Living the Dream: How Kate Turned Her Passions into a Website

In this episode of "Get Over Your Shit," host Malinda Watt engages in a lively conversation with Kate Danger, a marketing professional turned expat living in Versailles, France. Kate shares her captivating journey from working in New York's banking industry to becoming an au pair in France and eventually settling near Versailles with her family. The episode delves into how Kate transformed her initial adventures into a flourishing project, crafting a website aimed at helping English-speaking travelers uncover the less explored, yet equally enchanting, aspects of Versailles.

Key Takeaways:

• Embrace life's twists and unexpected journeys, which can lead to new passions and opportunities.
• Start projects even if you don't feel ready; you learn and adapt as you go, which is essential for progress.
• The importance of slowing down and enjoying life's simple pleasures, especially in different cultural setups like in France.
• Don't let perfectionism hinder progress—break tasks into small, manageable steps to maintain momentum.
• The significance of building a website as a creative sandbox to experiment and grow personally and professionally.

"I'm just learning by doing it—get started, and the things that block you, just get them done."

Episode Resources: 

• Kate's Website: https://welcometoversailles.com/
• Malinda's Easy Website Content Planner: https://malindawatt.com/planner

Additional Links & Resources:

• Stop letting content keep you stuck—jumpstart your website planning with clarity and confidence! Get your content organized in just a few hours: https://malindawatt.com/planner
• Try Siteground, my favorite website hosting company: Siteground.com
• Learn more about me and my work at malindawatt.com

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Get Over Your Sh!t! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a rating or review. Share this with someone who needs a push to start taking action—because we’re all about moving forward together!

Hosted by Malinda Watt
Edited by Chris @ Wider View Studios
Music License purchased from stockmusic.com

Transcript

0:00:00 - (Malinda Watt): Welcome back to get over your Shit, the podcast dedicated to helping digital course creators, entrepreneurs and small business owners stop overthinking and start executing. I'm Melinda Watt, your host and fellow overthinker, here to guide you through the maze of self doubt and procrastination that keep us stuck. Today I'm joined by Kate Danger, a skilled marketing professional, devoted mom of four, and adventurous expat who has built a life filled with creativity and purpose just outside the historic city of Versailles, France.

0:00:29 - (Malinda Watt): Kate's story is a beautiful example of how following your passions and embracing life's twists can lead to incredible opportunities. In this episode, Kate takes us through her journey from starting as an au pair to channeling her creativity into building a unique website that helps English speaking visitors uncover the hidden gems of Versailles. We explore the power of starting before you feel completely ready, overcoming perfectionism, and how breaking things down into manageable steps can make even the most daunting tech projects approachable.

0:01:04 - (Malinda Watt): If you've been hesitating to bring your own creative vision to life, this conversation will inspire you to trust your instincts, embrace the process, and discover the joy in creating something meaningful. So, Katie, I'm so excited to have you here as my second guest on the podcast. So thank you so much. I love it. So I'm curious what brought you to live in France and you know, how this all came to be because you are an American with, I think you said it was an Irish passport. Is that what I read on the website? Now living in France. So how did that come to be?

0:01:44 - (Kate Danger): Well, it's true. I was raised in the US by an Irish father and an American mother. So I was lucky enough to have the two passports and I didn't really think anything of it or think that I was different in any way except for when it came time there was a crisis in New York and had been working in the banks and decided I should go to Europe. And then when it came time to look at visas and all that stuff, I realized that there was an advantage that I could just use my Irish passport and stay a little bit longer. So I came across as an au pair because I was like, I want to learn another language.

0:02:21 - (Kate Danger): You know, it was just going to stay for a little bit, learn another language, then pop on home. And that's kind of not how my adventure went. But the, the, the Irish passport definitely opened some doors for me. But though I have to say that the au pair program abroad is really interesting. You can get a visa for up to two years working and living with A family. And I thought that was ideal because I didn't have to worry about lodging. I actually really like kids and I like kind of family life.

0:02:49 - (Kate Danger): So that was good for me. And I could learn the language from the kids and from just like being boots on the ground here. So that was kind of. I just thought, you know, on my bucket list was to learn another language. I didn't realize like everything that that would entail and that actually would change my life.

