Namita Kulkarni is one of those bloggers who you see in pictures doing ridiculously difficult Yoga poses. She is a Yoga teacher and uses Blogging as a creative outlet to journal her thoughts and experiences. She’s been able to score a few sponsorships travels through her blog.

Her blog Radically Ever After was ranked one of the top 50 Yoga blogs worldwide in 2017. It was also ranked one of the top 5 Solo Woman Travel Blogs in India.

Here’s an exclusive interview with the Yoga guru.

Tell us about your blogging journey

I began blogging in April 2014. After two solo trips to Mauritius and Bali in 2014, I had a ton of new experiences to share. I could’ve talked anyone’s ears off with at least ten weeks’ worth of travel stories. A blog seemed a more civilized and efficient way of channeling that energy. So the writing began, and with it flowed more writing and more travel opportunities.

What’s life like for a blogger?

I divide my time between Yoga and blogging. I enjoy the creative freedom that comes with blogging, working on goals I’ve set for myself, and having a voice and a platform that reaches people I may never have otherwise crossed paths with. Hearing from my readers always makes my day.

What emotional, mental and physical needs does blogging fulfill?

The creative freedom and self-expression mean a lot to me. Conveying new and old ideas and my varied experiences in a fresh way is a challenge I enjoy. When absolute strangers write in saying something I wrote helped them make a big decision or do something they always wanted to, that is one of the most fulfilling moments one can have as a blogger.

If you had to start all over again, what would you do differently?

I changed the name of my blog about a year after I started blogging.

I never really enjoyed the old name (Hues & Views), and the new name (Radically Ever After) was so much more ‘me.’ Things would’ve been a little more convenient if I had thought of the new name back when I began blogging. In general, I wish I’d had less perfectionism and more fun all through. That goes for more than just blogging

What was your biggest challenge when you started?

As an introvert, it felt scary putting my thoughts out there for anyone to read, judge and misconstrue as they wished. But after a couple of blog posts, I got used to the feeling.

How do you monetize your blog?

I have managed to score a few sponsored trips through my blog. I earn my living through teaching Yoga, and blogging is a creative outlet that happens to get me travel and Yoga gigs. So I haven’t felt the need to place any financial pressure on the blogging. I quite enjoy going with the flow of things as I express my creativity on the blog. It also helps me stay on track with my creativity if I’m not chasing a monetary target.

How long did it take for you to make your first $1000 a month?

Just a few months after I began blogging I scored a sponsored trip to South America. The entire trip would’ve cost me well over USD2000. So that was a huge win for me.

After that, more travel and Yoga gigs followed.

Sponsored trips to Thailand, Ladakh and leading a Yoga retreat in the Valley of Flowers have been some of the rewards that my blog led me to.

As I said earlier, making ‘X’ amount of money per month with my blog was never my goal. I see blogging as a creative outlet, and I’m glad to have a day job as a Yoga teacher. I wouldn’t expect my blog to support me financially on a regular basis; rather I’m glad to support it.

What is that one strategy that has generated most of your blog traffic?

The only blogging strategy I have is to create good content as consistently as my work schedule allows me.

Seeing my blog posts shared hundreds of times on social media feels great, but more so because I wrote it on my terms that are authentic to me and my experiences. Not by following some strategy. It’s always content over strategy for me because that is the way I enjoy it.

How do you network with other bloggers?

I’ve been to a couple of blogger meets, and there are so many facebook groups connecting bloggers from all over the world, so that helps.

What advice would you give someone just starting off as a blogger?

Do it because you enjoy it. Blogging for any other reason can quite likely be a recipe for frustration.

What’s your favorite travel destination and why?

Netala, a remote Himalayan village on the banks of the Ganga. Also the small towns of Northern Italy with names like Cittiglio and Cocquio-Trevisago. Triglav National Park in Slovenia. It’s impossible to pick one favorite.

Readers can connect with Namita through her Facebook page.

The post Meet Namita Kulkarni, Yoga Teacher, Traveler, and Artist appeared first on Trainer Hangout.