Interview ; Cydney Irby

Hey Everybody! Today it's the eigth installment in the 'Hot Cup of Inspiration' Interviews. Each Thursday I'll be interviewing a different creative entrepreneur. We'll chat with all sorts of people - from writers, to designers, jewelry makers and photographers to see just what makes them tick.

You can check out the other posts in the series here:

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three

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five

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seven

Today I'm chatting with Cydney, from Dream on Youth.

How and why did you start blogging? 

I originally started blogging to share my adventures, innermost thoughts, and ultimately myself with the world. I was tired of everything being so fabricated and one-dimensional. I was annoyed by the constant one-way relationships I saw with people and a computer screen. I wanted change and I got it from blogging as a photographer first. I, then started interviewing people who inspired and interested me. I've been on nearly every one of the old platforms from WordPress to Blogger and finally settling on Weebly.

Did your blog become an extension of your 'business', or was the blog there first?

The blog has always come after the brand. I am vision girl first, words second. It's odd to say that as a poet but I'm such a visual learner. The website, blog included, was not created for Dream On Youth until after a year and half after I launched on Twitter!

Have you always been a writer? 

I guess I spoiled this question when I mentioned I was a poet. I discovered my love for writing in middle school. I was 11. My first monologue for an audition with the drama club was my very first poem, "Love and Hate." And to think, I was never a huge fan of English classes until college!

Are you self taught or did you major in a writing based field at college? 

I am not completely self taught. Nobody is that's been to elementary, middle, and high school. I didn't major in writing during college but it was part of the core classes I had to take. English Comp I and English Comp II. Look I'm a procrastinator and loathe writing papers but I loved those classes. Both of my teachers were incredible men and helped me confirm that I'm not as bad as I think. In fact, I'm a great writer. Just a little scattered!

Do you think getting a degree is really necessary to be successful?

 I don't think the degree is necessary but I definitely say take classes in college. Take ones that are specified to the types of writing you are truly interested in. Learn the inner workings. You'll be surprised how much more you'll love your work afterwards!

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I get my inspiration from experiences, photos, or music. All three combined is utter magic at night. Yeah, I may lose some sleep but it's so worth it!

What motivates you to keep doing what you do?

The lives that my work touches. As a poet, boss lady, or simply as me. Seeing what I do touch people's hearts, lift their spirits, bring them joy, it's such a beautiful moment. It's been over two years since I started Dream On Youth and I never get tired of knowing that. Inspiring and empowering people is what I was born to do.

How do you keep on top of everything! Managing a blog community like Dream on Youth, social media and having your own personal blog and jobs can't be easy!

I have a planner and six or seven journals. I have apps for nearly every bit of work I do. It's not easy and sometimes I get burnt out! Today I decided to dissolve my personal blog so I could spend even more time on Dream On Youth and our new branch, Youth Atlas News! I'm starting a new job soon as well so it was the best decision!

What's your advice for those with similar dreams to yours?

Never give up. You don't have to stick to one dream. The scariest thing I ever did was announce that I was going to do every passion my heart was set on. You're allowed to be fearless and introverted. Be a big, beautiful oxymoron and embrace everything you want to be or do! You don't have to bend to a set rule list. You are an entrepreneur in the making, go for it! Build an empire! Work hard, rest easy. You're going to leave a phenomenal legacy behind.

You can show Cydney some Link Love at :

|Pinterest|                  |Twitter|               |Facebook|               |Instagram|

Hot Cup of Inspiration VII: Kory Woodward

Hey Everybody! Today it's the seventh installment in the 'Hot Cup of Inspiration' Interviews. Each Thursday I'll be interviewing a different creative entrepreneur. We'll chat with all sorts of people - from writers, to designers, jewelry makers and photographers to see just what makes them tick.

Today I'm chatting with Kory, from Kory Woodard Graphic & Web Design.

She's a blogger and self employed graphic designer .

 You can see other installments here:

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three

four

five

six

Tell us a bit about your blog / business? 

I run a design business where I work with passionate women in helping them follow their dreams of blogging or running a small business. I also run a blog, and there I talk about all things business, freelance, and life!

When & why did you start your blog? Did your business come first or did your blog?

So, my blog came before my business, a whole year before! I started blogging because I had been interning for an online magazine and as I was getting more into the internet, I really was inspired by so many bloggers, and I wanted to start my own. Around this time I was a sophomore in college, and I felt like the blog would be a great place to explore my own design style and what I liked.

