The Good Idea Fairy blog is written by Olivia Oakley, a busy wife and mother. Olivia studied Psychology at her university and is really interested in the human mind and human behavior. Olivia believes that we as women can be too hard on ourselves and have a tendency to overthink things, which can lead to anxiety and depression. “It doesn’t help that there are real or perceived social pressures to contend with or that women are still battling for equal pay in the workplace. When women come together, great things can happen and we should be empowering each other to confidently be the awesome people we are.” And that is what her blog is about: feel good ideas and stories about female empowerment and well-being.
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
After I had my second son, I decided to stay at home with my two boys. However, I still wanted something to keep my mind ticking, so The Good Idea Fairy was born.
Tell us about your business.
The Good Idea Fairy is a female empowerment and well-being blog for women who don’t want to be confined, defined or left behind.
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
Yes, I have teamed up with Ro & Co Designs who specialize in unique personalized prints for special occasions. We are offering a framed design print featuring any inspirational quote or personal mantra of your choosing.
List awards/certifications/accomplishments.
I have a BA in Psychology from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. That is where my interest in human behavior came from.
Where is your business based?
I am currently based in the beautiful county of Wiltshire in the UK, but we are moving nearer to London in the summer.
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
It took me five months between registering my domain name and creating my blog to actually post my first article. I needed an extra push and confidence boost, so I enrolled in an online blogging course to teach me the basics. It was definitely worth it, as it focused my mind and encouraged me to just go for it.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
Social media has been key to growing my following, particularly Instagram.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Getting over the fear I had about starting my blog and putting myself out there. We really can do anything when we put our mind to it, but sometimes we question ourselves far too much. I guess the unknown can be scary.
How did you overcome these challenges?
I asked for support from friends who were more clued up on the technical side of running a blog. With encouragement from them and my husband, I found the confidence to go for it.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
The beauty of my blog is that it is all about empowering women. I write about well-being and self-love, and that reminds me to focus on my own well-being too. I also love helping people, so for me it is so rewarding when I receive positive comments from my followers. I feel like I am helping, encouraging and supporting others, which motivates me to keep going.
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
I am not aware of many other bloggers out there focusing on feel-good empowerment and wellbeing. It seems to be either one or the other. My blog is different by combining the two. The key for me is that I want my followers to read my articles and come away feeling good about themselves. This is a positive arena for women. Negativity is not welcome here!
What is the best advice you have received recently?
You can’t change people or situations, only your reaction to them. This is so true for the business world and in personal situations, so I wrote an article about this that is featured on my blog.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Have a personal mantra to help you through the tough times. My mantra is ‘Say not I cannot, but I can’. Growing up, my Mum would often say that to my sisters and I when we had moments of self-doubt.
What are your favorite business tools/resources and why?
I find business Facebook groups are great. These online communities provide support, advice and networking opportunities. If I post a question, there will always be somebody who will be able to help me. When I learn something new, I like to share it with the groups. It is all about sharing knowledge, which I love.
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
I am currently reading “Woman’s Hour: Words From Wise, Witty And Wonderful Women”. It contains some great quotes from brilliant women.
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
I am trying to learn more about Pinterest and how I can use it as a business tool to grow my following.
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
My main goal is to grow my following across all of my social media channels and to get more subscribers to my blog. I want to spread the feel-good vibe as much as possible! I post a new article every two days, so there is lots of interesting content on my blog to keep people engaged. Plus I love to interact with my followers and encourage them to comment on everything I write.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Good Idea Fairy:
Instagram @goodideasfairy
Twitter @goodideasfairy
Facebook www.facebook.com/goodideasfairy
Pinterest www.uk.pinterest.com/goodideasfairy
Website www.goodideafairy.co.uk
Email oliviaoakley@ymail.com
Hashtags #goodideasfairy
Ro & Co:
Instagram @roandco.uk
Twitter @roandco_uk
Facebook www.facebook.com/roandco.uk
Email rowena@roandco.uk
Hashtags #roandco_uk