Corinne Woo from Matchaqb, who writes about project management and personal growth talks to me about how to motivate an introvert.

What is Matchaqb all about?

I know everyone is capable of removing their mental roadblocks to create. Matchaqb intertwines personal growth with creativity.  I share tips and tricks that I have embraced through my active journey in experimenting with self-development. I have a lot of fun writing, talking to people about their own personal growth, and that is what drives me to write about how to motivate an introvert.

What is the “Create with Authenticity” video series about?

As creators, ideas come to us, newly born and full of hope. It is crazy, but our minds are wired to criticize and doubt our ability to create. We have the choice to either battle the mental barriers or let the newly born ideas go. In other words, I created this series in hopes of inspiring others to take control over burnout, time management, fear of failure, and authenticity to create their ideas. In this series, I invited a passionate jewelry designer and artist, Giovanna Ngai, to discuss her ability to create with confidence and authenticity. I enjoyed interviewing her and it helped me as an introvert.

How did you start your blog?

It all started with a supportive team of open minds, ready to try out my ideas which helped me build enough confidence to begin this blog. While I volunteered at Mon Sheong, a non-profit organization, I was given the chance to share my ideas in marketing and logistics for a trip to China. When these ideas took flight and made an impact, it dawned on me that my ideas are valuable, that I could create a blog to help others realize their potential as well through sharing personal growth ideas. I like to say that blogging is a team sport because of the endless support I receive from collaborators, coworkers, family, and friends.

What motivates you to keep up with blogging and creating videos?

My first video was a complete flop. I knew it when I received an influx of negative feedback. As a result, it hit me hard as I was making corrections and I was not sure if I wanted to continue down that route.

When my energy hit an all-time low, my sister shared a post. Clobbering me over the head with tough love: Your first video will be awful, but you can’t make your 50^th without making your first. I then realized I learned so much as an active blogger and video editor and that there will be many firsts laced with failures. And that It will only get better with practice. I am more than excited to see how far Matchaqb will grow from here if I continue putting in the work, trying new things, and rolling with the punches (lessons).

New mindset:

I am constantly parallel parking throughout my life. As a result, I am perpetually embarrassed but inching closer to my dreams. In addition, I embrace all feedback.

Your blog is filled with wellness tips, what are your top self-care habits?

Alone Time | Meditation | Dragon Boat

Alone Time (JOMO) – Not many people know this about me because I come off bubbly and full of energy at work, with friends and family, and at networking events… I enjoy spending copious amounts of time on my own. It helps me slow down and listen to myself as I reflect. In these moments, I learn more about myself, laugh at my own dad jokes and spawn new ideas.

Meditation – Before the morning rush begins, I prepare with a moment of stillness. Dedicating this sliver of time to consciously clear my mind, remove distractions, and repeat self-affirmations. Meditation helps me to remain focused and calm. Now I find that whenever I hit a metaphorical speed bump after meditation, I can muster up calmness and continue cruising through the day. It definitely has become a trend and I have seen people shy away from it because of that. However, I have also witnessed my friends benefit from this practice and they tout how they are gaining control over their stress levels.

Dragon Boat (@holyshipdb) – I like combining my social and physical activities through Dragon Boat just to be efficient. Joining the Holyship team meant surrounding myself with highly motivated and supportive people. After experimenting with volleyball, ultimate frisbee, rock climbing, dance, and tennis, dragon boat stuck! I was lucky to find a sport that feeds both my competitive nature and an inner social butterfly and we will be competing starting in May.

Who is your inspiration?

Marie Forleo. She approaches work and life with an authentic and entrepreneurial flair on Marie TV which inspires so many to do the same.

Instead of fitting ourselves into a box, she reminds us that we don’t need to restrict our personalities to what we believe we should be. Her main message encourages all creators to grow and cultivate their multiple passions. I love that at the end of each video, she declares “The World Needs that Special Gift that Only You Have!”

What do you enjoy most about blogging?

Writing! I was not sure if this was my passion at first but I had ideas to share. Through my fascination with words as an avid reader, writing became my number one creative outlet. I am able to move into the “state of flow” when expressing myself through writing. Everything seizes to matter at that moment. At that moment, I lose track of time, and suddenly the urge to check social media and other distractions disappear.

