Interviews - Inspired Living SA

Confessions of a Blogger Gaelyn

In today’s Confessions of a Blogger we meet a truly awe inspiring woman, Gaelyn from Gaelyns Heart of Iron, who although I have never met, feel like I know so well! Read on to find out more about this amazing woman!

I am a 29 year old wife, step mom, aunty, sister, daughter and friend. I have my own diet and lifestyle coaching company called A New Weigh, which is just the most rewarding job ever! I am currently training for my very first Ironman 70.3 which is in January 2015. I live in East London and we share our home with a rescued pit bull Zeus (who thinks he is human!) I love the beach, being outdoors, sport, singing, rainbows and travelling. I am happy go lucky, laugh far too loudly and always look for the silver lining.

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I started late 2013, so am still a newbie. I have always wanted to write a book, and this seemed like a good first step. I feel like I have an untold story inside me, and my blog is a great way to start getting that out to the world. Also, because a lot of my posts are personal, I find it cathartic and healing. I always hope that what I’m sharing will touch someone in some way, and help them keep going on whatever difficult journey they are on.

If you are not blogging where will we find you? At CrossFit, the gym, the beach, or spending time with my family and friends (either at home around the braai or out somewhere fun!)
Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? I don’t think I quite fit into a particular blog category, and I kind of like that. I blog a lot about my journey to reach my goal weight, my disability and its challenges, training for Ironman, and other bits and pieces that I find interesting. Whether it’s a person or organsisation I want others to hear about, or a new product I found, or just something awesome – it will find its way onto the blog! I also do enjoy blogging about controversial topics, and to date these remain some of my most popular.

What do you think makes a blog successful? Passion! Since starting my blog I have spent quite some time reading other blogs, and am always disappointed when I am referred to a well-known and popular blog, that shares posts that are obviously boring to the writer. If you don’t believe in what you are saying, how can you possibly expect anyone else to? I don’t enjoy blogs that always produce the same content. There are only so many beauty product reviews one blog can do! Blogs that are full of sponsored reviews and giveaways are boring too. Adding a little diversity goes a long way to engaging more readers. People respond to emotion, to real life, to meaningful posts. They respond to humour and sadness. The reader wants to feel like they know the blogger, that they’re friends. I LOVE bloggers who reply to comments left by their readers, personally it always makes me feel like I matter, that the blogger is writing to actually engage with readers and not just be heard and admired. (I know that not everyone will agree with all that, but it is what I feel makes a good blogger.)

Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? Easy schmeasy! It has been far tougher than I expected. I am surprised at how many bloggers appear to be in competition with one another. They attend the same events and receive the same products to review or giveaway, so it becomes a race to see who gets posts up first/most likes/more comments. Knowing that I live in a small town off the PR radar means I can focus on sharing content of value. It’s helpful reminding myself that blogging is not a competition, and that success in the blogosphere is not measured by number of followers. Reading comments or tweets from other bloggers I admire, is hugely motivating. They noticed me! The content I share is often personal and will affect people in quite deep and meaningful ways, and hearing from those readers is touching, and reminds me that the risk I take with my honesty and transparency is worth it. I am not just writing for me, I am writing for my readers too. I want them to learn from me, ask questions of themselves, look within and challenge themselves and their beliefs and behaviours. It’s only by constantly pushing myself, researching and learning new things, trying out new ideas and challenging myself that I can grow as a blogger. And at the end of the day, if I love and am proud of my content, anything else is a bonus!
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Trying to decide how much of myself I am willing to share, opening myself up for criticism and judgment is scary!!! Posting regularly, but without just sharing something for the sake of having a post that day. Accepting that even though I may read, comment on and engage with other blogs and bloggers, doesn’t mean they will always take the time to read mine.

