Search this site

There’s a sentence I heard for years, sometimes whispered, sometimes shouted: “But grey hair will age you.” As if that’s the worst thing that could happen to a woman. But let’s be real: I used to believe it, too. Key Takeaways ● The short answer: Grey hair can change how others perceive age, but ageing is never determined by hair colour alone—cut, texture, styling, confidence, clothing, and cultural expectations all shape the effect. ● The deeper fear: For many women, the real concern is not grey itself but visibility, attractiveness, relevance, and the pressure to keep signalling youth. ● What matters most: Going grey works best when it is your choice; confidence often grows when your appearance stops being a negotiation with beauty standards you no longer want to obey. Before I decided to ditch the dye, that fear ran deep. I was always told I looked “so young for my age,” but was it just with dyed hair? Compliments like that can feel like currency for us women, especially in a culture that’s becoming more and more obsessed with youth. But when I met Leon, who is 12 years younger than I, the fear got a little louder. Not that I’m new to the age difference thing; my ex-husband was 10 years younger than me as well. But as I have gotten older, I’ve been more concerned about those years becoming more noticeable. 18 months into my natural grey hair grow-out journey with Leon in Hua Hin, Thailand, September 2024 I worried about how I would look beside him. Would I seem “too old” to be with him? Would people judge me? Would HE stop seeing me the same way if I let my grey hair shine through? Would he still be attracted to me? Spoiler alert: he didn’t flinch. In fact, his support helped me find the courage to do what my soul was already calling me to do. Embrace my authenticity. Leon and I on the Princess Regal during a transatlantic cruise in April 2025, celebrating 6 years together, 4 years travelling full time (44 countries together!), and 2 years into my natural grey hair grow-out journey, all during this month! Facing the Fear: Grey Hair and the “Invisible Woman” Myth Let’s talk about what’s really going on. The fear of gray hair isn’t just about color. It’s about our visibility. Our value, position, and perceived identity in society. So much of our conditioning tells us that as we age, especially as women, we fade. That we lose desirability. That our beauty has an expiration date, and it’s somewhere around the first sign of silver hair, which is silly in itself because many women first notice a grey hair far under the age of 30; we just don’t realize it because so many women choose to hide their greys from first sight! But here’s what I’ve learned: Youthful energy isn’t something that you color in—it’s something you own. It’s in your fire, your freedom, and your presence. NOT your pigment. 1 year into my natural silver hair grow-out journey, March 2024, in England I’m now two years into my grow-out journey, and yes—people do comment less often that I “look so young for my age.” And yes, I AM actually two years older now than when I first started this journey—there are shifts that naturally start to happen, especially around 48 to 50. But the biggest shift isn’t my appearance—it’s the societal association that grey = old; therefore, I no longer look ‘young for my age,’ and old = less. We can never truly look older or younger than our age because our age is what it is. It cannot be changed. Therefore, this is what I look like at 50. Not older. Not younger, but MY 50. This is 50 ON ME. This is the narrative I’m passionate about dismantling. And friend, there’s so much work to be done. The Liberation of Living Unfiltered! Since ditching the dye, something incredible has happened. I feel more radiant. More confident. More authentic. More me. Not because grey hair magically fixed anything, because there was nothing to be ‘fixed,’ but because choosing authenticity over approval set something free in me. I stopped trying to fit into the outdated mold of what a woman “should” look like, especially the ‘for her age’ narrative, and started showing up in my full, authentic design. And here’s the beautiful twist: When you live authentically and unfiltered, your real energy starts shining. 2 years into my natural gray hair grow-out transition, and I couldn't feel more confident! Not despite your age, but BECAUSE of your lived experience, your presence, your power, and walking and owning that fully. If You’re Wondering, “Will Grey Hair Make Me Less…?” To the woman asking, “Will gray hair make me less beautiful?” “Will it make me less dateable?” “Will I lose something if I let go of dye?” 6 months into my grow-out, about to make my YouTube debut with THIS hair for the first time. I was still feeling very insecure about what OTHER PEOPLE might think about my grey hair. I see you. I was you. And my answer is this: Grey hair will not make you less. It will simply make you more. More magnetic. More rooted in self (see what I did there, ha!) More free. This isn’t about going gray to prove a point, but it sure can be! The more women who embrace their natural grey hair, the faster and more normalized it will become for future women in society, and that’s a brilliant reason to say bye to hair dye! It’s about choosing your truth over fear. So, if you’re standing in front of the mirror, wondering if it’s time— The wonder is your sign. Curiosity is your sign. This is your sign. Your beauty and evolving self don’t need permission, but sometimes it's nice to receive it. So here you go. Permission to let go of societal pressures and let it GROW! And you know, your bright, sparkly silver light most certainly DOES NOT need a filter (aka hair dye). Let THEM see YOU. Let YOU see YOU. Related Reads For more reflections and real experiences, explore our grey hair and lifestyle blogs. These concerns are part of a wider journey we explore in hair changes and identity. If you are still deciding, recognizing the signs it might be time to stop coloring can help!. Grey Hair Blog Follow Jennifer David’s empowering journey of going grey and choosing authenticity over approval. A celebration of aging boldly, living unfiltered, and embracing the silver within. Jennifer David Meet Jennifer David, a writer, traveler, coach, and voice behind “Embracing the Silver Lining.” Explore her journey through grey hair and radical authenticity. Lifestyle Resources

Seeing a message that says your Instagram account has been disabled, suspended, or restricted for 24 hours can be frightening. Even when the notice sounds temporary, it is hard to simply wait when the account may hold years of photographs, conversations, contacts, creative work, or business connections. The most important thing to understand is that “disabled for 24 hours” is not one standard Instagram account status. People use that phrase to describe several different notices, from a temporary action block to a security restriction or the beginning of a more serious review. Closer Lives is independent and is not affiliated with Instagram, Facebook, or Meta. We cannot access, restore, or appeal anyone’s account. We will never ask you to send us your password, verification code, or identity documents. I do have first-hand experience of losing access to an Instagram account and eventually recovering it. However, our own case was not based on this specific 24-hour message, so I will not pretend that every restriction follows the same path. Key Takeaways ● First identify the notice: “Disabled for 24 hours” is not one official Instagram status. It may describe an action block, security restriction, temporary lock, or the start of a more serious account review. ● When waiting makes sense: If Instagram gives a clear end time and is not asking for verification, repeated logins, appeals, or account changes can make a temporary problem harder to interpret—sometimes the best action really is to wait. ● When to escalate: Save screenshots and genuine Meta emails, secure connected accounts, and move to official recovery routes if access does not return when promised or the message changes into a review or disabled-account decision. In This Post... ● Should You Wait 24 Hours? ● First, Identify What Happened ● What Is a 24-Hour Restriction? ● Why Accounts Get Restricted ● What to Do Immediately ● What Evidence Should You Keep? ● How to Check Emails Safely ● What to Do During the 24-Hours See More... ● Can Repeated Actions Help? ● What to Do After 24 Hours ● Facebook Account Also Affected? ● How to Secure Your Instagram ● Our Experience ● Our Support Group ● Final Checklist ● Final Thoughts Additional Resources ● FAQ ● Official Sources ● Related Recovery Resources ● Social Media Resources The Short Answer: Should You Wait 24 Hours? If the message gives a clear end time and does not ask you to complete a security check or request a review, it is usually reasonable to record the time, preserve the notice, and allow the stated period to pass. That does not mean you should do nothing. Take screenshots, check the email address connected to the account, and secure that email account if you see signs of suspicious activity. If Instagram asks you to verify your identity, secure the account, or request a review, follow only the official instructions shown inside the app or on an Instagram or Meta website. Do not assume that the account is permanently disabled simply because you cannot enter it. Equally, do not assume that access is guaranteed to return exactly 24 hours later. Meta doesn't publish a universal promise covering every message that mentions 24 hours. ℹ️ If the notice changes and Instagram says its decision is final, our guide explains what to do if Instagram says the decision is permanent. First, Identify What Instagram Has Actually Done The exact wording matters more than the number. Take a screenshot before the message changes and compare it with the descriptions below. A 24-hour restriction or action block An action block usually limits particular features, such as following, commenting, liking, or messaging. The profile may still be visible, and other parts of the app may continue to work. This is different from the entire account being disabled. A temporary security limitation or lock Meta confirms that it may temporarily limit access to certain Instagram settings while it checks potentially suspicious activity. A security limitation may prevent changes to account details without removing the whole profile. A suspension A suspension is generally more serious than a feature restriction. It may prevent access to the account while a decision is reviewed or while the user is given an opportunity to disagree with it. Read the screen carefully for a deadline or review option. A disabled account Meta says that a disabled Instagram account should show a notice when the user tries to log in. If the account was disabled by mistake, the user may be able to ask for a review by logging in and following the on-screen instructions. The word “may” is important because the route shown can vary. A deactivated account Deactivation is normally chosen by the account holder and temporarily hides the profile until it is reactivated. It is not the same as Meta enforcing a restriction or disabling an account. A permanent disabling notice This means Meta is presenting the decision as final or has rejected the available review. It is a different situation from a temporary 24-hour restriction and needs to be treated as a formal recovery case. A shadow ban “Shadow ban” is an unofficial term commonly used when reach or recommendation visibility drops. It does not mean the same thing as being locked out, suspended, or disabled. What Can a 24-Hour Instagram Message Mean? It may mean that one feature has been temporarily limited, that Instagram wants to verify activity, or that an account or piece of content is being assessed. The notice may also be incomplete or use wording that is difficult to interpret. There is no reliable unofficial chart that can tell you exactly what will happen based only on the number of hours. The features affected, the message displayed, and the options offered are more useful clues. Meta uses technology to detect possible violations and suspicious behavior, but that does not prove that every decision is fully automated. Human review may also form part of some enforcement and appeal processes. Mistaken enforcement can happen, but a restriction should not automatically be assumed to be an error. Why Instagram May Temporarily Restrict an Account Instagram may restrict or protect an account for several possible reasons. Unless the notice explains the cause, these are possibilities rather than a diagnosis. ⪢ Activity that resembles spam or automation Rapid, repetitive activity can resemble automated behavior. This can include bursts of follows, comments, or messages. I do not recommend relying on unofficial “safe limits," because Meta does not publish one fixed number that applies to every account. ⪢ A connection to a third-party service Follower trackers, engagement tools, and other services that ask for Instagram login details can create both security and platform-compliance risks. I have first-hand experience of third-party follower tools contributing to Instagram security problems, which is why I advise avoiding services that request your password. ⪢ Suspicious login or account activity An unfamiliar device, unexpected account change, or signs of compromise may trigger a security response. If the email address, phone number, or username has changed without your permission, treat the situation as a possible account takeover and use Instagram’s official hacked-account process. Do not falsely claim that you were hacked simply to reach a different recovery route. Use