280 | Grow Like a Pro: Kelly’s 5-Month Journey from 0 to 200K Followers

Bree: You guys, I cried during this episode. I am not a crier. Like, ask any of my friends. in order for me to cry, I have got to be incredibly overloaded and just, need to get it out. But I had tears in my eyes because I am just so happy. for Kelly. She has been somebody that I worked with in shift for a year and helped her as she was growing the Tattered Pew, her blog, after leaving her teaching career.

And now you guys, she has just had so much success with this new brand. And not only that, but as you listen to this podcast, you are just going to hear the joy and the happiness in her voice. And I think that's just what made me tear up is because I'm just, I'm so happy. She, when you guys have twins, you don't even know if you just listen to one episode and tell me a win that you had.

It makes me cry. It makes me have the most amazing day ever. I just love to see you guys win. I really do. So let's get this show started.

Bree: Hi Kelly, how are ya?

Kelly: I am good. How are you?

Bree: I'm good. You guys, we hopped into the studio and I told her hold on. I got to just hit record immediately because I'm going to say stuff that just needs to be recorded. Girl, you are blowing my mind right now and blowing up internet and blowing up the gardening world and the flower world and all the things.

Yes. Uh, yes. Holy moly. Okay. Let's start. Can you introduce yourself? And I'm curious, how are you introducing yourself right now?

Kelly: Oh, I know. This is funny because I'm in a predicament a little bit. But I have, I guess two brands currently going on. my name is Kelly Radcliffe and I blog over at the Tattered Pew. And I also have the Lazy Girls Garden Club. So I have both of those brands and, that's kind of how I've been introducing myself.

I live in Colorado. I'm mom to four and I am a former teacher and I just, I'm having fun.

Bree: I'm so glad you're having fun. It's very evident from what I'm watching. It looks like you were having the best time and living your best life. And okay let me catch you guys up a little bit. So I met Kelly because she joined Shift over a year ago now. I was working with you on growing and strategy for the tattered pew, her blog.

And then you finish your year with shift. And then all of a sudden everybody's like, Brie, did you see Kelly's new Instagram? I'm like, no. And they're like, it's blowing up. It's going viral. Oh my God. She has over a hundred thousand followers already. And I'm like, excuse me, what is happening? So you started a new Instagram account.

Tell me what happened, not what happened, but like, what was the thought process, what made you decide to do it?

I love the name, by the way.

Kelly: Oh, thank you. The name

who can't relate to lazy girl? I mean, it's perfect. Yes. So a little backstory. So I joined shift. After I had left teaching I was teacher for 20 years and I needed help just transitioning into full time blogging. And it was going really well. I was fine, but I don't know, over on Instagram, I still had this love hate relationship with Instagram and I just wasn't seeing as much success.

On Instagram with the tattered pew as I was on the blog things were going great on the blog. I'd hit media vine You had helped me with so many areas to get organized but I just had this feeling that my true Passion wasn't coming through. And so I was trying to figure that out and I was talking to some friends and I actually talked, to a gal named Macy Westcott.

She's a copywriter and a friend had recommended her to me. And I said, I just need like some direction, maybe like, I think I need to sell something, but I've never sold anything. I don't know if I want to sell anything. And so she said, okay, well, let's just back up a little. And she said, what is your number one blog post about?

Like, what do you get the most traffic about? What do you love writing about? And I said, ironically enough, it's not about like home decor or DIY. It's about zinnias, a flower in the garden. And she was like, okay, well, that's awesome. And I said, yeah, but that's not like what, I mean, it's a home and garden blog that I have.

And so I was having a hard time wrapping my head around this. And so I literally sat on it for almost a year. Like she said, I think you should write an ebook about zinnias. And I'm like, I don't know. I kind of wrestled with it. And then, and I had previously been in the Amazon Influencer program, and I still am, but I was like in their top tier, like their,

Bree: you were doing amazing.

Kelly: things were going well, but right before January, they ended up saying, Oh, by the way, you're no longer in our top tier.

