I put together 15 tips to get you started on your SEO journey and put them into a short ebook…and all you have to do is subscribe to the Campfire Chic newsletter to get your copy!

The Campfire Chic newsletter is a monthly (generally) one-sided chat I have with you from the comfort of your inbox. I talk about some things I’m thinking about and we try to give each other a mutual kick-in-the-butt so we can even more awesome than we already are. Because, let’s be honest, Campfire Chic readers are awesome.

This year, you’ll find a trend with my newsletters: they’re all centered around my BRAVE intentions for the year. It’s not your usual newsletter that’s a pretty sales pitch…we talk about things like holding ourselves back by making excuses and taking brave steps.

If you are already subscribed, you will have the opportunity to get your free copy with the next newsletter…which I plan to send out this week!

Click here to subscribe to the Campfire Chic newsletter

The post Get a FREE Copy of the Simple SEO for Creatives Ebook appeared first on Campfire Chic.

While Alex and I were on the Olympic Peninsula, we thought it would be awesome to go sea kayaking in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

We were right, it was pretty awesome…minus some big waves and choppy water.

Alex was in charge of this adventure, which he booked through Olympic Raft & Kayak. He selected the 2 hour tour, which includes a guide, transportation to the kayaking location, slash gear, your kayak…and plenty of play time with the resident dog, Steve.

The Olympic Raft & Kayak staff was awesome! I forgot my sweater and they managed to find me a warm fleece to borrow, how nice is that? They’ll hang onto your rental car keys and any other valuables you don’t want to risk falling into the ocean, have a great bathroom setup complete with showers, and again…they have Steve.

Steve, to dog, will great you at your car and show you the way…he’s a great dog ambassador for kids (or adults) who are hesitant around dogs. He doesn’t jump on people and all he wants to do is play fetch…so if you start playing with him, expect to continue to play with him. Steve is the best.

But enough about Steve.

Alex and I were on our micro-adventure with a family of four from Chicago and our guide, who grew up in Olympia and goes backpacking and rafting in his spare time. He was really good at answering all of our questions, not making anybody feel like they were stupid (even when I crashed into Alex who then bumped into some rocks. oops), and made sure we were comfortable while trying to get ourselves out of some extra choppy water.

If you ever have the opportunity to go kayaking, especially in the Pacific Northwest, I’m going to highly suggest you go sea kayaking. If you’re like me and uncomfortable (understatement of the year) in water, getting a guided tour is totally worth it. I was more worried about dropping my phone (I use a Lifeproof case – the green one, so I was worried about losing my phone more than getting it wet) than about the act of kayaking because our guide made the whole thing seem doable and safe.

I can’t wait to go kayaking at our local beaches this summer, and hopefully going stand-up paddle boarding!

 
Things to consider when you go kayaking

• Wear sunscreen, bring a hat
• Bring a change of shoes, the ones you wear kayaking will most likely get soaked
• Dress in layers – it was super windy and cold in the bay so that fleece they lent me was perfect
• Go with a friend! That way you’ll both get photos
• Ask about conditions before going out if you’re not with a guide
• Eat a good meal before going out, there isn’t time to stop for a snack

Do you kayak?
What activity do you want to try this summer?

The post Your next adventure: Sea Kayaking appeared first on Campfire Chic.

Where do I even start with this one? Olympic National Park was Alex’s #1 park to visit since we started this endeavor, and spending a long weekend in the park was exactly what we hoped – magical.

If anybody ever talks about her weekend in Olympic National Park and does use the word magical…well, there is something very wrong with that person. Magical can’t quite capture this multi-environment park. It’s other-wordly. I was able to go from an Alpine mountaintop, to the rainy and secluded coast, and to the moss-covered wonderland of a rainforest.

All in one freaking day.

The clearest way into the Universe
is through a forest wilderness.
-John Muir

We stayed at the Super 8 Motel in Port Angeles, which offers free wifi, free parking, and a free breakfast in the morning. If you’re not concerned with staying in a fancy hotel, this is a great option for you. It even came with a small fridge, so we were able to have “hotel dinner” to help save money.