that process only when there is a genuine reason to believe the account was compromised. ⪢ A possible policy or identity issue Content, behavior, copyright reports, age information, or identity checks may lead to restrictions or review. The message may not always explain the reason clearly. ⪢ Mistaken enforcement Instagram users sometimes report restrictions despite believing they followed the rules, and some receive little explanation. That experience is real, but the absence of an explanation does not by itself prove what caused the decision. What to Do Immediately Take screenshots of the complete message, including any countdown, deadline, or review button. Record the date, time, and time zone when you first saw it. Copy the exact wording into a note in case the screen later changes. Note which features still work and whether your profile remains visible to other people. Save any case number, confirmation screen, or email connected to the restriction. Check the email address linked to Instagram, including its spam or junk folder. Check Account Status if you can still enter the app. Check Instagram’s Recent Emails area if it remains available. Complete only the security check or review step Instagram actually presents. Secure your email account if there are signs that someone else may have access. ℹ️ You can use our complete Instagram account recovery guide if the temporary notice develops into a suspension or disabled-account decision. Our Instagram Account Recovery Hub also organizes the current resources by situation. What Evidence Should You Keep? Keep screenshots of every version of the notice, emails, and their full sender addresses; review confirmations, security alerts, and unfamiliar login notifications. Record when the account last worked normally and any recent changes to the username, email address, or phone number. It may also help to note any third-party app that was connected before the restriction. ⚠️ This record is for you. I do not recommend posting identity documents, backup codes, passwords, or private account details in comments or support groups. How to Check Instagram Emails Safely Meta says you can review official Instagram emails sent during the previous 14 days through Accounts Centre. If accessible, open Password and Security, then Recent Emails. Meta also says Instagram will not contact you about account security through a direct message. Treat the following as warning signs: ● A direct message claiming to be Instagram support. ● A recovery agent asking for money, cryptocurrency, or gift cards. ● Anyone asking for your password, two-factor authentication code, or backup code. ● A message asking you to send identity documents to an unofficial email address. ● A link that imitates Instagram but opens on an unrelated domain. ● A promise that an “internal contact” can guarantee recovery. ⚠️ Do not judge an email by its logo or display name. Verify it through recent emails where possible and open official help pages yourself instead of following a suspicious link. What to Do During the 24-Hour Period Waiting can feel passive, but a measured approach protects the record of what happened and reduces the chance of falling for a scam. ● Allow the full stated period to run. ● Monitor the registered email address and its spam folder. ● Keep the Instagram app updated. ● Check occasionally to see whether the wording or available action has changed. ● Avoid reconnecting follower trackers or other third-party tools. ● Do not pay an unofficial recovery agent. ● Avoid starting several contradictory recovery routes at once. ● Check the connected Facebook account and Accounts Centre if they remain accessible. Can Repeated Logins, Password Resets, or Appeals Make Things Worse? Meta advises users to follow the official on-screen process and request a review where that option is available. It does not appear to confirm that every login attempt resets a hidden timer or that a repeated appeal automatically moves someone to the back of a queue. As a reasonable precaution, avoid repeatedly attempting to log in from several devices, requesting password resets you do not need, or submitting inconsistent explanations. Repetition rarely provides new information and can make it harder to remember which action produced which response. In some cases, it could also be interpreted as 'bot behavior,' thus making your appeal even harder. Reset the password when there is a genuine security reason, such as an unfamiliar login, an unauthorized account change, or a password you have reused elsewhere. Otherwise, follow the instruction on the notice rather than trying every recovery action at once. Patience is tough but key at this point. What to Do When 24 Hours Have Passed The account works normally again Do not rush straight back into heavy activity. Check account status, confirm the email address and phone number, review where the account is logged in, and remove unfamiliar connected services. You can log in, but some features are unavailable The original restriction may have ended while a separate feature limit remains. Read the latest notice and check Account Status for more detail or a review option. The original 24-hour message is still showing Take a new screenshot and confirm that a full 24 hours has passed from the recorded start time. Check whether the screen now contains an official instruction that was not present before. Do not assume that the continuing message proves a permanent ban. The message has changed to “suspended” or "disabled." The situation has moved beyond a simple waiting period. Follow the review option shown and use our step-by-step disabled Instagram account recovery guide for the broader official routes. The appeal or review option is missing Do not use an outdated standalone appeal-form link simply because another website says it is guaranteed to work. Meta changed or removed many older routes. Use our Instagram Account Recovery Hub to find the current guidance for a missing review option. Instagram says the decision is permanent Preserve the final notice and any review record. A permanent message is more serious, but it still needs to be read in context. Use the Recovery Hub to identify any legitimate option that remains and recognize when Meta’s official process may have ended. ℹ️ If Instagram does not provide a review button or the expected form has disappeared, read our guide explaining what to do when the Instagram appeal option is missing. What If Your Connected Facebook Account Is Also Affected? Your Meta Accounts Centre can connect Instagram and Facebook accounts and manage shared settings and security information. A restriction on Instagram does not automatically prove that Facebook will also be disabled, but shared login details or a compromised email address can affect more than one account. Check each account independently. Save any Facebook notices, review security alerts, and secure the shared email address. Do not hastily remove accounts from the Accounts Centre unless the on-screen guidance or a clear security concern gives you a reason to do so. How to Secure Instagram After Access Returns Change the password if compromise is suspected. Use a strong, unique password that is not shared with Facebook or your email account. Turn on two-factor authentication, preferably with an authentication app. Save backup codes somewhere secure and separate from the phone. Review login activity and sign out unfamiliar devices. Remove third-party apps and websites you do not recognize or no longer use. Confirm that the recovery email address and phone number are correct. Download a copy of important information if the account contains irreplaceable material. I recommend NordPass as an excellent tool that can help create and store unique passwords so that Instagram, Facebook, and email do not all depend on the same credential. However, please note that NordPass cannot reverse a suspension, bypass Meta’s systems, or recover a disabled account. If you manage Instagram on public Wi-Fi, NordVPN can help protect network traffic. It also cannot remove an account restriction or recover an account, and changing your apparent location is not a recovery method. Our Experience of Losing an Instagram Account I understand why even a temporary notice can be upsetting. I lost access to an Instagram account and eventually recovered it, but my experience was not based on this specific 24-hour message. That experience taught me how quickly panic, outdated advice, and false promises can make an already difficult situation worse. You can read the full first-hand account of how Leon recovered his disabled Instagram account without treating one person’s timeline as a guarantee for your own case. Experiences in Our Support Group I set up our Instagram Disabled Accounts Support & Tips Group as a place to compare messages, timelines, and practical experiences with people facing similar problems. It can help you see how wording and available options vary, and members can warn one another about scams or outdated information. The group is not official Meta support, and nobody there can guarantee recovery. ⚠️ Never share a password, verification code, backup code, or identity document with Closer Lives or another member. Final Checklist Screenshot the notice and record when it appeared. Read the exact wording instead of relying on the phrase “24-hour ban." Complete any official security check presented inside Instagram. Check recent emails and account status where available. Protect the connected email and Facebook account. Avoid unofficial recovery agents and fabricated contact details. Allow the stated period to pass without frantic repeated actions. Recheck the status after the full period. Move to the appropriate recovery guidance if the notice remains or changes. Secure the account immediately if access returns. Final Thoughts Find out more about Leon Waiting is difficult when an account holds important memories, relationships, or work. Trust me, I know. I ended up waiting almost four, very long, tough weeks. Documenting the notice, protecting connected accounts, and avoiding unsafe or contradictory actions is not a waste of time. In fact, it gives you a clearer record if the restriction changes into a formal recovery case. A 24-hour notice may remain temporary, but the number is not a guarantee. What matters next is whether access returns, how the wording changes, and which official options Instagram provides. Ultimately, there is no guarantee you will recover access, no matter what you do. Sadly, most cases never get a human review. I only hope that this article helps you and that you can get your account back. Frequently Asked Questions Will it return after 24 hours? It may restore access when a temporary restriction expires, but there is no universal guarantee that every account will return at exactly 24 hours. Follow the wording on your notice and check again after the full period has passed. Why a 24-hour restriction? The message may refer to a temporary feature block, a security limitation, or an account review. The exact notice, affected features, and options shown are more useful than the number alone. Should I keep logging in? Check occasionally for a changed message or official instruction, but repeated attempts from several devices usually provide no useful new information. Meta does not confirm the popular claim that every login attempt restarts a hidden timer. Will a password reset help? A password reset can help if the account may be compromised, but it does not automatically remove a policy restriction. Reset it for a genuine security reason or when Instagram instructs you to do so. Still disabled after 24 hours? Take another screenshot, confirm the timing, and follow any new on-screen instructions. If the message now says suspended or disabled, move to the formal recovery guidance in our Instagram Account Recovery Hub. Block or suspension? No. An action block usually limits selected features while the profile remains accessible. A suspension can prevent access to the account and may involve a review or enforcement decision. Could Facebook be restricted? It is possible for a shared security problem to affect connected accounts, but an Instagram restriction does not automatically mean Facebook will be disabled. Check both accounts and secure any shared email or authentication method. Is the recovery email genuine? Check recent emails in the Accounts Centre where possible. Instagram says it does not contact users about account security through direct messages. Never share passwords, login codes, or backup codes in response to a message. Related Instagram Recovery Resources ● Instagram Account Recovery Hub ● Complete guide to recovering a disabled Instagram account ● My Instagram Account Was Disabled: Here’s How I Got It Back ● Instagram Appeal Form Removed? What You Can Still Do in 2026 ● Instagram recovery questions and answers ● Social Media Blogs Hub ● Instagram Disabled Accounts Support & Tips Group ● Permanently Disabled Instagram Account: Can It Still Be Recovered? Official Meta Sources ● About disabled Instagram accounts ● Temporary limited access to settings on Instagram ● Review recent emails sent from Instagram ● Check your Account Status on Instagram ● Securing your Meta Account with two-factor authentication ● If you think your Instagram profile has been hacked Social Media Resources

