Briana from 20 and Engaged

Hey there Yakezie community. I’m Briana, the mastermind behind 20 and Engaged. I started my blog to document my transition from girlfriend, to fiance, to wife. It’s become a window into my life as a newlywed wife.

I got engaged to my boyfriend of 3 years in December 2010. We had moved in together that summer because we both had good jobs and were ready to take things to the next level. I was so excited to be getting married, yes, even at the tender age of 20. I was the youngest employee at my job, and so was he, and yet we were taking a huge step.

We felt we were ready, and the planning began. Unfortunately, the planning came to a screeching stop a month later. I was unexpectedly laid off from my job. The timing couldn’t be worse. I was in a car accident a week prior, we were moving a month later, and our wedding date, August 17, was around the corner. Things definitely changed.

We switched gears after that. My then fiance took on the burden of most of our bills, as I received unemployment benefits. I wasn’t used to being home and not working. I was applying for about 50 jobs a week to no avail. We continued with our moving plans, as the rent was cheaper and the place was bigger.

I then began networking with bloggers I had interacted with at my previous job. They introduced me to several opportunities, including staff writing positions on their blog, and referring me to people who need some virtual assistance. I had made up my mind that this was my opportunity to start an online business. It’s not as easy as it sounds or looks, but I kept hope alive.

Because money was so tight, we decided to scratch the big wedding in August, and do an elope-style ceremony in May with only 20 of our closest family members. Extended family and friends found out about our nuptials via Facebook and Twitter. Some were excited while others were offended, but we felt confident in our decision. These people didn’t understand our financial pressures, and the wedding was about our union, not their entertainment. So I was married just in time for the summer.

We got a puppy, a Jack Russell Terrier / Chihuahua mix named Frankie, and went through the summer ducking and dodging life’s trials and tribulations. We had ups and downs, but we made it through each day. Just as summer culminated, we received word that my husband would be laid off from his job for at least 5 weeks, but with no guarantee of getting his job back. So now we’re both 20 and laid off. How scary! We have bills to pay and a drastic drop in income. We’re now figuring out what we’re going to do.

I’m blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people in the Yakezie network. I’ve met fellow bloggers who are willing to hire me to do things for their blog, like write a blog post weekly, comment on blogs, or even manage their Facebook and Twitter accounts. I love helping people, and this is exactly the type of online business I’m pursuing. I’m saving up to become a Limited Liability Corporation, but in the mean time, I’m acting as a sole proprietor. I would love for my husband to become my business partner, but if not, I sure hope he finds something soon.

We’ve been dealt our fair share of bad luck and unfortunate events, and so early in our marriage, but we love each other, and we’re willing to work hard to make it through. Going through the Yakezie challenge actually taught me that persistence is key. I started with an Alexa rank in the 12 millions! Today I’m right below 200,000 and it wasn’t easy but it was worth it! I’m confident being in this network will not only help my blog, but it will help my dreams of entrepreneurship, and will continue to teach me a thing or two about marriage.

My biggest challenge thus far has been trying to become an entrepreneur. I now consider myself a freelancer, and perform a variety of services: staff writing, ghost writing, guest posting, blog commenting, social network and carnival submissions, social media management, manual article spinning, and WordPress setup. If you need any of these blogging services, please feel free to visit my website, Engaged Media. Looking forward to helping others!