0:03:05 - (Malinda Watt): That's fantastic. I mean it just, it just goes to show how, you know, trusting that initial instinct to. For an adventure and where, you know what path that led you on. So you are now settled in Versailles, France and you have three kids?

0:03:21 - (Kate Danger): Four kids.

0:03:22 - (Malinda Watt): Four. Oh my goodness. Fantastic.

0:03:26 - (Kate Danger): Yeah, yeah. They, they range in age from 11 till a year and a half. So I have three girls that are a little bit older and then the baby came along. But yeah, it's, it's nice. We, we have a house. We live just outside Versailles, which is just outside of Paris. Paris. So we're like suburban suburban life. And I think living in France helped me have so many kids just because it's very family friendly.

0:03:51 - (Kate Danger): Also friendly to working mothers. So the culture kind of really lent itself to an ease of life with littles.

0:03:58 - (Malinda Watt): Yeah. What led you down the path of deciding that you need to put this out onto the Internet with your own website, you know, to share, share your experience. What. How did you come to that decision that a website was, you know, what needed to happen?

0:04:12 - (Kate Danger): I've been playing around with the idea. I think I came across your website a while ago just when I was thinking of the idea. I've always had a 9 to 5 job in marketing and some of those jobs have been very, for I guess, bigger companies that are very slow moving. And I wanted a place just a sandbox where I could explore and try out things that I've been learning but not able to. Kind of feeling dead ended at my job that know they didn't want to move or adopt new things very quickly. So I just thought that this was a place that I could express myself creatively.

0:04:46 - (Kate Danger): Creatively. And that's kind of what it's been and how it started and kind of where it's going at this point. And it's just, it's fun because I feel like I'm learning and creating and I found my little niche on the web on, on the, on the world Wide web for a long time. I, I played with the idea, but I didn't really know or wasn't Confident about what my value add would be or what my niche would be. Until one day I, I realized just that my. What my life had become.

0:05:12 - (Kate Danger): And writing this, this website, you asked me once before, like, who I created this for or. And I have a whole family in America that hasn't, hasn't traveled as much as I would like them to. I'd love them to come visit. And I realized, like, coming to a place where you don't know the language and you don't know anything, it's hard.

0:05:30 - (Malinda Watt): It's super intimidating. I have never been to France and that idea of, you know, how comfortable will I be? Will I be able to get where I need to go, you know, that experience. So I think that you're right that it keeps people, it keeps them limited and, you know, as the podcast, you know, get over your shit and just go and have the adventure. Right. And so I think English speaking with that guidance, it just makes so much sense.

0:05:56 - (Kate Danger): Yeah. Or else people that come on big tour buses and they, they do a wham, bam, thank you ma'am, and they miss really looking and just lingering and knowing where to look. So I feel like I, I felt like I had that and I was kind of giving it one off to friends and people who would come, people would always say, hey, I have a friend in France, you know, call her. And I'd go meet them for drinks and just tell them stuff and they'd be like, so amazed at like how life is. And for me, it just, I seem to take it for granted instead of taking advantage of it. So I, that kind of changed my mindset of, hey, this is really a value add and something I really love doing.

0:06:29 - (Kate Danger): We own an Airbnb here too. And I'm always welcoming guests and just. And loving, loving explaining to them, hey, don't forget to go here, check this out. So a website just kind of seems I could put it there and not have to repeat myself all the time. But also just, just kind of hospitality think is in my, in my genes. So it just kind of happened naturally.

0:06:51 - (Malinda Watt): Absolutely. Well, and I think that you're right. It's not having to necessarily repeat yourself, but the idea of just, you know, again, bringing in someone who is English speaking and feeling intimidated. Because I would imagine that of course the, the draw is the palace, but to not just, you know, like you said, hop on the bus, come see it, and then head back to Paris or something. Right. So what are some of those couple of places that you feel that people are really missing on, you know, if they get on that bus too soon and. And don't stay a little longer.

