It is time for our monthly blogger interview, in fact this will be the last Confessions of a Blogger for 2014! I still cannot believe that it is almost Christmas, never mind the end of another year!!!
So this will officially be our Christmas Interview! Today we meet Leana, from Hipstyler, Pretty & Ginger. Leana is a gorgeous local blogger, with a wicked sense of humour! I have gotten to know Leana a bit better over the past year – she is really fun to be around and no matter what kind of day I am having, she always makes me laugh! {Online and in person 🙂 }
 Hi my name’s Leana and I am an equally proportional hipster, beauty lover, corporate paralegal, Sponge Bob lover, supporter of the “Hug a Ginger” initiative and generally a dysfunctional 20 something year old. I’m a born and bred Capetonian corporate law compliance officer by day and raging indie band groupie (amongst other things) by night.
- When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I started blogging in May 2013. At the time, I’d just started the Hey Gorgeous Twitter account and I needed a platform to direct potential Hey Gorgeous clients to as the brand didn’t have a website yet. A blog seemed like the easiest thing to do and so Hipstyler Pretty & Ginger was born.
- Do you blog fulltime or do you have a regular 9-5 as well? The dream is to earn loads of money from my blog, but for now, I have a full-time job, two part-time jobs and the blog… and studying. *phew*
- Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? I like to write about anything that comes to mind, which is why my blog is so unorganized (I think) but the chaos is also the inspiration behind my new blog theme and look. I have a deep fear of commitment so I try not to restrict myself to one topic alone. I love writing about beauty products and new brands but I love music and hippy stuff too. And I was thinking of bringing in a new category called “Drunk posts”… yes? No?
- Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? It’s not easy, but you have to be disciplined in posting as often as you can – not for any reason other than “being the best you can be in whatever you do”. Whenever I feel like “taking a break”, I stop and think “NO! You might miss an opportunity” and then I carry on. Growing up, I imagined a person with a whip standing behind me, running me down in whatever I did, until I finished it. In the last couple of years, I lost this imaginary person, but recently, he “came back” and even though it’s tiring, I feel extremely proud when I pull through a difficult task. Another great motivation is the amazing friendships that I’ve developed over the last year and a bit. If it weren’t for them supporting me, I wouldn’t have made it this far. I’ve made some real friendships that will stand the test of time. Also… wine helps…
- How important do you think it is to have a niche blog? You don’t want your blog to be “just another blog”. In a world where it feels like every second person has a blog, it’s easy to become invisible in the Blog Ocean. This is where I firmly believe that everyone has something to offer. Instead of trying to “fit in”, I choose to embrace my uniqueness (code for weirdness). Eventually, if you’re true to yourself and through hard work, you’ll succeed. So whether you’ve got an interest in dancing in front of your exotic fish tank while doing your makeup or whether you like to eat strawberry shortcake, you’ll end up portraying “you” in your blog. But… if you don’t, you’ll probably end up hating blogging.
- What have your biggest blogging challenges been? When I first started blogging, I was too hasty. I think my biggest challenge was to be “OK” with where I was at any given time in my blogging career. Since this realization, I’ve been able to grow. I still get mail from new bloggers moaning about brands not noticing them… but it takes time if you don’t have the right connections. Rome wasn’t built in a day – I’ve had to learn this as well.
- What do you love most about being a blogger? I have absolutely no idea what it is … but I’m addicted to it. I love every facet of blogging: coming up with content, taking and editing pictures, uplifting other bloggers through my Project feel Good series and also making friends with other amazing people. I think THE biggest high I get is when the big shots take the time to comment on my posts. Also… the events and the wine at the events…
Oh… and this banner that City Girl Vibe made for me. I think it pretty adequately describes a little bit of me. - If you had to choose a favourite social media platform, what would it be and why? It’s a tossup between Twitter and Instagram. I like to be visual – I feel like it makes more of an impact.
-  What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? ABSOLUTELY! Pre-blogging me was a shy “can’t do” person with loads of insecurities. I can’t even REMEMBER this person prior to Hipstyler Pretty & Ginger, but I’ll tell you this, I’m a better person for it, I’m richer in true friendships, I’m happy with who I am and I don’t allow people to walk all over me anymore. It’s a wonderful feeling when you find a place where you fit in.
- If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? This is an easy one. Everyone started somewhere. Think about the most successful blogger you know. If you dig long and hard enough, you’ll find that their first couple of posts were not what the posts are today. Don’t be discouraged and always remember that if it was easy, EVERYONE would have successful blogs. It takes time, commitment and passion. So, just work hard and one day you’ll pick the fruits.
Thanks Leana for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! Please pop over and connect with Leana here:
Blog link: www.hipstylerblog.com
Facebook:Â https://www.facebook.com/hipstylerprettyandginger
Twitter: @leanahenke
Instagram: @leanahenke
If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.
STUNNING answers my beautiful friend!
THANK YOU my sweet Megzi!!