We're just going to have you be in the normal tier, which I was like, Oh, okay, that's fine. Like, This is like God's way of being like, okay, Kelly, let's redirect here. And I knew that was a big chunk of my income. That was no longer going to be there. I had to figure out something. And in the back of my mind between Macy and my dad, he kept saying, when are you going to write that ebook?

I was like, um, I thought, okay, this, that was the prompting I needed. Like my whole heart wasn't into Amazon. It wasn't a home decor in my house, but just something was missing. And so. I'm sitting around with my family. It was like end of October at my daughter's basketball game. And I said, I think I'm going to start a new Instagram account.

And they looked at me like I was crazy. And I said, I just want to keep it a secret and not tell anyone, but I think I

Bree: Mm hmm.

Kelly: it to be. about Zinnia's and focus in on one thing that always seems to do the best for me on posts, on Instagram and the blog.

And they were like, okay, well, what are you going to name this?

I'm like, I have no idea. I said, well, my blog post has this lazy girl title. And I think that's, what's attracting people. Like, what if I keep it lazy girl? And I thought about zinnias. Then I thought, well, that really niches me down too far. Ironically enough, I was thinking that, you know, in your head, like, Oh my gosh, I don't want to be pigeonholed.

And now I'm so thankful, but I went with lazy girls garden club and I just started it and I didn't post for a while. I just got my bio ready. And I got the name ready and I just sat there for a little while. And so I can tell you a little more, but

Bree: No,

Kelly: the beginning.

Okay.

Bree: I'm just, I am locked in,

keep going.

Kelly: Okay. So I've always heard niche down, right? So I did. I was like, I'm all in on Zinnia's. I'm going to just go in my camera roll. I made a separate album in my phone. I had over 500 pictures and videos of Zinnia's. They bring me so much joy. Like I was

so for days.

I was so excited to post.

And I had like all these ideas going through my head. I had never been a part of the garden part of Instagram. So I was just like binging all of these fun videos from other girls. And then, I was still like slightly I don't have time for this. You know, like Instagram is so hard and I was still doing the tattered pew Instagram, still blogging.

So I ended up creating about 14 reels for the new account that I kind of sat on for a little bit until I knew that I was going to have 14 straight days to post. And I really was like, this is not about followers for me. This is more about. What's going to work for me?

And my lazy girl was coming out.

Like, I was like what really is going to work for me? And this isn't going to be Instagram running my life. Because I can't do two accounts. And so I ended up finding a two week span that worked for me. That was conducive to like my family life, kids and sports and. Every morning I would just lay in bed and be like, okay, which reel am I going to post today?

It was so fun and I didn't have any stress. And then I just post it. I just had them all set in my drafts and I just go in and be like, Oh, I love this calming music. I always picked like trending audio. I learned everything after being on Instagram for seven years with the tattered pew.

I was like, I'm going to take everything that I've ever learned. I'm going to keep these short, sweet, and it's not about me. Like I want to bring this joy of zinnias to other people. So all of my messaging was not about me, which I realized a lot of the tattered pew was about me.

And so I wanted to share this joy of these easygoing flowers that anybody can grow with everyone. And so mid January I started that and I didn't tell anybody for 2 weeks. It was doing okay. And then all of a sudden, one of my reels went viral.

The very first one I posted. And

I was kind of shocked a little over a week. It was not instant. It was like maybe almost two weeks and I'd had my first 14 and I posted every day except for Sunday. I took Sundays off. And I was going live on there. I was like doing all the things Instagram tells you to do.

Stay on Instagram. Sharing in my stories, but I only did like one story in the morning, one in the afternoon, one in the evening, or I didn't at all. It was just laid back and fun. And next thing I knew I was sitting at my daughter's basketball game, like two weeks later, my younger daughter says, Hey mom, how's your Instagram?

