dry. Creativity needs fuel — and life outside your desk is the fuel.

If you ever feel blocked, don’t just push harder. Take a walk, go to a gallery, travel to a new place, or even just step into your garden. Living life fully gives you stories and perspectives that naturally enrich your blog.

Pro Tip: Don’t chain yourself to the desk. Step away regularly — the best ideas often find you when you’re not looking for them.

Lesson 6: Blogging teaches resilience

If there’s one muscle blogging builds, it’s resilience. From low-traffic months to social media algorithm changes to unkind comments, you quickly learn that not everyone will cheer you on. People can be critical, sometimes even cruel.

In the early years, a single negative comment could derail my confidence. Now, I’ve learned to keep perspective. Most criticism reflects more about the commenter than about you. What matters is continuing to show up for your audience and yourself.

Resilience means bouncing back when things go wrong. It means adjusting when strategies fail. It means pressing publish even when you’re nervous about how a post will be received.

Pro Tip: Feel the fear and do it anyway. Remember, critics are often projecting their own struggles — your job is to keep creating.

Lesson 7: Creativity Needs Rest

There were seasons when I pushed too hard, trying to churn out content nonstop. And do you know what happened? I burned out. The words stopped flowing, the ideas dried up, and blogging became more of a chore than a joy.

What I’ve learned is that creativity doesn’t thrive under constant pressure. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your blog is to step away — to live life outside the screen. My best ideas often came not while typing, but while traveling, taking a walk, or simply giving myself permission to rest.

Blogging isn’t about hustling 24/7. It’s about showing up with energy and inspiration — and you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to step back when you need to. A rested mind will return with fresher ideas and stronger content.

Lesson 8: SEO Is Your Friend — But Not Your Only One

When I first heard about SEO, I resisted it. It felt too technical, too rigid, too far from the creative side of blogging that I loved. But eventually, I learned that SEO isn’t the enemy of creativity — it’s a tool that helps your content reach the people who need it most.

Learning the basics of SEO completely changed my reach. But here’s the catch: SEO alone isn’t enough. If you write for algorithms, you’ll lose the human connection that makes readers stick around. The sweet spot is when you balance the two.

So yes, learn SEO — it will pay dividends for years to come. But never forget that behind every search term is a real person looking for connection and information.

Pro Tip: Optimise for search engines, but always write for humans. Authentic content beats keyword stuffing every time.

Lesson 9: Your Voice is Your Superpower

In my early blogging days, I sometimes tried to sound like other “successful” bloggers. But the more I did that, the more generic my writing became — and the less my readers connected.

The turning point was when I leaned fully into my own voice. I stopped trying to be polished, perfect, or appeal to everyone. Instead, I wrote honestly, authentically, and from the heart. And that’s when the right readers found me — because authenticity is magnetic.

If you try to please everyone, you’ll end up pleasing no one. Your uniqueness is what will set your blog apart in a crowded space.

Pro Tip: Don’t dilute your message to fit in. Embrace your voice — it’s your greatest blogging asset.

Lesson 10: Adapt and Evolve because things change!

The blog I have today looks nothing like the one I started in 2015. Platforms change, algorithms shift, what readers want shifts, what I want shifts. If I had stayed rigid — insisting on old formats, resisting change — I likely would have stagnated (personally and professionally!).

Adaptability has been key. What worked in 2015 doesn’t necessarily work in 2025, and that’s okay. The beauty of blogging is that it grows with you. Staying flexible means your blog stays relevant and continues to serve your audience. Change is not something to fear; it’s a sign of progress.

Pro Tip: Check in regularly with your audience. Ask what they want to see more of and stay flexible.

Looking Ahead : Blogging Tips

These human lessons have brought The Velvet Runway through its first decade. “Oof!” But growth doesn’t stop here. As I said earlier, I’m launching a Blogging Tips category — a place to dig deep into the “how-tos” I wish I’d known earlier.

There, I’ll share the knowledge I wish I’d had when I started: how to research your niche, understand your audience, affiliate marketing, collaborations, monetisation strategies, SEO workflow, and more. My next post will be about the biggest mistakes I made, so you can avoid them and grow faster than I did.

Blogging Resources

Want some more help? Check out my curated list of essential blogging resources here.

Blogging Resources I Use to Grow My Blog

10 Lessons from 10 Years of Blogging

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past ten years, it’s that blogging is not an overnight success story. It’s a long game built on persistence, resilience, and countless small steps forward (and sometimes backwards too!).

There were many moments when it would have been easier to give up — when traffic dipped, when growth felt painfully slow, or when yet another algorithm update seemed to undo months of work. But the truth is, the only difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is that the ones who succeed keep going.

So, treat your blog as both a creative outlet and a business. Understand your readers, invest in the right tools, and most importantly, keep showing up.

Blogging will challenge you, stretch you, and sometimes (often!) frustrate you — but it will also reward you in ways you never imagined. The growth, the skills, the community, the opportunities — they’re worth every ounce of effort.

And if you remember nothing else from these lessons, remember this: persistence beats perfection, and the number one reason bloggers fail is because they give up too soon. Don’t be one of them!

I hope you found this feature about 10 Lessons from 10 Years of Blogging helpful ,and if so, I would really appreciate it if you would share it. You can do this by saving any of the images to your Pinterest board or clicking on one of the icons below the post to share to Twitter, Facebook or Linked’In, and you can also share it by email to just one person (or more) by clicking on the email icon below.

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Here’s to continued inspiration, elevated experiences, and the beauty of the journey. x

Look good, feel good, live your best life 🙂

With love,