0:07:23 - (Kate Danger): Well, I want to say that Paris is one of. Is the most visited tourist destination in the world. So there's tons of millions of people flocking to Paris every year. Even before the Olymp. It's just people come, people travel. And the Versailles alone, the castle, has 8 million visitors a year. So it's. There is a lot of traffic. I don't always feel it living here, but it is like more and more. Because I think it's worth seeing the, the palace when it was built. If it was appraised today, it would be, I think like 8 billion.

0:07:53 - (Kate Danger): I might be wrong on that, but it's, it's very expensive and the government doesn't upkeep it as much. So you're asking about like hidden corners and things to see. There's a whole second floo that they haven't touched that I'm fascinated by. I haven't yet been to see it, but I've just as I've researched and kind of unpacked this stuff. The second floor, they haven't touched it. The only way it's lit is by candlelight or by like opening the windows, opening these heavy curtains. So nothing is faded. Everything is just in a time capsule.

0:08:24 - (Kate Danger): Hasn't changed at all. And I'm just fascinated by this. I would love to get in and see it and I should do it soon. But you have to get a special tour there. You have to use a special guide, things like that. But even the fact it's a little bit like the Sistine Chapel in Italy, the arches on the, on the ceiling, it's actually a square room, but the arches are painted on. In some places they call it a trump daille in French, like a something that catches your eye or something that's kind of something that you think is real, but it's fake because it's just painted on. But they've done it so well in special parts that you're just like, wow, this is really cool. And it is just glamorous and big and awe inspiring. I feel like when I stand in it, I'm like. When I stand in the hall of Mirrors, which is one of the most famous rooms there. It's where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, which ended World War II. It's just, you see, like, you can't help but feel like a little bit sentimental on these spots.

0:09:19 - (Kate Danger): I'm just like, wow, this is so.

0:09:20 - (Malinda Watt): Cool to be standing right there in history. And just the grandeur of the palace itself. I mean, it just. But yes, the history all around you. And I. There was someone's YouTube video I was watching recently. I think it was. It was keep your daydream. And that was sort of Trisha's one spot that she was heading for. And she sort of made a beeline for that room so that she could have that space kind of all to herself before it, you know, was sort of overcome with other tourists in the. In the palace that day.

0:09:53 - (Kate Danger): If you need to go, you need to go early and be one of the first in the rooms before it starts to. To. To get really busy. But it's totally possible to be one of the first in the room. And I got. I took a picture in there with a friend right after Covid, when it was still. The museums were just starting to open up, so it was empty. And it was just so wonderful to be in that space. But there's things outside of the castle that are really interesting to see too.

0:10:15 - (Kate Danger): In the summers, there's just tons of picnickers that picnic in the gardens. Just. I imagine that's how they used to do in the olden days too. Just sit out with your picnic and enjoy, like, French life. Go by a lot of coffee shops and stuff that I think people, when they come in and go out, they just kind of miss the, like, French life. And it's a French, like, we're so close to Paris, but there's kind of just a side that you'll miss if you just kind of hurry in and out just of enjoying a coffee. And of course, like, France is huge for people watching, just watching and just kind of living a slower life.

0:10:50 - (Malinda Watt): I love that you use the word, you know, French society on your website. Right. And I think that that really is, you know, what people are starting to understand how different the culture is. So is it really that people want to slow down and take their time that, you know, on this side of the world, you know, I'm in Canada, but in the US as well, that things are just so sped up. You know, we're not really taking the time to slow down and appreciate what it is that's around us. And particularly being in France, the beauty and the history that is around, I.

0:11:22 - (Kate Danger): Think just the French society, they never sped up. And in some ways you can see that in the bureaucracy, it's just really slow paperwork here is very long. So the side of living here, it's frustrating, but there is a side that we do slow down. Like every six weeks, the kids have two weeks vacation. So.

0:11:41 - (Malinda Watt): Oh, my vacation.

0:11:43 - (Kate Danger): That's built into our lifestyle. I think we cook a lot as in families here. Family meals are very, very important. We just don't eat and run. Meal times kind of in France are set at certain times and you can't really pop in to get something like you can't eat whenever. Just little things like that are kind of French society rules that they have you just kind of feel or it's just not as convenient in America and in Canada, everything's convenient. You can go to the store any hour. You can do pretty much anything you want all the time.

