Danielle Bruflodt is a powerhouse, managing multiple businesses, creative pursuits, volunteer commitments and an enviable vacation schedule all with style and flair. How does she do it? Dani was kind enough to share her secrets for highly productive and fulfilling entrepreneurship.
You are a social media specialist and content creator as well as a successful online retailer. Tell us about your background and the path that brought you to this profession?I was a history major and wanted to be a museum curator but during grad school I realized that museum work wasn’t quite the right fit, even though I loved writing, designing, research and creating beautiful collections. I left graduate school for a job with a publishing company and also launched my blog, which I worked on at night and on weekends. A few months later I got the opportunity to serve as a wedding blogger for Minneapolis-St.Paul Magazine.
Working at a publishing company and blogging for a major local magazine right when social media was coming of age really worked in my favor. I started managing social media for various clients in Minneapolis, and when my husband and I relocated to Madison, Wisconsin, for his job, I was able to work remotely for the publishing company and take social media clients on the side. Now I work with 7 social media clients on a day-to-day basis, take consulting gigs as my schedule allows and run my blog and Etsy shop. It’s a real job!
Your website, ThymeIsHoney.com, is a fun mix of inspiration, practical advice, style and even recipes. What would you describe as your niche?
Thyme is Honey started out as a place for me to showcase my hobbies when I was working a regular 8-5 job, but as my business evolved my blog has evolved along with it. Now the blog serves as a portfolio for my clients. I showcase everything from outfits, recipes and motivational quotes, to well-researched posts on a focused topic. I also try to display various skills: photography, graphic design, writing, watercolor painting, video etc., so that my clients can see the different ways I can support their brand.
Thyme is Honey had more than 1.1 million pageviews last year. What advice can you offer aspiring bloggers?
Be passionate about it. In the beginning you’ll need a reason to write besides exposure, money or an audience—because you’ll likely lack all of those. You must write well, of course, but to be successful you’ll also benefit from knowing photography, graphic design, photo editing, google analytics, SEO, and so much more. As a blogger you can never stop learning. YouTube is your best friend—-you can find a tutorial for anything there.
It’s back-to-school time and many of us have plans to be more organized and productive at this time of year. We have a wide range of gadgets and apps to schedule our day, but there is something so satisfying about making a good, old-fashioned list on paper and crossing off tasks. You created a line of daily planning tools that are practical and easy to use. How did you come up with those?
I designed my notepads for myself in 2010. I was busy working full-time, blogging for myself and for MSP-Mag while trying to plan and get fit for a wedding. The act of juggling different roles while focusing on my health prompted the original design of my Daily Page. I lost 26 pounds during that time and educated myself about health and nutrition. After having success with it personally I shared a printable file of it on my blog for free. Readers loved it and I was ecstatic that I was helping people. Soon people started asking me to make a notepad version that they could purchase. I saved for 6 months to produce 250 notepads. I took pre-orders online and they sold out almost instantly. That was the beginning of my Etsy Shop!
How do you use these tools to organize your day?
Rule number one is that you HAVE to set aside time to fill out the page. If you don’t, it won’t work for you. I suggest that you take time at the end of your day, or before bed, and start filling out tomorrow’s page. Think about your goals. What will you eat? What events do you have? When will you have free time to go to the gym, yoga class, or just a quick walk between meetings? Filling it out at night gives me clarity and helps me sleep. If you commit to doing this every day for 2-3 weeks you’ll find that your productivity increases and your stress decreases. You start to use your time more wisely. You appreciate your free time and squeeze in 10 minutes of reading or a walk with the dog. Most importantly, you get to the end of a day and you can look back at the things you accomplished and feel fulfilled. And similarly, when you have an off day you can look back and think about where your day was derailed and what you could have done to make it more productive.
I believe that there’s a strong connection between what we write, what we read, and what we actually accomplish. There are a lot of apps out there. I’ve tried most of them. And I’ve received hundreds of requests to create an app from my design. But for me nothing will ever be better than a fresh notepad and a brightly colored pen.
You’ve also expanded some of your product offerings. What else is available in your online shop?
I recently introduced the Daily Page Notepad. I also added a Pencil Set that is embossed with funny sayings about being organized. Last but not least is my Forever Wall Calendar.
