The Future of Empty Nest Blessed
Is it too late to say Happy New Year? 😂 Um, maybe a little! With Christmas and New Year’s falling on a Wednesday this year, it felt like everyone was all over the place at all different times!
I always love the freshness of a new year! It’s a great time to take stock and make a few little changes—and maybe even a few big ones! As the calendar turns this year, I’m celebrating the 10th year of Empty Nest Blessed! It’s time to make a few changes. Today, I’m sharing my plans for the future of Empty Nest Blessed with you.
How it all Started
I started Empty Nest Blessed when the blogging industry (if that’s the right word for it!) was in its heyday! At the time, the only blogs about the empty nest were sad and discouraging. There didn’t seem to be many resources for someone like me, who was facing this new season of life with some sadness but also with a strange sense of freedom mixed with hopefulness! I felt like the Lord was calling me to encourage other empty-nester women to grasp this season of life with joy and expectation. My mission was (and still is) to encourage, inspire, and bless women in the empty nester season of life.
So I decided to be brave and share my life! It took courage because, at that time, being an “influencer” was not actually a thing. (Or even a vocabulary word!😂) I started Empty Nest Blessed by sharing things like our travels, our date nights, and how I was downsizing recipes in the empty nest. My blog was the primary platform, and I used Instagram and Facebook to publicize my blog posts.
Along the way, a funny thing happened! As my followers grew, they started asking questions. Some questions were about finding purpose in the empty nest or relating to adult kids. But many questions were things like, “Where did you get those earrings?” “What cookbook are you using?” “What’s your favorite brand of luggage?”
It became clear to me that I needed to be able to resource my followers in order to answer those questions, so I signed on as an Amazon Associate, which allowed me to share links to products on Amazon in exchange for a small commission (think 2-5%).
Around the same time, RewardStyle launched (now called LTK) as an affiliate sales platform connecting affiliates (aka bloggers/influencers/content creators) with brands. In a nutshell, here’s how it works: brands pay a small commission to LTK for each sale driven by an affiliate. LTK takes a cut and pays the rest to the affiliate (think 7% on average). For more on the business of blogging, see THIS post.
Although I hadn’t set out to start a business when I launched emptynestblessed.com, I suddenly had one! After doing this for nearly 10 years, I’m now the top-ranked “empty nester influencer” “empty nester blogger” and “empty nester content creator” on Google! (It’s nothing special I did! I just stayed true to my mission and the empty nester demographic I feel called to serve!)
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How the Industry Has Changed
As in any free economy, where the money is, businesses spring up! I don’t need to tell you that the affiliate marketing business has exploded in the past 10 years! It turns out that people were influenced to buy based on the recommendations of individuals they trusted rather than slick advertising campaigns. This, along with greater accessibility to the internet, caused a domino effect. We saw the demise of industries that were supported by advertising, like print media, radio, network TV, and even billboards.
We also saw the meteoric rise of social media along with the influencer industry, encompassing bloggers like me and influencers like Kim Kardashian and other celebrities. Brands started reaching out and paying influencers to share and endorse their products. Many influencers started purchasing followers, attempting to demonstrate to brands that their influence was more expansive than it actually was. (This still goes on today!)
It became all about sales, with some influencers cashing in and sharing products they didn’t use or believe in to collect a paycheck. And the money was there. As of 2023, the global influencer marketing industry is estimated to be worth around $21.1 billion annually!
Y’all, I get 10-20 emails daily from brands that want to send me their products for free in exchange for endorsing them on social media. Sometimes, they even offer a flat fee (along with free products) to endorse them.
I set high standards for the products and businesses I share on Empty Nest Blessed, so I rarely even agree to try a new product or brand! I pledged from the beginning (and have repeated it many times since) to only share products or businesses I use and love. I am SO picky. Why? Because I know you trust me.
What’s Happening With Empty Nest Blessed
With the rise of social media, blogs like mine are disappearing! Most content creators have stepped away from their websites/blogs and gone to just social media and newsletters. The idea is that followers/shoppers prefer content that comes right to them instead of reading a lot to get to what they want. (Which apparently is mostly shoppable content!)
I get it, but I don’t know how I can deliver content like How to Pray for Your Adult Children | Six Bible Verses to Use, 10 Ways to Help When Adult Children Are Struggling (or in Crisis), or even 68 Great Date Night Ideas for Empty Nesters without this blog!
I couldn’t do what I do without my assistant Beth, and we try our best to provide helpful content for you. We try to mix shoppable and informational content. Our hope and prayer is that all of it is encouraging, inspiring, and a blessing to you. For me, the shoppable content pays the bills and provides a modest paycheck, but I think you know the other content is where my heart truly lies.
