Alexis Schroeder - How to create a successful personal finance blog

Alexis Schroeder is the owner of FITnancials, a blog dedicated to serving women who want to achieve financial freedom and grow their online business. With budgeting and side hustles, Alexis paid off over $40,000 of debt and made $80,000 in her senior year of college.

We chat with Alexis about how she started her blog as a hobby, grew it along the way and became her own boss.

What's special about FITnancials?

Fitnancials is a blog all about teaching women how to pay off debt and build wealth.

My blog is specifically for women who have no clue how to get started with managing their money, and it’s also great for women who not only want to save money, but learn how to make a lot more of it.

Why did you start FITnancials?

I originally started Fitnancials as a fitness and finance blog, mostly fitness related. I

switched gears a few years ago and decided to go all in on the money aspect of my

blog. There is so much to talk about when it comes to money and I love being able to

focus 100% of my time to it on my blog.

How did you start it? Did you have any previous experience as an entrepreneur?

No, in fact I never thought I’d be an entrepreneur. Starting the actual blog part is so

easy (as in getting the hosting and website design). The hard part is the marketing,

getting traffic, making money part.

To overcome this, I read a ton of books, went through courses, and made friends in the blogging world who helped me out with questions I had. I believe continuing your education is key to growing any business, so I'm always learning and growing.

The library has a ton of books available on starting a business and marketing. I like to look up "best marketing books" on Google and see what comes up. I also find that Facebook groups specifically for bloggers have been a ton of help. These Facebook groups help a ton because you can ask questions, but you also get to see what other people are asking and the kind of feedback they get on a particular topic.

How did you finance your project?

Starting a blog costs very little and was even cheaper back when I started it 7 years

ago. There were very little costs to maintain it, so I looked it as spending money on a

hobby.

How long did it take you to start getting the first results and see you could create a viable business?

I had my blog for a few years before I started taking it seriously. I think about 3-4 years in, I decided to treat it like a real business and shortly after started seeing some great results with it.

You started FITnancials as a side hustle and a fun hobby. How did you organize to work on your side project while studying or having your day job at the same

time? About how much time were you spending on it ?

When I first started my blog, I spent an hour or two a month on it, if that. I think there were some months I didn’t touch it at all because like I said, it was more of a fun hobby I did in my spare time. When I eventually decided to take my blog seriously, it was exhausting.

I have to say I didn’t have the best organizational habits back then. I was going to university full-time, working a full-time job, and I had side hustles. I wouldn’t recommend doing it like I did because I could’ve probably had results much faster if I had just one day job and the blog.

What has been FITnancials revenue progression?

I no longer share income reports, but the public numbers I have shared are as followers:

I earned about $30,000 my first year going full-time, and I earned $80,000 my second year full-time.

What are the main ways in which you are able to monetize Fitnancials?

I love making money via affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, ad revenue, and selling

my own digital products. I make the most money with affiliate marketing and sponsored posts, but I’d love to soon say that I make the most money with selling digital products.

What do you like most about being an entrepreneur?

The freedom of getting to be your own boss and work on your own schedule. I worked for other people for a long time, some people were nice and respectful, and others made you dread coming to work. Now I work for myself and it’s so amazing.

What has been your biggest challenge/failure as an entrepreneur?

Being your own boss means it’s up to you to get work done and treat your business like a legit business. I didn’t do this for a while and sometimes struggle with it.

What are your business goals for this coming year?

My main focus of 2020 is to amp up the email marketing side of my business. I also

want to release 2 new digital products on my blog.

How can an aspiring entrepreneur start building a business now? What would be a good business type to start as a beginner?

Starting a business is all about marketing. I recommend reading a ton of books, articles, or watching YouTube videos on marketing to learn how to market your brand.

A business that I’m seeing really boom right now is selling crafts and DIY projects on

Etsy. I think this has to do with people wanting to support small businesses.

What are the must have tools/software a beginner would need to start?

I believe any business should have a website at the very least. This is a one-stop-shop for anyone who wants to learn more about you, your products, or get in contact with you.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I write a to-do list almost every day of all the things I want to get done, work and not

work-related. This is a game changer and it feels so satisfying checking off all the things I need to get done.

Being an entrepreneur can get overwhelming, so it’s important to stay organized and on top of things.

What's your favourite quote?

“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”

Any good book(s) to recommend to an aspiring entrepreneur?

I recommend reading Expert Secrets and DotCom Secrets by Russell Brunson for

anyone who is starting a business.

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Learn more about FITnancials at www.fitnancials.com

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