Successful Blogging

5 Great People Who Inspired Me To Start Blogging

5 Great People Who Inspired Me To Start Blogging

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blog inspirationWhich people inspire you in life?

We all have people that inspire us to do something, and it was the same for me when I first started blogging. There are so many inspirational bloggers, and it can be difficult just to select a few that you want to purely follow.

There were many people that had an influence on me launching myself into the world of blogging, and they were all for different reasons. Everybody’s different and so they all have different goals they’re looking to achieve, which is easily reflected within their websites and the content that they write.

For me, there were 5 main people that inspired me to start blogging, and each for a different reason than the other. Which is what makes this list so great. There’s more than just one source of motivation for creating a website.

There’s many.

The below is a list of some of the great people that gave me the inspiration to create a blog of my own.

1) Joel Brown (Addicted2Success)

Joel brown is the founder of Addicted 2 Success, a website he created 4 years ago with the intention to shows others exactly what it takes to succeed in life.

I stumbled onto Joel’s website in the early part of last year, and it really opened my eyes to the power of blogging.

Joel has now achieved over 50 million views in the time that Addicted 2 Success has run, and this shows just how powerful his writing has been in inspiring others to develop themselves and push themselves towards success in life.

It was this power to change people’s lives for the better, which really changed my way of thinking on how much difference one person really can make on the lives of others through blogging.

2) Ryan Biddulph (BloggingFromParadise)

Ryan Biddulph is the wonderful guy behind Blogging from Paradise. Joel Brown may have inspired me for the reason of being able to change other people’s lives, but Ryan Biddulph inspired me for another amazing reason.

The foundation behind Ryan’s blog is all about being able to live the island hopping laptop lifestyle most people only ever dream of doing. Since that’s what Ryan’s doing right now, and has done for quite some time, he more than qualifies as the perfect teacher.

Since I want to be able to live the laptop lifestyle and travel to many amazing places in the next few years to come, I can’t help but find the personal stories that Ryan shares on his blog, not to mention the advice, truly inspiring.

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3) Neil Patel (QuickSprout)

Neil Patel is one of the most inspiring internet entrepreneurs I know, after reading about his story and seeing the successful companies he’s managed to build over the years; CrazyEgg KissMetrics, HelloBar, to name a few.

On QuickSprout, Neil shares all his greatest advice for building your own successful blog, and his other company blogs dive more into the business side of things, rather than just focusing purely on driving web traffic.

4) Lori Deschene (TinyBuddha)

Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha, a blog that focuses on inner peace and happiness. Tiny Buddha shares advice on a much more personal level, with stories that many other people can relate to.

The website has millions of followers on social media, and shares daily quotes of wisdom. Tiny Buddha is such an inspiring blog from reading all the stories that guest bloggers have to share, and that’s why it really inspires me to share my own stories on my blog.

5) Darren Rowse (ProBlogger)

Darren Rowse has been blogging for many years now on his website ProBlogger, which shows you how to make a full-time income from creating your own blog. Darren makes a full-time living from blogging, and just like any other, that’s a great reason to become inspired to start blogging.

So there you have it, 5 people with very different goals and aspirations, yet all are successful bloggers that make a full-time living from doing so.

Just to recap, here’s the list again and the reasons why they inspired me:

  • Joel Brown – Inspired by changing other people’s lives
  • Ryan Biddulph – Inspired by living the laptop lifestyle & travelling
  • Neil Patel – Inspired by building multiple successful businesses
  • Lori Deschene – Inspired by sharing personal and meaningful stories
  • Darren Rowse – Inspired by being able to make a full-time living by blogging

So, who inspired you to start blogging, and why? Leave a comment below.

Dan Western is the CEO and Founder of WealthyGorilla.com, a blog dedicated to inspiring others towards success. Dan is a young entrepreneur who knew from a fairly early age that his true passion was to make money through his own means and to be able to share his knowledge with others. Join him on Facebook.

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  1. Hi Sue!

    I am a new blogger and I was introduced to your blog through Kellie-Ann Russell and I'm grateful for all your helpful tips.

    I already am familiar with Lori Deschene of TinyBuddha as I'm one of her avid readers and I checked out the remaining 4! Thank you for sharing your list and I find them all inspirational in several ways.