Along with my Etsy Shop you can also find my graphic design work on Society 6, where I offer everything from phone cases and prints to throw pillows and tote bags.
Besides your business ventures you also enjoy volunteering. Can you tell us about you involvement with Fetch Wisconsin Rescue and other ways you like to donate your time?
I love volunteering and for me it’s really important to give back. Fetch Wisconsin Rescue is a dog rescue based in Madison, Wisconsin. We work to keep dogs out of shelters and provide them with temporary foster homes until they’re adopted. I wrote a post about my experience with Fetch and different ways you can get involved.
I started out volunteering as a home interview volunteer, but within two months my husband and I were signed up to foster a puppy. It was one of those amazing, life-changing experiences and I think we both became better people through fostering. That experience pushed me to become more involved with Fetch, so I now help manage their website and Facebook page as well as help plan monthly social events for volunteers.
Your adorable Jack Russel Terrier, Walter, is a media darling in his own right. Tell us about him.
Walter will be 4 in October and is definitely our baby. He’s a wire-haired Jack Russell Terrier, but as a puppy I had his coat regularly trimmed so that it became soft and fluffy. He’s a photogenic little ham and he loves attention! Although I make him do a lot of ridiculous things (just check his hashtag) he also gets to travel, canoe, camp, hike, rock climb and spend all of his days lounging about our house, yard or deck while I work from home. I’d say he’s got it pretty good, despite the occasional costume or photoshoot! Walter has definitely become part of the Thyme is Honey brand. I think some of my most liked instagram posts of all time are still of him.
You and your husband, Josh, visited all five great lakes in the past five years. Why was this important to you and what are some of your favorite places to visit in the Great Lakes Region?
Josh and I got married at Superior Shores Resort in Two Harbors, Minnesota along the north shore of Lake Superior in 2011. They have a beautiful pebble beach and amazing photo opportunities. Because we got married on a Great Lake, we decided to try one each year for our anniversary so that we’d visit all 5 by our 4 year anniversary. Here’s a quick run-down of our trips:
1st Anniversary, Lake Michigan: Door County and Washington Island. Highlights: biking along the north shore of the Door County Penninsula and visiting various breweries and wineries. Spend an afternoon at Hands On Art Studio and take the ferry to Washington Island. Ride your bike towards Old School Beach, but make a stop at Nelsen’s Hall and take a shot of bitters.
2nd Anniversary, Lake Huron: Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Mackinac Island. Highlights: Big Spring (Kitch-iti-kipi) in the UP of Michigan, a spring-fed pond where you can see clearly to the bottom (about 40 feet deep) and view gigantic trout swimming on the bottom of the crystal-clear pool. No cars are allowed on Mackinac Island so it’s a bicycle haven. Bike the path all the way around the island and then indulge in fudge. Don’t miss a drink on the patio at the Pink Pony at sunset.
3rd Anniversary, Lake Erie: Sandusky and South Bass Island, Ohio: En route to South Bass Island we visited Indiana Dunes State Park, the Notre Dame campus, and spent an afternoon at Cedar Point Amusement park in Sandusky. Then we took the ferry to South Bass Island, called the Key West of the Midwest. The island is known for swim-up bars and it was a pretty constant party. It was a lot of fun, but the highlight of the trip for us was kayaking to various hidden beaches and islands.
4th Anniversary, Lake Ontario: Toronto and Prince Edward County, Canada: This year we went international, road-tripping through Canada. We biked in Toronto and found amazing views of the city. Prince Edward County is on the north shore of Lake Ontario. It’s small (around 10 miles from coast to coast) but has more than 40 wineries. It’s also home to North America’s largest freshwater sand dunes. Definitely spend a day at Sandbanks Park! Have dinner at Lake on the Mountain and see a concert at The Hayloft Dance Hall.
For our 5th anniversary we’re hoping to go back to Lake Superior and bring the trip full circle!
To wrap it up, what’s next for Thyme is Honey?
I take things one day at a time. Currently I have one employee and an intern, and our little team works really well together. Sometimes it feels like success means an office and a larger team—but it also feels like that would be going backward. I’ve worked hard to be able to work for myself and have the freedom to work when and where I want. I really like the way things are but I’m excited to see how our client base and product offerings expand in the future.