You're a new one going. And I said, Oh, I don't know. I really haven't been paying attention because I just get on and post. And so we get on and we're at our game and I had 5, 000 followers. in like two and a half weeks. And I'm like, Oh, well, this is crazy. And no joke. By the end of that basketball game, I was up to 8, 000 followers.

And, we're thinking, something's happening. And this is when it went viral. I'm like, something's happening. This has never happened to me. I haven't gotten 8, 000 followers on the Tattered Pew for like, I don't even know how long.

And then I start getting messages from all my friends who did know about it and they're like, what is happening?

Have you seen your followers? So by the next. day I was up to 10, 000 and then that weekend it was 20, 000 and I was, I got banned from commenting because I was trying to answer people back so, I was like, this is incredible. I was sitting in the hot tub with my husband.

I'm like, Oh my gosh, people love Zinnia's. Yeah. I mean, it was strategy because I knew what to do, but at the same time it was no pressure. And I was like, I found my joy and I found how I could help others. And so it was all about helping them. So then I wisened up a little bit.

I'm like, Oh, this is like taking

off.

Bree: on.

Kelly: Yeah.

Bree: Let's do, let's

Kelly: Yeah, exactly. I was like, Oh, geez, Kelly, you better like slow down and figure this out. And I put a freebie opt in in my bio. And I had done that before on the first reel that went viral, but I went back, added many chat cause I had InstaChamp originally, but it wouldn't connect.

I couldn't get the double account thing going. It was crazy. So I ended up moving over to mini chat, which was a lifesaver and game changer. Cause I was finally able to comment back and automatically comment back to people. And they just wanted my free Zinnia zone guide that basically told them what planting zone that they were in.

And my email list grew.

Bree: I was

Kelly: You're

Bree: many is on your email list now?

Kelly: at 14, 000. Which is great. Like

I was, I was, freaking out because, um, I had about 5, 000 on the tattered pew for seven years.

So I knew all the things to do. I had worked in your mastermind. I'd done all those things. I knew what to do. So the freebie was bringing me the subscribers.

And then I guess I better get going on that ebook.

Bree: Better start writing that e book now.

Kelly: Yeah.

Bree: Oh my word. So then you wrote the e book.

Kelly: Yep. Like in less than a week, my best friend came over, we did it together. She's like graphic design woman. I know she lives like behind me and we stayed up. Yeah. We stayed up till like 3 AM. I don't even know countless nights. And I'm like, people are like begging me, wanting more of these lazy girl tips.

And she was fantastic. And so we got it done and then. Yeah.

Bree: Oh my gosh. Your account just kept blowing up and blowing up and now I looked this morning and you're over 200, 000 followers.

Kelly: Yeah. Yeah. I just kept going it because I kept posting, but, I didn't want it to dominate. Like I said before, I wanted it to be fun. I am down to three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, Fridays, I post I consistently do like a question and answer on Saturdays. I've tried to do that one thing consistently.

I've gone live several times. They love when I go live and they're like my friends and I give them like answers where a lot of people are like, I don't know don't share as much where and I and I give them the freedom like it's okay to just like be lazy or to try and if it doesn't work try something else

Bree: I love this. Oh my word. what has it looked like since creating the ebook? Yeah so I've learned

lot really quick. Since creating the ebook, I have narrowed down a lot of my reels with mini chat to either be able to send it to them. If they comment words, they can comment about ebook.

Bree: And this is a

Kelly: it.

Bree: It's a digital

Kelly: It is a paid digital product. Yes. So it's $37. And, since I started the ebook, I did a funnel system.

So once they come into my free opt in, they get a welcome sequence that , basically tells my story, shares a lot, and then also is sharing about my product that I have. And so that has been wonderful. I've, been able to use that to sell my ebook. And then also my Instagram stories sell my ebook very well.

Usually if I post one story about it, I'll get sales. I'm not trying to be like salesy. That was the hard thing for me.

Cause I've never sold anything. That was really hard. So I created a bunch of free resources and then, you know, said, I also have this, if you want all of the tips in a pretty little package.