Hey, it is Jenn here! Recently, I’ve made some big behind-the-scenes changes on our YouTube channel, and it’s made a difference. I found myself wondering why my peers who started at around roughly the same time were so much further ahead than I was on the journey, aside from the obvious, of course, such as us not posting frequently... Think 2-month gaps here and there in between videos and also staying based in a country for extended times, all while also teaching English, which, of course, can be advantageous—but that also depends on the country you choose to settle in and your content! These are my 6 TOP mistakes (there are more that we will get into in future posts) that I found I was doing or NOT doing that were harming our YouTube channel, Jenn & Leon. If you have any other suggestions, pointers, or other YouTube channel tips to help others out, please drop them in the comments below so we can help one another learn and grow! Key Takeaways ● Growth starts with the basics: Our biggest YouTube mistakes were inconsistency, weak packaging, poor keyword use, and not giving each travel video a clear story—fixing those fundamentals matters more than chasing every new creator trick. ● Make discovery easier: Use strong titles, descriptions, tags, thumbnails, location keywords, and relevant topics so YouTube can understand the video and the right traveller has a reason to click it. ● Do not lose your voice: Consistency and optimisation help, but copying bigger channels is not a growth strategy. Your experiences, perspective, storytelling, and willingness to publish are what make the channel recognisably yours over time. In This Post... ● Start in the Capital ● Channel Description Tags ● Consistency is Key ● Post it Now ● Set the Story ● Triple Your Keywords ● Social Media Resources 1. Start in the Capital The seeds of civilization are in every culture, but it is the city that brings them to fruition. START IN THE CAPITAL of the country you are visiting (it’s the heartbeat and often has a larger YouTube base of watchers with a higher population). This is something we didn’t do, as we aren’t big-city people. Well, ok, we love a good coastal city, but we like more remote and rural areas like the mountains, jungles, remote islands, and smaller communities (which are great for living and downtime but not so great for the average travel channel and both getting and sharing great content). Starting in the capital or larger cities, then moving to more rural, smaller areas, will hopefully have viewers following along on your journey as you explore their country. 2. Channel Description Tags SEO like a PRO. Be mindful of your CHANNEL description tags—the main meta tags for your channel (mine was set to MEXICO and every city in Mexico that we visited, as that is where we started and stayed for 6 months). This seriously impacted the tags of the channel, especially since our channel was new, so the YouTube algorithm isn’t sure yet where to place the videos and merely has SEO to work with. When you optimize your channel tags, you have a much better chance of your videos being shown to the correct audience. So many people have commented and asked why we don’t have more subscribers and views, because the quality of the content is good. Which I happen to take as a compliment, especially as I now know WHY, ha! 3. Consistency is Key Consistent action creates consistent results. BE CONSISTENT!! This is truly the biggest factor, as with anything. Had I adhered to this, I can’t imagine where we’d be now! Sure, videos every Sunday and Wednesday are a great target, but make sure it’s realistic. Leon and I switched to traveling at a fast pace for this summer to do some research for YouTube stats and to see what an impact more frequent posting can have. Follow along on our journey to get more statistical information and business posts in the future. But try your best to stick to a realistic schedule that won’t leave you frazzled and at your wits' end by the end of the day or week! 4. Post it Now! Energetic Action Frequency. POST FREQUENTLY!! If you have the content, PUBLISH it, and PUBLISH it OFTEN! Don’t do a ‘Jennifer’ and hold onto the videos for months due to inconsistency. As a big user of Instagram and other short-form platforms, I know YouTube operates differently. Each video is independent of one another, and as much as the time of day, most active user times data, etc., matter, YouTube is evergreen and will continue to show and push your videos over time. We have many videos that performed very slowly at the beginning, and sure enough, 8 months later, they rank better due to maturity and good SEO. So, I say get those videos out there fast-and-furious style, especially if you are looking to be monetized, because time matters. We lost a lot of our watch time-banked hours from older but high-performing videos (on Mexico, of course). This will help you to bank those much-needed watch time hours and hopefully gain you some more subscribers along the way as well. 5. Set the Story Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today. TELL A STORY WITH YOUR VIDEOS… like a mini movie… with hooks and humor or cliffhangers, etc. Honestly, this matters so much! YouTube is no different than a movie or novel; an epic storyline with appealing main characters is the GOLDEN TICKET (YES, we’ve been watching so much American Idol lately!) to attaining longer watch times on videos and also to gaining active, invested subscribers. 6. Triple Your Keywords Triple your LUCK. TRIPLE YOUR KEYWORDS! Make sure you are tripling your keywords. So I thought I HAD been doing that, but I hadn’t been doing it properly. I just thought it meant to use the phrase or word three times in general. This is not the case. EXAMPLE keyword: MARVELOUS MEXICO should be in your title, video description, and video description tags for your videos, and if you can do this with a few keywords or phrases on the same video, EVEN BETTER! Do you want to see the world or become a full-time traveler? So much time, energy, and work go into a travel YouTube channel! I mean, so much time goes into traveling full-time, PERIOD, but with the added pressure of social media and filming and editing, it takes things to an entirely different level. Some people set out with the INTENTION of creating a business THROUGH travel, but others, like us, just truly want to see the world and figured we might as well share since we are doing it anyway. These factors will and should be a part of your decision-making when choosing what countries to visit first and when, the pace at which you travel, and how much time you are willing to invest in your ventures. Social Media Resources

If you are like me and have been using Instagram for a while, then you probably know all about 'cleaning house.' As in tidying up that following list, which, let's face it, can get out of hand at times. Again, like me, you may have fallen foul of Instagram's notorious 'guidelines' and been put in Insta Jail for too many actions (having to check if someone is following back is an extra tap, for example). Indeed, you may also have been me, heart in mouth and all, when IG detected a third-party app being used and stopped me from logging in entirely. Threatening to disable the account permanently and so on. Yep. That went south real quick. Which brings me very nicely to the purpose of this article. I know the struggle is real; many users often dread managing their followers and following lists, especially if trying to identify accounts that don’t follow back. Instagram does the bare minimum to help you with this, although they do have a nugget of a feature that will get you there in six easy steps with some help from our good old friends at ChatGPT. Key Takeaways ● The safer method: You can identify accounts that do not follow you back by exporting your own Instagram follower and following data, then comparing the lists without handing a third-party app your login. ● Why we avoid follower apps: Tools that connect directly to Instagram can trigger security checks, request excessive access, or put an established account at risk simply for the convenience of faster follower management. ● Use it carefully: Treat the comparison as information, not a cue for mass unfollowing. Rapid follow and unfollow activity can itself look suspicious to Instagram and undermine the safety advantage of this method. In This Post... ● Introduction ● Risks of Third-Party Apps ● Why This Method is Safe ● The 6-Step Process ● Tips for Long-Term See More... ● FAQ ● Any Other Questions? ● Social Media Resources Introduction to this Guide Instagram numbers/stats hold great importance for many users, particularly those looking to boost their follower count for increased engagement and online presence. I have totally been in the thick of a bulging community with healthy exposure, and I sure as heck know what follow-for-follow is and how quickly those numbers start piling up. Many turn to third-party apps for identifying FNFB (I'm not sure if I just made this up or not, but it means 'following, not following back'). Two years ago, I fell foul of this, admittedly not knowing it could cause a block, but eventually it did. Let's just say 24 days with no access to the 'gram and potentially losing everything you have on there does give one pause for thought. So yes, let's not do that! This guide will show you how to identify accounts not following you back safely—and without breaching those touchy Instagram community guidelines. It is perfectly within the rules and is super easy. You will have that list cleaned up in no time. Risks of Using Third-Party Apps With Instagram having been cracking down on third-party apps for some time now, users need to adopt secure methods to manage and monitor their follower connections effectively. This Instagram policy is designed to protect user privacy, banning unauthorized apps that gather user data. These apps pose risks, including ● Privacy breaches, as they often require login information. ● Account suspensions or restrictions. ● Potential for having your account disabled for guideline violations. It is important to note that even with the best of efforts, the Apple and Google app stores will still be brimming with a ton of apps offering to do this type of service. No matter how genuine they look, pilfered IG logo and all, don't touch them! Why This Method is Safe and Effective The method outlined here is compliant with Instagram’s guidelines since it relies on Instagram’s native data-download feature and manual analysis with ChatGPT, ensuring no breach of terms. It does require a little bit of effort once you have the data, but effectively, you are doing the same thing as one of those apps we keep not wanting to talk about. Overview of the Process Below is a brief overview of the easy six-step process we will be covering: ● Obtain your Instagram data, focusing on the 'followers' and 'following' lists. ● Import this data into a suitable analysis format. ● Utilize ChatGPT (or another AI; heck, you could even use Meta's) to detect differences between the two lists, pinpointing individuals who do not follow you back. ● Once you have your list, you can begin unfollowing. Step 1: Exporting Your Instagram Followers Data: Accessing Instagram’s Download Tool Instagram offers a data download tool where you can request a full export of your profile, including followers and following lists: ● Navigate to Settings > Your Activity > Account Center > Download Your Information. ● Select the preferred format (JSON for simplicity or HTML). ● Wait for Instagram to prepare the file; this usually takes a couple of minutes. Refresh the page, and you will notice the status change * Expand / Swipe for instructions Step 2: Downloading Your Data Files ● Download the file: Extract the compressed file to access the HTML files. IG does offer the option of downloading in JSON format, but it always seems to come in HTML anyway. ● Go to connections > followers_and_following Step 3: Converting Data for Easy Comparison If your data is in HTML format: ● Open in your browser window ● Highlight all [ctrl + a] and copy ● Paste into Excel (or another similar cell-based app) Step 4: Preparing the Data for Analysis ● Organize your lists to create two columns—Following and Followers. ● Check that the usernames are in a consistent format. ● Delete any unnecessary fields for a cleaner comparison. Step 5: Using ChatGPT to Compare Followers and Following Now that your data is ready, ChatGPT can cross-reference the two lists and give you the names of users not following back. Open ChatGPT and use specific prompts to identify discrepancies. ● Sample prompt: There are two lists in the attached file: 'followers' and 'following.' Compare and list users in 'following' who are not in 'followers.' Ignore the dates in the rows. ChatGPT will output a clean list of non-followers. Double-check ChatGPT’s results by reviewing a few names to ensure accuracy. Minor discrepancies may occur if usernames have changed or if there were any loading errors. Step 6: How to Unfollow Accounts Safely Once you have your list, you can use the search function on IG to visit the profiles you want to unfollow and do so individually. There is no automated process with this, so you just have to take the time. Maybe even just give the accounts a nudge if they are still active; in many cases, they might not realize they weren't following you. You will want to avoid rapid unfollowing to prevent temporary account restrictions. While Instagram has never officially put a number on action blocks, it is believed that anywhere between 200 and 300 actions in 24 hours could land you in hot water. That includes likes, shares, and saves, too. I would recommend unfollowing between 50 and 100 per day, and be wary of using repetitive actions to do so. It might take a while, but you would rather spend this time than go through the hell of your account being disabled. Believe me! Tips for Managing Your Followers List Long-Term Building a real fan base is super important to keep people interested in today's online world. It's not just about numbers; you've got to work on forming genuine connections. Taking the time to interact with your followers one-on-one is key. As they say, engagement is king. 