0:12:16 - (Kate Danger): Where? France. You just, you know, your kids are out of school, so you have to slow down or you have to things like it just, it's a slow life. But I don't. Yeah. I don't know if it's done like intentionally. It's just a different culture. It's just a different place. Yeah.

0:12:33 - (Malinda Watt): It's so true. I, that's. I did not know that. Six weeks and then two weeks off. That. That's wild.

0:12:40 - (Kate Danger): That's why you got to keep your in laws close.

0:12:44 - (Malinda Watt): For sure. Oh my goodness. I, I can't. I mean, you know, I homeschool my son who's 11. But yeah. Because we like that slower pace of, of life, of family life. Right. And that's not really the norm in this, you know, in Canada and in the US specifically. But that, that is fantastic that you do sort of have to shape your life around that. So.

0:13:09 - (Kate Danger): Yeah. So we plan vacation as advance and rely on camps and like the kids go to pony camps and ski camps and we do spend a lot of time with in laws and things like that just to make our lives run because. But it works. It works. But family is really, it's important here. So it's. That's kind of the nucleus and very. I found it's.

0:13:31 - (Malinda Watt): And that, I mean, having my own limited, you know, understanding. I did go through French immersion. Unfortunately, I've lost my French, you know, the early years of elementary school. But I guess my first interpretation wouldn't necessarily be like when I think of Paris, France, I think of, you know, fashion and you know, like, I'm probably going to look silly when I go because I might not dress right. Like that's sort of my own limiting beliefs around it. But it's so wonderful to hear how much family is actually prioritized as, you know, as the culture itself. Right. That family takes sort of center stage that way. So that's really quite beautiful.

0:14:06 - (Kate Danger): Yeah. France is just the capital of Paris is the capital of France in so many ways. It's the seat of government, it's finance capital, it's the technology capital, it's the fashion capital. And in America, you have, like, New York is the fashion capital and finance and governments in. In Washington, D.C. and then Tech. Tech is on the West Coast. We have everything in one place. So it's just. That's interesting. And Paris is really a city that moves.

0:14:34 - (Kate Danger): It's a lot smaller than New York, but it has, for me, same energy, kind of it has, except it's not open all the time. We close on Sundays, and stores are closed around, I don't know, 8pm I think you can find kind of that lifestyle that. That moves. But I think if you go into the suburbs, if you kind of get a sense of the real. The essence of real French life, I find it's more in. For me, it's more in Versailles.

0:15:00 - (Kate Danger): In Paris is very. You'll hear a lot of English. Everybody is. I feel like everybody's speaking English now. But in Versailles, you're likely to hear a little bit more French. But people will. They can. They'll speak to you in. In. In English. As soon as you start talking, you know, you just give them a nice bonjour, and that's, you know, you're making an effort and they'll. They'll talk. But as far as what to wear, like, people are, you know, tennis shoes. Everybody's wearing tennis shoes. It's all about the tennis shoes you have. And I feel like the old days of, you know, wearing heels and being so uncomfortable is.

0:15:31 - (Kate Danger): It's gone.

0:15:33 - (Malinda Watt): Okay, well, we won't spend a lot of time on this. But Emily in Paris, I mean, has that show done any good for the. For Paris or.

0:15:41 - (Kate Danger): Yeah, I love that show. I think I. I take it. I get a good laugh out of it because it's like Sex in the City, but, like, for. For French. But I think it does. But there's a real thing when people come here called Paris Syndrome. It's on Wikipedia. You should look it up. But it's. It's the shock of, like, figuring out the city is not at all, like, how it's portrayed in films and things, that people have this hope that they're going to fall in love and be wonderful. Well, Frenchmen, in my experience, aren't that romantic.

0:16:07 - (Kate Danger): They're definitely not as romantic as in the films. And. But there's a syndrome called Paris syndrome. And it just. It's a realization of, like, the. I guess it's a Big disappointment. I mean, there's places that are beautiful and there's things that are really, well, beautiful, like, beautiful and well done. But I think there is a level of frustration and that's what I've felt living here with the bureaucracy with things. There's definitely a dark side. I like to compare, like Paris to a beautiful woman.