And then some people are like, yes, just give it to me.

I just want to know. And I'm like, great. And if you want other resources, I did this too. I did a landing page. So the lazy girls garden club. com it directs to the tattered pew. And it's just a landing page with all of my Zinnia resources. And now my page views have skyrocketed.

I've made ad revenue, like. None other. My blog is thriving. You know, you hear those other people talk about, Oh, you can do this. You can make money off of your blog or a digital product. And you're like, uh huh, sure.

Bree: Kelly. I'm tearing up. I'm just I'm so happy for you

Kelly: Thank you. It's exciting.

Yeah.

Bree: goodness

I'm just so happy. Just, I've been working with you for a year and over different things, and not that anything was ever a struggle, like, I truly loved working with you.

Like, the way that you're hearing her talk, and you can hear the kindness in your voice, and you are just such a sweet person, I've just always loved, Being around you and just seeing you have the success just makes me so happy for you.

And I did have one question when you were saying like, okay, not loving to sell,

what What has kind of helped you cause I know so many people are like that, like, Ooh, we don't like to sell.

And that's why I teach the way of well, you can give away a freebie and do an upsell that way. You're not having to like here, buy my product, but. Obviously I see the value with you sharing, this guide in your stories or in your mini chat, because it's I'm like, yes, absolutely.

I need that. So what has helped you when it comes to

Kelly: Yeah.

Bree: it now?

Kelly: Great question. So I've kind of had to reframe my thinking. So it's not like I'm trying to just sell this. Product that I've created to just, you know, make all this money. It's reframing to think of I want to help these people fall in love with something that is so easy to do.

so I think of it of like, wow, it's bringing me joy that they get to experience what I've experienced with Zinnia's. So thinking about it like Oh my goodness. Somebody just bought my ebook. Like I say a little prayer for them. And I think I just hope that they have the best gardening experience and that I was able to help them for a little bit of that just makes me happy.

So, I think that's

Bree: And it,

Kelly: it's changed.

Bree: and it brings so much joy. I've got my seed starter and sitting in my med room, like the packet that you said to buy on Amazon. I got it. I bought it last year, but I was a little overzealous with a four month old at the time thinking I could do it. So This year I am ready to go. I know where it's going and I'm so excited cause that's in the front corner of our house.

I'm like, Oh, this is going to make people smile seeing all these beautiful flowers. I'm like, if they can grow half as beautiful as Kelly's,

Kelly: Yeah.

Bree: to make people smile.

Kelly: Oh my gosh. And they can. like you don't need good soil or you could use good soil.

Bree: Our soil is fantastic and I haven't even done anything. So I'm like, let's,

Kelly: Yeah.

Bree: I keep watching you because I feel like we're in the same zone. So I'm like, okay, Kelly hasn't planted yet, so I'm still good.

Kelly: And that's what I tell people. The good thing about zinnias is never plant early. You can always plant late. You want that soil warm. So besides that, it's like sun and water and you just throw those seeds in there and you're good to go. Like ultimate lazy girl flower.

Bree: Truly lazy girl flower and I am here for that. I got my sprinklers set up to water them. Like we're good.

Kelly: Oh my gosh. I'm so excited.

Bree: so, Okay. What does Instagram look like for you now? blogging over in the tattered pew? How are you managing both? What is it looking like? And I mean, it's only May. This just started taking off.

So,

Kelly: Yeah.

Okay. So, instagram, I'm very rarely posting on the Tattered Pew, but I do have, a gal helping me do stories over there, so I'm still keepin alive. And I'll pop in every once in a while, but I'm mostly on the Lazy Girl, cause it's May, and I'm hoping Fully planting in like a week or so.

So it's like game on right now, which is really exciting. Cause other people have already planted. I'm about to plant. So for me, it's like I said, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I do a real. And I did. Try some pictures and those did fine too. Reels just seemed to be easier for me and how I go about picking my content for those reels is I get asked a million questions and so I focus on those, but I also focus on the positive because.