'Empty follows' honestly does zero for your account, especially with an algorithm that changes the way the wind blows and is decidedly quite anti-social. These days, just following someone back, or indeed following them yourself first, is no given. In the end, genuine growth will only ever come from authentic connections. And if that does become your case, then doing the process in this article will probably be something you won't have to do again. FAQ: Instagram Unfollower Tracking Can I download my Instagram? Yes, Instagram’s download tool is available 24/7. Usually, requests are processed within a few minutes but can take up to 48 hours to become available. Is it safe to use ChatGPT? Yes, ChatGPT analyzes data you input and does not access your accounts or store any private information. Are there limits to? Yes, Instagram has limits to prevent spam. Avoid unfollowing large numbers at once to prevent restrictions. The general rule of thumb is to limit the total number of actions to no more than 200 per day. Bear in mind this includes likes, follows, and shares. Will this method show me new? No, this method only identifies accounts that you follow who do not follow you back. Can I use this method on a? Yes, the data files can be downloaded and uploaded through cloud storage to mobile-friendly applications. The data formatting part might be a little tricky on smaller screens, but once you have your list, you can use split-screen view to easily unfollow. Do professional accounts? Yes, professional accounts on Instagram offer basic engagement metrics, which may help gauge followers’ interaction with your profile. However, IG does not have any option to track unfollows. Any Other Questions? Hopefully, this post has given you all of the tools you need to clean your follower list safely. If you do have any other additional queries on points not covered here, however, you are more than welcome to get in touch. You can also check out our FAQ page for more Instagram-related questions. Social Media Resources

Self-driving cars are bringing about changes on the roads in the USA. However, there is a disadvantage here, it is challenging to prove fault with an AV (autonomous vehicle). Compared to conventional collisions, the accountability depends not just on the human driver but also on the vehicle manufacturer, fleet owner, and software engineer. Here, the role of a car accident attorney is vital. They help the injured victim in San Diego to resolve a web of legal, technical, and business intricacies to get the correct compensation and justice they deserve. In this post, we explore how liability is determined in autonomous vehicle accidents. You’ll learn the difference between semi-automated and fully driverless crash responsibility, the crucial role of car accident lawyers, and the legal challenges of proving fault when technology and human drivers intersect. Key Takeaways ● Why fault gets complicated: An autonomous-vehicle crash may involve the human driver, vehicle maker, software, fleet operator, sensors, maintenance, or several parties at once. ● Evidence matters differently: Event data, software logs, updates, sensor records, dash footage, and maintenance history can become central to reconstructing what the vehicle and people actually did. ● Legal takeaway: These cases can be technically complex, so preserving evidence early and working with lawyers who understand product liability and emerging vehicle technology may be critical. In This Post... ● Recognizing liability ● Making the most of the data trail ● How lawyers develop strong cases ● Summing it up ● FAQ ● Lifestyle Resources Recognizing Liability: The Role of a Car Accident Lawyer The initial task that car accident lawyers should recognize is who is guilty of the crash. Unlike a regular car crash, there may be several parties at fault in the case of an AV crash. Here are two points to keep in mind: ● In case the vehicle is in semi-automated mode, the accountability resides with the human driver to a great extent. ● In case the accident takes place in a completely driverless mode, the accountability can move to the company that designed or operates the system. Car accident attorneys carefully review the accident reports, system operation data, and witness statements to determine accountability. Without legal help, victims can wrongly assume they can only claim against another driver. They might miss out on the potential claims against big corporations. Making the Most of the Data Trail Typically, AVs create ample data from radar, cameras, internal logs, and LiDAR. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), since 2021, has required collision reporting for the ADS (Automated Driving System). Here, the lawyers are aware of the ways to subpoena as well as understand the data. Additionally, work closely with the forensic experts and recreate the accident scene. It helps them to determine whether AV saw a disturbance, the way it was processed, and if the response was defective. In short, they provide the victim with the technical interpretation that helps in the legal procedures. The Way Lawyers Develop a Strong Case After the AV crash, the lawyers function as advocates, negotiators, and investigators. They help in the following ways: ● Collecting online forensics by deriving access to video data, vehicle logs, and telematics. ● Connecting with witnesses, such as security experts, engineers, and others. ● Assessing the crash reports that they get from NHTSA for the correct filing of claims. ● Contesting the corporate defenses by pointing out gaps between the real performance and security claims. ● Negotiating the settlements and assuring that the victims get the compensation that they deserve to cover their medical expenses, emotional damages, and lost earnings. Such accidents need the expertise of an expert car accident lawyer. It is because the victims might have to fight with big corporations that are powerful and have a nexus of people to fight in their favor. However, when an expert car accident lawyer gets to the scene, they use their expertise and experience to negotiate cleverly, putting the victim’s loss as the core concern. That adds gravitas to the case and makes the court issue a verdict in the victim’s favor. Summing it Up Is it possible for a lawyer to prove accountability in an AV crash? The answer is yes. They can do so by making sense of the technical data and discovering defects. Also, they have to move challenging liability circles to make sure the victim is not alone in front of big auto companies. Since the number of self-driving cars is increasing globally, the importance of car accident lawyers is of utmost importance. FAQ: Autonomous Car Crash Liability Navigating liability in self-driving car accidents can feel overwhelming. These common questions help break down the complexities and show why expert legal support is so important. Who is responsible? Responsibility can fall on multiple parties: the human driver (if the vehicle was in semi-automated mode), the manufacturer, the fleet operator, or even the software provider. A lawyer determines which applies. Can victims sue makers? Yes. If the crash is caused by a defect in design, software, or hardware, victims may have claims against the manufacturer. Lawyers can pursue these cases to hold big corporations accountable. What data is collected? Self-driving cars record video, radar, LiDAR, telematics, and system logs. This “black box” of data provides critical evidence in proving how the vehicle behaved before and during a crash. How do lawyers get the data? Attorneys can subpoena vehicle logs, work with forensic experts, and use government reporting requirements to gain access to accident data. This evidence is vital in court proceedings. Can the driver be at fault? Yes. In semi-autonomous mode, the human driver must remain alert and ready to take control. If they fail to do so, liability may shift back onto them. How does liability differ? Semi-autonomous cars put more responsibility on the driver, while fully driverless cars may place liability primarily on the company or developer. Each case depends on the facts and evidence. What role does NHTSA play? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires collision reports from Automated Driving Systems. Their data helps lawyers verify accident causes and file accurate claims. Can a lawyer prove fault? Yes. By combining accident reconstruction, expert testimony, and technical analysis of vehicle data, attorneys can prove whether a malfunction or human error caused the crash. What can victims claim? Victims may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost income, property damage, emotional distress, and long-term care needs, depending on the severity of the crash. Why hire an AV crash lawyer? Self-driving car accidents often involve large corporations with powerful legal teams. Without expert legal representation, victims risk being undercompensated or overlooked. Lifestyle Resources Written by Eva Vergis for Closer Lives Travel & Lifestyle Blog. If you would like to contribute, see our Write for Us page and Guest Writer Guidelines.

It's with a mix of emotions that we are stepping away from Etsy after two years. The platform offered a fantastic launchpad for our products. Still, after careful consideration and a heap of frustrations, we have decided to pursue a different path for our store, Closer Lives Emporium. In this post, we share the many reasons behind our decision and our major concerns with the platform. Things that drove a massive 32% drop in Etsy's stock price in 2023, other sellers leaving in droves, and the tripling of Etsy's seller fees. Not to mention the hugely controversial Etsy reserve fiasco. What did we learn on Etsy, and what exciting things do we see coming next? Read on to find out! Key Takeaways ● Why we left Etsy: Etsy gave Closer Lives Emporium a useful starting point, but rising fees, reserve policies, platform frustrations, and limited control eventually outweighed the benefits of staying. ● The lesson from 300 products: Marketplace success still demands substantial SEO, branding, listings, customer service, and constant maintenance—being on a large platform does not make the business passive. ● What comes next: Moving away from Etsy gives us more ownership over our store, customer journey, branding, and long-term direction, even though building independently means taking on more responsibility ourselves. In This Post... ● What is Etsy? ● How is Etsy Performing? ● Why We Choose Etsy ● Journey to 300 Products ● Understanding the SEO ● The Importance of Branding See More... ● The Etsy Ads Disaster ● Etsy's Direction ● Crazy Etsy Charges ● Time vs Effort ● Competition – How Tough Is It? ● The Infamous 'Reserve' Debacle ● Poor Store Customization ● Time to Quit ● Benefits of Your Site ● The Future ● Lifestyle Resources First Things First: What is Etsy? Etsy is an online marketplace that caters to those who appreciate unique and handcrafted items. It's a popular destination for people looking to support independent sellers and artists from all over the world. The platform offers a wide range of products, from jewelry and clothing to home decor and art. If you're looking for something special and bespoke, Etsy is a great place to browse. Imagine Etsy as a giant online version of a craft fair. Here, you'll find a vast selection of handmade and vintage items created by independent sellers. This means you're directly supporting creative individuals who put their heart and soul into their work. So if you're looking for a one-of-a-kind piece or a gift with a personal touch, Etsy is worth checking out. ⪢ Drop Shipping and Print-on-Demand In addition to handcrafted items, Etsy is also a platform that is an outlet for the masses of drop-shippers and print-on-demand companies who have exploded onto the scene in recent years. Drop-shipping and print-on-demand (POD) companies like Printify are fulfillment models that allow you to sell products online without holding any inventory. With drop-shipping, you partner with a supplier who stores and ships products directly to your customers after you make a sale. POD takes it a step further—you design custom products (like t-shirts or mugs), and the POD provider prints them on demand only when someone orders, handling the fulfillment for you. Both models free you up from managing stock and allow you to test out a wider range of products without upfront investment. How is Etsy Performing? In Q4 2023, Etsy reached 7.9 million active sellers, with a year-over-year growth of 3.8%. One reason why selling on Etsy can be profitable is the growing number of buyers on the platform. According to Etsy, the number of active buyers went up by 3.4% to 97.3 million. This shows that Etsy is becoming a bigger market where sellers can make good money. In 2023, Etsy’s consolidated Gross Merchandise Sales (GMS) decreased slightly to $13.16 billion from $13.32 billion in 2022, with a 1.2% decrease. However, annual consolidated revenue notably increased, reaching $2.75 billion, marking a 7.1% YoY increase from $2.57 billion in 2022. Particularly noteworthy is the fourth quarter performance, where revenue marks a new record of $842.2 million, a 4.3% increase compared to Q4 2022, highlighting Etsy’s ongoing strength and resilience. In February 2024, Etsy received 474.1 million visits, according to the web traffic collected by Similarweb. This number has made Etsy the 4th player in the marketplace and shopping category, only after Amazon, eBay, and Walmart. Source: https://www.fool.com/ Despite this 'increase,' 2023 was not such a good year for the platform when you drill down into the numbers. While its revenue seems to have grown, actual sales on Etsy have stalled. On Etsy, the money from sales goes directly to the millions of sellers on the platform, not Etsy itself. Etsy makes its money by charging sellers fees for various services they use to list and sell their products. Here's the interesting part: Even though Etsy's revenue has increased from a very aggressive seller fee strategy to counter losses, the total amount of sales on the platform (called gross merchandise sales, or GMS) has dipped. This means sellers are making less money overall. This trend worried investors in 2023, and it's why Etsy took action. In December of that year, they announced they were laying off 11% of their staff to focus on initiatives that would help sellers grow their sales on the platform. Initiatives that we will look at throughout this post. Funnily enough, they do not seem to be helping one bit. Why We Choose Etsy for Closer Lives Emporium Fresh into our full-time travel adventure and with an eye on not depleting our savings too much, we started looking around for some serious ways to earn on the go. Etsy was by no means our only option, as we were already teaching English online when we decided to give it a try. That being said, we liked the idea of earning money without having to do much; it kind of seemed too good to be true! We were inspired by many hours of researching YouTubers and successful entrepreneurs who were sharing their Etsy success stories. Some were demonstrating hundreds of thousands of sales on POD items. With plenty of creative ideas as content creators on social media, it looked like an opportunity for us, too. If they could do it, why couldn't we? At the time, we were establishing this website, which was born from Closer Lives Poetry on Instagram, a community page that Jenn had founded. Closer Lives was initially intended to be a Creator Academy initially, to expand the concept beyond the confines of IG at the time. With very little experience in website building, establishing our POD range on Closer Lives did not seem like the best idea, given the fact that it would take some time to garner domain authority, and we wanted to start earning straight away. So familiar with the brand and prowess of Etsy, it seemed like the perfect spot to build. And so, Closer Lives Emporium was born. The Journey to 300 Products We started creating our range in Merida, Mexico (of all places). We had a super cute Airbnb in the middle of a quiet urban sector of the city. It was a good spot to relax and get creative, and once we got started, our range just exploded! There are a few platforms you can try for POD services, the main one being printify.com. We set up accounts with both but opted to use Printify more, as it felt a little more user-friendly, and it synchronized with Etsy pretty seamlessly. For those who may not know, POD companies usually have tie-ups with big players like Etsy and Shopify, whereby the products you create are uploaded directly to the respective selling platform. Any time a product sells, the order automatically generates in the POD platform, and aside from some customer service, the process is entirely automated from the point of order to the customer receiving the goods. There are some nuances and processes you can put in place, like manually authorizing orders, sending thank-you emails, and such, but even postal tracking is automated, so you don't have to. All this takes a little bit of work to set up and get right, but once you have it done, you can sit back and earn money in your sleep, as they say. We kind of lost track of how many items we were creating at one point; if anything, we were just having fun with it. We quickly made it to over 100 products, and before we knew it, we hit over 300 across 17 categories. Woah!!! Understanding SEO: Product Descriptions, Alt Tags, Size Charts, etc. Mistakes Spell a Time-Consuming Disaster! One of the biggest challenges was marketing the products, which goes far beyond just making them and sticking them on your Etsy storefront. There are things like flat lays, descriptions, alt tags, getting the title right, terms and conditions, refund policies, privacy policies, size charts, fulfillment times, actual delivery times, etc. Say what now? We thought this was going to be easy! Such things are not exactly talked about when people share their glossy charts advertising thousands of sales. This was exactly where time started to become a factor. Creating a ton of designs, popping them onto a product template, and pressing 'publish' is honestly the easy part. Getting these items on the virtual shelf properly is another matter entirely. Especially if you don't know what you're doing and make some critical mistakes along the way. Let's give you an example. Alt tags. Yes, alt tags. You may have heard of them, and in the past year or so, they have grown into the conversation so much so that you can even see them given as an option for you in your Instagram posts. An alt tag is a hidden description for an image on a webpage, helping visually impaired people understand the image. It also provides backup text if the image fails to load, but perhaps most crucially, it improves search engine ranking. And search engine ranking is a biggie. Like the biggest, actually. Funnily enough, alt tags weren't a thing on Etsy. When we started in 2021, they weren't prevalent at all. So we did not make them. Just as we did not make size chart thumbnails for our items or fulfillment information graphics. A BIG mistake we had no clue we were making. Let us tell you that when you have 300 items and realize you need to update them all with critical things like size chart graphics, it is hours of work. Then Etsy comes along and hits you with alt tags. Then you realize you aren't making sales, potentially because of these issues. Then the panic sets in when you realize, on average, each of your items has at least 10 photos, which means potentially 3000 alt tags. Say what now? So hopefully we can paint the picture now! After all of our initial hype of getting things onto Etsy, we knew our shop was always going to struggle without some serious time being put into the background. SEO-effective product titles and descriptions were not something we did before uploading the item from Printify. They were just generic. We had to design a whole bunch of things, like our size charts and product flat lays. Then upload those and figure out how the hell to write a good alt tag, let alone 3000 of them. Weeks and months passed before we were finally able to get things done. Let us tell you, those weeks and months are measured in actual time spent, or at least it certainly feels like it looking back. The Importance of Branding So things were starting to move, and after the rough months at the beginning, we were starting to learn a lot and were making some serious progress on getting our listings up to scratch. We could see the difference it was making, too, picking up some sales here or there, and getting excited about the prospects. Our product wall was looking better by the day, and our products themselves were looking professional and organized. One of the key elements to this was our branding, something we took great care to curate right from the start. Again, we were very inexperienced with this kind of thing and quickly found out why people pay big bucks for logo designers and high-performance graphics. Just so you know, Canva is great and all, but it is very limiting when it comes to logos. We never did end up paying big bucks, but then again, with the offset against changing our logo several times and having issues with pixelation and poor quality, perhaps we should have done so in hindsight. The crux of the branding comes in with all of the 'peripheral' stuff that the big drop-shippers do not tell you about. Those fulfillment charts and delivery info charts are very important. A brand is more than just a flashy logo; it is in the details, the way you market your products, the follow-up emails, and the terms and conditions. These things can make or break a business and are often sidelined in the short-term pursuit of mega bucks. Fortunately, with our business experience, we did particularly well in this area, but again, that dreaded time count was adding up. Yet more hours, days, and weeks to get it spot on! The Etsy Ads Disaster So, at the point in our journey where we finally felt like our store was how we wanted it, in terms of all of the above, we were still struggling to hit consistent sales. We had gotten over the 20 mark, which had felt like quite a lot of work for not really that much. With all of the effort we had put into getting the descriptions, titles, and alt tags right, we were hoping for far more return than that. With our reach pretty low and our confidence in our products pretty high, we concluded that we should invest some cash into the store. Now, sure, time is money, so the months of work it had taken to get to this point should always be considered as an investment, but we are talking cold, hard bucks in the system. We were averaging about ten visitors a day to our store, and simple logic told us that this was never going to be enough to take off. Besides, Etsy is obsessed with pushing its advertising-to-sales potential at you, so we decided to bite. And wait for the sales to roll in. This is where our frustration with the platform started to kick in. Now, you might think that paying some money for a bigger slice of the pie might automatically boost your profits. But with Etsy, this is a big no-no. ⪢ Etsy Ads Offers Two Ways to Promote Your Products to a Wider Audience on Etsy and Beyond: ● Onsite Ads: These work on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis. You set a daily budget, and Etsy will display your ads in various locations throughout the Etsy platform, like search results or product pages. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad, not when they just see it. ● Offsite Ads: This is a commission-based advertising program. Etsy automatically enrolls all sellers and displays your product listings on other platforms like Google, Pinterest, or Instagram. You only pay a commission (12-15% of the sale price) if someone clicks on your ad and then makes a purchase within 30 days. Funnily enough, it seemed like every ad-based sale we were making was coming from 'off-site ads.' So we were losing 12-15% every time. Not to mention the taxes on top (which we will get into later). Now, the average margin on your items, especially if you want to remain competitive and soak up the delivery charge, might only be 20%. Take away Etsy ad fees, taxes, and Etsy listing fees, and yes, folks, you are losing money. Sadly for us, at least 80% of our sales were barely breaking even. Before we even factored in the time spent on creating the damn things. Etsy's cut was easily approaching 25-30% with offsite ads factored in, and without them, the chances of selling through onsite ads were zero. We quickly realized that Etsy was starting to demonstrate itself as a little bit of a scam. With the platform raking in billions, where on earth was the support for the sellers that made it? 25%? Mad. ⪢ Was There Even a Good Reach? In all fairness, the reach on Etsy ads did seem okay. We saw an uptick of around 100 visitors a day to our store at one point, although that cost us a cool $130 in a month before we cut it off. It just was not worth it with the offset against sales barely breaking even. A shortage of actual buyers on the platform? Or were our products just not good enough? An argument for the latter, although we had sold at least one across 30% of our range. Deep down, we just knew the exposure was not good enough. Etsy's Direction... Too Concerned with Updates and Apps With the amount of money Etsy was charging us for listings and ads, we were wondering if there was going to be some sort of major investment in the system to boost reach or something. Yes, we know that is wishful thinking, but at this point, we have put way too much work into it to simply give up. We turned the ads on and then off, then on again, desperately hoping they would spur the organic reach we craved. A few sales trickled in, we lost money, and we eventually decided to keep them off. In 2022, it felt like the money was going into constant updates and tweaks. A whole new app to replace one that was not broken, a slew of changes to product features and parameters (which meant yet another 300 changes), and then one of the most frustrating of all, an enforced delivery lead-time update, which led to another 300 changes. There were plenty of others besides, and we seemed to be spending far more time catering to the platform than sending out 'thank you for your custom' emails. Sales were few and far between, but the time demanded was off the charts. In the past two years (roughly April 2022 - April 2024), Etsy has implemented several changes to improve the platform for both sellers and buyers. There have been adjustments to fee structures, though, as ever with Etsy, the specifics are ridiculously complex. After major seller backlash campaigns in the past few years, Etsy has made efforts to improve search algorithms and introduce new features to help buyers discover unique products. This involved better filtering options or promoting (apparently) high-quality listings. There have also been updates to the off-site ads program, such as offering sellers more control over their ad placements and budgets. Honestly, it is all company bluster to keep us going and paying our fees. Sadly, hardly any of it has worked. Crazy Etsy Charges The crazy Etsy charges. The crazy Etsy statements. It is one of the worst parts of the platform. Even to this day, we still cannot make sense of the chaos. Etsy provides a monthly statement, and on it is a barrage of costs that no amount of terms and conditions can explain! For example, we sold a pair of green sneakers and a pair of brown sneakers. 