Be a Freelance Blogger

Learn to make REAL money blogging for hire

  • Blog
  • About
    • About You and Me
    • Write for Us
    • Get in Touch
  • Training & Coaching
  • Get the Book
  • Need a Blogger?

By Sophie Lizard 18 Comments

Blogger of Interest: Helicopter Mom [And Just Plane Dad]

Blogger of Interest: Helicopter Mom [And Just Plane Dad]

Are you yawning over the endless stream of blog posts that tell you “How to do X” or “Why you should do Y”?

Yeah, me too. So this month on Be a Freelance Blogger, you’ll get the chance to peek into the lives and careers of two other bloggers we like.

Our first blogger of interest is C. Lee Reed of Helicopter Mom and Just Plane Dad.

C. Lee is a freelance writer and blogger based in Tampa, Florida — and she’s famous for being an overprotective parent. Her blog, which she runs with her husband Khris, has become such a success that publications and businesses in the parenting industry seek her out to write for them or about them.

To find out more about her blogging life and how she used her blog’s popularity to drive her writing career forward, I asked C. Lee to explain the secrets of her success. Here’s what she told me.

How Helicopter Mom took off

Photo of C Lee Reed, aka Helicopter Mom
C Lee Reed, aka Helicopter Mom

C. Lee is a “helicopter parent” — the sometimes derogatory term for parents who hover around their children, ready to provide support at a moment’s notice.

She wasn’t familiar with the blogging world at first, but she started doing some online research into the topic of helicopter parenting. When she didn’t like what she read on the web, she decided to create her own source of online truth about parenting choices:

I came across the Free Range Kids website and it hit a nerve with me.  I got angry about the blatant “persecution” of parents that choose to stay involved in their kids’ lives, and decided that I’d talk about the positive traits of overprotectiveness.

We fully believe that our parenting style can strengthen the relationship you have with your children and does not always have to end tragically.  It’s a lot of work to constantly hover in your children’s lives but we’ve always felt it was our most important job, beyond our 21 year marriage.

Making money from a parenting blog

Blogger of Interest: Helicopter Mom And Just Plane Dad | Be a Freelance BloggerAlmost as soon as C. Lee started up her blog about helicopter parenting, she was “inundated with media interview and quote requests.  Who knew my parenting style was so controversial?”

As a hover-prone mother myself, I’m not surprised to hear C. Lee and Khris got some attention. Oh, yep. Total strangers and well-meaning friends just love to tell you all about how you’re smothering your child, stunting their development and creating a co-dependent nightmare you’ll live to regret.

Personally, I tend to deal with that by suggesting they fuck off and worry about their own kids instead of mine. But C. Lee and Khris weathered criticism with a lot more grace, and their commitment to their mission got them noticed.

 Once I started doing the interviews and voicing my opinion, the brands found me, traffic revved up and income started coming from ads or sponsored blog posts. It was a good 6 months before I realized that given the proper SEO and topics, I could probably do this full time. I decided to learn everything I could about blogging and I’m still on my journey.

Becoming an expert

When we discussed how expertise and authority boost a writer’s career as well as readers’ expectations, C. Lee told me she didn’t appreciate how that worked when she first started the blog. She used it as many new bloggers do, to tell fun stories about her family and memories of her now-teenage daughter’s childhood.

But C. Lee’s audience wanted more than that:

Once I realized that my readers [and media] were coming to me as “the helicopter parent” for advice or quotes, I understood the responsibility I have to produce content that is family friendly and also helpful.

Part of the reason for C. Lee’s success is that she had the insight to realign her blog to provide more of the stuff her audience and her clients want.

Becoming an author

Thanks to her blogging at Helicopter Mom and Just Plane Dad, C. Lee is now a published author, contributing to a book on the perils of motherhood entitled The Mother of All Meltdowns.