0:16:32 - (Kate Danger): Like, she's just high maintenance and hard to live with, but it's, you know, you're with a beautiful woman. It's, it's worth to look at. It's to have that. It's like, I earned that, but at what cost?

0:16:46 - (Malinda Watt): Well, that's a fantastic analogy. So I'm curious too. As you went into building your website and getting this online, sort of, what challenges or surprises did you face as you kind of started to work through that process? Because it is, I mean, to my own, this small embarrassment. You joined my email list in 2020. We're heading, we're on the cusp of 2025. And I'm so happy that we have connected. But, you know, I, I think that it speaks to the idea also that, you know, as we start a small business, it's sort of, you know, getting into the flow and email and whatnot and, and that, you know, continuing to email is so important.

0:17:29 - (Malinda Watt): And that email list that you joined was about, you know, diying your own website. And I left you short because I didn't put out something for you to DIY your website for, you know, several years later.

0:17:41 - (Kate Danger): Yeah.

0:17:41 - (Malinda Watt): So I know you had some support in building your website, but I'm curious, sort of, as you've spent this time, because it obviously has been on your mind almost five years that now this website has come to fruition is live, which I'm so excited. But what are some of the challenges and surprises that you kind of hit on in that time of getting to this place that now you have your website live?

0:18:02 - (Kate Danger): Good question. And I don't blame you at all. I'm super happy we've connected because you have given me so much value and feedback. And now that I've started the ball rolling, I think once something's in momentum, it's easier to direct. And it's like when you're skiing, when you're going, it's easier to kind of correct and fix things as you go. So I'm just learning by doing it. That's kind of where I'm at. So I just was like, I need to get started and the things that block me, I'm just going to, like, get them done.

0:18:29 - (Kate Danger): Ask people for help, pay for what I need to get just because I want to get this thing rolling. And a lot of kind of how I, how I'm letting it develop is just by the content. So I don't really, I didn't really know how to actually how to approach designer and how to say like, because I hadn't created all the content, I had been saving photos and taking photos and just kind of having ideas for those five years and journaling things down and kind of getting sketches of what I think would be a value add to I guess my audience or what would have been helpful to me a few years ago.

0:19:05 - (Kate Danger): So I just started kind of getting the bones together and then as they start to flesh in a little bit more kind of defining my categories and things like that, I'm pretty comfortable now in WordPress. The design side is another thing and, and maybe, and as I see where it's going to go, then I can redo that. But I just wanted something going so I guess that was a big hurdle to get over. But like my joy right now is kind of like putting in like putting like writing the blog articles and kind of, and, and getting that, getting the links in and, and okay, is this SEO? Is this going to be right? And you' great feedback on that and to know like who's coming to see and how, how that's all coming together and I love that.

0:19:49 - (Kate Danger): But I just feel like now that it's in momentum, it's pulling in energy and it's, it's, it's, it's going to a place that I, I like and knowing kind of what people are looking at and kind of how to adjust. I wanted to be in control of my website because that's what I, I wanted to see and quickly be able to pivot. I just wanted to get started because maybe in, in five years from now I'll be like, oh, that was a tourism site. But either I need a spin off or I need. The next project will be this. And I'm one of those multi passionate kind of crazy people with tons of ideas and this one had, had haunted me and bugged me and come and just been. And I'm like, I need to just birth this. I need to get it out and then we'll see what it becomes and then I'll do Project B, then I'll do.

0:20:34 - (Kate Danger): But it's definitely in momentum now and I love where it's going. I love that I, I have support in you that I can reach out that you've been Able. You've been very generous with your feedback and, and things that I, you know, and I still need to add a mailing list to it. I know I still like have things to go, but there's so much room to grow and it's such an exciting place to be that I'm, I'm really happy to be here and I feel supported and it's wonderful.

0:20:59 - (Kate Danger): Yeah.

