When I started my food and travel blog in April 2015, I had no concept of where blogging would take me. It was started under the name “Binny’s Kitchen and Travel Diaries,” as it was my platform to share recipes that reminded me of home, as well as document all our travel memories.
If you’ve been following me on social media or a regular reader of my blog you will know that my blog has evolved over time (it is now called Binny’s Food and Travel Diaries) and has had a massive impact on my life.
Here I am, writing this post while still not quite believing that THIS is my job now, because how crazy is that, seriously?
Here are the ways in which blogging has impacted my life.
It turned my passion into a career
One of the biggest ways in which blogging has impacted my life is its enabled me to turn my passion into a career. I never imagined that the blog I started in April 2015 to share recipes and travel memories would change and shape my life and career path in the way it has, so much so that I would eventually leave my 10 year career in banking to do it fill time, or that it would lead to so many opportunities to collaborate with amazing brands, tourist boards, hotels and restaurants!
Instagram has helped propel some of that journey for me, and I love sharing photos and videos on my feed. However, building a following takes hard work, dedication, and a coherent feed that fits you and your niche. One of the things that newer users who would like to kick-start their growth on the platform might choose to do is to explore the best site to buy Instagram likes so that they can show the algorithm that they have good engagement, meaning that their content will be shown to more people. Once a decent following has been established, you need to post consistently and show willingness to interact with your followers in order to keep your followers happy so that they will continue to interact with you and help you to grow even more.
You can read about how I am doing a year on after going full time here:
Learn new skills and improve existing ones
Blogging has enabled me to take my photography more seriously and move from simply half heartedly snapping photos from my iPhone to using a DSLR camera and styling my shots more and taking more time in incorporating details.
I have also learned how to edit my photos as well as look at things from a different angle and perspective.
My writing style has also evolved over the past three and a half years and I have become a lot better at time management as well as have more discipline when it comes to sticking to my to-do list, schedule and commitments.
Be more creative
Although I did my MSc in Marketing, my actual career saw me entering the world of Banking, which was hilariously something my grandad had wanted me to do when I was making my university choices, but I ended up choosing to do Business Management for my undergraduate degree and specialise in Marketing.
My day job was managing a funds platform and there was very little element of creativity in the role, especially as it was heavily focused on by the FSA as well as by our internal Compliance and Legal teams.
My blog was my outlet to be more creative (and still is) and helped me think outside the box.
Make new friends
One of the best things about blogging is the community and the friendships I have made. It is so lovely to have friends that share the same interests as you, who wait patiently whilst you take tons of photos because they are too, who build you up when you are feeling down and who have your best interests at heart.
It’s actually crazy to think that if it hadn’t been for my blog our paths would not have even crossed!
Experience new and amazing things
Through my blog I have had so many amazing opportunities to experience new things such as travelling to Mexico City in 2016 to attend the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants Award Ceremony on my own!
You can read about it here:
I have also had the opportunity to meet amazing chefs and have culinary experiences I would never have had would it have not been for my blog!
You can read about my dinner with Chef James Martin here:
I also stayed at Sir Richard Branson’s Lodge in Verbier which was epic and definitely a major highlight for me. You can read all about it here:
https://www.binnysfoodandtravel.com/2018/07/03/luxurious-swiss-chalet-chic-at-the-lodge-verbier/
I have been awarded several accolades through blogging, the most recent one being The Post Office Travel and Food Blogger of the year 2018. The prize is my trip of a lifetime which I am due to take next year so watch this space!
In the meantime you can read about what my trip of a lifetime would be here:
Document my memories
By writing down details of my experiences, my blog has been the perfect place to document all my memories. As time goes by it is sometimes difficult to remember certain details and I know I can always find a blog post that has all those details in, such as the name of a certain restaurant in a city, or the name of tour company from years ago!
One useful way to document memories is with the scrivener writing software which is a word processor for Windows and Mac. It offers a variety of organizational features, formatting options, and goal tracking,
Work from anywhere
The best thing about turning blogging into my full time career, as well as having freelance clients, is that I can work from pretty much anywhere as long as I have wifi!
I have just returned from a solo trip to Bali and Bangkok, where I did just that for a week before my family met me out there!
Notice the small things
I think bloggers (and Instagrammers) sometimes unfairly get stick for constantly being on their phones, which although is true to a certain extent, we do tend to notice things more through seeking out perfect photo opportunities and capturing more of the finer details that would sometimes get missed!
Made me more confident
I used to be a really shy person (and sometimes still am) but blogging has made me so much more confident over time through attending events where I don’t know anyone and networking as well as travelling with a group of new people or being in situations where I have to fend for myself, and even more so, talking in front of a screen!
You can watch my video from my trip to the Jura Region with Comte Cheese here:
Get freelance work
Blogging has enabled me to learn all the necessary skills and expertise to be a solopreneur and have some fabulous freelance clients that I manage social media for. Interestingly all of my clients actually discovered me because of my blog!
That’s how blogging has impacted my life – its given me a creative outlet which is all mine and opened doors to work with some amazing people, organisations, brands and to travel to some pretty amazing places.
I now have a fantastic network of friends to lean on when I need them and the love and support I get daily from everyone who reads my blog or follows my Instagram means the world to me.
The November topic is the impact that travel and/or blogging has had on you.
Just pop your post up over the first week of the month (the 1st – 7th November 2018), add it to the link up widget found on Adventures of a London Kiwi, SilverSpoon London, Follow Your Sunshineor or Sima @ The Curious Pixie.
There are no rules – all we ask is that you check out some of the other cool bloggers that are involved in that months travel link up; make a few comments here and there and tweet a few of the posts out to your followers that you think they will love. It’s a great way to meet some new travel bloggers and share some blogging joy!
Priya Joshi says
Great insight Binny! It’s lovely to see what can be done with hard work and passion!
the Curious Pixie says
It’s incredible how something you start as a little hobby can totally transform your life. I loved reading about all the positive impacts.
Bejal says
Fantastic post Binny. I feel very similar about how something that starts as a hobby can lead to so many opportunities and having tremendous impacts.
Harpreet says
Binny – to date, you remain one of my biggest inspirations: your discipline, passion and dedication to something that started as a hobby but has transitioned to a full time career is the stuff dreams are made of. Loved this post xoxo
Angie says
We could have literally written each other posts! You and I are really on the same page when it comes to how we feel about blogging and Instagram! We’ve had so many wonderful and positive experiences, particularly getting to meet each other!
Rasha says
Lovely read Binny!
My blog has been going for about 10 months now, my Instagram over a year. It’s definitely helped me improve my photography and explore a lot more places I probably wouldn’t have before.
Nice to get some insight into your background as well! Such a big change from banking to blogging 🙂
Anna Parker says
It must be a very different (and slightly more exciting..?!) year to look back on to the ones you spent in Canary Wharf 🙂
Sarah says
I have been following your blog and I LOVE IT. It’s such an inspiring space.
Binita Shah-Patel says
Aww thank you so much!!
Polly (Follow Your Sunshine) says
Grinned my whole way through this! So glad you’ve got so much out of your blog and I’m super pleased that blogging brought us together 🙂 xxx
Colleen Monaghan says
Loved reading this post, Binny 🙂 I am so glad that I’ve met you through both of our blogs and work! I am also really happy that you have been able to pursue your passion full time 😀 It’s an inspiration to read about and I hope I’ll be able to do the same one day!
Lots of love,
Colleen xx
Laura says
You have been on such a fantastic journey!