Are you self taught or did you go to school for your passion?

I did some design work prior to starting college, but I did attend school for it.

Have you always been interested in what you do?

Not always. In high school I was really interested in being a photographer, and I actually had several years of life planned out in my head. However, I ended up gravitating towards design as I felt more comfortable with it.

How do you stay motivated? 

That’s a tough one! I definitely have days where I just don’t feel like doing any work, but I’ll think about how I’m doing what I love or take a break from work to ease off if I’m just not feeling it. Most days, though, just the idea of having my own business that’s successful drives me!

What’s the best part of your job? 

My ultimate favorite part is getting to help women go after what they want to do. Whether it’s start a blog, rebrand their blog as they change their goals, or creating designs for small businesses, it’s so amazing to me that I get to help these ladies do what their hearts’ are calling them to.

Was there a ‘turning point’ for your blog/business? What was it? 

I would say I’ve had two turning points. The first for my blog would be when I started actively using social media instead of just playing around like most of us do when we first get on there. The other would be for business, when I graduated just a few months ago. I started looking at things totally different, and began thinking about ways to make the business THE way that I make money to take care of myself ( and eventually, my family ).

What’s the worst? 

The worst part of my job… mostly it’s probably keeping up with money! I’m not super great at it, so I haven’t nailed down the best way to do it; however, I do use a bookkeeping software and track ( almost ) everything via spreadsheets, so I try!

How do you stay organized? 

I’m not always as organized as I’d like to be, but I try to stay organized with a planner ( to keep up with my daily to dos, I also use the Todoist app for this ), a notebook for paperwork ( I print invoices, contracts, and project sheets for each project ), and I try to keep my digital files organized by saving something in it’s folder rather than just dropping everything on my desktop.

What’s your typical schedule like now that you own a business? 

My schedule is super open, and that’s one of the things that I love the most. A typical day, though, tends to go like this: wake up around 7:30-8:30, have coffee or tea, meditate + yoga ( which may happen at night instead ), catch up on some blogs, get to work. I tend to work until about 12:30 or so, which is when I have lunch. After that I get back to work until around 4:30-5, which is when I try to slow down work and either hang out with my family or get some stuff done for my blog.

What’s your advice to someone looking to start a business similar to yours? 

Just do it, and then keep doing it. Also, trust the journey. Freelancing can be a scary thing, but it doesn’t have to be. Just start, and trust that what’s meant to be will happen.

You can visit Kory over Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

Hot Cup of Inspiration V: Charissa Moore

Hey Everybody! Today it's the fifth installment in the 'Hot Cup of Inspiration' Interviews. Each Thursday I'll be interviewing a different creative entrepreneur. We'll chat with all sorts of people - from writers, to designers, jewelry makers and photographers to see just what makes them tick.

Today I'm chatting with the lovely Charissa from House of Bliss. She is a blogger, freelance copy writer and CEO of House of Bliss LLC.

You can see other installments here:

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How and why did you start blogging?

I started blogging to increase the visit length on my business website. :) I just had it as a static site, and then decided that i wanted to blog, too…. So, I started the blog on my website about a week after the website itself launched. I love writing (which is good, ‘cause I write for a living…) so it came really naturally to me.

Did your blog become an extension of your business, or was the business there first?

Yep, the blog became an extension, after the business had been established for about a week

Have you always been a writer?

Ever since I was little, I’d wanted to write. I write copy full time through House of Bliss, and also write for myself on my personal blog. (swirlblog.com)

Are you self taught or did you major in a writing based field at college?

 Do you think getting a degree is really necessary to be successful?

I’m one of those people that is an English junkie, and loves linguistics SO much that I decided to have a hemispherical IQ test done. My right brain is WAY stronger than my left, so it makes sense that writing comes naturally to me.
 

I don’t have a college degree (but do have college English classes under my belt). I think there are tons of successes — especially in today’s world — without a degree. I’m walking proof.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Honestly, once you’re a marketer or a copywriter, most of what you see is a trigger. You’ll see commercials, ads, products, labels on candle containers… all of it jogs something for you. So i’d say that most of my inspiration for writing on my own site comes from life experience, and from listening to my target market. There’s a lot we can create when we listen to what our readers are thinking, feeling, and telling us.

What motivates you to keep doing what you do?

