How I do life… and business

I live near the coffee capital of the world: Seattle, Washington, where independent bistros serve generous portions of ambiance and delicious fare at moderate prices.

My own life—and the way I do business—embodies what I like most about bistros:

Laura Christianson enjoying gelato in Italy | BloggingBistro.comCasual Conversation.

When my students and I chat (even virtually), I imagine we’re sitting across the table at a coffee shop.

You’re not going to hear techno-geekspeak from me; I prefer plain English.

Affordable.

I’ve been giving away my expertise on my blog since 2004. As my readers get to know and trust me, some of them hire me – as a coach for brand development, website content, and email list building.

My team (yes, I have a team!) works hard to keep our clients’ costs affordable while providing the highest level of personalized, professional attention.

Helpful.

  • I taught high school (journalism and English) for over a decade.
  • Did a three-year stint as a corporate PR director for a national franchise.
  • Wrote (and published) three books and hundreds of magazine articles.
  • Blogged professionally.
  • Keynoted at conferences.

During my career, I’ve learned one important thing about myself:

I love helping people.

Laura Christianson helps a conferee at a writers conference select which workshops to attend | BloggingBistro.com

That’s it. Bottom line.

Whether I’m teaching a workshop or chatting with an individual, my chief delight comes from knowing I’ve helped someone.

I pour my expertise into all I offer. I envision myself as the client and deliver the kind of caring attention I would want if I was my own client.

I’d love to get to know you.

Let’s chat for 15 minutes and explore whether we’d be a good fit to work together. No pressure, no charge, no obligation.

Self-schedule your quick chat with me right now.

“Laura Christianson has earned my trust completely. When it comes to anything related to my website, my writing business, my social media questions, and my email list, Laura is the first one I turn to. I have benefited from individual coaching with Laura, I have learned an incredible amount from The Professional Writer Podcast, and I have increased the number of subscribers to my email list due to her excellent, practical, step-by-step teaching.”

Susie Crosby, Author, susiecrosby.com

How a freelance writer morphed into Blogging Bistro

When I was working as a corporate communications director, I had a dream.

To write books.

I knew I needed to find and nurture an audience eager to buy my books, so I started a blog.

In 2004 (100 years ago in Internet years), few people knew what a blog was (myself included).

Determined to master this beast, I plugged away, and my blog soon got featured in prominent magazines and books.

Laura Christianson teaches writers how to plan their websites at a conference | BloggingBistro.com

That led to teaching blogging workshops at writers’ conferences, community colleges, and civic events.

The people who attended my workshops told me I explained blogging in words that “regular” people could understand. They urged me to start a blog consultancy.

So I did.

Over the years, my business evolved into a full-service blogging / content writing / website creation / book promotion / social media marketing agency.

When that started to feel like too much, I narrowed my focus to the services I most delight in providing.

I developed a four-step framework to help Christian writers plan, protect, productively publish, and promote their writing business.

Check out my 4-P framework here.

Will I work with you if you’re not a writer?

Of course.

I work with veterinarians, real estate agents, mental health professionals, retail store owners, and non-profit directors. The 4-P framework is easily adaptable to most niches.

But writers who have a Christian worldview are my special peeps. My ideal clients.

I get writers because I am one. Whether you’re pre-published or best-selling (or anywhere in between), I’ll help you establish a vibrant online presence.

Need help figuring out where to start?

Book a quick chat with me.

You’ll get 15 minutes of free coaching from me, and I promise not to give you a high-pressure sales pitch.

Michelle Hollomon, Author and Licensed Mental Health Counselor Michellehollomon.com | BloggingBistro.com

“Laura and her team are a pleasure to work with. They made my ideas a priority, and made my vision a reality. They handle the tech stuff in a way that’s easy and streamlined for me, and Laura teaches and coaches me on what steps to take next. I highly recommend the Blogging Bistro team!”

Michelle Hollomon, Author and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, MichelleHollomon.com

8 oddities about Laura

Laura Christianson in London | BloggingBistro.com

  1. My first steady paying job was lifeguarding at a public pool.
  2. I grew up in a small farm town in the middle of nowhere.
  3. I am ¼ Irish. My grandfather almost immigrated from Northern Ireland to America on the Titanic. (Thankfully, he chose another ship!)
  4. I am a P.K. (preacher’s kid).
  5. My favorite place to visit is Great Britain. Followed closely by Maui. And Puerto Rico, where we live 8 months of the year.
  6. I am a huge fan of all things Pride & Prejudice.
  7. I forget the plots of TV shows, movies, and books within minutes after finishing them.
  8. My secret inner race car driver loves to “zoom zoom” in my little red convertible.

Laura’s Professional Bio

Laura Christianson, founder of Blogging Bistro, LLC, helps writers create a polished, professional online presence… without feeling intimidated by the tech stuff.

Laura has a wide range of experience in the publishing industry:

  • Authored three books and thousands of articles
  • Written for Christian and general market magazines, newspapers, and online publications
  • Partnered with traditional Christian publishing houses to promote their authors
  • Served on board of directors for West Coast Christian Writers from 2014-2020; directed 2020 WCCW Online Conference
  • Instructor at Christian writers conferences
  • Helped hundreds of authors develop their brand and platform
  • Built dozens of custom WordPress websites for authors and other small business owners
  • Blogged professionally since 2006
  • Worked as marketing communications specialist since 2007
  • Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in teaching English and journalism

When you can drag Laura away from her computer, you’ll likely find her swimming laps or rollerblading. She and her husband live in the Seattle area and in Puerto Rico and are the parents of two adult sons.