When I was starting the account, I did one negative type post that talked about, something that happened to Zinnia's. It's called Powdery Mildew, which it's just a thing that sometimes happens but most people, like, if you've never planted them before, freaked out, and they were like, what?

Your, your account's been so happy, it brings me so much joy. I didn't know there was such thing as powdery mildew, so I'm like, note to self, archive that one, and I did.

Bree: Okay.

Kelly: And I was like, um, we're all about the joy over here, and if they

Bree: I love it.

Kelly: so

Bree: I think I

saw it and I was like, oh, I've gotten that on my zucchini plants

Kelly: yep, yeah, and I get it on my other plants too, and it's just a part of nature, and it happens, but I didn't want to freak people out before they even planted,

Bree: No, you're

Kelly: we're all,

Bree: We need zens all over the world. Let's not freak people. Yes.

Kelly: Yes, I try and keep it just like my tone of voice, like fun, like captions are coming easier to me. It's just fun and people are reading the whole captions. And so I put my like, mini chat little thing at the bottom and that has gotten me engagement. People share my posts a lot. All the time.

I try and share people. So another big thing too is all the gardening girls who have helped me up to this point that have huge accounts or maybe even normal size accounts, whatever. I'm all about lifting others up. Like I don't have all the answers. I am very honest about that. Very honest. Like I just do my thing and let them do their thing.

And the zinnias, I mean, and then, I will direct anybody to all of the women who have all the wisdom and knowledge . There's room for everybody. That's my main focus. And so I never want it to be like, about me because that's what I've learned is it's not. So that's the Instagram part. Then the blogging.

Okay. So people's questions are driving how I'm posting my reels. And then also my blog posts.

Bree: Brilliant.

Kelly: Yeah. And it's like, Oh my gosh, everyone

always says is what falling into place. Yep. And so what they want to know about, they want to know, how do I make my zinnias bloom more? Great. Just wrote a blog post on that.

And then I direct them to my resources page, which has all of those blogs linked. And then from there they can click and just stay on my blog and spend some time and they do. And it's been wonderful. So I would say like the blogging, I'm not doing as much as I was before, but it's okay because they're

Bree: hmm.

Kelly: purposeful.

Bree: Well, and you have so much content on there already,

too. Tons. So I, much for people to binge.

Kelly: there is. And so the nice thing is I have separated my email. I used Flodesk and they are fabulous. Thanks to you. And Flodesk, lets me separate my email subscriber list and lets me use emails from the Tattered Pew and Lazy Girls Garden Club. So I can do my full list or I can just separate.

So I am on a Tuesday, Thursday rotation of sending emails out to both the Tattered Pew subscribers and the Lazy Girls Garden Club, and those are going really well. And then I do a Saturday for the Tattered Pew that I've always done because that post still just is like a catch up, get to know me, hang out, always does well.

And that's kind of my schedule.

Bree: It sounds like, you had so much hustle to learn everything and to build things up and to practice things with the tattered pew. And then at the beginning to post 14 days in a row and then post consistently with the new account. That now all that hard work it sounds like maybe it's not as easy as I'm thinking it is, but it's sounding more like you're in a place now where it's like, oh, this is fun.

I'm able to send out a few emails. I'm able to do blog posts that are answering other people's questions. And then otherwise. You're posting on Instagram

Kelly: It's great.

and there's . . And it's like joy. I found what I want to do and that I. think comes across in the posts and you wouldn't believe how many messages I get daily. Like your account makes me so happy. I'm like, that's it. I'm done. That's what I wanted.

Bree: Mm.

Okay. Do you have advice for anybody that is maybe in your position of. Where you have been with the tattered pew of like, okay, I'm going to keep going. I'm going to keep pushing. The tattered pew is very successful. Like you guys, she built up a very successful blog, email list, Instagram, all the things, but then.

