As a healthy living advocate, exercise enthusiast, and self-proclaimed foodie, I have spent hours scouring all kinds of blogs on the Internet. What started as an enjoyable means of procrastination has turned into a can’t-be-missed, daily activity. To put it simply, I am blog obsessed (in the best way possible of course).
Since freshman year I have had the same morning routine: I grab my usual cup of hazelnut coffee at the Rat and park myself at a table to read through my favorite blogs. Two years ago I stumbled upon Julie Fagan’s healthy living blog, Peanut Butter Fingers, while sipping my coffee and I instantly was hooked. Not only is she absolutely adorable, but her posts are also well-written, insightful, and most importantly down-to-earth. Her enthusiasm for life is infectious and every post is packed with inspiration, advice, ideas, recipes, exercise routines, book reviews and more.
What originally inspired you to create PBF?
I started Peanut Butter Fingers in September 2009 as an outlet to write about health, food and fitness. I love writing, but my full-time job at the time had me researching and writing about pharmaceuticals and disease, so my blog became a place where I could write about topics that genuinely interested me. It morphed into a place where I could share my life and daily musings with readers. I began to love blogging about random things that made me laugh, my insane dog or an article I read that I found interesting. By not pigeonholing myself into only blogging about a certain topic, I’ve enjoyed the freedom to blog about a myriad of topics which makes blogging so much fun!
When did you realize that your blog could be something bigger?
It probably took me a solid year or so before I saw the potential for my blog to become more than just a hobby for me. I then started to view my blog as a platform for other opportunities like freelance writing which was my main goal and dream job.
Do you feel any pressure to eat/exercise a certain way?
Not really. I know this may sound crazy since my blog is constantly updated with my daily workouts and meals, but I made a promise to myself when I began blogging that I would try my best not to change my lifestyle, workouts or food simply for the blog. Blogging definitely inspires me to get creative in the kitchen since I enjoy sharing fun meal ideas and recipes with readers, but it doesn’t really change the way I eat or work out. If I want to eat ice cream for dinner, I will. It’s very important for me to stay true to myself even if some people may think I should eat or workout a certain way.
Any advice for bloggers who are just starting out?
My number one tip for bloggers is to create a blog you would want to read. I used to feel like my blog had to be like the other blogs I read. I quickly realized I was removing my personality from posts. Once I stopped being a generic blogger and began writing a blog I knew I personally would enjoy reading, I fell in love with blogging and found readers who were interested in the same things that interest me. It’s so much easier to maintain a blog that you enjoy writing!
The Blogging page on my blog also includes a bunch of links to a series of posts all about blogging that I created in response to the questions I received from those who were interested in blogging or new bloggers.
Where does the name Peanut Butter Fingers come from?
When I was trying to think of a fun blog name, my husband suggested Peanut Butter Fingers because he constantly caught me in the pantry with my finger in the peanut butter jar!
Did the name Peanut Butter Fingers have anything to do with Friends?
I love that show! I remember the episode when Joey references peanut butter fingers and get a big kick out of it! While my blog name wasn’t born out of that episode, as a Friends fan, I like the correlation a lot!
How did you turn your blog into a business?
I poured a lot of energy into getting my blog out there. I reached out to local media. I utilized Twitter and Facebook. I connected with other bloggers. I am being 100 percent honest when I say that I didn’t just sit behind the computer and blog and cross my fingers, hoping that my blog would grow organically. I put a lot of time and effort into putting it out there. I go into much greater detail about my outreach efforts in this post: How to Increase Blog Readership.
How much time a day do you spend blogging?
A lot! Hours and hours. Blogging and freelance writing take up a lot of time and I am writing, editing, responding to emails or working on the backend of the blog from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. most weekdays with about an hour break for lunch or an afternoon walk with my dog. I also blog on the weekends, but I typically limit myself to only writing a few posts on the weekends to maintain some sanity.
What is your favorite post?
