Category : Blogger Interviews
At the start of the year, my friend and blogger Arvind Devalia approached me and asked if I’d like Leo Babauta to speak at the London Bloggers Meetup. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know who Leo was at first – not having read his Zen Habits blog, or many blogs about health, minimal living, motivation and inspiration. Arvind was very excited and when one or two others started getting excited too, it was high time I checked him out.
I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was Leo writing one of the top 25 blogs in the world, but he was writing content that genuinely offered something of value. The more I spoke to people about Leo, the more I got an excited reaction about the prospect of him speaking. Ultimately Arvind put me in touch with Leo and the rest is history.
For someone who has achieved so much, Leo is a remarkably humble person. When he arrived at our event, he quietly made an entrance and immediately started talking with our community. Many were genuinely huge fans of Leo and his writing, but this didn’t seem to phase Leo or steal away his calm. Aside from his talk, Leo spent the entire evening talking to our bloggers – no commercial pitch, but a genuine interest in simply meeting people. I have to say, it was an absolute pleasure hosting Leo.
I took the opportunity of asking Leo to participate in one of our short blogger interviews which you can read below. – along with a short video clip from the night here. I strongly advise you check out Leo’s blog and perhaps his book The Power of Less (which I have subsequently devoured and loved). Well, enough introduction, over to you Leo and thanks for taking part.
1. What’s your blog called and what’s the URL?
Leo: I write Zen Habits (http://zenhabits.net).
2. What’s your blog all about (in 20 words or less)?
Leo: Simplifying your life.
3. When and why did you start blogging?
Leo: I started in January 2007 to chronicle some of the changes I’d been making, to share some of the lessons I’d been learning with others, and to connect with (and learn from) others doing similar things.
4. Which blog platform do you use?
Leo: I started on Blogger.com but quickly moved to WordPress. It’s what I’d recommend to any blogger.
5. Can you give an example of how blogging has enriched your life?
Leo: Oh, in so many ways. It’s connected me with some amazing people from all over the world, and I’ve learned a lot from them and made some good friends. It’s helped me to reflect more deeply on my life, so that I could share with others. It’s given me a job doing what I love — for the first time in my life. And I’ve had readers tell me that I’ve changed their lives in numerous ways … which is the most gratifying thing in the world.
6. Are there any blogs you recommend reading and why?
Leo: I love so many that it would be hard to know where to start. Other than the big names (Dooce, Daring Fireball, Seth Godin, etc.), I’d say read Tweetage Wasteland, Derek Sivers, Idlewords.com, Marco.org, Rowdy Kittens, among many others.
7. What three tips would you give to someone just starting out in blogging?
Leo: 1. Do something remarkable and share how you did it;
2. Focus on writing great posts before all else;
3. Enjoy the connections you make with your readers rather than worrying about numbers.
8. If you could change one thing about your blog what would it be?
Leo: I’m very content with my blog. I’m really racking my brain here and I can’t think of a thing, which is interesting to me.
9. What is the key to getting readers to your blog?
Leo: Creating amazing content on a regular basis. That’s the only reason readers come to your blog — to learn, to be inspired, to be entertained, to be moved. Do that for them regularly, and they’ll not only subscribe, but share your work with others.
10. And finally, what motivates you to keep on blogging?
Leo: It’s those emails I mentioned from people who say I’ve changed their lives. It’s really moving to hear that, and when I write a post these days, I think of people who I might help, and it makes me feel good to know I might make even a small difference to someone.
It’s been a while since I posted a blogger interview and I’m pleased to say the wait is over. I’m back, but this time with our first ever international language interview. Well that at least was the plan until I realised I couldn’t display Chinense characters here on my blog. If anyone knows how your help will be much appreciated.
Anyway, enough about my technical shortfalls, it’s time to introduce you to the incredibly nice Tracy Wang. Tracy writes the blog Asuan at Home where you will shortly be able to read her interview in Mandarin too.