0:21:00 - (Malinda Watt): Well, I think that that's sort of one of the things that we can get sort of hung up on is this, you know, perfectionism and you know, having everything just right and just perfect when ultimately, you know, you can have it just right and just perfect and you know, take down that coming soon page. But that doesn't mean anything. That doesn't mean that they will come just because it's live. Right. There's still all kinds of work, so getting it in up and online and, and still, you know, there's always going to be work to be done. I am curious. I don't, I know that you are in WordPress but did you play with other sort of platforms before you finally decided on WordPress?

0:21:37 - (Kate Danger): I did. I actually spent some time in Squarespace because I was like, it's so pretty, I like it. But I just, I don't know, I just felt like for SEO, WordPress was kind of the place to be. That's kind of why I decided. And, and the, the, the learning curve was just, I mean with learning curve with anything, you just look at it, you're like, whoa, where do I, where do I start? Where do I go? But yeah, I just thought like WordPress might be, I don't know if you feel the same might be more sustainable long term for me.

0:22:06 - (Malinda Watt): Well, I mean I'm, I'm always going to say WordPress mostly because it does account for so many of the websites, content management systems that are out there. And so ultimately if you are looking for support, you're going to have a far easier time finding that than if you use something like Squarespace. That only has, I think as far as content management system goes, I think it might be 2 to 3% of the market where content management system WordPress is like 65% of the market.

0:22:35 - (Malinda Watt): So it really as though, as much as it is a hurdle to get over. I love seeing Facebook group questions about like what platform are you using? I'm like, if you're asking, you just need to spend time on WordPress, you.

0:22:47 - (Kate Danger): Just need another have to relearn something later. And I was like, no, I'm just gonna, I'M gonna start with what I know works and I'm gonna, you know, it's been proven and it works, so I'm gonna. I also like the billing structure. It seemed a lot more clear where, like WordPress, it's like you never really own the site. You kind of always have to add squarespace.

0:23:06 - (Malinda Watt): You never. You can't really pick it up, package it up and put it in a box and take it somewhere.

0:23:10 - (Kate Danger): Exactly. Because you're always. Yeah. So I just was like, no. And I'm glad. I mean, so far it's been good to me. I don't have any problems or any. I mean. And you can. I'm using Elementor right now too. But you can. I know that that can change and I can. You know, there's a lot of ways that can grow, but right now, like, I'm at a level that I feel comfortable at and I know it's going to grow. And now I can, like, think about other things. Like a website could be. It could be a huge business. It could be. There's so many parts of it that, like the SEO, the photos, like the photography, the content, the hosting, the design, it's just, it's huge.

0:23:48 - (Kate Danger): So, yeah, I'm just gonna. I start out and I chisel out, kind of follow my interest. Okay, this is working. Okay, now this, now this. And so it's going. It's going slow. I mean, it's. It's gone slow, but I think it's up live. And definitely there's a new momentum that's. That's going along with it now. And I'm happy.

0:24:06 - (Malinda Watt): Yeah, it's fantastic. And I think even, you know, in terms of just, like I said, just getting it out there, getting it online and starting to move through that process. So I'm curious if you do have advice for someone who is kind of picking away, saving too many photos in a folder and just, you know, not really getting going. What advice do you have to them to sort of start to bring things to take that leap?

0:24:32 - (Kate Danger): I would just start, kind of start with. I think what really helped me was I just started a document on, like, what I think, and it wasn't even finished by the time I came to, like, a designer with it. But I was like, these are kind of the general categories I want, and this is kind of how I want it to look. And then when I gave it to him and he started to work through it, that kind of like lit the fire on me. Like, okay, now I gotta get content done. Now I gotta work on this. And then I went back to him with some changes as I was feeling them. But I think just start with a document. Don't Even start on WordPress. Start with a document of how you like, like a vision board or something like that. Like a vision board or on all the text.

0:25:13 - (Kate Danger): And then like once something is written down, it's way easier to go to somebody and say, this is kind of what I'm thinking of. And then like, if it's a match, I talked to several people, but if it's a match, then they'll kind of know where to go next with that, or know, hey, I have these category ideas or I have this. And then it's. Then it's a conversation and just to start the conversation. But for me, it was really kind of. I had been storing stuff and until I kind of sat down and I was like, this is how I want it to be and this is how it should look.

