CWS Year In Review 2018 - Coffee With Summer

Oh my gosh, friends! I can’t believe it’s New Year’s Eve! Seriously, though… where did 2018 go? It definitely flew by for me.

Let’s take a look back at some of the highlights from the year! I’ll be sharing my most popular posts in each topic that I cover, successes that I had in my blogging career, and some more.

We’re going to start off with my most popular posts by topic. I’ll be including 5 for each category! Almost all of these posts are read on the daily. Needless to say, you’ve got to check them out if you haven’t already!

THE BEST OF COFFEE WITH SUMMER – 2018:

BLOGGING & SOCIAL MEDIA:

FASHION & STYLE:

SELF-CARE/SELF-IMPROVEMENT:

TRAVEL:

INTENTIONAL LIFESTYLE:

2018 has been a really huge year for me and Coffee With Summer. I did so much more than I set out to do and I’m so grateful for all of the opportunities I had this year. To recap, here are some of my greatest highlights of 2018 with blogging!

I created my first e-book, Leverage Your Lifestyle Blog, and it was a hit with new and seasoned bloggers!
I was a contributor to The Authentic Woman’s II edition magazine. It was an honor to share such a vulnerable story of mine with them.
I was invited to speak at Oakmoss Collective’s Instagram & Photography event where I was the main speaker.
I landed my first ever sponsored trip! Michael and I got to go to Nashville for a few days completely comped and I was paid on top of it.
I was chosen to work with Ulta Beauty for an event in New York City.
My page views have skyrocketed and my engagement rate has grown immensely.
I have upped my photography and editing skills.
I have really taken hold of my true worth and I won’t settle for less!

Financially speaking and 100% overall, 2018 was my BEST year so far. I’m so happy to be where I’m at, blogging full-time.

I share these wins not to brag in any way but instead, to encourage you. Whether you’re a blogger or not, you need to know that if you work hard and dedicate yourself to something that indeed, you can achieve it.

INSTAGRAM BEST 9 OF 2018

These are my top 9 best-performing Instagram photos for the year! Fun fact, the one where I’m giving kissy lips with the coffee was my first photo to ever reach over 1,000 likes. 🙂 All of the rest of these received over 1k likes, as well! It seems that you all love a mix of everything that I put out – fashion, lifestyle, and real life!

Follow me on Instagram here!

Blogging is hard work.

I know that from the outside it might not look that way but truly, blogging is hard work. It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s not easy.

It’s important to remember that with bloggers and other influencers that you’re really only ever seeing the finished product of something. I know that our blogs and Instagram feeds look like a highlight reel and in fact, in a way, they are. But that doesn’t discard all of the hard work, sweat, and tears that go into creating the content that we do.

Blogging isn’t all bliss and PR packages. It isn’t always perfect lighting and filters.

I can’t tell you how many times I have doubted myself or got stuck in my head and in doing so, I held myself back from great things. 2018 was a year of growth like never before for me and I’m humbled by it all. I’m thankful for it. I’m also immensely proud of myself! I have been thrown curve ball after curve ball this year and despite it all, I rose above it all.

Just remember that behind every pretty picture are hours of photo shoots, narrowing down the best shots, editing, and editing again, starting all over, and then finally, there’s a product that we’re proud of.

It’s tough stuff! BUT! I love what I do. I am proud of my career choice and all that I’ve accomplished so far. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. 🙂

MY WORD OF THE YEAR FOR 2018: RISE

My word of the year for 2018 was “rise”. I remember being on the fence about choosing a word for the year but when I was on vacation this time last year, that word just kept popping back into my head. I knew it was from God. So, I made it my word.

The funny thing is, I knew the second I’d choose to have “rise” as my word for the year that I’d immediately start to be put to the test, haha. God is funny like that. 😉

Well, I was tested. Quarter 1 was a very slow start to the year for me with work. There weren’t many opportunities for me and even when I was pitching brands, they weren’t ready to start any new partnerships because of their budgets. It was a very discouraging time for me. I felt like a disappointment. But I didn’t let those valid feelings stop me from growing in other areas. Instead of dwelling on the lack of work for quarter 1, I started focusing on other important things for my blog.

When work is slim, I tend to second-guess if I should continue blogging full-time. I had been in positions like that before and I remember pleading with God each time. I would firmly ask Him to open doors for me if it was His will for me to keep pursuing blogging as a career. Not even a few hours later or a day later each time, another door has always been opened for me. All glory to God alone.

Every big win that I shared above also had behind-the-scenes of moments where I had to choose to rise above something. Before I created my e-book, I kept worrying that it’d be a flop. When my sweet friend asked me to be the speaker at her event, I was so nervous because I’m not one for public speaking. When I applied for the sponsored trip opportunity, I doubted that I’d get it because I didn’t have much travel work to show for in the past.

But despite all of that, I decided to rise above. I decided to rise above what I had set my potential at. I decided to rise above my negative self-talk and thoughts. I decided to rise above my introversion. I decided to rise above all of the labels that I had placed on myself.

Did I really take on “rise” as my word of the year? I can whole-heartedly say that I did.

This year was filled with trials and triumphs, stretching and growing, and of course, lots of coffee. I’m walking out of 2018 with my head held high. 2018 was one for the books and I am so eager to see what 2019 has in store for me and Coffee With Summer!

As always, I want to thank YOU for being one of my cheerleaders. You are part of the reason I do what I do here at CWS and I can’t imagine this space without you. You rock.

Let’s get ready to ring in 2019!! See you on the other side. 😉

ALL OF MY LOVE,