I’ll spare you the usual rambling intro and hand you straight over to Tracy…
1. What’s your blog called and what’s the URL?
asuan at home – http://aevwang.blogspot.com
2. What’s your blog all about ( in 20 words or less)?
It’s about life in London, a potpourri of the little experiences that make living in London exciting.
3. When and why did you start blogging?
My mum was the main reason and inspiration behind the start of my blogging in March 2005. Keeping in touch with families in Taiwan, the blog gives them an update about my life in London and at the same time learning something different about the city – from the perspective of a Londoner, rather than a tourist!
4. Which blog platform do you use?
Blogspot
5. Can you give an example of how blogging has enriched your life?
Blogging kind of just happened, and it was only later that I started to notice its impact on me. I read a lot more now, have a different perspective to the conventional day-to-day routines and actively seek interesting topics to write about.
6. Are there any blogs you recommend reading and why?
Tokyo Mango
This is a fun blog with all the brilliant and crazy things from Japan, very jaw-dropping and just entertaining to read.
Boing Boing
Unique commentary with all sorts of weird and wonderful topics. The stories are interesting, unique and wacky
7. What three tips would you give to someone just starting out in blogging?
- Be yourself – being yourself will make every article you write unique, and resembles you. Once you start writing, the rest will follow.
- Add a Picture – photos say a thousand words and make things more entertaining and real.
- Do your research – if you’re writing a specific topic, it helps to do some background reading
8. If you could change one thing about your blog what would it be?
I’m generally happy with my blog in its current state… but if I have some time I’d love to play around with its design style and create a forum to make it more interactive and fun
9. What is the key to getting readers to your blog?
Regular entries, intriguing stories, experience sharing, topics that readers are unaware of or curious about. Most of my new readers come from search engines so it helps to include a vast variety of subjects.
10. And finally, what you are hoping to get out of the London Bloggers Meetups.
This is my first meet up – I look forward to meeting like-minded people and hear about what made them start blogging and how the others establish connection with their readers.
This week’s blogger interview is with that all round blogging extraordinaire Cate Sevilla of Bitchbuzz.com. Cate is another face I’ve seen at London Bloggers Meetups for a number of years and certainly someone I’ve enjoyed meeting.
Cate’s one of those people who has a steely determination to get on and make things happen, at least that’s how it seems to me. If you read any of her content you’ll probably get what I mean, it’s pretty bold. Cate took part as a guest speaker at the PR Edition of LBM in 2010 and argued for PR agents to treat bloggers with a little more respect, but at the same time I seem to recall her having a fairly balanced view in that bloggers need to be a little smarter in how they work with agencies.
If you’re looking for some ideas around how to get a commercial blogging venture going, you could do a lot worse than buy Cate a drink or two at the next LBM. Well, as ever, enough from me, over to you Cate…
1.What’s your blog called and what’s the URL?
My blog is CupCate.com
2.What’s your blog all about ( in 20 words or less)?
CupCate.com is about what makes me tick.
3.When and why did you start blogging?
I first started blogging on Myspace in 2005 because I needed a way to make sense out of all of the thoughts that were swimming around my skull. But I started blogging as CupCate on Vox in 2006 because I was interested in a career in writing, and blogging seemed like a natural first step towards that as writing online is much more interactive and exciting than writing Word documents that sit on your desktop. But I suppose the main reason I started blogging is simply because I love to write.
4. Which blog platform do you use?
CupCate.com started out on VOX, and then moved over to Typepad in 2008.
5. Can you give an example of how blogging has enriched your life?
Not only has blogging essentially become my career (I launched the women’s lifestyle website BitchBuzz.com in August 2008, and worked as an editor at Shiny Media before that) but I’ve met some incredibly awesome people through my blog.
6. Are there any blogs you recommend reading and why?
The blogs I read are Mademoiselle Robot, The Clothes Horse, Dooce, and Gala Darling. Why? Because they all either make me laugh and/or inspire me.
7. What three tips would you give to someone just starting out in blogging?
- Be yourself. Don’t try to do what someone else is doing as it won’t translate the same way.
