Summary: If you read parenting blogs, the odds are good that you’ve come across Annie, the blogger behind PhD in Parenting. Thanks to her consistent writing, her strong voice, and her relentless advocacy, she’s gained a large and devoted following. When I ran the Crafting my Life online class I wanted to talk to someone about using your voice, and Annie was my first choice. I was thrilled when she agreed to connect for an interview. Today, I’m once again thrilled, as I share that interview with you in today’s podcast. Not everyone will agree with what Annie’s opinions on controversial issues. But anyone can see that she does her research, creates a well laid-out argument, and then promotes the issues she cares about. That’s not easy. If you’ve ever tried your hand at blogging, you know that it takes work, and risk-taking, and time. You also need to have a bit of a thick skin to tackle certain subjects. Annie does all that, and through it all she maintains a voice that is unapologetically her own. You don’t have to agree with her opinions to see strength of her voice and the integrity of her work. More than a year after I recorded this podcast with Annie, I took part in her study of parenting blog analytics. She gave me some suggestions that I actually implemented here, like listing my categories and my popular posts, and creating a Facebook page. If you’d like to know more about how your own blog’s stats compare, check out her post Parenting Blog Analytics: How Do My Stats Compare? If you’d like some inspiration for using your own voice, or some ideas for building a platform of your own, you’ll want to listen to the podcast: Next week on the Strocel.com podcast I’ll be switching things up, as I share a conversation with Van Clayton Powel, author of You Are NOT What You Eat. If you’re still trying to get over your holiday indulgences, or if you’d like to learn how to improve your digestive system, you’ll want to tune in. Van is very passionate, and I learned something myself for sure. Subscribe to the Strocel.com podcast in iTunes, and you won’t miss a minute! Also, if you have a podcast idea, please share it with me. I’d love to hear your suggestions! *Image Credit – Mike Licht on Flickr
