future thinker I consider myself to be an over thinker. I’m constantly taking stock of the things around me and figuring out how to alter or re-purpose things to better suit my needs and goals. No period will cause you to consider your future standings than the first few months after college graduation.

The three areas that I’ve been honing in on the most are my health, career and, of course this blog. Each of those areas deserves, and will have, a separate post on changes I’m making in the upcoming weeks. But today, I want to talk about the blog.

It makes me so proud and excited to say that in almost every job interview I’ve been on, I’ve spent a large chunk of time answering questions about Ember & March. Explaining the blog’s strategy and all of the marketing insights that go into sustaining and growing it has never left me short of impressive answers.

I’ve spent the past month or so doing a full audit of the Ember & March brand. Really taking the time to ask myself where I want this space to go, and what I’m hoping for it to give back to all of you who read it.

Has my audience changed, and am I still serving them?

How have I changed, and is the blog still serving me?

Is the content I’m writing aligned with my goals? Does that matter?

Am I producing work that I’m proud of?

I started getting to the root of these questions while reviewing the responses to my most recent reader survey –thanks to everyone who shared their thoughtful insights! My favorite part about those surveys is learning about all of you (and I was able to learn a lot) and figuring where the intersection of your needs and my passions exists.

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In the upcoming weeks, you guys will probably start to notice a few changes here and there. My brand audit, and the responses from my reader survey, have really helped me to see that E&M is in need of a brand refreshing and repurposing.

The biggest changes will be content focused, which I’m most excited about. I’ve already got tons of posts lined up under the categories of career and business, Philadelphia, lifestyle and wellness. We’ll be talking a lot more about putting the balance back into our lives; really focusing on creating lives well lived and well designed, the mission of this blog.

There will still be tips on blogging, social media and business but they’ll be delivered new ways that are more relevant and helpful. In essence, the content range on E&M is expanding to truly encompass all that goes into a well lived and well designed lifestyle.

This also means that there will be a few design updates, just to make the user experience here more friendly and compliment the content changes. I think all of these changes will be so good, and will result in so much growth.

When you think about the future, how do you plan ahead? I’d love to hear how you tackle the unknown, so feel free to share that in the comments. Also, tell me what kinds of content you would be really excited to see on the blog! I’m excited for your answers!

Photo credit // Ashley Ella Design

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6 Comments

  1. Hey Amber! I’m really excited to see your updates over the upcoming weeks! And that’s so awesome to see how you’ve used your blog as a valuable experience to share with employers. I’ve always been really inspired by your ability to deliver authentic and valuable content. I can’t way to see what you roll out!

    Also, I loved this: “In essence, the content range on E&M is expanding to truly encompass all that goes into a well lived and well designed lifestyle.”

    I absolutely love the thought of a “well designed lifestyle.” I think that’s such a great way to communicate content for your blog.

  2. I’m an over-thinker and over-planner and it stresses me a bit. I want things to fall perfectly which causes me to think, rethink, and overdo. I’m always questioning how I can make things better.

    1. Planning for the future is great, but not letting the future overwhelm and then intimidate you is important as well! It’s always good to focus on the present, too.

  3. I can’t wait to see what you have in store, especially about bringing balance back into our lives. Your writing style is so captivating, and I’m excited to see what these changes will bring!

    Since I’m still in college, my main focus is on what I want to do before I graduate, and whether or not my decisions & actions will benefit me post grad. I’m an over thinker, too.

    This fall, I’m also planning a complete overhaul of my blog. While I’m still not exactly sure where I fall in the spectrum, I’m excited to deliver more than just outfit of the day posts.

    1. Thanks so much for your kind words, Emily! I can’t wait to see your blog after the overhaul! I hope you’re able to use that as a way to help you figure out what you want to do post-grad!