- Pay attention to the quality of your photos. No one likes blurry/scary/crappy photos. (Plus, there are plenty of camera apps that can help with that, these days!)
- Be genuine. Write about what you love, what you think, what you feel. Not what you think other people want to hear about.
8. If you could change one thing about your blog what would it be?
I love my blog the way it is.
9. What is the key to getting readers to your blog?
Writing awesome, original content and doing your own thing.
10. And finally, why do you come to the London Bloggers Meetups?
To have a couple beers with friends and to see people I speak to online In Real Life!
Photo is courtesy of Caroline Briggs Photography
Last year I started a series of interviews with some of the more regular visitors to the London Bloggers Meetup and I’m picking this up again now so we can all learn from each others experiences. I’m going to kick this off by posting up an interview with Ann Fenech, someone who’s been coming along to LBMs for I would guess a little over a year and a half. Ann, feel free to correct me.
I first recall meeting Ann when she won a competition at a meetup in Feb’09 which was sponsored by Bacardi Breezer. Ann won one of the competition prizes that month and you can see her entry here. She stands out as I called out her name wrong and she abruptly corrected me. It felt like I was having my wrist slapped. Sorry Ann.
Anyway, since then I’ve got to know Ann a little better and you can normally guarantee she’ll be at an LBM somewhere with a smile on her face, invariably winning a competition prize – did you ever take up Muzu’s offer of two free tickets to a gig of your choosing?
Anyway, enough of the rambling introduction, I’ll hand this post over to Ann so you can learn from her blogging expertise…
1. What’s your blog called and what’s the URL?
Blog Name: Rantings from Afar and the URL is http://annuca.wordpress.com/
(also write about research-related aspects on my other blog: www.researchpath.wordpress.com)
2. What’s your blog all about ( in 20 words or less)?
My blog is about my life: My experiences, travels and observations.
3. When and why did you start blogging?
I had been quite sceptical about blogging as I thought it was quite intrusive. However, when I was moving away from Malta to the UK to study I realised that it is a good way of documenting my time (I was always horribly bad at keeping a personal diary) while keeping in touch with friends and family back home. I haven’t looked back – and cannot see why I thought it was intrusive! After all you only blog about what you wnat.
4. Which blog platform do you use?
WordPress.com: It’s easy to use for a not particularly technically minded person!
5. Can you give an example of how blogging has enriched your life?
Besides allowing me to have a concrete record of my time, I think the most enriching is the people I have met through my blog and theirs, some of which I have gone on to meet.
It has also helped me improve my writing by making it a frequent activity and by putting my audience at the forefront of my thoughts when doing so.
6. Are there any blogs you recommend reading and why?
Ianvisits: Great place to learn about quirky things to do in London, and the calendar of events is definitely helpful!
Cary Cooper: Learn all you need about stress!
La Delirante: It is nice to see the other side of the coin – an expat in my home country! It is useful to see your culture from the eyes of someone sitting outside it! (Ooops Ann, this is a private invite only blog)
7. What three tips would you give to someone just starting out in blogging?
- Decide on a purpose for your blog: is it just for your friends, for commercial purpose, will you use it to write about your interests? Having a clear cut purpose means that people know what they will get when they read it.
- Write regularly, but not forcibly. Better to skip writing a post than to write one as you feel you have to.
- Add pictures or other materials. I only learned this with time, but it does help make your blog more interesting and lively.
8. If you could change one thing about your blog what would it be?
If I could I would have made sure that I had a clear-cut purpose for my blog from the start, rather than having one blog trying to do everything.
9. What is the key to getting readers to your blog?
I try to include relevant tags to each blog post, but otherwise I Wish I knew – this is still a mystery to me! My readers decrease drastically every few months, and then start picking up again, before falling drastically again in a continuous cycle. I have also made the
Alltop expats list and have no idea how, so must be doing something right!
10. And finally, why do you come to the London Bloggers Meetups?
London Bloggers Meetup was one of the most welcoming groups I found when I moved to London. This is why I keep going back! Besides the great people there, the sponsors and prizes are not too shabby either 
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