What do you love most about being a blogger? Knowing that what I have to share, means something to someone. That my story might just be enough to keep someone on the path to their own goals. That what I have to say might stop someone else from giving up! I also do love interacting with so many new people every day. I’ve always been so interested in people and their stories, and my blog has created a platform for me to interact with and learn about (and from) people I would never have normally met.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? I have learnt that not everything in life is a competition (I am naturally VERY competitive). I have learned that I am never the only one going through a certain challenge or struggling through an issue. I have learned that people are actually interested in what I have to say. (Family and friends are kind of obliged to listen, aren’t they? People online choose to read my posts!) I have learned that if you ask for help, 9 times out of 10 you will get it. I have learned that my words have the power to hurt, and to heal, and I must choose carefully.
What are your top 5 SA blogs? Midlands Musings – Kerri writes how I would love to one day write. She has a way of making words beautiful. She has a way of turning words into pictures in my mind, its just beautiful. Indieberries – I love Che’s self-deprecating humor, and I love that her blog is just so different from every other! You will never get bored reading her (HILARIOUS) posts.Nadia Van der Mechst – I am absolutely hopeless at anything craft related, and despite never having been interested in pretty things before, I love reading about the lovely things Nadia is involved in. CityGirlSearching – Roxy’s is one of the first blogs I ever found, and I still love it! She has such a perfect balance of topics, recipes, make up, beauty, fashion, photography and travel. It never gets boring. Raising Men –Natasha writes so beautifully about so many topics, but the absolute love she has for her boys shines through in everything she writes, and I admire that. She isn’t afraid to speak up on touchy subjects, and asks questions of her readers which I appreciate.
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Persevere. Don’t measure your success on page views. Find content that enthralls you, or challenges you, or excites you, or upsets you, and write about that. Interact with your favourite bloggers – you will learn so much from them! Last but not least – have FUN with your blog. As long as you are proud of it and love it, nothing else matters.

Thanks Gaelyn for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! You can find out more about Gaelyn and connect with her here:

Blog link: http://gaelynsheartofiron.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anewweigh

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.

Images: Gaelyn

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

Confessions of a Blogger Charlene GeeWhiskers

In today’s Confessions of a Blogger we meet the lovely Charlene from GeeWhiskers. I have “known” Charlene for quite a while on the Twittersphere but more recently had the opportunity of meeting her in person – what a lovely gal!

Hi my name is Charlene and I am a Business Analyst. Being a Taurean I naturally enjoy the beautiful things in life. I blog about beauty, decor and pretty much anything that tickles my fancy at the time. I adore dachshunds, flowers, perfume, music but above all spending time with the people I care about.

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? In 2009 I started reading blogs and joined certain community beauty websites. During this phase it really sparked a passion in me and I felt really restrained because I could only do so much on the websites. Through many conversations over twitter and comments on other bloggers’ blog posts, I finally took the plunge and decided to start a blog. I started it purely as an almost scrapbook-like kind of space, I never actually had any ideas of grandeur for my blog – it was and still is a hobby for me.
Do you blog fulltime or do you have a regular 9-5 as well? I have a regular 9-5 job (although I wish I only worked those kinds of hours). I am a Business Analyst which means my blogging is done in my spare time.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? I like to refer to Gee Whiskers as my space for simple, beautiful things. My focus is more on beauty products but I do also branch off a little into lifestyle kind of posts occasionally and my dog, Scamp (a miniature dachshund), is also featured at times. As mentioned before, my blog started off as a scrapbook so I think it still retains some of that. I am fortunate that my readers enjoy my more personal posts as much as I enjoy putting them together.

Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? When I am very busy and working long hours it is so difficult to sit late at night to have a post ready for the next day. I do go through phases where I feel exhausted and uninspired. In times like that it can be something small such as trying out a new lip balm and wanting to share how great it is or something bigger like attending an event. These things reignite the enthusiasm and joys of being a blogger. But my biggest motivator is receiving feedback from my readers. Every comment I get on a post inspires me to do more and keep blogging – readers are the ones who keep my blog going.

How important do you think it is to have a niche blog? I didn’t realise just how diverse the blog industry is in South Africa until I actually started attending events and interacting more with bloggers. I think niche blogs are of utmost importance. I like visiting a blog that appeals to my specific interests not only in content but also in the way content is shared. I like reading people’s personal opinions and also learning more about the blogger behind the blog. I know there are many people who the facts about things and nothing more – which is perfectly okay, I visit blogs like that too. We are very fortunate that we have such a rich and diverse blogging community.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? For me time is always a challenge because I work a full 8 – 10 hours a day. Finding the time to write posts, take photos and plan the future features or competitions on my blog, all becomes a big challenge. But it does keep things interesting and exciting.
What do you love most about being a blogger? Interacting with other bloggers and readers of my blog. I have met such wonderful people through my blog. It probably sounds very insincere, but I really do feel so blessed to have met such wonderful people.
If you had to choose a favourite social media platform, what would it be and why? Well I don’t have a facebook account so that already helps me. Between Twitter and Instagram, I think I will have to go with twitter because you can have real time conversations with people. It is probably where I interact the most with my readers. However Instagram is a close second place because one isn’t limited to 140 characters!