Fun Fact: I was so terrible at writing in high school that I was given a tutor for a crash course on grammar. So, for anyone who thinks they are not good enough to start, trust me, you are. It took many years of practice but I am able to enjoy expressing myself through writing and sharing through blog posts now. It helps me as an introvert to put myself out there.

The post How to Motivate an Introvert appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

This week marks one year since I started blogging.  This post was originally written on December 5, 2019, updated in April 2023, and is now refreshed for 2026.

Over these eight years, my journey as a blogger has evolved, and I want to share the lessons, insights, and wisdom that have stood the test of time.

Blogging isn’t just about writing; it’s about connection, authenticity, and consistency. If you’ve ever considered starting a blog, or revitalizing one, you’ll find that experience, strategy, and passion are what separate a hobby from a thriving platform.

Authenticity remains the heart of Blogging

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind – Bernard Baruch

When you are real, original, pure, reliable, credible, trustworthy, and true, that is being authentic. We are human and get scared of being judged for our opinions, but that is what blogging and writing are all about. As a blogger, you want your perspective understood, your ideas appreciated, and your skills acknowledged, and being real is where it is at and where you will be different. I wrote a piece on marriage and it was my own experience. In a month it had generated 1,000 views because I wrote it from the heart. It was my own voice and original.

Tell a story. Connect with your audience. Relate to them.

Key takeaway for 2026: Originality combines with vulnerability is your superpower.

Be yourself, everyone else is already taken – Oscar Wilde

For some of you, blogging is a hobby, for others, it is a business. Blogging in honesty means expressing your innermost thoughts and to promote an agenda done with goodness, sincerity, and respect. It is an amazing trait to have. As a blogger, you have to be genuine and put your thoughts and views out there. Never blog to get at someone or hurt others or jump on the bandwagon to a popular trend.

I have interviewed Dr. Valerie Fitzpatrick twice. She is real and vulnerable. One of her interviews on healthy anger got 600 views within two weeks of being published.

Another interview has 18,000 views.

Blogging is About Passion Not Just Traffic

Passion rebuilds the world for the youth. It makes all things alive and significant – R. W. Emerson

Eight years in, I still write about food, faith, family, and finance, and I’ve learned that when you write with passion, your content resonates. Trying to chase every trending topic—or writing solely for SEO—leads to burnout and emptiness.

Blogging should be joyful. The moment it feels like a chore, it’s time to step back, re-evaluate your niche, and reconnect with what excites you.

The Social Media Landscape has Evolved

Don’t spread yourself too thin or you will become invisible – Kelly Crayne

In 2019, I experimented with multiple platforms. Today, the principle is the same, but platforms themselves have changed. LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads dominate engagement, while older networks like Tumblr and Digg are largely irrelevant. The algorithm change constantly.

Focus on quality over quantity. Identify where your audience lives, and build meaningful interactions there. It’s better to dominate one platform than to exist unnoticed on ten.

A pin on 10 reasons not to be like Jax Teller of Sons of Anarchy has taken off. It connected with the audience.

Blogging is Hard Work

It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up – G. H. Ruth

Discipline is everything. Study analytics and audience behavior. Understand AI-driven content tools and trends. Experiment with multimedia (videos, podcasts, reels). Network with other bloggers and creators.

Persistence remains key. Blogging in 2026 isn’t just about content. It’s about experience design, community, and trust-building.

Be Unique and Different

We are all born originals – Why is it so many of us die copies? – Edward Young

There are more than half a billion blogs out there. That is a staggering amount. How are you going to be different? I blog on food. I do not do recipes. I interview chefs, review restaurants, and cover the history of food. Your blog needs to be like honey, it needs to attract people.

Find Your Niche and Add Value

Focus on identifying your target audience, communicating an authentic message that they want and need, and project yourself as an expert within your niche.– Kim Garst

In 2026, readers still have infinite options. The blogs that succeed are the ones that deliver consistent value—whether it’s insights, entertainment, education, or community connection.

Focus on problems you can solve, stories you can tell, and lessons only you can share. Niche clarity is your compass in a noisy digital world.

Grammarly is King

So the writer who breeds more words than he needs is making a chore for the reader who reads – Dr. Seuss

As bloggers, we worry about what and how to say it. However, few of us are worried about editing and proofreading. I was guilty of this. An article full of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors undermines the credibility and authority that you have worked hard to achieve.

