Welcome to the Blogger Spotlight Interview. This week we have Rosie from A Rosie World taking part.
If you would like to take part, and your blog is under six months old, or has been re-launched in the last six months, please email me randommusings29@gmail.com
1 Firstly, tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Rosie Doal. I’m a wife to Sukh, and mother to Shalini and Shivam. I’m nutty, I’m loud and friends say I’m fun to be around. Even though I’ve just turned 40, I don’t think I act it at all – after all age is just a number. I’m a full-time radio producer.
2 What is your blog’s name and what is it about?
A Rosie World is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s about me, my family and our lives. I can’t really pinpoint my genre because I will blog about everything that affects us and is a part of our everyday lives – the day-to-day things, the momentous occasions, holidays, family events, special days out and lots more in between. This is the world through our eyes.
3 Why did you decide to start a blog?
I have been toying with the idea of having a blog for years because, as people who know me well will tell you, I have so much to say about everything. This is my space to share all of that – my thoughts, my ideas and my memories.
I questioned myself several times before doing this. My children are growing up so fast and had I listened to my heart years ago, I would have written several hundred blogs by now and you would have shared those precious moments with me. But life is not about regrets and after talking myself in and out of the idea, I’ve finally decided to take the plunge. After all, there’s never a right time to start. The beginning is where you want it to be.
It’s scary and exciting at the same time. Life is a big adventure and I want to put ours into writing. I want to document all of those special moments that make my life what it is.
4 Do you have any goals for your blog?
At the moment, I haven’t thought beyond creating great content for my blog to get it off the ground.
I want to attract readers from all walks of life and to keep them. I want people to seek out my blog and return as regular readers. I want to maintain the high level of photography that’s gone into it so far.
For me, content is king so if I know I have a good, solid site, people will want to come back. In time, I’m hopeful it will grow but for now, I want it to be a space for me to share my life and the things that happen in it.
5 Tell us one random fact about you.
I was the face and voice of my university’s advertising campaign in my graduation year 1999. Not only was my face plastered on billboards all over the North West, but I also acted in a TV advert and recorded a radio commercial too.
I was selected from a huge group of students who auditioned and it was a massive deal for me. I still have copies of the university brochure and have the TV advert on a VHS tape somewhere.
6 What is the best piece of blog related advice you have received so far?
Be yourself. It sounds so clichéd but for a beginner it’s the holy grail of advice. There are so many parent bloggers out there rocking the scene and doing their thing. They’re highly successful, working with the top brands and have thousands of followers.
It’s easy to chase followers and fall prey to the numbers game but after paying heed to the advice of expert bloggers, I decided that wasn’t the way forward for me. I don’t need to be like others because that space is already filled. It’s important to be myself, a true reflection of who I am.
7 What is your favourite thing about blogging?
I love just writing again. I was always creative growing up; writing songs, poetry and fiction. In my teens, I worked for community newspapers to gain experience in journalism.
My job allows me to write creatively but not to the extent I loved when I was younger. My blog allows me to get my creative juices flowing again and it’s so satisfying and invigorating to have an outlet like this.
8 Is there anything you would do differently if you were starting over knowing what you know now?
I’m really happy with the way things have gone. I was featured in the Tots100 January list of new bloggers to watch.
However, if I could do one thing differently, it would be to write and ‘bank’ a lot more non-time sensitive posts before I launched. It takes a lot of time to write a post but I’ve now got into the flow and I have so many ideas running through my head at all times. I just use some of my lunch breaks at work with a sandwich, a coffee and my laptop.
9 Anything else you’d like to share with us?
As a British Asian, I have so many varied experiences and I am excited to share all of that with my readers. I have had the pleasure of living the best of both worlds – food, culture, fashion and language.
I think readers find my outlook and what I bring to the table interesting.
10 Where can we find you? (blog link and links to any social media)
My blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.
Good tips here. Thanks