2 items, that's it, that's all. On Etsy's statement—TWENTY separate charges. Yes, 20! Let's give you more of an idea: The sale of the two pairs of sneakers came to $74.08 (CAD). Charges applied by Etsy (we have added both charges together, but they are all separately placed on your statement, for each item, just to confuse you): ● Bill for Click-Throughs: $2.65 ● VAT on Etsy Ads: $0.53 ● Listing Fee: $0.27 ● VAT Auto-Renew Sold: $0.10 ● Processing Fee: $3.21 ● VAT on Processing Fee: $1.28 ● Sales Tax Paid by Buyer: $9.70 ● Transaction Fee: $9.24 ● Regulatory Operating Fee: $0.36 ● VAT on Transaction: $1.84 TOTAL: $29.18 So, given that our profit margin on both pairs of sneakers is $36, that leaves us with $6. Raising prices is not an option, as we are trying to stay competitive with others in the market... given all of the work involved in launching the product, $6 is not a lot. And the more money thrown at advertising for no returns equals a loss, sadly. ⪢ Oh, and the Listing Fees... We were aware of the listing fees before joining; however, it is another expense that can seem to sneak up on you without you realizing it. Every item comes with an initial listing fee, which renews every 4 months and is also charged on each sale. While 27 cents might not seem like a lot, when you factor in 300 products, it starts to add up and eat into the margins. Time vs. Effort—Is It Worth It? Now, none of this is to say all is completely at a loss. From what we understand, for drop-shippers, Etsy is all about volume. If you can sell a thousand sneakers, that becomes a $6000 profit. But the offshoot is that you simply cannot reach volume without Etsy ads, and Etsy ads are unsustainable and unprofitable. It is all geared towards raking in money for the platform, leaving the sellers with nothing but years of hard work with little to show for it. It is not worth it in our opinion. Maybe a few years ago, in the early days of Etsy, it was, but in this day and age, it is a false economy. It all feels a little like working for a public company where you bust a gut for minimum wage while the fat cats at the top flood their paychecks with millions of dollars. And you can bet they aren't working nearly as hard. Etsy works on the same principle, and we decided we were no longer going to fall for it! Competition—How Tough Is It? The competition on Etsy can be quite tough, as we have already mentioned, but it also depends on several factors: ⪢ Saturation Certain niches on Etsy (like printed tees) are highly saturated, meaning many sellers are offering similar products. This can make it challenging for new shops to stand out, especially for popular items like clothing or travel accessories (like ours). ⪢ Search Ranking Etsy's search algorithm plays a big role in determining which shops appear first in search results. Understanding SEO principles and optimizing your listings with relevant keywords is crucial for getting your products seen, according to Etsy, but by no means guaranteed. In our experience, the big accounts gobble up about 90%, leaving the remaining 10% feeding off the scraps. Ok, we cannot back up those numbers, but it certainly felt like that in the 2 years we went at it. ⪢ Product Differentiation What makes your products unique? Do you offer a special design element, use high-quality materials, or cater to a specific niche within a broader category? Standing out from the crowd is essential for attracting customers. That is what the Etsy 'experts' tell you anyway. Thumbnails are crucial, as are titles, but that takes time and money (Canva Pro or flat-lay app subscriptions, for example). All while eating into the little-to-no profit margins you have. ⪢ Marketing & Branding Successful Etsy shops often invest in marketing their products beyond just the Etsy platform. This could involve social media promotion, influencer partnerships, or running targeted ads. Building a strong brand identity also helps you resonate with potential customers. Again, this all costs a lot of time and money and can be very draining. It is a hard slog, with absolutely no guarantees. Especially when you are fighting against millions of others. The Infamous Etsy 'Reserve' Debacle The Etsy "reserve" debacle refers to a policy change implemented in 2021 that caused significant frustration among many sellers. Here's a breakdown of what happened: ⪢ The Policy Etsy introduced a system where they could withhold a portion (usually 75%, yes 75%!) of sellers' funds in a reserve account. This meant sellers wouldn't have immediate access to the full amount from their sales. ⪢ Reasons for the Reserve The purpose, according to Etsy, was to protect the platform and buyers from potential fraud. They would hold the reserve until specific criteria were met, such as the order being shipped with tracking or a certain timeframe passing (typically 45 days). ⪢ Sellers' Frustration Several aspects of the policy caused major problems for sellers, with the lack of transparency quite shocking. Many sellers felt Etsy wasn't clear about why their funds were being placed in reserve, making it difficult to address the issue. ⪢ Cash Flow Impact Holding a significant portion of funds could strain a seller's cash flow, especially for those who rely on Etsy income to purchase materials or cover other business expenses. ⪢ Impact on New Shops New shops (like us at the time), which are more susceptible to being flagged for reserve due to limited sales history, could find it challenging to gain momentum if their earnings are restricted. ⪢ Aftermath The policy received significant pushback from the seller community, with many voicing their concerns online and through petitions and boycotts. While Etsy has made adjustments to the policy since its initial implementation, the "reserve" debacle remains a point of contention for many sellers. This shambolic policy was not quite the final straw when it was first implemented, but coupled with the insane charges, constant changes to the platform, the awful ad program, and terrible reach, we were getting there. Poor Store Customization Another major source of frustration for us came with the lack of customization for our storefront, which, honestly, is pretty poor given the number of changes Etsy loves to implement practically anywhere else. For example, items sold always go to the number 1 spot in the feed, which means if you have a layout aesthetic, you are constantly reorganizing it. And the reorganization process sucks and is very time-consuming. The store banner is a nightmare, has poor rendering, and is a pain to size correctly. You can get additional layout options, but of course, you must pay monthly for the privilege. The product layouts cannot be customized, and it is very difficult to showcase your brand beyond the small profile picture. These are just a few frustrations; there are plenty more plastered all over the internet. Very disappointing for Etsy, given how much money it is extracting from its sellers. The Turning Point: Quitting Etsy and Moving over to Closer Lives So what was the straw that broke the camel's back? Well, in all honesty, it was our website, THIS website, that did it. Up until mid-2023, our website had taken a bit of a backseat to Etsy, our travels, teaching English online, and YouTube. We had started it as a creator academy, abandoned that, and then started to blog a little. But with limited time and uncertainty as to how to monetize, it just was not a priority. After experiencing a dramatic rise and surpassing monetization on YouTube while in Jakarta in 2023, we knew that our website was an opportunity we could no longer avoid. We had blogged a little up until that point, but the design and usability were poor, and it was not bringing in any cash. We were nervous about throwing time at it, as we were concerned that it would be another Etsy situation. A whole lot of work for no payout. Well, we were very happy to be proved wrong on that front! After some serious research, again, that good old time, and some big blogs, we completely overhauled Closer Lives. It has been 6 months of major reconstruction, and we are now seeing tangible results: increased ad revenues, over ten thousand visitors a month, and even store sales. Our brand, our OWN money, and a GENUINE COMMUNITY that we could never replicate on Etsy. The decision was made. Time to go it alone! The Benefits of Building Your Site Building your website and online store offers several advantages compared to selling on platforms like Etsy; here are just a few reasons and things to consider: ⪢ Greater Control & Branding You have complete control over the design, layout, and branding of your online store. This allows you to create a unique shopping experience that reflects your brand identity and resonates with your target audience. On Etsy, your shop operates within a larger platform with a predetermined layout and branding elements. ⪢ Lower Fees While website building and hosting come with costs, you typically avoid the transaction fees and listing fees associated with marketplaces like Etsy. In the long run, this can lead to significant savings, especially for businesses with high sales volume. ⪢ Customer Data Ownership When you run your store, you collect customer data directly, allowing you to build targeted email marketing campaigns and gain valuable insights into your customer base. On Etsy, customer data belongs to the platform, limiting your marketing options. ⪢ Flexibility & Customization With your website, you have the freedom to customize the functionality of your online store. This could involve adding features like loyalty programs, subscription boxes, or personalized product recommendations, which might not be readily available on marketplaces. ⪢ Scalability As your business grows, your website can easily scale to accommodate increased traffic and product offerings. Scaling on marketplaces might involve additional fees or limitations depending on the platform's structure. ⪢ Here's a Caveat, Though Building and maintaining your website requires more effort and technical expertise compared to using a pre-built platform like Etsy. You'll need to consider factors like web hosting, domain name registration, website design, security measures, and ongoing maintenance. However, the long-term benefits of control, cost-efficiency, and brand ownership can be significant for businesses looking to establish a strong online presence! The Future of Closer Lives Emporium: What Have We Learned, and Where Do We Go From Here? This whole experience has been a massive learning curve for us, and as ever, hindsight will always demonstrate what could have been, what should not have been, and what could have been. If we could go back and do it all over again, would we? To be honest, as tempting as that might be, we wouldn't. We learned far too much through our own mistakes, and we appreciate those as much as we do our successes. We did sell on Etsy, we did make a little bit of cash, and we did come out of it with almost 300 products that are still very much alive and well right here on our site. The learning curve has been steep and challenging, but it has not deterred us from making a success of Closer Lives Emporium. That being said, it has also pushed us to develop our site as a whole, which in turn led to us pursuing one of our biggest passions—writing and blogging! Would that have still been a reality if we were pushing our Etsy store? I guess we will never know, but one thing is for sure: we are having the time of our lives developing this blog, and happiness genuinely is the key to success. The energy this blog continues to give us is the cornerstone of Closer Lives. That all being said, our store is very much operational here, and you are welcome to take a look! We hope this post has helped you in some way, and if you have any questions and want to pick our brains at all, feel free to get in touch! Please drop a comment or pop us an email; we are always on hand, and our advice is free. Helping and making a difference: that, to us, is a far better use of our time! Lifestyle Resources