Before pressing publish make sure you have edited your work. I recommend waiting another day before you press publish. Read, read and re-read your work. Download Grammarly and it will save you a lot of work. It is important to dot your i’s and cross your t’s.

Be Inspirational

You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore – William Faulkner

A blogger has to be positive, provide hope, and inspire their readers. You are an influencer. You have to give your readers hope, and guidance, motivate them and leave them high after they have read your blog.

Tools, Tech and SEO Today

The tools of 2019 have matured, and new ones have emerged:

SEO: AI-enhanced tools like SurferSEO or Jasper now complement traditional keyword strategies.

CMS: WordPress remains dominant, but lightweight page builders like Elementor or Webflow are game-changers.

Security & Backup: SSL, two-factor authentication, and cloud backups are non-negotiable.

Analytics: Google Analytics 4, Hotjar, and AI-driven insights help understand your audience better than ever.

Editing: Grammarly, Hemingway, and AI-assisted writing can elevate clarity, but your authentic voice should never be replaced.

The principle hasn’t changed: write for humans first, optimize for search engines second.

Get a Good Web Host

I have only used Blue Host and have had no issues with speed, cost, security, reliability, or customer service. I strongly recommend as a blogger that you spend some money on hosting. Hosting is the building block of your business. If hosting is down, your blog is down. If it is slow, people will bounce.

WordPress is amazing. It is a content management platform that you use to build and manage your site. The support community is huge, with amazing plugins, templates, and themes.

Look into reliability, email service, customer service, backups, SSL certificates, and security.

No matter what you do, do not choose free hosting.

Persistence is Key

I will persist until I succeed. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult. I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking – Og Mandino

Blogging can become challenging sometimes. You get exhausted. The traffic is not happening. There is so much to know and cover from a technological, legal, creative, and financial perspective. But quitting is not an option.

Join Facebook Groups

Only a fellow blogger knows what you are going through. I have been encouraged, motivated, gotten feedback learned a lot, and just feel a sense of belonging by joining groups. These are the groups that I am a part of:

Toronto Bloggers Collective. In my personal opinion the most amazing group of individuals, who are only looking out for the best of everyone.

Bloggers Supporting Bloggers. A great group for Pinterest and blog shares.

Blogging for New Bloggers with Lucrezia and Marina is a must for every new blogger.

Awesome Bloggers to help with your clicking and sharing.

Click Through Blogging 

Do Not Rely on Your Blog For Income

Never work just for money or power. They won’t save your soul or help you sleep at night – Marian Edelman

If anyone tells you that you will make thousands in the first few weeks is lying to you. Do not blog for income. You will get stressed and not enjoy the experience or the journey of a blogger. Always have a backup plan. Also, start with Google Adsense and then move on from there.

Never Compare Yourself to Another Blogger

I will not reason and compare: my business is to create – William Blake

You are unique. Your experiences are unique. Never compare your journey or statistics with another blogger. It is a recipe for disaster.

Blogging is a popular way to share information, opinions, and insights with a large audience. With the advent of technology, blogging has become easier, more accessible, and more engaging than ever before. However, to run a successful blog, certain IT requirements must be met, and plugins must be installed.

Plugins Required

SEO Plugin: SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential for driving traffic to your blog. An SEO plugin helps optimize your website’s content for search engines by providing keyword suggestions, meta descriptions, and optimization tips. Popular SEO plugins include Yoast SEO, All in One SEO Pack, and Rank Math.

Social Sharing Plugin: Social media is a powerful tool for promoting your blog and driving traffic. A social sharing plugin adds social media buttons to your blog, allowing readers to share your content on their social media profiles. Popular social sharing plugins include Jetpack, Social Warfare, and AddToAny.

Contact Form Plugin: A contact form allows readers to contact you directly from your blog. It is an essential tool for building relationships with your readers, getting feedback, and generating leads. Popular contact form plugins include Contact Form 7, WPForms, and Gravity Forms.

Backup Plugin: As mentioned earlier, regular backups are essential for protecting your blog’s data. A backup plugin automates the backup process, allowing you to schedule regular backups, store them offsite, and restore your website quickly in case of data loss. Popular backup plugins include UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, and VaultPress.

Security Plugin: Cybersecurity threats are on the rise, and every website is vulnerable to attacks. A security plugin helps protect your blog by providing firewalls, malware scanners, spam protection, and other security features. Popular security plugins include Wordfence, iThemes Security, and Sucuri Security.

