3 Months of Glowhaven: What Has Happened
Glowhaven turned three months in April. And as I was going through my statistics earlier this week, trying to figure out what to write about today because I have so much I want to write about but trying to be a little strategic here hehe.
Anyway, I noticed that the two blog posts about me building everything have been some of the most read posts on the blog. So I guess that is something you are interested in. I thought I would write today about what has been happening since I pressed publish and really put myself out there, on my blog but also on Instagram.
Honestly, these three months have been both everything I expected and at the same time nothing like I expected. Some parts have been better than I imagined and some parts have been harder than I could have prepared for. And also a lot of mix of both at the same time. Which to be honest I guess is probably quite normal.
I would say I am a very open person when it comes to sharing things, so here we go. I will tell you what the first three months of Glowhaven have given me, taught me, and also scared the hell out of me.
The Growth
When I launched my blog, my mum was probably the only one reading it. But now, three months later, I am starting to finally see the results of all the hard work. I have been very strict with myself that every blog post needs to answer the questions you are really searching for, and for that I use a tool called KeySearch. Most of my blog traffic now comes from Pinterest and organic search. Organic search basically means someone searches something on Google and ends up on my blog, which is exactly what I have been working so hard towards. The fact that I have visitors coming from all over the world, from New York to London, is honestly my biggest flex for now. It feels surreal.
On Instagram on the other hand, it has definitely been easier, not easy but easier, to grow an audience. I have gone from 0 to over 3,600 followers, and my biggest audience is currently from the US. Two of my videos have hit over 1 million views each. Here is the thing though. The first time it happened, I was really excited. And the second time? I barely registered it. That shift says a lot about how my relationship with numbers has changed.
I used to look at those numbers obsessively. How many likes, how many views, how many new followers, how many unfollowers. It really consumed me. Do not get me wrong, I still look at those numbers but from a completely different perspective now. Instead of “oh no, that did not perform well, how embarrassing,” it is more like “okay, that one was not the best, how can I improve.”
That shift did not happen overnight, but I think it is one of the most important things I have learned. One thing that can be so hard but at the same time so rewarding is that I seriously do not have anyone to compare myself to. How do I know if the growth is good or bad? Like, seriously. The only person I am comparing myself to is the person I was yesterday. And I think that might be the healthiest way to do it.
Brand Collaborations
This has probably been the biggest surprise so far. Brands reaching out to me before I have even had time to contact them.
I have not reached out to a single brand myself yet. Not one. And still, my inbox has been flooded with collaboration offers from only one month after I started. My first paid brand collaboration happened in February with only 200 followers. So if you have ever wanted to create content and get paid for it, if that is not your sign, I do not know what is.
I have received so many DMs and emails asking for collaborations that I have honestly lost count. Some are product-for-content deals where a brand sends you products and asks you to create a video in exchange. Some are paid offers.
However, saying no is just as important as saying yes. I have not accepted nearly half of the offers I have received, and that is a very intentional decision. It is extremely important to me to choose brands wisely. I want to work with products I genuinely use and love, not just anything that shows up in my inbox.
I also learned somehow early on to set clear boundaries. Brands will try to get “free” content in exchange for products, which is very exciting in the beginning, but it for sure does not pay your bills.
So for example, one brand reached out asking me to create three videos for free in exchange for products. I was familiar with this brand, so even the fact that they reached out to me made me super happy. However, I told them I was happy to commit to one video. They accepted, and that video performed really well.
And now, three weeks later, that same brand came back offering me over 2,000 USD for a paid collaboration. So even though it can be hard to negotiate prices and literally your job’s worth, that experience taught me that standing your ground and doing great work pays off. Sometimes quite literally.
My goal with brand partnerships is to build long-term relationships with brands I genuinely love. Not quick, one-off deals where I promote something I would never actually use. And I am very open about this with every brand that reaches out. I always tell them that I am happy to try their products, but I will only create content if I genuinely like them. Some brands take that risk and some simply do not reply after that. And honestly, that tells me quite a lot.
The Parts Nobody Talks About
I want to be fully transparent here. There have been days where I have wanted to give up completely.
The excitement of the early days eventually fades. And what replaces it, at least for me, is this doubt phase where nothing feels right. Where you do not want to show up. Where you think “who cares” and “who am I to do this.” That feeling hits me more or less every single week, even now.
I have hesitated everything and wondered whether I should just find a regular job. But I have never actually gone so far as to look at what jobs are available. Something always pulls me back. I keep reminding myself of the reason why I even started, and somehow I always come back to it.
What I am most proud of is that even when it does not feel like it, I have not given up. And I refuse to. Even when it feels like I am completely stuck, I still show up. I still write. I still create. That stubbornness might be my greatest strength right now.
How It Has Changed Me as a Person
Building Glowhaven has changed more than just my daily routine. It has changed me.
My relationship with Instagram is completely different now. I barely doom scroll anymore, which is probably a good thing for my mental health, but it also means I miss out on a lot of what my friends are up to. After a full day of creating content, posting, and staying on top of all the DMs and emails, I simply do not have the time or energy to scroll through my feed.
I definitely feel lonely sometimes. Not in a way where I would want to change what I am doing, but in a way where I notice that my priorities have shifted. I have grown a lot as a person and I am more selective now when it comes to where I put my time. Building something like this takes up so much time when you are doing everything by yourself, and that has obviously affected some close relationships too.
But I do not regret it. Growth is not always comfortable, and I think the loneliness is just part of the process of becoming the person you are meant to be.
Where Glowhaven Is Going
I have big dreams and high hopes for the rest of 2026.
One thing I want to do is launch my own digital product. Whether that is an ebook, a guide, or something else entirely is still being figured out. But the idea of creating something that is fully mine and that can help you in a deeper way is something that really excites me.
I also want to continue landing brand deals with brands I genuinely love and building those long-term partnerships I keep talking about.
And something that has been on my mind a lot lately is evolving my content beyond just skincare. I realized quite early on that if I only post skincare content, both my skin and I will burn out pretty quickly. Instagram also gives you insights on how much you should be publishing weekly, and if I wanted to follow that with only skincare, I would have to say goodbye to everything else in my life.
But here is the thing. The lifestyle side of things is so me. I love how I dress. I love minimal makeup. I love beautiful things, self-care, yoga, eating healthy, comfy clothes, a calm and minimal home. All of those things are tied together with who I am as a person and they go hand in hand with skincare and beauty. So expect to see more of that side of me going forward.
To Anyone Who Is Thinking About Starting
If you are sitting there right now with your own idea, your own project, your own dream that you have been thinking about for months or years, here is what I want you to know.
It is probably going to be harder than you think. There will be days where you probably question everything. Days where you cry. Days where you feel completely alone in it.
But there will also be moments that make all of it worth it. A DM from someone saying your content helped or inspired them. A brand you admire reaching out to you. A stranger from the other side of the world reading something you wrote or created.
Those moments are everything. And they would not exist if you never started.
So start. Start messy. Start scared. Start anyway.
Conclusion
Three months is not a long time. But it has been long enough to teach me more about myself than I expected. About patience, about resilience, about the importance of staying true to what you believe in even when it would be easier to just follow the crowd.
Glowhaven is still growing. I am still learning.
Thank you for being here and for being part of this journey. Whether you have been following from day one or you just found Glowhaven today, I appreciate you more than you know.
This is only the beginning.
And my goal? Pretty simple. Improve every day and hopefully inspire at least one person along the way.
My target audience has been since day one mini me.