What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? I think the biggest change blogging has had on me is my willingness to interact with people. It is not that I am socially maladjusted, it is more that I am rather reserved. I am not the type of person who will just walk up to someone and strike up a conversation – in fact I am awful at small talk. Attending blogging events kind of forces you to do precisely that, which I believe is a good thing. Over time I have become so much more at ease at events and that has seeped into other aspects of my life.
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? I believe it is so important for any blogger to know who they are and what they want their blog to be. It is definitely admirable and okay to aspire to be the biggest blogger in the country, but I do feel that you need to be realistic. You can’t start a blog with the single hope of wanting to receive lots of free things while attending all sorts of events – many bloggers I am sure will agree with me that it just doesn’t work like that. A blog is such a personally expensive undertaking, you have to love what you blog about else you won’t have the passion or motivation to blog. You will lose interest. In the beginning when I started my blog I think I was trying to please brands in hopes that I would grab their attention. I quickly snapped out of that and focused on why I started blogging in the first place – that is what gets me out of bed late at night when I realise that I don’t have a post scheduled for the next day.

Thanks Charlene for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! You can find out more about Charlene and connect with her here:

Blog link: www.GeeWhiskers.com
Facebook: Don’t have a facebook account
Twitter: www.twitter.com/gee_whiskers
Instagram: www.instagram.com/gee_whiskers

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.

Images: GeeWhiskers, PInterest

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

Confessions of a Blogger Heather Femme Lifestyle

Today’s Confessions of a Blogger features the lovely Heather from Femme Lifestyle, someone who I have actually gotten to know, as a friend, in real life, not only on the web! Heather also heads up Bloggers Who Bless, a blogging group I belong to.

I am an ‘almost’ 40yr cuddly bear and bookworm. I am known for my whacky sense of humour, big hugs and even bigger bush of curls. I am a #kittymom with two ‘feline children’ and have worked as a beauty therapist for more than 20 years. Currently I manage our family signage business, as well as run the design department and have been doing so for going on 5 years. I have a passion for food, travel, beauty, writing, art and all things creative. I am a Christian and I believe that love conquers all ….

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I started blogging and launched Femme Lifestyle just over a year ago now. My blogging became an escape from the mundane admin side of my work, this is where I am often stuck behind a pc for hours on end. I couldn’t physically do anything creative without being ‘noticed’ and so I escaped into a world of words, sharing my passions of beauty , women and all things lifestyle (books , food , reviews ,travel etc.)
Do you blog fulltime or do you have a 9-5 as well? Oh how I wish I could blog full time, nope I am afraid I blog as a hobby (addiction …oops).

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? Femme Lifestyle is really a space where I get to share what interests me, things such as great restaurants, recipes and even the obvious such as events or expo’s. On the other hand it is also a place where I share new trends for women, products that I maybe trying out which more often than not includes a review and extending as far the occassional DIY insert. Lately I have been trying to get out of my comfort zone and focus more on the ‘Lifestyle’ side of the blog; I tend to err on that which is familiar, so easy to do when I am pushed for time. I try and add a twist of interest by incorporating places to stay, books to read incl.reviews and pet health.
Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? Often my blogging is a place of refuge and therefore does not require much motivation; my biggest challenge is overcoming busyness and tiredness more than anything else.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? The challenge is to stay authentic and true to you, our modern-day world is so very competitive and quite nasty. For me, I try to focus on the fact that I am original and that alone prevents me from comparing myself to anyone else ‘the shoe wouldn’t fit’, I try to live each day valuing those that support me and sponsor me, focusing on what I do have and not, what I don’t have and lastly loving everyone that crosses my path (a kind word and a warm heart can make all the difference in someone’s day – it does in mine).
What do you love most about being a blogger? The opportunity to share the fun, the excitement, the adventure and the joy of all I get to experience. I cherish the wonderful opportunity I have had to make friends with similar interests, irrespective of age, location and type of blog. I love to be able to encourage others and also share honest and transparent reviews and write articles on what I find to be of interest.
Do you have any blog related or social media pet peeves? {things that other bloggers or social media peeps do, that really annoy you} Yes, when people are demeaning and/or belittle people for no reason aka blog-bashing. The reality is … ‘no matter how great a blogger/social media guru/ brand you are no one is irreplaceable and no one is ever ‘the best’ so be nice. Life can be the greatest equaliser when you least expect it!’
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? I never knew I had such a motherly instinct towards others, nor did I ever imagine I would meet so many hurt and broken people. I genuinely love people and blogging has taught me that I can reach out with a kind word, I can share my journey through life, and in so doing help others to see how beautiful they are.
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Be true to yourself, measure your success not by numbers, freebies and events, but rather but the joy you get from sharing that which you love.
In three words tell me what blogging means to you – Love, honesty and transparency