That opportunity came to her through a Facebook group, where Crystal Ponti of the Mommifried blog invited C. Lee to collaborate with 29 other authors “to show that meltdowns, as a parent, were common and normal and nothing to be ashamed of.”

Her story in the book is about all the “firsts” in her daughter’s life, right up to her first day as a licensed driver and C. Lee’s realisation that soon her beloved daughter will grow up and leave home. It’s funny, honest and gives less helicopter-like readers a glimpse into the mind of a parent wishing she could protect her child forever.

The Mother of All Meltdowns reached #1 on the Amazon Kindle charts for its category, raising C. Lee’s profile as a writer even further.

How does she do it all?

In a word, badly.

Yep. That’s C. Lee’s big secret: sometimes things have to be left undone so that other things can be completed.

Her family’s support is another major factor in her success. She admits she writes about things that could be embarrassing for her teenage daughter, but her family is “all in”. They believe the rewards of C. Lee’s writing career are worth the hard work, skipped chores and occasional embarrassment.

With a day job and a writing career, C. Lee spends a lot of time working. But as a helicopter mom, she doesn’t shut herself away in an office to write:

It’s easier for me to get into storytelling mode when I’m smack dab in the middle of my dining room alongside my family. I utilize a daily calendar for all tasks and for blogging specifically, an editorial calendar keeps me on track.  As crazy as it sounds, all calendar “changes” are scheduled! After my daughter has gone to bed each night and when my creative power is not needed as much, I handle the administrative tasks for my blog, such as commenting, analytics audit, responding to emails and networking.

C. Lee’s story in a nutshell: a busy mother starts from zero to become a freelance writer, blogger and author despite her lack of professional experience.

That’s the power of a mission you believe in enough to write about it year after year.

Catch up with C. Lee and Khris on Twitter, Facebook, or their blog, and you’ll see what I mean. They live what they write.

Who else is a “blogger of interest”? Let us know who you’d like to see featured on Be a Freelance Blogger, and we’ll invite them to chat.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Level Up

Yours Free: $13,355 in Blogging Gigs

If you're keen to make money blogging, you'll love the Ultimate List of Better-Paid Blogging Gigs -- it gives you details of 75 blogs that pay $50 to $2000 per post. Enter your email and I'll send you a free copy, plus my money-making toolkit and other useful stuff.

About Sophie Lizard

Founder of Be a Freelance Blogger, creator of the free Ultimate List of Better-Paid Blogging Gigs and the Freelance Blogger's Client Hunting Masterclass. Hello!

Comments

  1. Cassandra says

    June 16, 2014 at 3:32 am

    Wow, just goes to show when you use your voice, people hear it!

    Reply
  2. Jovell says

    June 16, 2014 at 4:36 am

    “…sometimes things have to be left undone so that other things can be completed.” Love this!

    I’m sure, many mommy writers/bloggers would relate to her story. Both are not easy jobs but we (mommy writers) still do it anyway.

    Reply
  3. C. Lee Reed says

    June 17, 2014 at 2:20 pm

    Sophie, thanks so much for featuring our blog; we appreciate it! I always look to your site to give it to us straight and your interview was just that.

    I look forward to reading others stories and learning all that I do from you on a daily basis!

    Reply
  4. Tove Stakkestad says

    June 17, 2014 at 9:50 pm

    I love stories like this – it’s inspiration in a nutshell. I love it – and Kudos to her for sticking to blogging about her parenting style with confidence. I am always impressed when I meet confident parents – even if I don’t agree with their style. I will check out her blog right now – it sounds very interesting.

    Reply
    • C. Lee Reed says

      February 5, 2015 at 9:36 pm

      Thank you for the kind words.

      Reply
  5. Liesha says

    June 18, 2014 at 3:26 pm

    I’m not a parenting blogger, but a business blogger. I have written a few personal posts, and always get a little anxious when I share anything personal. And I’m not sure how other writers do it. But I really resonate with those who create a platform to share the truth, not just a fluff piece that’s meant to show everyone how great they are.