Performance Plugin: The speed of your website is critical for user experience and search engine ranking. A performance plugin optimizes your website’s speed by compressing images, caching content, and minifying code. Popular performance plugins include WP Fastest Cache, W3 Total Cache, and WP Super Cache.

Comment System Plugin: Comments allow readers to engage with your content and provide feedback. A comment system plugin enables readers to leave comments on your blog.

Reinvention and Growth

You are never too old to reinvent yourself – Steve Harvey

Your blog, and you, will evolve. In 2026, I’ve refined my voice, experimented with new formats like podcasts and short-form videos, and built deeper connections with my readers.

Don’t fear evolution. Reassess your goals, your audience, and your strengths. Reinvention is the key to longevity in blogging.

The post Lessons Learned After One Year of Blogging appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Sharon Mendelaoui is a travel writer, passionate photographer, and graphic designer. She is the creator and publisher of dailydream360.com, a travel and lifestyle website featuring travel destination guides, fashion and beauty tips, and a selection of lifestyle articles to help her readers live a balanced dream life.

I met Sharon more than 15 years back as we both worked for the same company on Bay St. Sharon has been super friendly in answering a lot of my questions about blogging. A couple of months back, we sat down again and talked about life, our own path through the corporate world, where we are, and where we are heading. I told her I would send her some questions and to put that in writing. Sharon is real, vulnerable, and a lot of wisdom is shared here.

Sharon, it is a pleasure knowing you for the last decade. Please tell my audience a little about yourself.

I’m a dreamer born and raised in Toronto, Canada. I’ve had a passion for writing and art since I was a young girl, but the responsibilities of school and career took me away from that passion. I am a graphic designer and have been doing this for over 15 years, mainly for financial firms, one of which was where I was lucky enough to meet you!

I know you were in the corporate world for a while. Why the change and how has blogging helped you and shaped you?

Working in crazy corporate offices was stressful, and I was always dreaming about leaving and working for myself. I started blogging in hopes of finding ways to make money online. I had built at least 4 websites, all trying to do this as I worked in jobs that really didn’t inspire me at all. Google crushed my dreams with an update known in the web world called Panda.

The premise was that bad sites geared to getting traffic without good information were removed from search ranking. The updated hit all my sites except one, my hobby travel blog. I kept working on this hobby which I devoted my weekends too. It was like taking a vacation every weekend and made having to go into work during the week a little more bearable.

I don’t know why but I was surprised when I started to notice brands take notice of me. I didn’t quite believe that this hobby could somehow really be a business. I dreamt about it constantly, but it just didn’t sink in.

By 2012, I was on many Ontario Tourism Boards’ radars. On my very first press trip, we went treetop trekking. It was a hard course and after two obstacles I realized I wasn’t going to be able to complete it. I swallowed my shame, disappointment, and fear as the crew set up a high angle rescue. I had to lean back and let the harness carry all my weight as they winched me down a tree. About halfway down I had this overwhelming moment of pure joy. I knew I was the only blogger on the trip with this story and also, I knew in my core, this is what I was meant to be doing. I found my passion.

That was when I really started to take the website seriously. I also spent every spare second at work learning about running a business, planning my business and figuring out how I was going to take the plunge away from the corporate world.

In 2014, I was downsized from my corporate job. I took this as a sign. I could find another job that made me miserable and pays the bills or I could take this opportunity to chase my dream of running my own graphic design business and do the things that really inspired me. It was the scariest time of my life, but the combination of fear and joy was something I can’t even describe in words and it pushed me to share that dream in my website Daily Dream 360.

What is Daily Dream 360 all about?

Daily Dream 360 is the evolution of a hobby travel blog into a travel and lifestyle website built to inspire women over 40 to transition through big challenges with a 360° approach to their life.

What I discovered in my travels was that facing my fears and doing things that challenged me and then conquering those fears was a powerful feeling. That combination of fear with sheer joy that comes from accomplishing it was something that fueled me in my life. The smallest dream moments could add fuel to this little fire inside of me which inspires and moves me to the next moment.

What is unique about it and why should we read it?

