Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Hendrix.
Hi Amanda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always enjoyed writing and decorating as a creative outlet, and I have been blogging in some form or another since the very first blogging platforms were released. I created Love & Renovations, a blog that teaches homeowners how to create beautiful spaces in their homes, even without any DIY experience, back in 2011 when my husband and I first purchased a home here in the Austin area.
About four years into my blog, I slowly began to realize I could turn my passion into an actual business. I saw my peers and friends begin earning an income off of their blog and wanted to see if I could turn my love of writing and creating into an actual job. I began to learn about how to monetize my blog and started focusing on increasing my website traffic, and by the middle of 2017, I was able to leave my teaching job to pursue blogging full time.
There have been a lot of ups and downs over the last five years as I’ve continued to learn and grow, but I still love every second of my job and can’t imagine myself doing anything else!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being reliant on website traffic and sponsored content for an income can lead to a lot of ups and downs. When the pandemic hit last year, a lot of my typical opportunities to work with brands dried up pretty quickly and I was left scrambling to figure out how we’d make ends meet if things never picked back up.
I’ve learned the importance of diversifying my income and making sure I have multiple streams of income at all times. Thankfully, business is slowly returning back to normal and I’ve learned some valuable lessons about how to diversity and make sure I’m not too reliant on any one thing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I run a home decor and DIY website that teaches homeowners how to create the home they love. I offer free tutorials and inspiration on my site, Love & Renovations, and I spend a lot of time on Instagram (@loverenovations) connecting with my audience and sharing really accessible, simple DIY tips and tricks.
I also offer some workshops with more hands-on and detailed information about crafting a home you love. One of my courses is called Tiny Tweaks, which teaches a really specific and systematic approach to make changes in your home. The other course I currently offer is called 30 Days to a Tidyer Home and it walks you through 30 days of decluttering and organizing to achieve your home goals and reduce the excess clutter in your home.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
In my business, what matters most to me is helping homeowners (often women, in particular) learn that they are perfectly capable of doing hard work in their homes and creating a space they love. So many people in my audience are afraid to pick up a power tool or try to build something, or even paint a room on their own. My goal is to teach people that it doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating to tackle DIY projects in your home, and you’re capable of so much more than you know.
Pricing:
- Tiny Tweaks Course: $127
- 30 Days to Tidyer Home Course: $37
Contact Info:
- Email: amanda@loveandrenovations.com
- Website: www.loveandrenovations.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/loverenovations
Image Credits
(For headshot image only) Becca Johnson.