    Best,

    Luna

    Reply

    • So great to have you part of the Successful Blogging Team now, Luna!

      Thanks so much for your comment.
      Sue

      Reply

      • Yes, I did! And you're right. Tiny Buddha is epic. I am into personal development so I frequent sites like Tiny Buddha. 🙂

        Reply

  2. Hi Sue

    I am a huge fan of Tiny Buddha and of course Ryan 😉 It is great to have these posts where people introduce bloggers others may not have heard of.

    Reply

    • When Dan included Tiny Buddha, I was so happy.

      It is in my top 5 best self-help blogs – and your blog, Kelli, is in my top 5 also. I've been helped so much from reading your posts and asking you questions in your comments section. I really appreciate you!

      Thanks for your comment,
      Sue

      Reply

    • Hey Kelli,

      I just had to include Ryan's blog! He's inspired me so much and I actually dropped him an email the other day to let him know that!

      Are you guys still in Bali?

      Thanks for reading the post,

      Dan

      Reply

  3. [ Smiles ] In my case, it was not an influential figure that inspired me to blog. It so happened that I came across a blog online and I said to myself, "I can do that!" And, I have been blogging since that day. All I needed to know was what a blog was and the dynamics that went into making it a successful one.

    Neil Patel and Ryan Biddulph are great bloggers; I discovered them late in my blogging journey.

    Reply

    • That's a great story, Renard!

      It's amazing how we all got into blogging in such different ways.

      Thanks!
      Sue

      Reply

    • Hey Brent,

      Neil's a great guy! No matter how many emails he receives, he still does his best to reply to every single one himself.

      Thanks for stopping by,

      Dan

      Reply

  4. I'm SO glad Dan included you, Ryan! I was talking to a client this week and referred her to your Amazon book on blog commenting.

    Thanks for hanging out with the Successful Blogging team today.
    Sue

    Reply

  5. My favorite place to visit and read the news that is ProBlogger. There are a lot of useful articles waiting for us. So, keep reading for more knowledge and improving your skills and make more money.

    Reply

  6. Hi Sue, Pat Flynn and Brian Dean are my super hero's, I mean mentors/inspirations. Thanks for giving us an opportunity thank our mentors. Nice idea for a post by the way. Cheers, Cent

    Reply

    • I think they are super hero's also! Especially Brian Dean (who is doing somewhat of a small case study on Successful Blogging shortly…shhh!)

      Thanks,Cent!
      Sue

      Reply

    • Hey Cent,

      Pat and Brian are definitely worth a mention! Those two are also great inspirations and both people that I regularly follow for advice.

      Thanks for reading,

      Dan

      Reply

  7. Hi Sue Anne,
    Thanks for those great posts, and for introducing us to other great influential bloggers.I started blogging via a Greek friend, Ariadne. Her blog is AriadnefromGreece.
    But decided to really go into more serious blogging from Sandra Perez's advice a few months ago. You can see her in my last post about my mentors.
    I am now following 3 of those great bloggers from your list, including yourself, and I look forward to all your posts.Keep them coming, it's just great reading all the tips you give and trying to apply them to my own blog and site.
    Best Regards,
    Brigitte

    Reply

    • That's great to hear that you have a handful of mentors, Brigitte. I think that's the perfect number to have because if you have more, it's too confusing to follow everyones advice.

      Thanks for your comment today!
      Sue

      Reply

  8. There is no doubt that Darren Rowse, Joel Brown, Ryan Biddulph, Neil Patel and Lori Deschene are big inspiration to anyone who want to enter in blogging world.

    When I was learning blogging, my very first inspiration was Darren Rowse and Amit Agarwal.

    Thanks Dan for sharing about inspirational bloggers.

    Reply

  9. Yeah! All those are on my list too, and you! Keep writing Sue–I love your voice and perspective. And thanks for the personal intro to Ryan–he and I have become great supporters of one another. Relationships are key!

    Reply

    • Is there anyone Ryan doesn't know?

      I SO appreciate the compliment coming from you, Shannon, especially! You are a terrific content coach and I enjoyed having you coach me last year.