    Reply
  6. Lorraine Reguly says

    June 19, 2014 at 8:44 pm

    Is it wrong to nominate myself as a “blogger of interest”??? 😉

    Reply
    • Sophie Lizard says

      June 21, 2014 at 1:03 am

      Nope! All nominations welcome. 🙂 I’ll put you on the list for next time, Lorraine.

      Reply
      • Lorraine Reguly says

        June 21, 2014 at 2:55 am

        Cool! I’m going to be releasing a book of short stories soon, too, so that may be of interest to others. Like, how to do it all – freelance, write, edit, blog, etc.! 😉

        Reply
  7. Heiddi says

    June 19, 2014 at 9:30 pm

    Hi Sophie,

    Thanks for the great interview and sharing this story. C. Lee sounds like a badass to me. Hopefully, when I get my mojo back, I can do the same with my blog. Thanks again for the great read. 🙂

    Heiddi

    Reply
    • Lauren Tharp, BAFB Community Manager says

      July 4, 2014 at 11:20 am

      Hi, Heiddi! No time to get your mojo back like the present! 😉

      Thanks for stopping by! And be sure to come back and share your blog with us once you get it rolling again.

      Reply
    • C. Lee Reed says

      February 5, 2015 at 9:37 pm

      Love the title! Now if I can just get the kid and hubby to call me Badass Mama!

      Reply
  8. Sune says

    June 23, 2014 at 7:05 pm

    Thanks, this is a very inspirational post (and about a very inspirational mommy)!

    Reply
    • Lauren Tharp, BAFB Community Manager says

      July 4, 2014 at 11:21 am

      Glad you enjoyed it, Sune!

      Reply
  9. Williesha Morris says

    June 29, 2014 at 12:19 pm

    Not sure how I missed this one, but it’s awesome. And encouraging she could blog and work full time.

    Reply
    • Lauren Tharp, BAFB Community Manager says

      July 4, 2014 at 11:24 am

      Pretty cool, huh, Willi? I noticed that when I did an interview with a part-time freelance writer/blogger that my followers went nuts — like they didn’t even know that was possible!

      Blogging doesn’t have to be “all or nothing.” There are SO many ways to make a living… So many possibilities! AHH! It’s just so cool. 😀

      Reply
  10. Shannon Cutts says

    July 14, 2014 at 2:08 am

    I loved this post – C. Lee and Khris have inspired me! (even though all my “parenting” is directed at one loud grey parrot and one small round tortoise) 🙂

    Reply
    • C. Lee Reed says

      February 5, 2015 at 9:38 pm

      Thanks Shannon, I appreciate your thoughtful words and glad that I inspired you.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

What Do You Want to Do?

  • Get Started
  • Get Hired
  • Get Paid
  • Blog Better
  • Level Up
  • Stay Sane
  • Work with Sophie

Stay in Touch

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Learn from My Teachers [Affiliate Links]

Free webinar: Content Marketing Certification

Grow Your Writing Income: Learn How

How to Grow a Blog From 0 to $1,000 a Month of Passive Income

Get the Book

How to Pitch a Blog Post book cover

Read Our Top Posts

9 Places to Find Blogging Job Ads That Don’t Suck

Going from $75 to $250 per Post… with the Same Freelance Blogging Client (A Step-by-Step Case Study)

Travel Blogging: Paid Writing Gigs for World-Wandering Freelancers

What to Do When Your Freelance Blogging Career Is Going Nowhere

Creative Blogging Jobs: Get Paid to Write for Art, Design, Photography, Audio, & Video Blogs

Business Skills for Freelance Bloggers (How to Survive and Grow Your Income)

7 Winning Ways to End Your Pitch, Query or LOI

  • Get Started
  • Get Hired
  • Get Paid
  • Blog Better
  • Level Up
  • Stay Sane
  • Work with Sophie

Copyright © 2021 · Generate Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.