We started our adventure on Thursday at the Visitor Center on the way to Hurricane Ridge, the rangers were super helpful with letting us know about the closures in the park. One ranger spent quite a bit of time with us, writing out the high tide and low tide times for the next few days, giving us the driving times between different areas of the park, making suggestions for seeing what the park had to offer, and showing us photos she took on her tablet. Honestly one of the best interactions with a ranger we’ve had at any of the parks.

We started our day early on Friday, grabbing a quick breakfast before heading out to Rialto Beach. We spent a few hours on the (really, really wet) beach, exploring the shore, taking photos of the sea stacks, being followed by a few river otters, and chatting with a local about the history of the areas. Magical.

Our adventure didn’t stop there, we had a more proper breakfast in Forks (please see below for my suggestion on dealing with anything having to do with Forks), and then drove to the Hoh Rainforest. The Hoh Rainforest should not be missed…yes, it’s a drive, but it wouldn’t be as magical of a trip if you don’t go there. All I need to say: banana slugs. Because, why wouldn’t you want to drive a couple of hours in search of a banana slug? We did about 5 miles of the Hoh River Trail before stopping for lunch…and the shore called to us again so we decided to check out Ruby Beach. It wasn’t as deserted as Rialto, but it was much drier.

Where to visit on your next weekend in Olympic National Park

• Hurricane Ridge
• Hoh Rainforest
• Rialto Beach
• Ruby Beach
• Elwa

I cannot capture the magic that we encountered over the few days we were in the park, so I’ll be back with more posts. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen some of the photos I took while in Washington. If you don’t, you can find me at @CampfireChic.

Before you go

• Check the park website or call the ranger station for closure updates
• Get your fill of Mexican food, the area isn’t known for it and the last thing you want to do is be disappointed when trying to satisfy a craving
• Bring extra water – I only remember 2 water fountains and neither were water bottle-friendly
• If driving from SEA-TAC, load up your phone/music player with some podcasts…it’s a long drive to Port Angeles
• Practice saying, “No, I’m not here for the Twilight Tour”

Have you been to Olympic National Park?

The post Kam goes to: Olympic National Park appeared first on Campfire Chic.

How are you feeling? I bet you’re ready for the weekend — ready to take a quick break from things…ready to tackle your to do list…ready to lose reception…ready to reconnect with your friends and family. Whatever your plan is, I’m hoping that you’re feeling well and taking steps toward any goals you may have set for yourself this week/month/year.

What I really needed this week was a kick-in-the-butt…a kick to get me out of a rut, a kick to keep me from falling back into the rut, and a kick to keep me from falling into other ruts…so really, what I needed was a few kicks, it looks like. The articles linked below helped me a bit, and maybe you’ll find something helpful, too.

This week’s Essential Reading:

•  19 things to stop doing in your 20s (but seriously)
• Attention geeks: Send your old comics to the troops!
• While you should totally buy the Lauch the **** Out of Your Ebook book, here is a quick checklist to review before launching your next product
• Sarah has a quick tip for getting **** done
• Yes, climbing is dangerous…and sometimes you need to know when you’re really stuck
• I’m probably the last person to find out about the secret Starbucks menu…but at least now I know about the smores frappuccino
• Check out these 3 email marketing tips

 What kind of kick-in-the-butt do you need today?

Before I go, I wanted to know if any Campfire Chic readers are signed up (or planning to sign up) for Ali Edwards’  new 12-week workshop, Hello Story? According to Big Picture Classes, Ali Edwards will introduce you to 12 storytelling techniques—never-before-seen in her prior journaling workshops—that will bring creativity and clarity to both your writing and your page designs. Every week, you get to sit over Ali’s shoulder and watch her transform her story ideas into timeless, authentic, story-rich scrapbook pages. Class dates: July 8-September 29. Register here.

The post Essential Reading appeared first on Campfire Chic.

This ebook has taught me you can’t just put something out in the world and hope people will see it, like it and buy it.

You’ve got to lead the way.

PLEASE don’t just put up a blog post saying ‘I made this; here’s where you buy it.’

PLEASE don’t just tweet a link to your shop saying ‘new stuff here!’

From the ebook: “The bottom line is that if you want to sell your [product or service], you’re going to have to get involved with that dreaded ‘M’ word: Marketing.”

