Each week we feature an interview with a member of the Superstar Blogging community. These interviews highlight the ups and downs faced on the road to success, illuminating helpful tips and tricks along the way. If you want to get inspired to succeed, then consider these interviews must-read material! This week we are featuring Rachel from Bergn Street!
Tell us about yourself!
It’s hard to say you are from a singular place when you move every 6-7 years. But, summed up, you could say I am from Michigan. I was born in California and when I was old enough I moved to New York City on my own to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Fashion Design, more specifically Knitwear was my field of study and one of my greatest passions. I am in many ways a “girly-girl” so when I am not traveling, writing, or planning my next adventure, I can often be found shopping, socializing with friends, or doing yoga.
How did you get started traveling?
I have always had a desire to travel and explore the world. To discover different cultures and have a deeper understanding for the world than what I could read about in books. It wasn’t until I was in college when I was actually able to financially start traveling and it all started when I decided to move to Milan, Italy for a year of study abroad. It is very safe to say that was when my travel bug was sparked.
What have been some of your favourite trips so far?
I don’t travel one set way so almost all of my trips are different from the others. I take what opportunities are given to me so my trip to Kaua’I with my best friend is very different than my road trip around Iceland with my other best friend, and both significantly differ from my spur of the moment trip to Nicaragua with four amazing women I had never met before. My favorite trips are the least expected trips. The trips that have elements of surprise and wonder to them; where we simply let life take over and saw what happened.
Tell us about your blog!
My blog is Bergn Street and focuses on three ideals to living life; explore, experience, and evolve. Explore is easy to understand as it is all about getting out and seeing the world. Experience dives a little bit deeper and delves into opening yourself up to adventure and change within your life, not letting fears hold you back. Evolve, the deepest of the three, hones in on the deeper impacts explore and experience have on you as a person. We often hear how “travel changes you” but the reality is travel allows you the ability to discover who you are more clearly.
How did you get started blogging?
At the beginning of this year I was laid off of my job but that wasn’t a negative. I hated my job, I was miserable, but I wasn’t willing to make a change because I was afraid of how I would pay my bills. How I would survive without a steady income. Don’t get me wrong, that is still one of my greatest fears but when I was laid off, I realized I wanted to do something different with my life and so I started the personal journey which lead me to developing BergnStreet, an idea that had been brewing in my head for years but I never thought to put into action.
What have you found to be the hardest part about building a blog?
Time Management. Every blogger will tell you time management is the biggest struggle and its true. We are very determined and independent people, we like to learn for ourselves and do for ourselves. This poses a problem because there is simply not enough time in the day for us to do everything and travel the world as much as we want.
How do you overcome the time management problem?
For a wondering soul such as myself, there is always something else to do or something else that demands my attention so I have had to learn how to become very disciplined, say no to myself so that I can achieve the long-term goals I have set for myself. A calendar is helpful to someone who can keep themselves to it, I find I do better with lists and being able to check things off as I go. I tend to make a list, then organize the list in order of what needs to be done first, then I reorganize that list with a break down of time allotments. This helps me stay on task as I work. I make sure to have breaks every 2 – 3 hours so my brain stays fresh.
What is the most popular piece of content you’ve written? Why do you think that is?
When you write from your personal perspective and encompass a lesson or idea the reader can walk away with, I have found the most positive feedback. To this day, I would say I get the most positive feedback on my original article “A Change In Perspective” because it is something so many can honestly relate to.
What are your blogging goals for 2018?
2017 was really focused on developing and transitioning my life in almost all aspects. I changed carrier paths, I moved cities, I shifted my focuses, etc. 2018 is the year to “firm up” as I have most recently been saying. I think I have a solid foundation and understanding of the direction I want to go in so now I am pushing forward. Regimenting my posting schedule, developing solid content for my target audience and really connecting with them, and from that developing the complete brand so that eventually this can develop into the business I see it becoming.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from blogging?
Before I started blogging, I felt like I was being held to a lot of expectations. I was expected to have a steady job. I was expected to establish myself in one place. I was expected to meet a man and get married. Most of these expectations I placed on myself, but when I started blogging I was welcomed into a community of inspiring people who helped me realize and learn the only limitations you have are set forth by yourself. Since realizing and understanding this, my life has changed in unimaginable ways and I am so unbelievably great full for such changes.
Do you have any blogging tips to share?
I can’t stress enough the importance of finding and maintaining your own calendar and flow. Consistency is huge in blogging so figure that out early on and stick with it. Do you post Instagram every morning and a blog post every other Friday? It doesn’t matter what you choose as long as you stick with it.
What is some of the most popular content you’ve written. Why do you think that is?
When you write from your personal perspective and encompass a lesson or idea the reader can walk away with, I have found the most positive feedback. To this day, I would say I get the most positive feedback on my original article “A Change In Perspective” because it is something so many can honestly relate to.
And what is the most important lesson you’ve learned from travel?
“Every truth is situational.”
Country after country I would travel and eagerly talk to individuals; ask questions of their lives, where are they from, what do they do, what lessons have they learned, etc. I quickly realized for every person, their experiences and situations affected their overall outlook on the world. A rather simple observation but one which is also very often overlooked. It was when I saw Professor Joan C. Williams speak at a TedTalkX where she used a very delicately selected phrase “Every Truth Is Situational” that I realized, this was the concept I had been grappling with for years. Strong values and corrupt systems have led to a very tense and emotional world, imagine how different it would be if we took the time to listen and consider where each other is coming from rather than jumping to beat our own perspective into them?
And now the lightning round! What’s a favorite food you’ve had abroad?
Gelato. Easy. I’m a sucker for sweets and I’m allergic to chocolate so having fresh and natural gelato in remote villages of Italy, have been my absolute favorite food experiences to date.
If you had to move to a country you’ve NEVER been to, where would you go?
Thailand or the Philippines. But honestly, if I could move to a new country tomorrow but someone else had to pick the country, I wouldn’t care.
Lastly, what’s the best site/attraction you’ve been to?
Westfjords of Iceland. Honestly, I don’t think I will ever get over the beauty and majesty of them and it’s so sad to think only 2% of all tourists make it there!
Thanks so much for chatting today, Rachel! Where can everyone find you online and on social media?
My blog is www.bergnstreet.com. All my social media handles are all @bergnstreet
And for those who want to follow along on my current Nomadic Humanitarian Project in conjunction to my own writing, you can follow along @Tales4Change or www.tales4change.org.