Picture this: You're drowning in a sea of contracts, each one a potential minefield of legal jargon and hidden clauses. Wouldn't it be great if you had a super-smart assistant to help you navigate all this paperwork? Enter artificial intelligence (AI) for contract management. It's like having a tireless, lightning-fast team member who can read through thousands of pages in seconds, spot potential issues, and even help draft new agreements. Sounds amazing, right? Well, it is! But as with any new technology, bringing AI into the world of contracts isn't all smooth sailing. Let's chat about some of the speed bumps companies hit when trying to make their contract management smarter. Key Takeaways ● Where AI can help: Contract tools can speed up review, organisation, risk spotting, and repetitive administrative work, especially when teams manage large volumes of documents. ● What makes implementation hard: Poor data, legacy-system integration, privacy, security, user resistance, and overconfidence in automated legal interpretation can undermine the benefits quickly. ● The practical lesson: AI contract management works best as a carefully governed system with human oversight—not as a “robot lawyer” that can safely replace judgement, accountability, or legal expertise. In This Post... ● Data Ducks in a Row ● Playing Nice with Other Systems ● Keeping Secrets Secret ● Winning Hearts and Minds ● Trusting the Robot Lawyer ● Wrapping It Up ● Lifestyle Resources 1. Getting Your Data Ducks in a Row Imagine trying to teach a child to read using a mix of books, handwritten notes, and ancient scrolls—in different languages. Sounds tough, right? That's kind of what it's like for AI when it looks at most companies' contract archives. The problem is that contracts come in all shapes and sizes. Some are neatly typed up in Word docs, others are scanned PDFs (maybe with coffee stains), and there might even be a few handwritten ones lurking in a dusty file cabinet. For AI to work its magic, all this needs to be cleaned up and standardized. It's like trying to organize the world's messiest closet. You've got to sort everything, maybe digitize old paper contracts, and create a system that makes sense. It's a big job, but think of it as spring cleaning for your contract collection. Once it's done, not only will your AI be happy, but you'll probably find it easier to manage contracts even without the AI's help! 2. Playing Nice with Other Systems Now, let's say you've got your AI contract whiz up and running. Great! But wait - it needs to talk to your customer database to pull in client info, and it should probably update your accounting system when a new deal is signed. Suddenly, your cool new AI tool needs to learn to play nice with all your other business software. It's like introducing a new friend to your existing group. Sometimes they hit it off right away, and sometimes... well, it can get awkward. Your shiny new AI might speak a different "language" than your older systems, or they might not want to share information easily. This is where your IT team earns their superhero capes. They need to figure out how to get all these different systems chatting happily with each other. It might mean updating some older software, creating some custom connections, or even rethinking how your whole IT setup works. It's not always easy, but when everything's humming along smoothly, it's like conducting a beautiful digital orchestra. 3. Keeping Secrets Secret Contracts are often full of stuff you don't want the world to see—kind of like your diary, but for business. When you bring AI into the mix, you need to make sure it respects that privacy. Think of it like hiring a new employee who's going to handle sensitive information. You need to set clear rules about what they can and can't do with that data. Can the AI store contracts in the cloud? Who gets to see what the AI finds? How do you make sure the AI doesn't accidentally spill the beans on your top-secret business deals? This is where your legal team and IT security folks need to put their heads together. They'll need to set up strong protections, like digital locks and alarm systems for your data. They'll also need to make sure your AI system follows all the rules about data privacy (and there are a lot of them these days). It's a balancing act between letting the AI do its job and keeping your business secrets safe. Get it right, and you'll have a trustworthy digital assistant that knows how to keep a secret. 4. Winning Hearts and Minds So, you've got this incredible AI system all set up. It's secure, it's connected to everything, and it's ready to revolutionize how you handle contracts. There's just one tiny problem: your team is looking at it like it's an alien that's just landed on their desks. Change can be scary, especially when it involves trusting important work to a computer. Some folks might worry the AI will make mistakes, others might fear it's going to take their jobs, and some might just prefer their trusty old highlighter and sticky notes. This is where the human touch becomes super important. It's not enough to just plonk the new system on people's desks and say, "Here, use this." You need to show them why it's awesome, how it can make their lives easier, and most importantly, how to use the darn thing. Think of it like introducing a new recipe to a picky eater. You might need to start small, let them help in the "cooking" process, and show them how tasty the result can be. Offer plenty of training, be patient with questions, and celebrate the wins when the AI helps someone save time or spot a tricky clause in a contract. Remember, the goal is to have humans and AI working together like a dream team, not to replace people with robots. 5. Trusting the Robot Lawyer Last but not least, there's the million-dollar question: Can we trust what the AI tells us about our contracts? AI has gotten incredibly smart, but it's not perfect. Sometimes it might misunderstand a weirdly worded clause, or it might not catch the subtle implications of certain terms. And let's face it, in the world of contracts, those little details can make a big difference. It's a bit like using a GPS. Most of the time, it'll get you where you need to go. But sometimes it might try to send you down a road that doesn't exist anymore, or it might not know about that shortcut all the locals use. The key is to use AI as a powerful assistant, not as a replacement for human expertise. Have your legal eagles double-check the AI's work on important contracts. Use AI to flag potential issues, but have a human make the final call. And always be on the lookout for ways to improve the AI's accuracy over time. Wrapping It Up Bringing AI into contract management is like upgrading from a bicycle to a sports car. It's faster, more powerful, and can take you further than ever before. But it also requires some new skills, careful handling, and regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly. Yes, there are challenges along the way. You'll need to organize your data, connect your systems, keep everything secure, get your team on board, and always keep a human eye on the AI's work. But with some planning, patience, and perseverance, the payoff can be huge. Imagine being able to review hundreds of contracts in minutes, spot risks before they become problems, and free up your legal team to focus on the big-picture stuff. That's the promise of AI in contract management. So, is it worth navigating these challenges? If you ask me, absolutely. Just remember, the goal isn't to replace humans with robots. It's to give humans super-powered tools to do their jobs better than ever. And that's something worth working towards, don't you think? Lifestyle Resources Written by Loida McKinnon for Closer Lives Travel & Lifestyle Blog. If you would like to contribute, see our Write for Us page and Guest Writer Guidelines.

Self-care Sundays are the perfect way to recharge and prepare for the week ahead. By incorporating fashion and fragrances into your routine, you can create a luxurious and rejuvenating experience. This article will walk you through the steps to make your self-care Sundays both stylish and fragrant. Key Takeaways ● Why these rituals work: Clothing and scent can become deliberate sensory cues that mark a transition out of work mode and help you reconnect with mood, identity, and pleasure. ● Make it personal: A self-care ritual might mean reorganising a wardrobe, choosing an outfit for the feeling you want, layering a favourite fragrance, or simply slowing down enough to notice what lifts you. ● The point is not perfection: Self-care Sunday is useful when it restores you; it does not need to become another beauty standard, shopping task, or performance to get right. In This Post... ● Importance of Self-Care Sundays ● Creating a Fashion Ritual ● Fragrance Rituals for Self-Care ● Enhancing Your Self-Care Routine ● Embrace the Rituals ● Lifestyle Resources The Importance of Self-Care Sundays ⪢ What is Self-Care? Self-care involves activities that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It's about taking time for yourself to relax, reflect, and rejuvenate. Self-care Sundays provide a dedicated day to focus on these activities, ensuring you start your week feeling refreshed and energized. ⪢ Why Fashion & Fragrances? Fashion and fragrances play a significant role in how we feel about ourselves. Wearing your favorite outfit or fragrance can lift your mood, boost confidence, and create a sense of well-being. By integrating these elements into your self-care routine, you can enhance the overall experience. Creating a Fashion Ritual ⪢ Declutter & Organize Your Wardrobe Start your self-care Sunday by decluttering and organizing your wardrobe. This not only makes it easier to find your favorite pieces but also creates a sense of order and calm. Donate or recycle items you don't wear, and neatly arrange the rest. Image source: Cottonbro studio ⪢ Choose a Relaxing Outfit Select an outfit that makes you feel comfortable and stylish. Consider soft fabrics like cotton or silk that feel gentle against your skin. The goal is to wear something that allows you to relax while also making you feel good about yourself. ⪢ Incorporate Accessories Accessories can elevate any outfit and add a touch of personal style. Choose a few favorite pieces, such as a statement necklace, a cozy scarf, or an elegant hat. These small additions can make a big difference in how you feel. Fragrance Rituals for Self-Care ⪢ Selecting the Right Fragrance Fragrances have the power to influence our emotions and set the tone for the day. Choose a scent that aligns with your mood and the environment you want to create. For a calming effect, consider fragrances with notes of lavender, chamomile, or sandalwood. For an energizing boost, opt for citrus or peppermint scents. Image Source: Bảo Phúc ⪢ Applying Fragrance Applying your chosen fragrance can be a mindful and soothing ritual. Spray it on pulse points such as your wrists, neck, and behind your ears. You can also lightly mist your clothes or a cozy blanket to surround yourself with the scent. ⪢ Fragrance Monthly Subscription Consider joining a fragrance monthly subscription service to explore new scents and keep your routine fresh. This way, you can try different fragrances each month without committing to a full-sized bottle. It adds an element of surprise and excitement to your self-care Sundays. Enhancing Your Self-Care Routine ⪢ Create a Relaxing Environment Set the scene for your self-care Sunday by creating a calming environment. Light scented candles, play soft music, and dim the lights. This will help you unwind and fully immerse yourself in the experience. ⪢ Pamper Yourself Take time to pamper yourself with a luxurious bath or shower. Use fragrant bath salts, oils, or bubbles to enhance the sensory experience. Follow up with a moisturizing body lotion or oil to keep your skin feeling soft and hydrated. ⪢ Enjoy a Mindful Activity Engage in a mindful activity that you enjoy, such as reading a book, journaling, or practicing yoga. These activities help you relax, clear your mind, and focus on the present moment. ⪢ Try a DIY Fashion Project Get creative with a DIY fashion project. Whether it's customizing a piece of clothing or creating new accessories, this can be a fun and rewarding way to express your style. You might try tie-dyeing a shirt, sewing a patch onto a jacket, or making your jewelry. The process can be both relaxing and satisfying, and you'll have a unique item to show for it. Image source: Mart Production ⪢ Incorporate Aromatherapy Aromatherapy can enhance your self-care routine by using essential oils to promote relaxation and well-being. You can use an essential oil diffuser, add a few drops to your bath, or apply them to your skin (diluted with a carrier oil). Popular choices for relaxation include lavender, chamomile, and eucalyptus. For an uplifting effect, try citrus oils like orange or lemon. ⪢ Indulge in a Spa-Like Experience at Home Transform your bathroom into a spa sanctuary to enhance your self-care on Sunday. Invest in plush towels, a soft robe, and spa-quality skincare products. Begin with a gentle exfoliating scrub, followed by a hydrating face mask. Don't forget to play soothing music and light aromatic candles to create a serene atmosphere. This spa-like experience can help you unwind, nourish your skin, and leave you feeling pampered and revitalized. ⪢ Savoring a Gourmet Treat Treat yourself to a gourmet snack or meal as part of your self-care Sunday. Whether it's a decadent chocolate, a beautifully crafted pastry, or a delicious homemade dish, indulging in a culinary delight can elevate your day. Pair your treat with a favorite beverage, like a glass of wine, a cup of herbal tea, or a freshly brewed coffee. This small act of indulgence can bring immense joy and satisfaction, making your self-care routine even more special. Embrace the Rituals Incorporating fashion and fragrances into your self-care Sundays can transform an ordinary day into a luxurious and rejuvenating experience. By dedicating time to these rituals, you not only enhance your mood and confidence but also create a sense of well-being that carries into the week ahead. Remember, self-care is about prioritizing yourself and finding joy in small, meaningful moments. Whether it’s through a relaxing outfit, a favorite scent, or a gourmet treat, make your self-care Sunday a celebration of you. Enjoy the process, explore new rituals, and let each Sunday be a reminder of the importance of taking care of your mind, body, and soul. With these practices, you'll start your week feeling refreshed, revitalized, and ready to take on whatever comes your way. Lifestyle Resources Written by Tana LaPierre for Closer Lives Travel & Lifestyle Blog. Tana is a passionate explorer and writer who loves capturing the world's stories and sharing them through her writing, bringing diverse tales to life for others to enjoy. If you would like to contribute, see our Write for Us page and Guest Writer Guidelines.

