Name of your website?ADHD-BIpolar-and-Beyond
Your name?
Kari Naegele
Your Location (city, etc)
Phoenix
Please give us a short summary of your website?
My site is designed to provide parents like me with a place to learn about their child's diagnosis of ADHD, bipolar disorder, learning disabilities or other emotional condition. I hope to help them navigate the world of treatment, education, and support and not feel alone in the process.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
My own personal and professional life. One of my children is special ed, ADHD, learning disabled. Helping him navigate his world is a daily struggle for both him and our entire family. Professionally, I have worked as a school social worker for 14 years and it is my job everyday to deal with kids like this and help their parents understand what comes next.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
Adhd-bipolar-and-beyond is my first website and I started it just over a year ago.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
ADHD and bipolar disorder are running neck and neck for the "new" diagnoses of children. But there is so much more that is likely to exist instead of or including that. Thus, the "beyond" part of the name.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
I purposely make it from the perspective of me, the parent. I feel like there is lots of information out there and it is good to have information. I provide information. But it is also good to not feel alone and to understand that someone else can personally understand your struggle and support you, even if it isn't face to face.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
My eventual goal is to provide support to parents who need it, mostly mothers so far. And along the way, maybe create a little income stream through monetization opportunities.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
My success comes from the emails I receive from parents sharing their stories, asking questions, and saying thanks for helping them not feel alone.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would put into motion major research into absolutely every aspect of the treatment and educational needs of children with emotional, mental and learning disabilities. Then I would compile all of this info on my site. Thus having everything a person might want to know in one easy to find place.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Absolutely. I would love for that to happen!
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Nothing unexpected except for the slowness of building traffic. And realistically, I'm not sure that was unexpected. One always hopes their site takes off quickly, but you never know until you try. The technical aspects of building the site are always going to be a headache, on and off, but not unexpected.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Finding the time to work on the site while working full time and raising two kids. Plus my husband works A LOT.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Building content and linking with other good websites.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
I don't think I knew what to expect. It has surprised me how long I can sit in front of the computer without realizing how long it has really been.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
It has been a year. I have for sure committed to another year. Beyond that, only time will tell...
What is your website address?
ADHD-BIpolar-and-Beyond
