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When I started blogging, no one was Internet Famous yet, and no one got a real job based upon their blog or knowledge of social media. Social media wasn’t even a “thing” yet. Since that time, bloggers have been taking the working world by storm, using their knowledge and know-how to land or create jobs. Loralee Choate of Looney Tunes just recently landed a job she hadn’t previously known to dream of, brought about by her blog.
Reading her announcement post, it’s hard not to get excited with her and for her. The story itself is unique, and you really need to read her whole post to truly understand her true zeal for all things blog and social media. But I decided to interview her for BlogHer because of the uniqueness of her story. Loralee isn’t a craft blogger, nor is she crafty, but her online presence landed her a job at a crafting magazine.
I had to know why!
A Six-Question Interview with Loralee
1. When you began blogging and using social media outlets, did you ever have an inkling that you would end up with a job offer of this nature?
That would be a big, fat, NOOOOOO! When I started blogging, I had only read one blog. It was a Chinese adoption blog that my friends started to document their 2004 trip to to China to pick up up their daughter. I read, looked at photos and was immersed in this great little world that they had created for their family and friends. But then? It ended. So, when I thought that blogging was something I wanted to try, I was under the impression that you had to have a separate blog for each life event. I think I had like, 12 blogs before my sister-in-law said, "Why don't you ever update any of your blogs?!" I stared at her for several moments, stunned and blink-blink-blinkity-blinking before the light bulb went on and I sputtered, "OMG, YOU CAN DO THAT?!!!!! NO WAY!!!!" Embarrassing as all get out, but it is also a perfect illustration that if I can become a blogger after such humble beginnings, anyone with a drive and talent can do it, too!
2. Can you tell me a little bit about what this job is, how you'll be employing your knowledge of social media, what your title might be and how it really came about? Was it just a natural progression of talks between you and your now-boss, or did it come out of left field?
I'm working for a great women, Jo Packham. She is the creator and Editor in Chief of Where Women Create magazine and other books and has been in publishing for 35 years. We're launching a new magazine (and book) in December that we are thrilled to bits about. It features women that work in and/or are passionate about the food industry called, Where Women Cook. We're launching a new website in a couple of months, which I have been helping out with. We are very excited for this latest project. We just got finished shooting the cover for the launch with Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Women) out at her ranch in Oklahoma, and I'm pleased that we will be working with many amazing women, including a fabulous collection of food bloggers as well.
I am also heading up the Internet portions of the conference The Creative Connection. I am so excited for this conference. We hold it in Minneapolis in September, and it brings together women crafters, artists and entrepreneurs of all different walks of life. I think one of the coolest, most inspiring and interesting differences in the mommy blogging world vs. the craft blogging world is HOW FREAKING PRETTY everything is. (See office image above for example!) When they ship things to my boss, they hand-paint the shipping boxes, dude! (I am not kidding.)
I also totally want to get my boss on Twitter and blogging/vlogging, but one step at a time.
3. You admit that you're not very crafty. I'm not, either. It's okay. So how are your skills going to contribute to a magazine that is, at its core, super-crafty? Would you have ever applied for this position if they had advertised it? Is there a lesson in your answer for others looking for similar job opportunities?
Luckily, Jo was absolutely not looking for a crafter.