      Sue

      Reply

    • I sometimes think Ryan has the ability to pause time!

      Chances are if you visit a new blog Ryan will be on there somewhere!

      I'm glad you enjoyed the article Shannon,

      Dan

      Reply

  10. Hi Sue Anne, there is only 1 out of the 5 that I don't know – Joel.

    I love that you choose the Tiny Buddha blog, I always read that one.

    I can understand Ryan, he is one of mine as well. He and his new wife have such an inspiring story. They are also just so darn likeable. I would add Danny Brown to my list too.

    I don't think we could continue blogging without folks like these. They make it all seem so possible.

    Thanks for sharing your list Sue Anne and have a great day!

    Reply

    • Hi, Lisa,

      Tiny Buddah is so great, right? And Ryan and Kelli are so likeable. I also enjoy Danny Brown as well as Jon Morrow.

      Thanks for commenting today!
      Sue

      Reply

    • Hey Lisa,

      Definitely check out Joel! You won't regret it!

      I agree, Ryan and Kelli's story truly is wonderful. Thanks again Lisa and I'm glad you found the list useful.

      Dan

      Reply

  11. Hello Sue and Dan,

    Lovely to see a list of inspiration which I shall keep as a resource for when I have time to look and learn and appreciate.

    The only one I am familiar with is Neil Patel. I read his epic posts, try to understand them (which I seldom do because they are way above my level of expertise) and, when I can, I comment. And this lovely man comments back and is so encouraging.

    For my fiction writing I have recently discovered Russell Blake – he blogs, FBs and writes about 7000 words of fiction per day – and they are all in the right order! He is eloquent, analytical, encouraging without leading we lesser creatures to unrealistic ambitions.

    I must also mention and give thanks to Jon Morrow for being an inspirational blogger, broadcaster of valuable advice and all round good man.

    Thank you Dan and Sue for this opportunity – lots for me to investigate in the future.

    Kindest regards.

    Reply

    • Hi, Zara,

      Jon Morrow and Yaro Starak are my mentors and have been since last year – I have learned so much from them both. I also read Neil's Quicksprout blog and am friends with Ryan (great Amazon author, by the way!).

      Have fun doing your investigating,
      Sue

      Reply

  12. I love that you mentioned Joel Brown and his Addicted 2 Success site as it really is an inspiring site not only for blogging but for life in general. I love reading posts that not only motivate me to be a better blogger but also to learn how to be successful with everything I do and his site does that. It's really a great website for everyone to check out and to read with gusto. It's great to also see which bloggers inspire other bloggers so thank you for sharing this.

    Reply

    • I just had to mention Joel, Megan!

      Even though his site doesn't cover blogging in depth, check out some of the interviews other people have done with him. He reveals a lot of great info about his blogging story that you might find helpful.

      Dan

      Reply

  13. Another great post!

    Neil Patel is an interesting guy. Despite his vast levels of success, he still seems like a very approachable and down-to-earth guy.

    I could definitely see why Dan finds him inspirational.

    Reply

    • I agree – seems very down-to-earth for such a big name in the blogging world.

      I find most of the influential bloggers are really nice if you approach them the right way.

      Thanks for your comment, Brent!
      Sue

      Reply

  14. Thank you for this list Sue. As a fairly new blogger, it's nice to discover other influential writers who inspire. I have so much to learn from you and from them! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • Hi, Edith,

      Thanks so very much for your comment – so many good writers out there that sometimes it's hard to read it all 🙂

      Sue

      Reply

    • Hey Edith,

      I'm glad you enjoyed the list and I wish you all the best on your blogging journey. Thanks!

      Dan

      Reply

  15. Hey Ryan,

    It's my pleasure! Your blog's actually going to be featured in another of my articles shortly! I'll let you know when it goes live!

    Thanks again for stopping by. You deserve to be on this list!

    Dan

    Reply

  16. BloggingFromParadise, ProBlogger and Quicksprout are my favorite blogs. Everyone who is in blogging loves to read ProBlogger.

    I just joined blogging. No one inspired me to start a blog but now I love a few bloggers like Brain Dean, Harsh Aggarwal from Shoutmeloud and Ankit Singla from Blogggertipstricks.