We're thrilled to introduce the newly revamped Closer Lives Travel & Lifestyle Emporium! After careful planning and a lot of hours, we've completely transformed our store to enhance your shopping experience and showcase the essence of our collections. As your go-to destination for unique travel and lifestyle products, Closer Lives Emporium now boasts a fresh design, simplified categories, and improved customer-friendly features. Key Takeaways ● What changed: We redesigned the Closer Lives Emporium to make browsing easier, product information clearer, policies more visible, and the overall journey from discovery to checkout smoother. ● Why we changed it: As the store grew, the original structure no longer reflected the brand or the way customers needed to navigate a larger catalogue. ● What comes next: The refresh is a foundation rather than a finish line—we plan to keep improving products, collections, usability, and the connection between our travel lifestyle and what we create. In This Post... ● A New Look and Feel ● Refined Collections ● Why the Redesign? ● Lifestyle Resources A New Look & Feel ⪢ Sleek New Layout We are thrilled to announce that the store has been upgraded with a brand-new store banner and a sleek, modern design! Our revamped layout is now even more user-friendly and welcoming for our customers. Excitingly, we have introduced a collections menu at the top of every store page, incorporated a currency converter, and completely revamped our gallery filters to enhance your shopping experience. Get ready for a seamless and enjoyable journey through our store! ⪢ Smoother Customer Journey Each section has been carefully redesigned to make browsing and shopping a breeze. From the moment you land on our site, we want you to feel at home as you explore our curated collections. ⪢ Enhanced Policies We've updated our store policies, making them more accessible and easier to understand. Now, you’ll find it simple to navigate through our shipping, returns, and other essential information with a brand new FAQ section. ⪢ Clearer Product Listings Our product pages have been revamped, too. Now, finding information on shipping and returns is easier than ever, ensuring you know all the details before you hit "buy." ⪢ New Live Chat Feature Got a question? We’ve added a live chat feature so you can quickly get the help you need as you shop. Refined Collections Get ready to say goodbye to the days of endless product categories! We've revamped our selection, streamlining from 17 categories to just 7 fabulous collections that perfectly embody our passion: Bride-to-Be Collection The Bride to Be Collection by Closer Lives is all about celebrating the bride in style. From chic accessories to festive decorations, this collection is designed to make the bride feel extra special. Perfect for bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and every pre-wedding celebration, these handpicked items add a touch of elegance and fun to the journey leading up to the big day. Clothing Collection Discover our Clothing Collection, where style meets comfort for every occasion. From casual tees to chic dresses, our unique designs celebrate individuality and flair. Enjoy free U.S. delivery on all items, and find the perfect pieces to elevate your wardrobe and express your personality. Shop now to explore a world of fashion that inspires adventure! Gratitude is the Attitude Collection Embrace the transformative power of gratitude with our collection of apparel. Wear your appreciation and inspire others to cultivate a positive mindset. Our designs are a reminder that gratitude is not just an emotion—it's a way of life. Mexican Tile Style Collection A vibrant collection inspired by the stunning tile patterns we discovered during our travels through Mexico. Our line offers a unique range of products for your home, clothing, and travel adventures. From exquisite home decor pieces to stylish apparel and functional travel gear, each item is crafted with the same love for Mexican culture that inspired our designs. Stuffed Turkey Collection Welcome to our "Stuffed" and "I'm Stuffed" Collection—your go-to destination for fun and festive apparel and accessories that celebrate the joy of the holiday season! Whether you're getting cozy in our "I'm Stuffed" hoodies, making a statement with our Thanksgiving and Christmas tees, or adding some humor to your home décor with our playful pillows, each item is crafted to bring a smile to your celebrations. Tees & Tanks Collection Make a statement with our bold and fun Tees & Tanks collection! Featuring playful and empowering sayings like "Cheers Mate," "Wear It Don't Compare It," and "Too Hot to Handle," these tops are perfect for adding personality to your wardrobe. Designed for comfort and style, they’re perfect for everyday wear, whether you're chilling at home or out and about. Plus, enjoy free delivery to the U.S. on every order! Travel Time Collection Get ready to embark on your next adventure in style with our Travel Time collection! Featuring vibrant Mexican tile art designs, this collection brings cultural flair to all your travel essentials. From durable suitcases to stylish phone cases, each item is designed to make your journeys both practical and eye-catching. Travel with confidence and a splash of color—your next adventure awaits! These collections have become our customer favorites, and we can't wait to introduce even more thrilling products to them in the future! Why the Redesign? It’s been 2 years since we launched our Emporium, and we’ve come a long way since our humble beginnings. We started with virtually no experience in running an online store, and while we've only revamped it once since then, this redesign reflects all we've learned from our research and customer feedback. Our goal was to focus on the collections that matter most to us and you and to give the store a more polished, modern feel that reflects the heart of who we are here at Closer Lives. Whether you're a longtime supporter or new to our community, we hope you enjoy the fresh look and feel of our newly designed emporium! Come explore our new collections and enjoy a seamless shopping experience with us! Lifestyle Resources

As someone who works at the heart of a global travel tech company, and travels often myself, I’ve seen firsthand how staying connected abroad can make or break your trip. At GigSky, we believe getting online when you land shouldn’t be stressful. No more juggling SIM cards, outrageous roaming fees, or desperately searching for Wi-Fi. That’s why I’m (Dillon, the marketing manager at GigSky) excited to share exactly why GigSky eSIMs have become a must-have for so many travelers, from digital nomads and business flyers to weekend adventurers. In this post, I’ll walk you through the benefits of using a GigSky eSIM, how it works, and why it might just be the most important thing you pack. Key Takeaways ● Why eSIM matters: An eSIM lets travellers get mobile data without hunting for a physical SIM, which can make arrival, navigation, messaging, and work much easier in a new country. ● What GigSky offers: The appeal is flexible activation, broad international coverage, transparent data options, and the ability to stay connected without swapping cards or committing to a local contract. ● Best for prepared travellers: Set it up before or soon after arrival, compare the plan against local alternatives, and keep Wi-Fi or another connection option as backup for critical travel days. In This Post... ● Convenience and Flexibility ● Save Money on Travel ● Stay Connected Worldwide ● Simplify with Easy Activation ● Enhance Your Travel Security See More... ● Travel Green ● Real Travelers Share ● Start Your GigSky eSIM Journey ● Offers for Visa Cardholders ● Our User-Friendly GigSky App ● Lifestyle Resources 1. Unmatched Convenience and Flexibility with GigSky Traveling through Ecuador last year, I found myself constantly searching for reliable internet access. With GigSky eSIM, the days of juggling multiple SIM cards are over. Our eSIM allows you to switch between carriers seamlessly, ensuring you're always connected without the hassle of physical SIM cards. 2. Save Money on Travel with GigSky eSIM I remember the shock of my first international roaming bill. With GigSky eSIM, you can avoid those exorbitant charges. Our eSIM offers competitive local rates, saving you money on your travel expenses. It’s a budget-friendly solution that every traveler needs. 3. Stay Connected Worldwide with GigSky eSIM Whether you're in the bustling streets of New York or the remote mountains of Ecuador, GigSky eSIM ensures you have reliable connectivity. Our eSIM provides global coverage, keeping you connected wherever your adventures take you. 4. Simplify Your Travel with Easy GigSky eSIM Activation Activating GigSky eSIM is a breeze. Download our app, select your plan, and make payment, and our app will activate your eSIM so you're ready to go right away. It's that simple! This ease of activation was a lifesaver for me in Ecuador when I needed to get online quickly. 5. Enhance Your Travel Security with GigSky eSIM Travel security is a top priority. With GigSky eSIM, your security is guaranteed since we’re an MVNO with multiple secure data centers, so you reduce the risk of SIM card theft and enjoy enhanced data protection. It’s one less thing to worry about while you’re exploring new destinations. 6. Travel Green with GigSky eSIM Using GigSky eSIM is an eco-friendly choice. By eliminating the need for physical SIM cards, we’re reducing plastic waste. It’s a small step towards more sustainable travel, and every bit helps. 7. Real Travelers Share Their GigSky eSIM Experience Don’t just take my word for it. Many of our users have shared their positive experiences with GigSky eSIM. From business travelers to vacationers, everyone appreciates the seamless connectivity and cost savings. Hear why these travel influencers love to use GigSky: Vivian, Karina, Bonnie, Olivia, and others. 8. Start Your GigSky eSIM Journey Today Ready to experience the benefits of GigSky eSIM? Our app makes it easy to purchase and activate your eSIM. Whether you're preparing for a business trip or a family vacation, GigSky eSIM is your perfect travel companion. 9. Enjoy Exclusive Offers for Visa Cardholders If you’re a Visa cardholder, you’re in for a treat. GigSky offers exclusive discounts and benefits, making our eSIM even more accessible and affordable. Check your eligibility through our app and start saving today. 10. Travel Smarter with Our User-Friendly GigSky App Our GigSky app is designed to make your travel experience smoother. Easily check your eligibility, activate your eSIM, and manage your data plans all in one place. It’s perfect for business travelers with packed schedules and for those who love to stream videos on the go. 👉 Special Features: Cruise + Land eSIM Plans and Unlimited Data Plans Here at GigSky, we're proud to be the only provider offering Cruise + Land eSIM plans. This means you stay connected at sea, in port, and on land. No more worrying about finding Wi-Fi or switching SIM cards mid-trip. We also offer Unlimited Data Plans, so you never have to worry about topping up or running out of data. This is especially beneficial for business travelers who have a lot of meetings or for those who love to stream videos. Conclusion In 2024, travel smarter and stay connected with GigSky eSIM. From my personal experiences to our innovative features, I believe GigSky eSIM is essential for every traveler. Visit GigSky.com today, download our app, and start your journey with the best travel connectivity solution out there. Safe travels, and see you out there exploring the world! SAVE 10% on your first order with this exclusive discount code! Enter CLOSERLIVES10 at the checkout! *excludes cruise and in-flight plans. Visit GigSky.com today. Lifestyle Resources Written by Dillon Dubois for Closer Lives Travel & Lifestyle Blog. If you would like to contribute, see our Write for Us page and Guest Writer Guidelines.