That is such a hard question! I think my favorite posts are my wedding recap posts that I created after I got married in October 2010. I had a great time looking back on such a fun day and writing posts to take readers back through such a wonderful day allowed me to relive it!
Any advice that you wish someone had given you in college?
When started college, I saved nearly all of my elective classes for my senior year so I could have a fun time at the end of college. I wish I would’ve taken advantage of elective classes in the beginning of my time in college to explore my interests. I ended up taking a personal fitness elective class during my senior year that sparked an interest in nutrition and fitness that may have pushed me in a different direction career-wise, had I taken the class earlier in college.
What did you major in/focus on in college and how did that help you get to where you are today in terms of your career?
I was an advertising and public relations major in college and I always say that studying PR helped me more in blogging than any of my other jobs after college. When I receive a negative comment on my blog that says, “I hate you, you’re ugly,” or something of the sort, I would love to say, “Well, aren’t you a peach?” and then go kick them in the shins, but majoring in PR helped me realize the importance of responding professionally and courteously.
In the end, I don’t want to pour negativity out into the world and if I can stop a cycle of negativity by responding to hurtful comments in a polite way, that’s much better than perpetuating a hateful conversation.
Is it difficult to balance your blogging with your freelance career and your personal life?
Sometimes it’s really difficult, but I’m a serious planner in both my professional and personal life, so taking the time to create a schedule really helps alleviate stress. In my professional life, I prioritize freelance writing since others are counting on me and my work. I make sure to publish several blog posts a day during weekdays, but my freelance writing always gets a lot of attention and effort.
Though sometimes my schedule changes, I typically write my morning blog post and then use the rest of the morning to work on freelance assignments until lunch. After I publish my lunchtime blog post, I’ll often try to put my freelance work on hold (unless I am inundated with assignments) and take time to work on blog-related tasks and emails. I try my best to wrap things up before my husband arrives home from work so we can spend uninterrupted time together. My evening blog post is often shorter and faster to produce than other posts, which doesn’t take too much time away from family time at night.
I’m also very adamant about never leaving a social event or a fun time on the weekends to get home to blog. Living my life is my number one priority and I make it a point to not let blogging take away from my freelance writing career or personal life. I love blogging, but try my best to recognize that blogging is unlike any other job out there in that it allows for a lot of flexibility.
How do you deal with any negativity from people who read your blog?
I have a hard time understanding how people have such anger inside of them and basically make a hobby out of saying mean and hurtful things about other people. How is that fun? I don’t understand what joy comes from tearing someone else down and I’ve come to realize that I will never understand it. Letting go oftrying to understand such hatred and animosity has been very freeing. I used to sit and wonder why people found it fun to pour hatred into the world, but now I am much better about ignoring it, letting it go and not letting it affect me.
For the most part, I tend to ignore negative comments because many people who say nasty things are just trying to get under your skin. There is a ginormous difference between a negative (evil!) comment and constructive (polite!) criticism. I welcome polite differences of opinion or criticism, but blatant attacks on a blogger or a blogger’s family members are a whole separate beast.
What are some of your favorite blogs? What do you like to read in your free time?
Lately my favorite blog to read is The Pursuit of Sassiness. Jen, the author of the blog, is a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in mental health and marriage and family counseling. She frequently blogs about counseling and psychology which interests me a lot!
As far as what I like to read in my free time, I am not picky! I love reading and have always devoured books. I host a monthly Book Club on my blog, where readers select a book that we all read together. Other than that, I find myself gravitating toward historical fiction or dystopian novels.
Favorite recipes?
I love my peanut butter granola because it’s so easy to make and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. My banana pecan coconut baked oatmeal is also a favorite since you can make a big batch ahead of time and enjoy it for breakfast throughout the week. It’s also the perfect dish for a large family brunch!
Favorite workouts?
My favorite workouts are definitely circuit workouts. They fly by, leave me super sweaty and are a fantastic workout that often incorporates cardio, strength and plyometric exercises.