There are a million places online to get inspiration, life coaching, travel advice, etc. Some of these sites are good and others are just nonsense. My goal with Daily Dream 360 is to really create a community where women like me are going through a big transition maybe divorce, being downsized, or chasing a dream-like starting their own business. My end goal is to create a place (maybe a Facebook group) where we can help one another with information, support and just knowing that we are not alone in this.

At the moment I categorize posts on the site into Dream Travel, Dream Life, and Dream Home. My focus is to talk about these as a Dream it, plan it, and live it approach, which is the way I live my life today. Every dream starts with an idea or pleasant thought, however, you have to make a plan and set an intention to fulfill that dream and then be aware when you are actually living it out.

This past year I focused on rebranding the site with this focus, a huge undertaking where I had to face the fear of breaking the travel site or losing my audience by trying to build something bigger and more balanced with Daily Dream 360. Thankfully the site is doing great and the response has been terrific, so now I’m focusing on building a Facebook community and connecting more to my audience so that we can inspire one another to dream every day!

Name some of your favorite places you have visited and why?

I have such a hard time with my favorite questions because I’m always looking for places that inspire me, challenge me to do something new or outside my comfort zone, and continue to add fuel to my dream flame. I have been so fortunate to find this in just about every trip I take. The memories and experiences add up and it is so hard to choose just one but here are some that just really wowed me.

Horseback Riding at Painted Bar Stables in Finger Lakes NY: The stable is run by a woman named Erica who has a passion for all things horses that just lit me up. I had never been horseback riding; I was absolutely terrified, and she just made this the most amazing experience ever. Never in a million years would I have imagined riding through a forest with water running down a creek on horseback – but I did it thanks to a woman with her own dream and business plan. An area is a great place for a woman’s road trip, wine tastings, little boutique hotels, great parks with hiking trails I highly recommend it.

Quebec: I have discovered a lot of the province and I have to say that every trip I took in the province had some crazy dream moment in it. From hugs with Bonhomme Carnival in winter carnival, a soak in a Scandinavian spa in the dead of winter, visiting the ice hotel, walking the white sand beaches of Iles de la Madelaine or a helicopter ride over Charlevoix – there was always a dream, a challenge, and amazing food and people.

The last time we had coffee you told me you found your faith through traveling let us talk about that?

This is a hard one to answer. I have had a lot of challenges in my life growing up. Being the redhead, fat kid, with braces and the ugliest headgear you could imagine you’d think was enough – but being that kid in a private Jewish school of rich kids who took it upon themselves to remind me that I was not like them every day of my childhood life was a lot. I was born into an immigrant family, my mom was a teacher and my dad a contractor. My parents wanted me to learn about my faith and to learn to speak Hebrew a language we spoke a lot at home.

When you are in a private Jewish school and you have no faith in your religion because you are miserable all the time, well that is a very hard thing for a child to go through. When my father later got diagnosed with a brain tumor and left us, I didn’t get any comfort from my religious faith. I just felt empty and really angry at God.

It was Oprah that brought me out of my anger believe it or not. I discovered later in life that God or the universe or that energy that seems to be flowing through us and dictating things that happen in our lives is not something you can be angry about because it is inside you. If you are angry at it, you are angry at yourself. When I let go of that anger and started chasing the joy that was when I found my faith.

In a way the traveling was me chasing joy – a walk on a beach, sounds of the ocean and other sounds of nature all fuel that dream and that joy.

If I do something out of a place that starts with feeling good – it usually leads to fulfilling a dream. Travel is a great place to find that joy feeling which at home and during the crazy in our day to day lives is just harder to find.

You have been blogging for a long time. Give some advice to those who want to become a blogger?

I can’t believe it, but I just started my eighth year of blogging. As a graphic designer, I have a lot of clients that want to start blogs on their business websites or to make money as my site does. The problem with this is they don’t realize the technical side of blogging and just how many things you have to do just to maintain and run a website – before you even start writing an article.

This is a loaded question because if you want to start a blog or website my best advice is to make sure it is set up correctly, is updated and maintained, and that you have plenty of security measures in place. An out of date plugin on a WordPress website can lead to a disastrous hack. Back when I started, we just wrote, and no one worried about algorithms and plugins and site speed and mobile-friendly. So, making sure that you either have a great web designer to help you with the technical side of things or that you are willing to learn all about this is going to be very important – before you even start writing your blog.

The post Sharon Mendelaoui: Pursuing Your Dreams appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.