    I didn't know about these other blogs, will give a visit to them. I hope I will find something interesting at those blogs also.

    Thanks
    Jyoti

    Reply

  17. Wow, I don't think I've seen any of these! That just goes to show how out of the loop I am with who the top bloggers are. I think I've heard of TinyBuddha before, but I just clicked on it and it looks like the topics covered there are right up my alley. I'll be sure to check out all the links. Thanks for the list!

    Reply

    • Hey Kellie-Ann,

      Definitely check these bloggers out!

      Lori's built a great community based around personal stories that really do help others develop themselves.

      Thanks again,

      Dan

      Reply

  18. What a great list, Dan! Sue, your community is so generous with helpful information — thanks for that. One of my great influencers from day one has been Jeff Goins. He has such an easy, inviting blogging style. Plus, he always makes me feel like I can do anything. 🙂 Thanks again for the great read!

    Reply

  19. I'm loving the list! Neil Patel is one of the people I look up to. I've read his story and it's amazing how he went from nothing to where he is now.

    Pat Flynn is also an inspiration to me.

    But the best person that help me started it all is Michelle Phan. We're not in the same niche and I actually never do any of her tutorials but I'm a huge fan. I follow and watch all of her videos because of her creativity and passion.

    I love how she went from nothing (like Neil Patel) to like everything. She inspired me to start my blog and take it seriously. She inspires me to stay passionate and work harder to reach my ultimate goal 😉

    Xo

    Reply

    • Hi, Pauline,

      I also am inspired by Pat Flynn – it seems unbelievable how much money he earns.

      I was introduced to Michelle Phan by a 16 year old daughter of a friend 🙂 She's incredible, right?

      Thanks so much for sharing today!
      Sue

      Reply

    • Hey Pauline,

      Isn't Neil great?!

      Thanks for taking the time to comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the article.

      Stay inspired!

      Dan

      Reply

  20. Hi Dan,

    Great to meet you here on Sue Anne's blog! What a great round up of wonderful people you have listed that inspired you. I know quite a few and they are fantastic.

    I can't recall who first inspired me to blog because it was a while back. But I do remember looking over my husband's shoulder at this blogging thing he was doing. I have to say he was the one who perked my interest.

    -Donna

    Reply

    • Hey Donna,

      Great to meet you too!

      Ah, the curiosity! That's always how it starts!

      Thanks for taking the time to comment on the article.

      Dan

      Reply

  21. Hi Sue,

    This is great article, single article have all blogging king information, I am big fan of Neil Patel, and regular reader of quicksprout.com. this is best place for learn SEO or marketing related strategy and tips& tricks.. thanks so much for sharing this great article..

    Regards

    Mohd Arif

    Reply

  23. This Is Great Post Sue and Even i was also Inspired by Neil Patel and Darren Rowse.

    By the Way Thanks for Sharing This With us 🙂

    Reply

  25. Neil Patel of quicksprout and Darren rowse of problogger are one of my mentor. The main reason i opted blogging as my career is these 2 persons. Just because they did not get any golden spoon and they worked hard to achieve these level. It inspires me a lot like how Neil Patel who used to sell cleaning machines at shopping mall is now the most successful person in internet marketing industry. I hope i could be near about it.

    Reply

  26. I wold like to add one more from my experience. As being Indian we grew up watching Amit Agrawal of labnol. So first person who enthused the blogging in India was the amit agrawal. He is also called the blogging guru in India. He inspired many others while going through in universities and seminars to aware the people about blogging. And yes these 5 persons are the gold milestone of blogging era. Hats off to them.

    Reply

  29. I have started blogging because of Neil and Brian they both are great personalities.

    They inspired and motivate me lot : )

    Reply

  30. I think blogging is a good career opportunity, where from you can start your home job. These 5 people that you mentioned here are really inspiring personalities, who are successful in blogging career. You have published an amazing post that will motivate the beginners or new bloggers.

    Reply

  31. Reason I opted for blogging as my career are these 2 persons. Just because they did not get any golden spoon and they worked hard to achieve this level. It inspires me a lot. Like how Neil Patel, who used to sell cleaning machines at shopping mall, is now the most successful person in internet marketing industry.
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