Over the last few weeks you’ve probably seen some posts or tweets or excitement about my upcoming BUILD ecourse. Kam and Mollie and Megan and Allie have all posted about it, and I’ve already got a list of bloggers looking forward to the official launch – and it is still weeks away.

Any excitement you see from Listers pre-March or pre-September 30 Days of Lists? A huge portion of all registered participants join us in the first couple days after opening registration. That’s all from having a strategy behind launching our registration.

This isn’t just a put-it-out-there-and-see-what happens. This is a carefully planned, honed and strategic approach to making our products and services available.

Which, again, I learned from this ebook: How to Launch the **** Out of Your eBook by Naomi Dunford and Dave Navarro.

NOTE: That IS actually the name of the book. Replace the four asterisks in your head with whatever word you prefer.

This 100+ page book comes with worksheets and very clear steps for how to plan your product launch.

But that’s the thing. You have to PLAN.

I have read this ebook about 3 times – It’s so good that every time I read it I learn something new….. so when I started to plan the release of my BUILD ecourse, I knew I needed to give myself plenty of time.

Four months, to be exact.

It’s still a bit too early to see exactly how my BUILD launch will do, but I’ve already got WAY more interest than the 1 ebook I released without any kind of launch strategy. And we’re still weeks away from the ecourse even being available!

Keep in mind that this book is all written from the point of view of selling an ebook (pdf download), but I have used it very successfully for all kinds of online offers (30Lists, Onward and Upward and ebooks). The basics are easily adaptable.

Modules included:

1. Analyzing the market for your ebook
2. Finding and wooing your ebook buyers
3. Setting up your mailing list
4. Writing your ebook
5. Launching your ebook

Module 5 (Launching your ebook) is broken farther into 5 stages:

1. Preparation: Getting things together before you launch
2. Pre-launch: Where you make your first batch of money
3. Launch: Build up the buzz, build up your list, and let it fly
4. Post-launch: Where do we go from here?
5. Ongoing: Even more opportunities to make money via your ebook

My one disagreement with  How to Launch the **** Out of Your eBook is that the ‘writing your ebook’ is step 4.

I totally understand making sure there are people who would buy the ebook you have in mind before writing it, but for me personally I need to do the bulk of the writing first so I know what I’m dealing with. Often my ideas change partway through and I don’t realize the CORE of what it is I am offering until I’m editing the finished product.

I (personally) couldn’t craft a launch around something not at least close to being done. But maybe you’re different.

But, here’s the deal. If you want to get started making money from your blog … and you want to create and sell your own products or services…. You’ve got to get invested in MARKETING (or hire someone to help you).

And this ebook -
How to Launch the **** Out of Your eBook -
is a GREAT place to begin.

At the daily blog Lemon and Raspberry, Amy T Schubert writes about blogging, memory keeping, doing what you are meant to do … and how those all combine to help you live your best creative life. She has been a writer, photographer and encourager for most of her life. If you’re looking for a free guide to jumpstart your creativity or one-on-one blog-business coaching, head over to Lemon and Raspberry. For more day-to-day fun (including cat photos), follow Amy on Twitter and Instagram at @amytschubert.

The post How to Launch a New Product: My Favorite Resource appeared first on Campfire Chic.

You can’t plan out when inspiration will strike, but you can plan ahead so you’re ready to capture your ideas. Today, I am going to share three easy ways for you to capture your ideas while you are away from your desk/workspace.

Yellow legal pad

As a new fan of How I Met Your Mother, I was thrilled when Ted pulled out a yellow legal pad (and backup yellow legal pad) in P.S. I Love You in order to work out a big problem. Let’s start with the science behind using a yellow legal pad: studies show that color helps us remember things – hence why many teachers encouraged us to use colored index cards to make flash cards when we were younger. Having that pad available only for notes makes it part of a ritual or habit. You’ve set aside that specific thing for notes and brainstorming…don’t add your grocery list to it, it’ll throw things off. If you have a large enough bag, carry your legal pad with you and take it out when you reach the coffee shop just in case you have an idea and keep it handy while you work at home.