Thanks Heather for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! You can find out more about Heather and connect with her here:

Blog link: http://www.femmelifestyle.co.za

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Femme-because-life-happens/340443906067167

Twitter: @heatherdebruin

Instagram: femmelifestyle

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.

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

Confessions of a Blogger featuring Cindy Alfino

In today’s Confessions of a Blogger we meet gorgeous mommy blogger Cindy, behind the blog 3 Kids, 2 Dogs and 1 Old House.

Cindy is the name that most people know me by, but for the last (almost) 5 years I have been better known as Mom – by my 3 kids anyway. I’ve been married to my “high school sweetheart” (Seth) for the last 7 years and we have 3 lovely kids together – Kyla (4), Riya-Ray (3) and Knox (18 months). We entered into the parenting game early (I am only 27) but we absolutely love it – most of the time anyway. We live in the most beautiful city in the World – Cape Town, South Africa and make sure that we make the most of all that it has to offer.

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I had to look this up – we started blogging in August 2010, just after Riya was born. I knew that when I had kids I wanted to keep some kind of awesome record for them to look back on, a scrapbook of our escapades of sorts, and because we live in an era where technology is constantly at our finger tips I thought that blogging would be the easiest way to do it. Plus connecting with others via social media helped me so much when I had Kyla (none of my friends had kids) and so sharing via SM helped me so much. I guess I was hoping that besides recording our memories, maybe I could be a support to others in a similar situation.

If you are not blogging where will we find you? When I am not blogging I am either running my kids around from school to playdates or in my office – I’m the co-owner of an Insurance Brokerage in town (run away – I’M the middle man!)
Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? Our blog is called 3 Kids, 2 Dogs and 1 Old House – if you had to box us into a category we would be “parenting” but there is so much more to life and parenting than just that, so I think we may fit into “lifestyle” too. This is our little corner of the web where we record our adventures in and around Cape Town (we are fortunate enough to visit new places quite often), the challenges of parenting and anything else that interests us – this includes DIY, home décor, tattoos, taking my own photos, gluten/dairy free eating, kids crafts, lots of chocolate and more.

What do you think makes a blog successful? To me a successful blog is where the author is always honest and actually shares snippets of their lives. I personally don’t follow any blogs that only review/promote stuff because I have enough advertising pushed on me in other spaces. Not that advertising is wrong, I would just prefer if it’s made interesting/personal to how it affects you and your family specifically and not just a punt of “information”.
Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? Sherbit, that is quite an understatement. Blogging is definitely not easy, but I look back at old posts and that in itself makes it worth it for me. Also, I have this ridiculous fear that I may die early and leave my kids without anything to remember me and how much I love them – I could possibly be slightly neurotic. But if they ever stumble onto this blog they will be assured of my deep love for them through the good and bad times that we have had together.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Finding the time to sit undisturbed in front of my laptop and thinking of interesting content (and not just trying to fill up space) while still being present as a Mom can be difficult. Throw in owning a business and having to study in my spare time and it can be really hard. So I limit myself to an hour a night (after the kids have gone to sleep) to blog before hitting the books or the couch for a snuggle with Seth. One other thing that I constantly struggle with is priorities. It’s so tempting to lose focus on the real reason that you blog and start to strive to be like other bloggers/driven to try and make cash. When this happens I give myself a slap across the face and start again.

