Yep, five.
You might have read somewhere that I have been blogging for more than 10 years - and yes, that is correct. But we didn't call it blogging back then, we called it online journaling; and it was basically that, an online journal. It was written by me, for me.
Then in 2007 -a few months after starting my business, moving into my first office, and traveling to my first entrepreneurial development program- I decided to blog as a way to share my view of the world with others.
My blog posts were mostly written out of frustration for what most business women, that happen to be Hispanic, go through. Add to that, the fact that I was in my mid-thirties, single, and childless. To say I was an oddity, is undermining every single stereotype that I broke by simply being me. Which gave me an unlimited amount of content to blog about.
Boy, was it fun!
But then my business grew, while my personal life seemed to mix incredible highs, with very disturbing lows. Little did I know that documenting my (then) views on my life would bring me attention. But it did.
It was scary...readers found me...without trying.
My blog posts were the topic of conversation among friends and a counted few relatives (that knew I was blogging). I was (then) deathly afraid that my clients would read anything I might write...
So I changed my blog name four times between 2008-2010 hoping to loose my readers. It was in 2010 that I threw caution out to the wind, deleted a few questionable blog posts, made my blogging public, and adopted a blog name that seemed to be fitting of me:
Cabeza de Coco.
A statement that when literally translated means: you have a head of a coconut. But in theory, it means so much more.
With that blog name, I finally embraced what I was called by both friends and colleagues: I am a coconut. Meaning, I conduct myself in a way (stereotypically) associated with non-Latinos. That, and the fact that I am stubborn. (AKA una cabezona)
Although intended as a put-down, I embraced that statement wholeheartedly and made it my own...because in my book, it's not a put-down. I like marching to the beat of my own drum.
If anything, that has been my biggest learning of the last five years:
It doesn't matter what others say about you.
What matters is what you do with what they say. ~ ALOM
I hope to continue to be inspired by the people I have met through blogging, enlightened by their posts, and challenged by what you say and do, to take my writing and my life to new heights -

Happy 5 year anniversary! Interesting to read about the meaning behind your blog name!
ReplyDeleteHippieChicPao
Thank you so much for stopping by :) And yes - isn't it absolutely funny? I took the bulls by the horns!
DeleteHappy 5 year!! I too have been blogging on and off- with different blog names, deleted posts, deleted blogs- everything under the sun to try and keep my identity a secret until I landed at Chica Cherrie and embraced my blog with open arms. I know exactly what you mean in this post!!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy you decided to continue to blog as it obviously led to so many more great projects!! Look forward to reading on and on about everything tu cabeza de coco decides to share!!! Once again, Happy Blogaversary!!!
GIRL - I can SOOO relate. My goodness, I almost forgot my password a few times...but I finally embraced it. :) Glad you did too!
DeleteOh, my. That's a completely different understanding I originally had regarding your blog name. I can so relate having grown up always straddling the cultural fence of my Latina and Jewish heritage with the different sides having their own expectations of who we should be.
ReplyDeleteThat's the beauty of maturity, it gives the strength to spread our own wings.
Happy 5th and thank you for opening that door for all of us!
Marissa
HA! Gotcha, right? I never thought I would say this, but I LOVE getting older :) p.s. thanks for being a part of #llblog - it's really meaningful to me :)
DeleteThank you for keeping on and for leading the way!
ReplyDeleteOh STOP girl - YOU inspire me!!
DeleteCongratulations. Thanks for sharing your stories.
ReplyDeleteThank you Letty! I am so grateful to have gotten to know you because of #llblog! I just hope to meet you one day :)
DeleteCongratulations on your five years of blogging!! Looking forward to more of your awesome posts!! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you SOO much for your support Isabel! I am grateful that I've gotten to know you and hope to see you very soon :)
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