David Condon Finds

Every so often, I feel the need to step back from my usual topics and write something that’s been niggling away in the back of my mind for a while. This post isn’t about woodcraft, or even the day-to-day struggles of running a small business, although in some ways, it’s connected. It’s about leadership and how those who are meant to represent us are often doing the exact opposite these days. Sometimes it looks like obliviousness, but more often, it feels like something else.

Introduction – A Changing Country I've been more than a little nostalgic of late due to all the current bad press in our country and indeed the rest of the world. I began thinking about my younger years and all the goings on of the past and how different life was ' back in the day '. After a bit of mental gymnastics looking over the last few decades, I keep coming back to the same conclusion: the 1990s was the last time Ireland truly felt alive. 

I’ve just crossed 10,000 views on this blog. For some people that’s just a number, but for me it’s a milestone worth celebrating. When I started writing here a few months ago (May 2025), I had no idea if anyone would actually read my posts. Now, seeing that five-digit total feels like proof that showing up consistently really does work. I wanted to touch on some of my early struggles on this blog so I've listed a few posts that may be of interest. I've also grown a bit as a writer and with that experience, my blogs have become a little better and easier to read. (I hope lol) 

What Went Wrong With My WordPress Blog Setup (And Why I Went Back to Blogger) When I decided to upgrade my blog to a shiny new WordPress site, I expected a bit of a learning curve — but not a full-blown disaster. What was supposed to be a simple migration from Blogger turned into a frustrating mess of DNS issues, vanished menus, broken templates, and a lot of wasted time. In this post, I’ll share exactly what went wrong with no fluff, how it snowballed into a full retreat, and why I’m back on Blogger for now. If you’re thinking of switching platforms, this might save you a few headaches. Be sure to read my post  Is Amazon Prime Worth it? after you finish here! Plain speak only!

 What Happened to My Website Traffic? A few months ago — and seemingly overnight — I started noticing my website traffic slipping. Not just a slow day here and there, but an over-the-cliff drop in clicks and visits. The posts that once brought people in — especially my carefully written affiliate content — just weren’t pulling the same numbers anymore and very few were actually following my links. I went from a modest traffic level and some small commissions to nothing at all. Be sure to read my other post  Why Google Ads Is So Hard for Small Businesses after you finish here!

Blogging in the Age of AI Overviews If you’ve used Google lately, you’ve probably noticed something different. Instead of clicking into websites, you’re getting answers straight from the search page thanks to AI Overview. Sounds handy, right? Maybe it is to the casual browser but for small creators like me, it’s a real kick in the teeth. Traffic has dropped to my website and new blog. Affiliate links don’t get seen and I have the Analytics to prove it. Product reviews and personal blog posts are being buried under summaries scraped from… well, blogs like mine.

Thinking of starting a blog for your small business? I’ve been there and I nearly gave up before I even got going. Like many business owners, I kept hearing that blogging would help customers find me, improve my SEO, and bring people to my door. It sounded great… but I resisted it for years. I'm not a writer, or so I believed. The idea of blogging was intriguing though, and deep down I knew there was value in it – I just didn’t think I was the right person to write anything worth reading. My old school teachers would probably nod in agreement.  Check out this post  5 Amazon Buys I Didn’t Expect to Love  for some great ideas after you finish here.