Go digital

Evernote and other apps are perfect for organizing your ideas. You are able to sync your accounts between devices so you can pull up that photo you took on your phone with your tablet. Evernote lets you organize voice recordings, text, and photos in handy folders so you can take a moment once a week to organize your thoughts and get things settled. By having an app that syncs, you don’t need to worry about forgetting your yellow legal pad at home – you probably have your phone or access to a computer most of the time, right? Another option? Email yourself! I do this all the time: I send myself a few emails with ideas for blog posts and open them up as I go and start drafting. I also send myself notes via email when I find articles online I want to share in an Essential Reading post. You’ll find my to do lists and deadline reminders in my inbox, as well.

Put it on your calendar

This works with paper and digital calendars, which is awesome. Say you come up with a few blog post ideas (5 ways to style a sparkly scarf, a dehydrated meal for backpacking, and a post showing off your recently decorated den) and don’t want to just write them down someplace to possibly be buried in your other amazing ideas (because your ideas are probably amazing, that’s why you have so many!). Plop those ideas onto your calendar ASAP. Use a pencil for your paper calendar if you’re like me and have issues committing to a finalized editorial calendar, or throw your ideas into your digital calendar and make it easy to move things around. Another tip: after you create the event in your digital calendar, add some notes to it! I like to outline some blog posts right away so I don’t forget where I was going with something (like 5 ways to live a more balanced life).

How do you capture inspiration when it strikes?
What do you do with your ideas once you’re able to sit down and evaluate things?

The post 3 Ways to Capture Your Ideas While on the Run appeared first on Campfire Chic.

The first in this (hopeful) series of interviews is with Johnie from Darling Dirtbag. Johnie started Darling Dirtbag recently and there is already plenty of content up on the site that is perfect for women who want to “play dirty”.

Johnie Gall is the blogger and outdoorswoman behind Dirtbag Darling, a blog aimed at getting more women interested in and educated about climbing, surfing, kayaking, hiking, camping and mountain biking so they can get up and out on their own adventures. By week, she’s a writer for GrindTv.com and web editor at Foam magazine, and by weekend she’s dirtbagging it in a Sprinter van in one National Park or another. Her home base is in Pennsylvania.

What is Dirtbag Darling about?

Dirtbag Darling is a blog dedicated to all the badass women who explore the Great Outdoors: climbers, hikers, surfers, kayakers, sailors, slackliners, rippers and shredders. It’s a hub for people who love the outdoors but aren’t necessarily familiar with all the technical terminology and lingo that comes with a lifetime of experience in each niche. I post gear reviews, training plans, outdoor news, campfire recipes, 101 lessons, DIY projects, interviews with inspiring outdoorswomen (and men), adventure logs and a good dose of inspiration to get you up, out and exploring our planet’s big, wild places.

Why do you focus on getting women outdoors?

 Because no one ever regretted a hike. No one’s ever said: “Ugh this view is too beautiful. I wish I were at home looking at cat pictures on the Internet.” Being outside is cleansing and invigorating and healthy and wonderful. Plus, I really believe that the more time we spend in nature, the more we’ll appreciate it and protect it. There’s a reason you never see graffiti on rocks in really high places—it’s difficult to get up there. If you work hard for something, you’ll take care of it.

What is your favorite outdoor activity and why?

 Oh, I could never choose just one, but I think the most rewarding activity for me is rock climbing. It’s a constant physical and mental puzzle—there’s no time to worry about work or if the dog is due for shots or whatever. It’s just me, the wall, and a few bloody knuckles.

What is one piece of gear you cannot leave home without?

 I have this beat-up hat from Aviator Nation that says “Pray for Surf” on it. It’s probably time to throw it out, but I love it. It hides my week-old greasy hair and protects my face from the sun so I can just focus on having fun instead of worrying about what I look like all the time. It’s weirdly freeing. That and toilet paper.

What advice do you have for summer day-adventures for Campfire Chic readers?

 Buy a travel guidebook written for your state—I bet there are hundreds of hikes, paddles, climbs and tourist attractions that you had no idea existed. Then all you need is a car, a group of friends and an empty day.

What three articles do you think would most interest Campfire Chic readers?

• Five Reasons to Take a Hike
• DIY Shell Mobile by the Surftorialist
• Girl Gone Wild: Chronic Climber Chick

A note from Johnie:

I’m always looking for inspiring men and women to interview, products to feature, and stories to tell, and I’ve also just introduced guest blogging. If anyone is interested in contributing a 101 lesson, a product review, or a story from one of their adventures, they can email me!