I love it. And as cheesy as that sounds, you’ve gotta love what you’re doing — or it will end up sucking out your passion. (Gross.) Keep going, keep loving — and when you don’t love it anymore, change. :D I keep myself able to write because I focus a lot on my mental health through meditation, my emotional health through coaching, writing for me, and my physical health through clean eating and Bikram yoga classes 6x/week.

How do you keep on top of copywriting, hosting mint & mingle, being active on social media and blogging?

HA! It’s a juggling act, for sure. I have a really great team of assistants, and my staff help me with our projects when I get super booked. My staff take first priority, after my health. Then, my clients and their writing/projects. After that, I leave myself a lot of room to play inside my schedule, so I’ll host things like Mint and Mingle, and trips with my sisters and friends. Life should be created — it’s my job to enjoy every minute.

Social media is no joke. I stay connected and current by using my favorite automation tool, Buffer. (bufferapp.com). And no, they don’t pay me to say that. ;)

How do you write for clients and still manage to stay true to yourself on your own blog? 

Do you ever struggle with your voice being inconsistent?

Part of writing for so many clients is being able to change my voice to match theirs. When I write for a client, I want them to read what I wrote, and wonder how I got “in their head”. Whenever I get comments like, “I say this all the time…” that’s a big win for me. I keep my own voice developed by writing for myself on my personal blog, and writing all of the posts on the House of Bliss blog, too. Those are all in my voice, and all authentic to me.

What's your advice for those interested in pursuing their own career in the writing business?

Don’t give up. Sometimes it’s really hard to keep writing, writing, writing, and change your voice to suit multiple clients (if you’re into copywriting). If you’re wanting to write for yourself, author a book, or keep blogging more consistently, the biggest advice I have for you? Keep writing. Make time in your schedule every single day to write. Even if it’s only a half-hour, every single day, write. You’ll become attached to it, like a habit, and you’ll actually miss it if it can’t happen one day. It’s kind of like that runner’s high that people talk about. You never think it will happen, but the first time it does, it’s life changing.

I also encourage music, if it helps you focus. If you're one of those people that needs it absolutely silent when you write, then obviously ignore this. Hahaha. If you’re not… and you like ambient noise, I suggest creating a Spotify playlist for your writing. If you want to hear what I use most often while I write, it’s here: http://open.spotify.com/user/claycakes/playlist/0aecSilRUBRpgAZB6LUvkn

Hot Cup of Inspiration; Rekita Nicole

Hey! Today it's the third installment in the 'Hot Cup of Inspiration' Interviews. Each Thursday I'll be interviewing a different creative entrepreneur. We'll chat with all sorts of people - from writers, to designers, jewelry makers and photographers to see just what makes them tick.

Today I'm chatting with the lovely Rekita from Rekita Nicole Design studios. She is a blogger who makes her living doing blog designs and branding processes. You should check her out. She's Genius!

In case you missed the last post with jewelry designer and creative consultant Alisha, you can find it *here*

The second post with Social Media Manager & Personal Stylist Candice Van Wye is *here*

When Why and How did you start your blog?

I started my first blog when my husband was deployed in 2011. I started it because I really needed an outlet. I had just given birth to my second son and I just needed something to help me vent. 

Are you self taught or did you go to school for design?

I am self-taught, even though I do want and need to go to school to master my craft. I am sort of all over the place. 

Have you always had a passion for design?

Well, I have always had a passion for art, period. I am very creative. I used to be very good at drawing, I could look at something and just draw it. So having those skills has really lead me to the passion for design. 

How do you remain inspired & motivated to create?

My family motivates me a lot. I also have a husband who encourages/gets-on-my-nerves to be better. I also wanted to show my children there is more to me than just “mom”. I wanted to show them that they can follow their dreams and make a life from their passion.

What’s the most satisfying aspect of your ‘job’? What has been your best moment through your career so far?

The most satisfying aspect is getting that “WOW” reaction form my clients. It makes me feel so good and confident that I can do more. The best moment has been making good friends and collaborations.

What's the worst part about your job?

The worst thing is when people don't understand what you do and how much time it takes. Being a graphic designer and coder is so tedious. 

 What are your top tips for anyone interested in the design career?

I say research and take some classes pertaining to your craft. My most important tip is to set hours for your clients and yourself. I used to stay up until 2 AM designing and I would be the worst person in the morning. Also, leave weekend for yourself and your family. There is also nothing wrong with taking a short hiatus to regroup. 

You can find Rekita on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram
or check out her blog and design website