0:25:39 - (Kate Danger): And it wasn't perfect for sure. It was. It was just a mess and a jumble of ideas. I think. I don't even think my about me is still finished the way I want it to be, but that's just kind of what I wrote in there. And now we have tools like AI, we have things that can really help polish it up. But as long as the framework is there, I think it just, that gets it going. For me, that was the way. And then the technical skills, they came together, they're coming together. And then, you know, I was always reaching out to you or Sam for advice, like, hey, this isn't looking the way I want it to, or feedback.

0:26:12 - (Kate Danger): Then the polishing and refinements is stuff that I love. And I think I got the horse before the carriage there and I was working on the refinements without actually having like this, the main part to refine. So I'm happy that it's not perfect. I'm happy that it's a work in progress because I think it can only get better.

0:26:33 - (Malinda Watt): Well, and it needs to. That's the big thing. You know, like I said, we think we build it and they will come. But ultimately, you know, that content, it has to be well optimized. It needs to sit there for three, four, six months for Google to know what to do with it. Right? And that's where that traffic will start to generate from. And I love what you said about, you know, just starting with a Google document because I, I just finally created, and it's going to go up in the next week, a planner.

0:27:01 - (Malinda Watt): So I created a Planner of exactly what you're saying. That is a Google document that you can write in and actually laying all of that out. So I'm sorry it's so late, but for anyone else who's planning a website, I think it'll be a big help because we get stuck in that idea of like, what is everything supposed to look like? And then if we are taking on the tech, we get completely overwhelmed with, okay, now I need to actually have content to put in that page, versus if we had the content already laid out and a nice planner, nice Google document that had it all there. And then as we're taking on the tech of the website, we'll be able to make that leap.

0:27:38 - (Kate Danger): Yeah, I thought I needed to get all the tech, like, all straightened out and be able to, like, really know the tech to be able to play with it, to get it to. And I feel like I've learned that in reverse by creating the content and by putting the content into those pages. It's taught me the tech that I can do and that I can edit other pages and that I can. Hey, I don't like the way this sits. Can we move that?

0:27:59 - (Kate Danger): And. And just kind of, you know, the designer I worked with, he. He kind of worked me through some of that. He's like, no, let's do, you know, Or I would just show him new content and let him do it. I'd be like, hey, no, this. I want it to. So, yeah, just having kind of a place to start with, I think that is the most helpful. And the things you learn them kind of as you need to and you learn in motion.

0:28:21 - (Kate Danger): So you learn by, like, messing up and doing like, my website's full of a million mistakes. Some of them you don't see. But, like, they helped me to learn. You know, I wouldn't. I'm not a designer level yet, and I don't think I want to be, but I'm doing the part that I'm good at and, and it's. It's coming along. So I feel like I've already gotten. I remember, like, I got my first hits, like, just naturally from Google, and I've, you know, like, at the beginning, I don't remember if, you know, at the beginning, like a Google console, you get, like, award for, like, you know, how many views and how many days and how many views. And I think I'm up to like, seven.

0:28:55 - (Kate Danger): Seven levels now. And it's just like. So every morning I wake up, I'm like, okay, where am I at now?

0:29:01 - (Malinda Watt): The same Thing with having started this podcast, I mean, this is a new experience for me. And to see when I hit, like, 50 downloads, I was like, oh, my goodness, 50 downloads. And then also seeing the data around where those downloads came from. And Norway was one place. And I'm like, I don't think I know anybody in Norway that actually helps me. So it's just. It's a matter of putting it out there one step at a time.

0:29:24 - (Malinda Watt): So I'm so excited for you and super proud that you launched and that everything's coming together. So. And that leads me to my. My last question for you is, like, what's next for you and your website? It's interesting. When we had our conversation, I guess that was almost a couple months ago, of, you know, I. I always approach a website from the idea of, you know, making money. And I kind of pushed you on that a little bit of like, well, what's the next step for this? So, honestly, it was quite refreshing to just know that it was also a website.

0:29:58 - (Malinda Watt): You know, yes, it can make money at some point, but right now, what's feeding your desire to have this website is just the passion of sharing that information. So.