I’ve always envisioned ENB as a reflection of us as women. We’re beautifully complex—balancing hearts devoted to faith and family with a desire to live lives of purpose, all while embracing our love for fashion, beauty, travel, and more. (How fun are we? Seriously!) 😊 The content on Empty Nest Blessed will continue covering all these areas!
How Empty Nest Blessed Will Be Changing
Every time I watch figure skating, I decide I can do a double axel! “That doesn’t look too hard!” 🤣
But as with most things in life, producing a good product always takes more time and effort than it looks like when you see the final result. The truth is, we work on most posts and gift guides for weeks before you ever see them. I struggle sometimes (often!) with work/life balance, and I’ve pledged to my family and myself that I will work harder at taking breaks and unplugging. Bob and I are going to downsize this year, and the decluttering project is looming large! 😳😂
In the future, you’ll continue seeing lots of blog posts on ENB! They may come a little less frequently. We have lots of good content in the works! Here’s a sneak peek at some of the posts we’re praying about, compiling, or writing:
- Flirting After 50: How to Keep the Spark Alive in Your Empty Nester Marriage
- Supporting Your Spouse Through a Tough Time
- Downsizing the Nest: How I’m Doing it & What I’m Learning
- The Spring Style Trends to Know & How to Wear Them
- At-Home Laser Technology for Women Over 50: My Honest Review and Results
- Mothers & Daughters: 5 Helpful Tips to Build a Good Relationship
I always send out a newsletter when I publish a new post, so if any of those sound interesting to you, it means now would be a good time to join the ENB email list if you’re not already signed up.
In addition, since current trends and analytics tell us that people enjoy receiving content directly in their inboxes, we’re starting a Friday Fun Mail newsletter. It will feature a behind-the-scenes look at my life, info on what I’m reading, watching, or shopping, recent fashion looks and favorite products, and a rundown of the best weekend sales. If you’re an Empty Nest Blessed subscriber, you’ll receive it. If not, I hope you’ll consider signing up. I don’t want you to miss a thing!
How You Can Help
I love what I do, and I truly feel called by God to do it. Serving you brings me so much joy! If you appreciate the content at ENB, there’s SO much you can do to help me! First and foremost, tell your friends about emptynestblessed.com and encourage them to subscribe to the email newsletter. Word of mouth is the best form of PR!
The honest truth is that, in my industry, people largely evaluate effectiveness by follower numbers (called “reach”). It’s an important metric for me, but I’ve never purchased followers and never will. Another important effectiveness marker is “engagement.” That’s the number of readers and comments I get on blog posts AND the likes and comments I receive on social media posts. Your engagement with my content—whether on emptynestblessed.com or social media—matters!
I think the younger generation is comfortable interacting with the content they consume, but our generation is used to consuming content without interacting! Think about it! We’re the generation that sat back on the sofa and flipped on ABC, NBC, or CBS for news and programming, listened to the radio to follow sports games, and thumbed through magazines for fashion and beauty inspiration. Compare that to the way your children consume content! They’re DMing brands, celebrities, and content creators on Instagram and commenting on news and sports stories they see on X! Yep! I’m playing in their world!
It would mean so much if you would consider following me and interacting with my content on these platforms:
- The Empty Nest Blessed Email Newsletter (includes the new Friday Fun Mail!)
- YouTube
- Amazon (The follow button is on the top right.)
- LTK
I Would Love Your Feedback!
I do what I do for you! I’m so grateful for your support, encouragement, and love. Thank you for shopping with my links and commenting on my content! Your support enables me to continue to do this job that I love so much. (Beth says thank you, too, because she loves her job! 😂 You will see more of her in the future, as she will begin writing posts and sharing on social media!)
What are your thoughts about the future of Empty Nest Blessed? Beth and I would love to know! Are there topics you especially enjoy? Topics you’d like to see me cover more? Or less? Feel free to leave a comment below or email me at [email protected].
I love the content but have to resist the urge to buy all the shopping recommendations because we are needing to be debt free and also trying to simplify and downsize. I’m so looking forward to that part of your life and ideas. How to get rid of sentimental things, kids things that they won’t take, and tubs of “what ifs” that we may need. How to downsize and still be able to entertain. I love your ideas and depend on your Christmas lists – especially the stocking stuffer ideas. Thank you, Suzy, for all your hard work.
Sherry,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! I will be sharing more about my decluttering and downsizing journey, and I’m thrilled to know you find the Holiday Gift Guides helpful!
