renee and elliott

Here are a few of our favorite bloggers. It’s not an exhaustive list, but these are the ones who inspire, inform, and entertain us.

Asha Dornfest – Parent Hacks

Parent Hacks is the brainchild of Asha Dornfest. She writes and edits readers’ contributions. As visual artists, we both love their logo and identity. The “Swiss Army Knife” with lollipop, crayon, spoon, and safety pin is just as clever as the site’s premise.

Steve Pavlina – Personal Development For Smart People

Steve Pavlina‘s site gets over 2 million visitors per month. According to his article, How To Make Money From Your Blog, his site brings in over $1000 per day.

There are more than 600 articles already and he is adding more every week. It seems like you’ll never run out of articles to read on personal development, career planning, time management, and many other topics of interest to smart people. Steve is also a Toastmaster.

David Hobby – Photography and Lighting

Strobist covers techniques on using small flash units more creatively to achieve results similar to those you’d get with big studio lights. David peppers his writing with liberal doses of humor and offers credibility through his work as a photojournalist. His photos are pretty darn good too. Strobist is a great resource for photographers, but it was one of Elliott’s main inspirations to start blogging.

David started the blog in February of 2006 as a way to store his notes. It has since grown to get over 1 million page views a month. He took a leave of absence from his job in June of 2007 to focus on the blog full-time. The blogger’s lifestyle allows David to spend more time with his favorite Hobbys – Susan, Emily, and Ben.

Ben Cook – Professional Blogging

The Blogging Experiment is a pleasure to read. Ben’s style is direct and easy to digest. He promises total transparency, sharing his successes and his mistakes. As of this writing, there are only two posts in the “My Mistakes” category. He must be doing well.

Ben officially launched this blog on July 4th, 2007 and set a goal of achieving a full-time income from this blog within one year. Choosing Independence Day as the launch date and deadline was an inspired move. I wish him the best.

Yaro Starak – eCommerce and Blogging

Ben Cook recommends Yaro Starak’s free e-book, Blog Profits Blueprint. His e-book hits a sweet spot that lies between the quick overview and the exhaustive reference. His blog expands upon the principles covered in the e-book.

We have an inside joke about the magic word, “Yaro Starak.” It occasionally transforms a restaurant meal into a business expense.

Darren Rowse – Professional Blogging

ProBlogger.net is a great resource for professional bloggers or those hoping to make the jump. He regularly features video posts alongside text articles. The articles listed under “Best of Problogger” serve as a great primer for professional blogging and those who are merely curious about what a blog is. He is highly recommended by David Hobby at Strobist.