0:30:08 - (Kate Danger): And. And also, like, it was. It was just a sandbox of places to explore because I'm always watching podcasts and learning stuff, and I'm like, I couldn't apply it to my job. Like, I couldn't. I tried. I'm like, hey, guys, let's try this. Let's do this.

0:30:21 - (Malinda Watt): And.

0:30:22 - (Kate Danger): And with marketing things. And they were constantly like, no, no, we do it this way and we use this. And it wasn't. I was so frustrated that I just needed a sandbox to be like, okay, these things that people are teaching, do they work? Do they work? Like, if I bought this course, does it work? And I had no place to kind of try it out. So that was. That was a thing. A couple months ago, I joined this challenge online to be an Amazon affiliate. And I did that. And all summer long, I took three months and I made tons of videos, and I've made, like, nice, nice money off that.

0:30:55 - (Kate Danger): So, yeah, so I was like, if I can make money off that, like, I could also make money having my own website. And if I'm getting that much traffic just on Amazon things, I don't care about how. What can I do with something I actually care about? And. And can I monetize it? There is monetization behind it. I don't know if I'm ready to quit my day job and, like, go all in though I would love to like, if. If it went amazingly viral and really cool. But there is just an element of care and personal growth in there that I care about.

0:31:24 - (Kate Danger): I'm open to. To making money off of it and. And what can happen. I guess the next step would be once I feel like the traffic's going up is to. And I. I have kind of. We've talked before about different ideas. I do have a scavenger hunt that I want to put up on there. Just kind of a giveaway.

0:31:42 - (Malinda Watt): I love that idea. Oh, my goodness.

0:31:43 - (Kate Danger): That's great for kids and for grownups. And then like a city guide that would be kind of a paid guide. Traffic. Let's see, like, if some of those 8 million people are going to come through my website. So there is some monetization on. On Journey kind of getting started there. But those are. Those are definitely kind of next next steps. But I'm pretty happy with the way the website looks and kind of the content that's coming.

0:32:12 - (Kate Danger): Also, like, busy filling out my content calendar, my editorial calendar to see kind of what goes. But I am really into the data right now. I'm totally geeking it out to see what are people clicking. I actually had a. And it's not always what I think my best article was. Like, I love an article I wrote on picnics in Versailles. Like, what to get, what kind of cheese to get, what kind of. I just loved writing that article.

0:32:35 - (Kate Danger): And then there's an article that I wrote about, like, French hot chocolate that's, like, going crazy. And I'm like, hot chocolate? Like, I guess it's the time of year right now. But yeah, there's so many places to go. So when you say what's next? I just kind of light up at all the ideas. I really like the data because. And I think that will be the key to what's next. Understanding that will kind of lead me to.

0:32:57 - (Kate Danger): All right, you need to do this next.

0:32:59 - (Malinda Watt): Well, and it'll lead you to, you know, which blog posts are the most important, like, where to spend your energy in terms of, like, what content to create next.

0:33:08 - (Kate Danger): So that is part of the motivation. Like, I think money is motivating for sure. So if that turns out to be something great, then cool. Yeah, we'll check in in a little bit and I'll let you know in a few months how it's going. And I don't even think it's been a month since I've been live, but I think it's doing pretty well.

0:33:24 - (Malinda Watt): I think it's fantastic. I'm so proud of you and I really appreciate you reaching out. You know, I said I sent a let's chat to my email list and you right away booked a call. So I was super excited, even though still a little embarrassed that you had been on my list since 2020. So if anything, if you are listening to this, just keep going, keep doing the thing, keep putting things in motion. I think is a huge takeaway. So Kate, I'm so happy to have you as my second guest on get over your Shit and I'm just so thrilled that we have been able to make that connection and I hope to someday visit Versailles with your guide.

0:34:00 - (Kate Danger): Be very welcome.

0:34:01 - (Malinda Watt): Thank you for tuning in to this episode of get over your Shit. If you found this helpful, be sure to subscribe. Share this episode with a fellow overthinker and leave a review. Your feedback helps the podcast grow and reach more people who need to hear this message. Until next time, remember, progress over perfection. You've got this.