I’m so grateful that you’re here!
xoxo,
Suzy
I agree, I need to slow down on purchasing and yet I love reading what you wear! Perhaps a year of collecting basic pieces, and then only posts about accessorizing. Ha! I already have a ton of jewelry too! At any rate I am eager to see what the new ENB looks like!
Terri,
Thanks so much for your comment! I appreciate your thoughts and I know everyone is here for different reasons! I try to share what is helpful to as many people as possible, and try to emphasize that you can often adapt what is already in your closet to the new seasons – sometimes you just need to add an accessory to update it!
I appreciate you and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
xoxo
Suzy
Your Friday Fun Newsletter will be a hit! My favorite follows all do something similar and it is so handy to find links, knowing what day to expect a message and it just ties it all together. Sometimes less is more.
J,
Thank you! That’s so kind! Watch your inbox this Friday for some FUN!
xoxo
Suzy
Suzy!!! I stand behind you in your decision to be more focused and cut back to give your husband and family the attention they need and deserve! I have loved your postings for many years, and I know you have greatly blessed me and many others through your humor and wisdom. I applaud you for keeping your focus on encouragement and suggestions for how to improve our lives in this empty nest phase. I appreciate that you are unapologetically a follower of Jesus! When you do post fashion and accessory items, you hit a broad range of price points. We are all in different situations with our finances, and we love to support you when we can, and even splurge every now and then, so I think it’s great that you post everything from a Walmart sweater to a Talbots Cashmere coat! There are so many of your great gift ideas that I have purchased over the years because of your very comprehensive gift lists at Christmas time and other holidays!
I’m excited to start receiving the Friday newsletter, and continue to cheer you on in your endeavors. I’m also looking forward to hearing about your downsizing adventures, even though we’re not likely to do that for a good while yet.
Sending a hug from chilly Georgia this morning!❤️🇺🇲
Betsie,
Your love and support are such a blessing to me! I consider you a true friend and it’s so sweet that we share a deep devotion to our Savior! Thank you for your encouragement over the years. I do my best and am thankful for Beth, who understands and shares my heart for serving empty nesters.
Hugs and love!
xoxo
Suzy
Thank you for sharing the future of Empty Nest Blessed…your blogs are always filled encouragement, helpful hints, ideas and faith!! I’m looking forward to seeing where your new adventures take you and the blog!! Many blessings as you move forward!!
Cynthia,
Thank you so much for your encouraging comment! It means so much to me! I’m grateful for your support – for so many years!
xoxo
Suzy
I was introduced to you through a Get Organized HQ summit, I believe. Just entering the launching of children phase at that time. I’ve enjoyed your newsletters since. I’m not a big shopper as we are cash flowing college for two (almost done with that), but have purchased a few things based on your recommendation. My favorite part is the sharing of your real life and family and your adventures.
My parents went through downsizing to move closer to me to help when the kids were in middle school. I wouldn’t have survived without their help. It took over a year to go through their 3 bedroom Cape Cod home with a 3 bay barn and into their teeny-tiny house that is just a couple blocks from me. As hard as it was for them, I’m extremely thankful. I wouldn’t know how to sell a tractor or the things from their janitorial and vending businesses, not mention all the things in the house. I’ll be praying for you and Bob as you begin the downsizing journey. I’m sure there will be some hard parts, but your kids will you thank you in the end.
Blessings to you and Beth and I’ll keep reading!
Nikki,
Thank you so much for sharing the story about your parents. Yes! It’s so important to think of the future generations when we’re downsizing! I couldn’t agree more. My parents did it for me, and I’m (partially!) doing it for my kids!
I’m so glad you’re here and I appreciate your input so much!
xoxo
Suzy
I think you are such a special person, and I have “known” you online and have had the pleasure of working with you. I, too, have learned to pivot, decide what is best for me, and understand how different things are now in this space. I started AdventuresofEmptyNesters.com 11 years ago and now have a podcast. Your sunshine is needed in this sometimes difficult landscape. Your sincerity shines through! I wish you the best in all that you do! xo Suzanne
Suzanne,
You know I love your podcast! I was so honored to be a guest way back when! We did start out about the same time, and that makes you so special to me. (Not to mention having the same name!)
Thank you for your kind words! I’m finding my way…more to come!
xoxo
Suzy
Suzy, I remember visiting with you at a Baylor event back in 2014, and you shared your vision for Empty Nest Blessed, which you were just about to launch. WOW! I know it has exceeded your expectations and is such a blessing to so many. I admire your bravery in shifting obligations around so that you are able to spend more time with your family. Thank you for your committment to serving women at this stage of life, and I look forward to keeping up with everything you have to share!
