We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Renkel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.
Amanda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
In the summer of 2021, talk began to stir about the possibility of my job going under. I had been an online ESL teacher for students in China since the winter of 2018. It was a fantastic job, and although demanding with its early morning hours it was an outlet of joy for me that also happened to pay the bills.
When discussions about Chinese regulations on American teachers began, I started to panic.
For several months I only had rumors to go on about what the future held. One evening while teaching I received an email from the company saying that we’d no longer be permitted to teach on weekends or holidays including summer break. Within a few weeks the announcement came that after October 31st, there would be no classes at all.
During this time of chaos, I found a post in one of the teaching Facebook groups created for assisting teachers with taxes. Rather than offering tax help, this post was from the admin mentioning a fellow teacher turned travel blogger would be hosting a free training to explain how others could grow a blog. I figured for the price of free my risk was relatively low.
I attended the session and gained some hope for my future. I had already been managing my running blog since early 2017, not that I knew anything there was to know about blogging. But at least that space already existed.
I knew I’d need to invest in a paid program with the teacher who was now a very successful travel blogger. Investing a good chunk of change into a blogging program at a time when my income was coming to a halt was certainly risky, but I leaped.
Slowly over several months, I learned proper SEO practices, how to find my niche, and ways to engage with my readers. I also began to find my voice. As a marathon runner, I’ve always enjoyed talking about running with other runners. There are so many jokes and memes written about this exact situation, but it’s true.
Talking about my passion with other passionate people makes me truly feel alive.
I’m now more than a year into my run blogging journey and I’ve created a website I’m proud of that helps new runners find the sport more accessible. I completed a course to become a UESCA-certified run coach in January 2022. I knew it would take learning from the best scientific studies if I wanted to provide the most useful information for others.
Running half marathons and marathons is not an easy feat. However, I hope that I can reach those interested in trying their hand at running and make getting started easier. The little risk that I took just over a year ago has shown me why we take risks in life.
I’m now able to run and write, two of my greatest passions in life. And along the way, I plan to inspire others to take risks and cross some finish lines of their own.
Amanda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
In 2013 I ran my first half marathon for the sole purpose of being able to put a “13.1” magnet on the back of my Volkswagen Beetle.
Fast forward to 2022, I’ve run 12 marathons and 15 half marathons, I’m a UESCA-certified run coach, and I own the running blog Mae’s Miles and Music.
I’m not a very fast runner, but that doesn’t stop me from loving the sport. I know there are others out there who find running enjoyable but worry about their speed. I’m here to reassure those people that it really doesn’t matter how slow you go. Crossing the finish line is still an incredible experience regardless of pace.
I also realize that for many people, the concept of hiring a running coach is not financially feasible. Providing as much information as I can on my website to help people begin running, train appropriately, and know what to expect on race day has been my goal for the last year. My intent is to make long-distance running accessible for those who aren’t able to invest in a one-on-one running coach.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
The right mindset can help you succeed in most fields, and this is true for running and blogging.
Early on during my training on how to properly grow my blog I was frustrated. I would go weeks without understanding how to write a post that would be helpful to my readers and also do well in Google search results. I’d get down on myself and in turn, I’d become stagnant for several days.
This meant no forward progress.
It can come across as pretty hokey to hear someone who’s building and living their dream say, “think positive!” But it’s truly the one thing that has helped me arrive at my success today. Without a positive mindset, I would have given up when things got difficult. Instead, I believed I could and now I’m able to live a lifestyle that is ideal for me.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
The book “Company Of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business” by Paul Jarvis completely changed my thought process for starting and running my own business.
In the blogging field, most people are aiming to scale, scale, scale. While I know that I need to continue to scale in some sense to stay successful, Company Of One showed how it’s entirely possible to scale within my means. Rather than looking to hit massive goals, I can now set reasonable goals.
In a society that tells us constant growth is the only acceptable benchmark, it was refreshing to read Paul Jarvis’ words and apply them to my own business goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maesmilesandmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/maesmilesandmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaesMusicAndMiles
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/maesmilesmusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@maesmilesandmusic