From Her Own Sleepless Nights, Nicole Johnson Had a Vision to Help Other Families Get Their Zzzzs Back
Hi Nicole, we’re so excited to feature you this week! Tell us about yourself and The Baby sleep site!
My name is Nicole Johnson, president and lead sleep consultant of The Baby Sleep Site. Since 2008, The Baby Sleep Site has been helping families get a better night’s sleep and longer naps for their children. We get over 500,000 to 1 million website visitors a month and parents read millions of pages on our blog each year.
What is the mission behind your business?
Our mission is simply to help families get better sleep so they can thrive. However, it’s important to understand that all babies are unique and, therefore, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution that will work for every family or even every baby. Even children in the same family sometimes need a different approach to get them to sleep better. Our mission is for each family to “find their sleep” that works for them.
How did you get started blogging?
My first son seemed to be “allergic to sleep” and fought it every step of the way! As I figured out how to help him sleep better, his brother was born and I started learning a lot about temperament and personality and what made them different. It became my passion to help other parents, so I started answering questions on a message board. I had started spending hours answering questions, and after enough people said I should write my own book because how I explained sleep was better, I listened and started my blog.
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Share with us a favorite quote!
What I like to say is “Stop striving to be average!”
What tools or resources do you use that help with your blog?
I have a WordPress blog with several plugins to keep it fast, secure, and running well. For advertising, I use SHE Media, of course!
What do you focus on most when it comes to creating content?
Since I work one-on-one with a lot of families and have done so for over 12 years, I know what the common questions are and try to address what is on the minds of many parents. For most parents, they want to learn how to help their baby sleep through the night, take longer naps, and night-wean. Of course, each sub-topic can be complicated, so I try to consider different angles to the same topic.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned this year?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that business is constantly changing and it’s impossible to predict. No one could predict COVID-19 last year and how that would vastly change our way of life. Similarly, you can’t plan for every change to Google’s algorithm and how that might impact your website. You just have to do your best and make adjustments along the way.
Any tips you want to share with bloggers just starting out?
It’s been a long time since I started and things are so different now, I’m sure. I would likely recommend focusing one one or two niche topics rather than try to write about everything, at first.
What’s your favorite book?
My favorite book is I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. She is a beautiful writer and her story is both heartbreaking and uplifting.
Where is your favorite place to travel?
My favorite place to travel has been to Aruba, where I went on my honeymoon with my husband of 16 years now. We have been back with the kids a few times since then, too. The people are so nice, the place is beautiful, and the food is delicious!
Ocean or mountains?
I definitely prefer trips to the ocean being from California originally and all!
Truth or dare?
Truth – If you can’t be true to others, how can you be true to yourself? You be you.
What is the best part of your job?
The absolute best part of my job is when I get an email from a family who is finally sleeping that says something like “I couldn’t have done it without you.” There is no better reward than a happy family and sleeping baby.
If you had taken a different career path, what would it be?
I was a computer programmer for over 10 years in my previous life which is so different than what I do now. I was also a bartender for a few months one year. If I wasn’t a sleep consultant, I likely would be a therapist of some sort as I love helping people and feel it has been my calling in one way, shape, or form.
How do you define success?
Everybody will have their own definition of success. For me, it’s not about how much money I make but how many people I help and having a healthy work/life balance. That is “success” for me.
If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would they be?
If I could have dinner with three people, I would have dinner with Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama, and John Lennon. I’d ask Martin Luther King Jr. what we should do now in our world, then tell Obama so he can help lead the change, and finally, ask John Lennon to write songs that appeal to the masses to spread the messages worldwide. All 3 might emote a calm and reassuring voice in a time of chaos.
Where can our readers find free materials from The Baby Sleep Site?
You can find free materials all over The Baby Sleep Site with over 300 blog posts. We also have free e-Books available for download and other free resources.
What is your best advice for getting babies to sleep?
My best advice to get your baby to sleep is to not expect him or her to be a “textbook baby” but to get to know his or her temperament, personality, and unique needs. You know your baby best!
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