How can I not document such a huge milestone? Friends we did it! After 6 1/2 years since launching House of Leo Blog I finally hit 100K Instagram followers (ok maybe we are a tad over now lol)! Just wanted to take a moment to say thank you because without all of you this would never have been possible.
I say we did it because you all helped me get here. Some of you have been here from the beginning when Erik and I had no idea what we were doing. You watched us grow my brand with photos. You watched Summer grow up before your eyes. So many of you were a part of many highs – you helped me celebrate so many blogiversaries, campaigns in Disney, new pet additions to our family and some dream brand collaborations. And you were there to support the lows – the passing of my 2 beloved dogs and Summer’s diagnosis with MED to name a few.
My goal was to always get better at what I do. I remember when I took that leap of faith and went full time blogging. I remember exactly where I was standing, crying in Erik’s chest that I didn’t know what to do and he told me DO IT! He believed in me from day 1. He never once doubted me once all these years.
This was not luck. I can confidently say I don’t know anyone else who works the way I do. This was blood, sweat and tears. I had to shift in my business so many times. Give up photos and learn to shoot and edit video. I had to learn and grow new platforms. It hasn’t been easy at all but all that hard work has made HOLB what it is today. I never focused on just 1 platform. Between Instagram, my blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Amazon Live and even Tiktok – we have a solid and successful business that I couldnt’ be more proud of. It all started from nothing and it blows my mind where we are today. This blog has brought so many amazing opportunities over the years.
Like any business owner, I would set goals and would work to hit them all. BUT the one goal I had was to hit 100K Instagram followers but I couldn’t quite there. Despite the success we have had, I was stuck with slowed growth for 3 years. Yes! 3 years. It wasn’t easy seeing other accounts soar past me when I knew my content was just as good. However, I refused to change the brands and styles I always showed. I continued to only show things that are on par with what HOLB has always been about. For my content to continue to always have depth. I continued to grind away, strategize, stay true to myself and then it happened.
On Sunday night 11/26 at 11:39pm (after Erik was calling out numbers to me all day) I sat down on the couch with him and we watched me hit 100K Instagram followers. I turned to Erik and said we did it. This little blog that we started so many years ago hit one of the biggest milestones. Hitting that first 100K is one of the biggest feelings of accomplishment I have ever felt. 3 virals reels in 1 week – literally changed everything. One reel has 2.3M views and 2 others are well over 800K views. I could have never dreamed this but I will say I earned it and I worked for it the hard way. In no way, do I want anyone to think I’m boasting. I’m just so proud!
So thank you. The connections I have made along the way is something I will never take for granted. Some of the messages I get from you saying you consider me a friend – that is what gets me out of bed everyday. I love to create content, I love to style, I love to share and I love knowing that what I put out there is valuable to so many of you. I was never going anywhere but for the first time in a long time I feel like HOLB is shining again! And that my friends feels amazing. Thank you for always trusting in me and for letting me be a part of your day. Forever, grateful!
And to my closest friends for surprising me last night with balloons and champagne. I am blessed. Blessed with great people in my life, blessed with the friendships I have made through what I do and blessed to be able to do what I love every single day. Thank you will never be enough. xo
Tammy my very dear niece. There has never been any doubt that when you started HOLB you would be successful. You have that hard working gene, you are also very creative and talented and this milestone is just the beginning of many, many, many more to come. Congrats to you dear Tammy and to your very capable assistant Erik who knew from Day 1 that you could “do anything”. And is he ever wrong???? Love from Aunt Jeanie