 Connect with Johnie via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram

The post Darling Dirtbag Interview appeared first on Campfire Chic.

 Be brave. Take risks.
Nothing can substitute experience.

-Paulo Coelho

 This week’s Essential Reading:

• Convert website/blog visitors into customers
• Create your blog purpose in 3 steps
• Hiking the Appalacian Trail sometime soon? Check out these tips for hitchiking into town to resupply
• Stop buying and start doing
• You know how I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of living out of a car? These photos of converted vans don’t help
• I’m digging how Megan is handling her One Little Word
• Worried that you just aren’t finding your voice as a writer? Kristin has an upcoming workshop that may just be the solution

The post Essential Reading appeared first on Campfire Chic.

Today I want to talk to you about the best (in my opinion) climbing shoes for beginners – specifically, for women looking to start climbing and bouldering.

I bought my first pair of climbing shoes in August of 2011 and bought my second pair for myself for Christmas 2012. I use them both to this day and I wanted to share more information about them both with you.

 
Why buy climbing shoes?

Climbing shoes are a great first investment when you start climbing at a gym (or outdoors, if your friends have all the necessary equipment) because renting each time you go can get pricey — Let’s say a day pass is $12 and shoe rental is $6…after going a few times and renting shoes, you’re halfway to a pair of the Elektra VTR shoes! After buying your shoes, you will have more money for you day pass (or monthly pass, should you decide to go often).

As somebody who doesn’t wear socks with her climbing shoes, you can imagine why I’m encouraging you to buy your own shoes. Yep, I went there.

I should also mention that climbing in your sneakers isn’t the best option, you’ll want to rent or buy climbing shoes. Climbing shoes have a sticky rubber on them that will help you stick to the wall/rock better and are tight enough on your feet that you will have better contact with whatever it is you are climbing at the time. With climbing shoes, you’ll be able to get a foothold on something you would otherwise not think you could stick to! Think of it as Spider-Man shoes!

 
Why these Evolv shoes?

The Elektra VTR (in purple above) and EVO (in blue above) shoes are fantastic entry-level and intermediate shoes because they are really well-made and have a fantastic price point…especially the Elektra VTRs. I’ve used both pairs in an indoor gym as well as outdoors on granite.

I love that both shoes have the climbing rubber surrounding most of the shoe…the EVOs have a higher heel, so there is even more climbing rubber back there. Having that sticky rubber all the way around helps keep you connected to the wall, and I feel that other entry-level shoes cut back on the amount of rubber on the shoe to cut down costs. More rubber = happy Kam.

It may just be me, but I prefer to wear shoes with 2-strap closure more than shoes with laces. While there is the rare instance that my straps will get momentarily-snagged on the rope while I belay, I feel more comfortable with straps than I do laces. Laces make me feel I don’t have good control over the tension in my shoe, and I have an irrational fear the laces will get caught on a hold/rock/anchor and I’ll die. Other people prefer laces (the Elektra VTR is available with laces for about the same price as the 2-strap), so try out both types before purchasing your first pair.

I’m not saying that Evolv isn’t for elite athletes, it totally is! Heck, Chris Sharma developed one of the top Evolv shoes – the Shaman (mens and womens). I just wanted to share two great options for beginners that are awesome and at a great price point.

Shoes discussed in this post:

• Evolv EVO (on closeout)
• Evolv Elektra VTR
• Evolv Elektra Lace
• Evolv Shaman for men
• Evolv Shaman LV

So there you have it!
 
If you’re in the market for an inexpensive-but-awesome climbing shoe, I hope you consider Evolv!
 

What was your first pair of climbing shoes?

If you’re looking to buy your first pair,
what are you looking for in climbing shoes?

The post From a Beginner: My Favorite Climbing Shoes (Evolv) appeared first on Campfire Chic.

Learn from my mistakes:
Triple-check your newsletter
before hitting publish.

5 Things to Triple Check Before
Sending Out Your Next Newsletter

Subject Line

Call to Action

Invitation to Connect

Take Away

Spelling

The post Newsletter Checklist: Things To Triple-Check Before Hitting Send appeared first on Campfire Chic.