We were lucky to catch up with Luci Petlack recently and have shared our conversation below.
Luci, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
I’d been blogging for about 7 years about lifestyle when I started to get personally interested in sustainable living. I was following other eco-bloggers, occasionally reaching out with questions and comments. While they were really inspiring at the time, I didn’t feel as though they got the whole me. And, to be honest, some of them were so elitist with their sustainability, I was put off.
I remember messaging one such thought leader with a straightforward question about a product recommendation. Not only did she not give me an answer, her response was diminutive – giving me a guilt trip about my efforts and my current place. It was that moment that showed me that the sustainability realm needed a real life voice – and I could do that.
I was meek about my word choice and simple in my first steps probably, but my followers were all ears because it wasn’t judgmental; it wasn’t overbearing; and it wasn’t complicated.
In the coming months, I found my voice in sharing sustainable living in a doable, attainable way. And I expanded my message to one of mere recommendations that touched on all aspects of our lives. I shared my learnings, my shortcomings, and my thoughts. In being myself, I created a space of comfort and progress.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Since the age of 15, I wanted to be a history professor. I did my undergrad at UC Berkeley and went straight into a PhD program at UC Davis. And then a few years in, the reality hit home that academia was not for me. I started blogging as part of a coping mechanism as I wrote my dissertation, eventually realizing that it was bringing me more happiness and fulfillment than teaching and researching.
I did complete my PhD program, and immediately left the higher education realm, opting to give blogging and social media a go professionally. There was a lot of learning, a number of frustrations, and a lot of no income at first, but slowly it started to work out.
Interestingly, while I was successful after a few years of blogging, it wasn’t until 2020 (8 years after starting my blog) that I found my voice and my purpose – attainable sustainable living. We’re always learning and should always be open to adapting (within reason – I never got on the TikTok trend). I’m glad that I had all that learning of how to blog before finding my voice, making that somewhat scary step actually fairly easy.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Know your strengths and accept your weaknesses/dislikes. I have little patience for graphic design and my photography isn’t great. I’m a good writer and teacher. I worked diligently on my photography until I was ultimately able to pass that onto someone else, but writing is easy for me and I’m good at it. That’s a part of my blog, I’ll never pass on to someone (or something) else!
- Basic is sometimes Best. In the world of social media and online publications, there are always changes, new inventions, and new trends. At the end of the day, what you decide to do and not do should always promote and be in line with your basic purpose and basic desires for your business. Don’t get caught up in the trends or you’ll loseyourself and your purpose.
- Find a parallel work-friend. I’ve found that my best relationships with others in regard to my work are people in different fields as me. Sometimes this is other bloggers in different niches. Other times, and more recently, it’s been fellow small businesses owners – particularly in ecommerce. You want to be able to provide insight to one another but not be competing or comparing each other’s successes.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
My income for blogging has always been a combination of sponsored content, ad revenue, and affiliate marketing (initially in that order and the affiliate component very small). In the last 5 years or so, the online market for content creators has changed. Sponsored content opportunities are more limited. Now my income is mainly ad revenue and then sponsored content and affiliate marketing each making up about 25-30% of my income. I’m not by nature a salesperson, so I’m learning how to do this. I often feel I’m repeating things, forgetting that people rarely see everything I share and that people (including myself) need frequent reminders before being willing to spend their money. I take my word and my recommendations seriously, however, so it’s isn’t an easy thing for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.lucismorsels.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucismorsels
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucismorsels
Image Credits
food photos – credit to Lori Rice (https://www.loririce.com/) Garden Photo & Blue Jacket Photos – Val Leddy (https://www.randomvignettes.com/)
