For me, it truly did started out as a passion for food and lifestyle, and just simply enjoying life and keeping it interesting. I’m always looking out to try out new things, new experiences, wanting to learn from people outside my own profession (having studied and practiced accounting, finance and legal studies for many years, which are highly technical and difficult areas to master) and looking for new and different ways of thinking. Blogging and by that I mean, the writing, the photography, the content creation, the creativity, the connections and relationships with people outside my profession, is my creative outlet and it gives me the freedom to share my writing on my thoughts of experiences I’ve tried and to showcase my photography which has been refined over the years through practice, trial and error and learning from others. It’s also a way to support some of the small businesses I love too, having spent a large part of my career focusing on the large end of town. The creative outlet does help and advance my thinking in what I do in my profession by making ‘thinking creatively’ ‘normal’ for me, to think about things differently rather than the usual ‘textbook’ sort of way. And what I learn from my profession, helps me to build relationships, form professional connections and sometimes share my experiences on how things are done in the corporate world and what they can learn from that.
There three FAQs I get asked almost every week. These are:
1) How do you stay so slim with all that food?
It was very funny because one day I met a blog follower in person and he said to me “I thought you were 3 times the size that you are!” Haha! If I’m hungry I do eat. No more, no less than what would normally happen if I wasn’t blogging. That said I don’t eat everything sometimes. Sometimes if I’m full but want to try a dessert I would order it and taste a mouthful and then I know what to write. Usually I’m with friends or family so there is no problem with eating all the food that’s ordered. On blogging days I detox with fresh juice, water, salads, raw food, home cooked food, eat proteins, try to minimise carbs (ie white bread) and Sydney Dance classes twice a week. Though I would never deprive myself of something. If I feel like eating it I will eat it. All in moderation and exercise.
2) How do you do it all?
I just do it. I have a system that works efficiently which comes when you know how to do something very well because I do it every day or week. It’s no different than trying to juggle say work with kids, or anything else that demands your time. I juggle work with the things I want to experience and blogging time. Everyone is different and have different interests and priorities. If there is something you want to do at present, you just make the time to do it. That’s how I’ve worked. We are lucky to live in a country that gives us the freedom of choice.
3) How do you make money from what you do?
I do it for the love of it, and it really is a hobby and something I love doing. If I turn blogging into a business, I think the dynamic changes and it probably won’t be as fun anymore and spontaneity could be lost as I’d be too busy focusing on trying to make a living from it. My fundamental values are however there from day one and I try and stick fiercely by it – high quality content, consistency, blog only what you love, manage everything that comes with having a large audience and stand by what you say. Be real too. The person online is the same as if you meet me in person. If the dollars comes incidentally because someone wants to my services in photography, writing, and/or consultation on social media then that’s a great supplement but it’s not my primary driver. That said I have a lot of partnership opportunities which comes with knowing how to build relationships from my day job, which includes handling politics and media attention. With experience in relationship building, that’s probably the difference between me & blogger who say is in first year university and with little experience in the workforce.
I’m ready for a bloggers panel discussion!
Here is Review Australia’s May 16 Key Looks and just in case you are wondering, my husband does all my fashion photography. We are Canon loyalists. Not bad is he 😉 and looks like he has found his passion in fashion and red carpet portraits and photography.
Coat: Twiggy Coat
Top: Lovely Lace Top
Skirt: Mabel Skirt
Have you downloaded the Review Australia app? You can see all the latest collections on their new app and also Review has just opened a new store at Bondi Junction too.