What do you love most about being a blogger? Having a space to go back and reflect on our time together, but also the connections that I have made with other Moms and non Moms out there. Reading comments on the blog where they mention how my words have touched them/helped them is amazing, not to mention how much their comments of support/tips when I am struggling through something has helped me.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? I have learnt a lot about myself and others. I can be super disciplined and overly critical of myself. Sometimes it is helpful, other times slightly annoying. I have also learnt that they are loads of bloggers out there, some of them are in it for the money and the fame and will not be happy or supportive of your success/growth – but forget about those people because they are even more lovely people out there who are above that – find those people and be that person.
What are your top 5 SA blogs? This was fairly hard for me to narrow it down as I follow a very wide range of SA Blogs, but obviously parenting blogs resonate with me the most, so here are 5 that were first on my blog reader – if you want to see the rest check out my Bloglovin feed: Nikki and Nicholas, The Blessed Barrenness, Harrassed Mom, Reluctahttp://alfinos.wordpress.com/nt Mom, Living Lionheart.
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? If you blog do it for YOU. Not money or “fame” – just you. Know that if you want to have a successful blog you need to be consistent, present and friendly. Once you have figured that out just go out there and do it!

Thanks Cindy for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! You can find out more about Cindy and connect with her here:

Blog link: http://alfinos.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/3Kids-2Dogs-1Old-House/179553362107367

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CindyAlfino

Instagram: http://instagram.com/cindyalfino

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.

Image Source: Cindy Alfino

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

Confessions of a Blogger Chantal from Channi Chic

Today’s Confessions of a Blogger features fashion loving Chantal from Channi Chic.

Hi I am Chantal a 20 something blogger – discovering her own style, love for fashion and life in Cape Town, South Africa. I love the outdoors and find beauty in the small things. I am an easy going, talkative girl with loads of energy who is on a constant pursuit of finding great beauty products, which actually work and a closet that looks like the boards I create on “Pinterest”

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? My blogger journey started about 2 and half years ago. At the time I was working as a service desk agent at a call centre and on quiet days I would get stuck on reading various blogs and watch Youtube videos for hours on end. At that time blogging wasn’t as popular as what it has become now. After a few months of reading various blogs over and over I began to realize that I too would like to create a space of my own. I blogged not thinking that anyone would actually read it, I blogged as an outlet…. It was my happy time xx
Do you blog fulltime or do you have a regular 9-5 as well? I wish I could blog full time, how fun would that be? I have a full time job as a Buyers Assistant at one of the leading retailers in SA. I am also in the process of completing my B.com Degree in Marketing Management and anywhere in between I blog. Which is probably all the time xx

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? My blog is called Channi Chic; it’s about Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle. I blog about Fashion that is actually wearable and products that I have tried and tested that are an absolute must have. I like providing my readers with up to date product and brands that they were previously unaware of.
Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? Blogging is no walk in the park. It requires hardwork, motivation and an overflowing brain of creativity. It is not as glamorous as it looks, but it is tons of fun. Everything that you do put it, you will get out. Blogging is time consuming as you will be taking pictures, writing up posts interacting with other bloggers or the people following your blog. It’s all about interaction and presence on the social media sphere. But the thought that there is at least one person reading, I’ll keep blogging.

How important do you think it is to have a niche blog? It is rather important, as there are so many bloggers out there, blogging about Fashion and Beauty. What you do need to established is what makes your blog different, from the 100s of others out there.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Time 🙂 I have to literally balance everything. I have to organize and plan blog post around my crazy schedule. At the beginning it was rather difficult. But now it’s just another aspect of what I do. So prepping beforehand makes the world of difference.
What do you love most about being a blogger? I still cannot get use to people saying that they have read one of my posts or when they mail me just to say that they went out and purchased a product I recommended. I also love working alongside awesome Brands that I believe in, and the fact that they actually value my input.
If you had to choose a favourite social media platform, what would it be and why? I am absolutely in love with Instagram, as I love the fact that a picture speaks a thousand words. But my favourite is Facebook. I have created a Channi Chic Blog page and the interaction I receive is really amazing.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? I am really bubbly person in my own circles & with people I know. However I’m shy when I don’t know you. But blogging has made me interact and meet new people. At various events I’ll start up conversations with people I’ve never seen before, I have acquired the confidence to do so now.
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Don’t start blogging because you want to get free stuff or attend events. Blogging is hard work. Blog because you love it, and that you actually want people to read what you wrote. I have received many emails and messages of people asking how to start a blog and when I tell them what it actually entails they’ll end up saying “skip the details, how do I get free stuff ????” That is the worst reason to start a blog. It drives me crazy.

Thanks Chantal for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! You can find out more about Chantal and connect with her here:

Blog link: www.channichic.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Channichic

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channichic

Instagram: @ChanniChic

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.

Image Source: Channic Chic, Pinterest

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