Season two is about to get epic

A while ago I wrote a blog post about blogging seasons. I’m going to start releasing blog posts during the next few months that I’m calling my blogging season. You know how your favorite TV show comes on every fall and ends every spring? It’s like that for me and my blog post. But that’s just the tip. My blog is about to get radical, intense, uncomfortable and everything in between. I’ve been inspired by my friends to share my life. Not my work approved/censored life. The real life I lead. The ups and downs. The realities of being a new father. My personal thoughts and how I feel about them. Sometimes, I feel like when I’m being myself, I’m judged instantly and misunderstood.

I’ve always limited myself in the past. You know playing safe. I was worried. Worried about saying the wrong thing that could result in me losing my job. Worried about posting the wrong article and receiving backlash. Worried that I would be misunderstood, as I often am, and watch hell snowball its way into my living room. I love comedy. Comedy knows no boundaries. It’s one of the only places left on earth where nothing can hide. I think everything should be talked about. Love, sex, relationships, feelings, and politics. I want them all talked about all the time. But for me, I always felt held back.

That was until two things happened.

I’ve become inspired by my friends.

Two of my favorite bloggers are my inspirations. They’re also October Libras like myself. Lollieshopping and Withshayda. These two talented Texas women have demonstrated that you can work for a company and have your own brand at the same time. Even if those two things my Clash. It’s very rare to hear an employee talking about their sex life. It’s inspiring to see someone post about how they’re breaking a daily routine to become more health conscious. Both of these talented women never mix their brand with their day job. How do I know?

I’ve been friends with Shayda since 2012. I have seen her at multiple events and have hung out with her after hours. Shayda worked for one of my favorite companies on the planet. Each time I saw her at an event, we just clicked. I was invited to outings with her and friends. Then we worked together for a short time. She reminds me to live your best life, every day.

Laura and I have been friends since 2012. I met her at the WordPress Meetup Group here in Las Vegas. Laura has her own Lifestyle Blog for Grown Women. Laura also works with some pretty awesome brands. She’s been working on the book about sex and dating. Follow her on twitter and you’ll laugh about dating in Vegas. We also worked together. For a little longer period of time.

Which leads me to the second thing that happened recently.

I no longer work for WebDevStudios & Maintainn.

Yes, you are reading that right. It came as a shock to me as well. On August 28th, 2018 I was told my services are no longer needed. Here’s all I have to say about it. I’m very upset over this and it’s hard for me to blog about. But I’ve been an open and honest person my entire life and I’m not going to stop now. As hard as it is to talk about my departure, it’s a part of my new journey into blogging and being the best version of myself. It’s also part of why I’m going to start being more open about my life.

I’m not saying my previous employer had anything to do with why I held back my blogging. If anything, I felt like I would say the wrong things in a blog post. Those wrong things would end up in a search result somewhere. Maybe affecting something in the future. Anything is possible. I’ll always cherish the days I worked at WDS. They helped me bring my son, our firstborn, into the world. Jill and I had no clue what to do with kids, insurance, and finances. They prepared us for the arrival of our little girl in 2018. For that, I’ll always be thankful.

So what the hell am I doing now?

Regardless of where I work, I’m focused on building my brand. I have somewhat of social media presence. I have a somewhat “known status” in the WordPress community. I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life dedicated to WordPress and helping others. It’s time to start helping myself. That’s a very hard thing for me to do as a Libra. One side of me wants to help others. But the other inside of me knows I have a son and a little girl on the way.

My two kids and Jill deserve my full attention first and foremost. We have talked things over and we have decided together as a couple, we are going to increase our names/brands together. I’m still going to be involved in WordPress. I love doing the WPWatercooler show. I’m still going to speak at my Local Meetup. Because I Love WordPress.

So what’s the radical part?

I will no longer blog and play it safe. I’m going to blog about everything. This time with zero filters. I’m going to blog about my past dating life and the fucked-up things people do in relationships. About the real freedom we have and have I started to utilize it. And lastly, I’m going to start recording more YouTube videos. I’ll be posting them whenever the hell I get to it. Because let’s face it we’re all busy and we’re trying to manage your social media presence and our lives.

Buckle up tight and hold on to your children. Welcome to season two of russelleNVy.com.