Obviously, there's something here that just clicked and is so much more joyful, feels so much more purposeful. What advice would you give to somebody that's in, let's say the position you were back in November?

Kelly: I would say just really think about what you love Like what brings you joy and, see if you can be brave and maybe niche down just a little bit, like try it could never hurt. Right? And that's what my family is like. So try a new account. It won't hurt anything. And I'm like, you're right. It won't. So I had to step out of my comfort zone a little bit.

And realize that everything I've done on the tattered pew has given me this wonderful leap into this new section, but it doesn't mean, like you said, all that hard work was for nothing because I'm still keeping the tattered pew. I have like something on the dropdown menu that says lazy girls garden club.

And I'm just thinking how can I mix the two of these? How can I do them both? My wheels are constantly spinning. there's so many avenues and I would just say, find that one thing that brings you joy and then see if it can turn into something else.

Bree: I love it. And the tatterpew was not. Mm Ever a waste because you learned everything. Like that's what taught you everything to get you to this point. And now look, it's, you know, bringing in so much ad revenue for you.

Kelly: Oh my gosh. I didn't know that was possible. Like, how

good it could be.

Bree: mean, you wouldn't be making the money you're making without having a solid blog.

Kelly: Right? Yes. And that's the other thing. That's why I'm not getting rid of the tattered pew because it's on Mediavine. I was able to apply for Reptive. It's , gotten crazy. So I'm just, Counting my blessings and taking it like one day at a time and enjoying it and trying to just be thankful and grateful the whole time.

Bree: I'm so happy for you. I just went on, I'm so upset that I didn't think to do it sooner, but I just went on and ordered my Lazy Girls, garden hat

for me to wear while I'm out gardening. And I need like a cute little basket for when I clip my zinnias to bring inside and, you I'm so excited.

Kelly: Oh, I got it all for you, girl. You don't even worry. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, and I have to tell you this one last funny thing. So you remember how Amazon was like, see you later.

And I was like, Okay.

Bree: they coming back?

Kelly: Oh yeah. They were like, Oh, we'd love to give you these bonuses and all this, like extra incentives.

And I was like, okay, that's fine. But I'm not

Bree: huh.

Kelly: my eggs back in that basket.

Bree: No, I

mean, you know, how many times have you heard me say, like, if it's working, get it, get the money, go for it. But not putting all of your flowers in one basket.

Kelly: Oh,

Bree: Okay. So we've got the Lazy Girl's Garden Club on Instagram, the Tattered Pew. You guys go and check it all out. Go and get your Zinnia ebook. I'm very much in my neighborhood era. I'm like wanting to make friends with the neighbors and maybe it's because I have a kid now.

I'm like, oh, like, I want more community feel here. And now I'm like, can I get all of my neighbors to also plant zinnias? And you go on a walk and it's just like the zinnia neighborhood.

Kelly: Oh, you should. I mean, I'm spreading the word around here, too, and the best part is like the bag that has it all is 9. 99. Like come on. It's like a no brainer.

Bree: Yeah, I'm just gonna go leave little packets of seeds

Kelly: Yes!

Bree: front door. Be like, pack these if you need more, here you go. Watch, me and Park are gonna be out in the stroller, passing out Zinnia seeds.

Kelly: And you can be planting with her soon. Just throw them out It's a beautiful thing.

Bree: gosh, you're right. I need to get her picture of her like throwing seeds

into the garden. Okay. I'm so excited.

Kelly: Yay.

Bree: Kelly, thanks so much for coming on and telling the story. And I know it's inspirational and somebody is going to go start a new account and something that they're passionate about and have been putting on the back burner as a result.

So thanks so much for sharing all of

Kelly: Oh, you're welcome. Thank you for inviting me.

Bree: Of course, anytime. All right, you guys, that's it for today. We'll see you back here in a few days with a brand new episode. And you guys, I want to make sure you get connected with Kelly right away. So DM us over on Instagram, the word Kelly, and I'll send you all the links.

So that way you can go and check her out super easily and right away.