Shannon,
We were (and still are!) midlife entrepreneurs together, and that will always be so special to me! Thank you for your constant support and encouragement! I’m so grateful for you and our long-long-term friendship!
Stay warm down there in the snow!
xoxo
Suzy
I have been following you on Instagram for several years and I originally started following you for the “empty nest posts and article”. My kids were in college and well, I was an empty nested! I loved the content then and I continue to love the content now. I like how you have incorporated reviews of face products ( for aging skin), clothes for over 50 age, and relationship news.
It is not that easy to find “influencers” who support and give appropriate information to us in this age group.
Thank you for what you do! I love your newsletters and read them weekly! Keep being you!
Aw Sandra,
Thank you! Your feedback and kind words mean so much to me. I’m grateful for you and love that we’ve grown together as empty nesters. I’ve been working my way back through some of that older early empty nester content, and it’s so lovely to know it was helpful to you.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment for me. It means a lot!
xoxo
Suzy
I appreciate the blog. I do not get on other forms of social media.
Whatever you decide it has to be for the best of you and your family.
Later on, will you say –I wish I had spent more time behind the computer, or I wish I had spent more time with my family. I am assuming it is the latter.
I do receive your letters so thank you.
Maureen,
Thank you! I agree 100%, for sure! I appreciate you and that you enjoy spending time with me here at ENB.
Hugs to you, and thanks again!
xoxo
Suzy
Suzy,
I love your transparency. It truly seems to be an ever changing world around social media!
I appreciate your thoughtful content and I love the idea of your Friday fun newsletter. I appreciate you blessing all of us through the years with your wonderful and relevant content. Reading your content feels like we are having a conversation and I enjoy that so much.
Thank you for all that you do for us empty nesters!
Hugs,
Kelley
Kelley,
Aw, thank you! People who know me say I write the way I talk, so I do feel like I’m having a conversation with you every time I write! It means a lot to me that you feel like my content is relevant to your life! I do try hard to make it that way. I write about what interests me – knowing full well that it won’t appeal to everyone – and I love that it’s connected with you.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and encouraging words. I’m so grateful to you!
xoxo
Suzy
I enjoy your blog and often find good tips. I especially enjoyed your stocking stuffer list but may be more budget minded than a lot of your followers. I trust your recommendations and appreciate your Christian focus. I’m so glad you’re going to continue the newsletter but totally understand doing it less often. Thank you for what you do!
Carolyn
Thank you! Goodness, I do love to do that stocking stuffer gift guide! Hahaha! I’m so glad it resonates with you. It’s really fun to do.
ENB is not a faith blog per se – there are lots of good ones out there – but I’m a faith-based woman for sure, and ENB is ME!
You’re still going to be seeing plenty of me! Thank you for your comment.
xoxo
Suzy
The mother & daughter content will be amazing! So thankful for you, Suzy! Agape,
J
Jayla,
Thank you so much! I’m not a perfect mother, by any means, but I do love being a mom to both my boys and my girl! Excited to write about it!
xoxo
Suzy
Oh my goodness! I held my breath when I first read your post and thought to myself, “I hope she is not ending her blog. I look forward to reading it.”
I was so glad to see you are continuing. I can tell you put so much time into this.
You give us so much content. I especially like the posts on what you are learning in your empty nest.
I also enjoy when you give us gift ideas for the guys. And, marriage tips for keeping life interesting in our empty nests.
You seem like such a warm wonderful person. Sincere too. I do trust you wouldn’t show us something you wouldn’t use yourself.
Something I would enjoy seeing more of is home decorating tips. Traveling too. I loved your post on that subject.
Thank you for all you do. You put a lot of work into this and it really shows.
Juliet,
Thank you for your comment, and thank you for being specific about what you enjoy! That helps me a lot. We haven’t traveled much in the past few years, but we look forward to returning to more of that later this year once our condos on Sanibel Island are finally rebuilt. (They’re close!) It’s taken nearly 2 1/2 years to rebuild since Hurricane Ian decimated them, and we’ve missed them so much.
If only I was a good home decorator, I would share more tips! Haha! It’s not my favorite thing to do, and to be honest, I usually hire someone to help me with most of it. That’s why you haven’t seen more of that. 😳😊
Thanks again for taking the time to leave a comment and for making it so personal. That means a lot to me!
xoxo]
Suzy
I am excited to see your content on downsizing. I have things from my own home I need to sort through as well as some of my parents things I have after they passed away. We bought my parents house so it was easy to put off things like sorting the basement. This year I want to do some of that as I feel ready.
I look forward to your blog and love the content. Thank you!!