Interview with Fashion and Life Style blogger-Amanda Rollins
I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with Amanda through social media. One of the reasons why I chose her for this Style N Beauty Series is, she seems to balance being a wife, motherhood and business so effortlessly. At the time of this interview she will be excepting her 2 child in a few weeks!! Can you say, ROCK STAR!! I hope her story will inspire you.
Q. Tell us about your brand. How did you get started?
A. I run the blog Value Minded Mama. Getting started was fairly easy for me. I just created a note in my phone, and wrote down a bunch of ideas I had for blog posts. I would say the hardest part was coming up with the name! I wanted something unique and brand appropriate, but that would also have a free domain name. I am very thrifty/money conscious when it comes to shopping, but I didn’t want to limit my promotions to only inexpensive items either. When I finally found something I was happy with, I did some research on what kind of website platform to use (which I then changed based on several friends recommendations). Then, I just kept sharing my blog posts to social media, specifically Facebook. I think that really helped, because I had a lot of friends and family sharing/promoting my posts. It really encouraged me to keep going.
Q. What was the influence or the motivation behind creating your blog?
A. My best friend actually encouraged me to start blogging. She could never believe the sales/savings I was able to find, and thought I should share my tips with others. Ever since I started working and earning my own money (college), I have learned to be a value minded shopper. Becoming a mother with increased expenses on both the family side and child side, has made me even more financially conscious. I also really love DIY projects, because I know I can make a lot of things people waste money on more affordably. In today's economy it's all about affordability, and since I've been doing that for years on my own, I wanted to share my experiences/tips with others.
Q. How important is it to have a mentor?
A. It is very important to have a mentor. I was introduced to a very successful blogger, with a high following, before I even started blogging. I had many discussions with her on what to do, expect and how to get started. I also had another local blogger friend who was in the same boat as I, but was very knowledgeable about all things blogging, because she had done a ton of research. Without them I would still be struggling to grow, procrastinating on important next steps, and be clueless about a lot of things.
Q. Being that you are fashion and Lifestyle Blogger… How do you feel about the representation of how fashion is being portrayed?
A. I think this is a very interesting question. I think certain fashions circulate every several years. The 90s style is nothing new, hello that's what we wore in the 90s! But now in 2017 it's “new” and “trending”. There really isn't anything new anyone can do with fashion these days. You can just make things loose/tighter and in different patterns/fabrics. Sometimes it seems designs just get more scandalous, because everything else has already been done. However, I have to say I am a big fan of the bell/ruffle sleeves, which are really in big fashion right now. I appreciate the conservativeness of the look, while still being chic and stylish.
Q. What advice would you give to someone who wants start a blog?
A. I was actually just asked this question recently. I responded with, it's all about what your goals are. You need to find out what you want to focus on, whether that's having an awesome Instagram page, making money, getting free product, or creating amazing blog articles. You'll have to do a ton of research based on what your goals are, and try not to get discouraged when things are slow. Sign up for all the free classes you can, and get that knowledge while you're working on your brand/blog. So many bloggers post to Facebook and Instagram offering free classes. Then they want you to pay for their program to get all of the knowledge, not just that little snippet. But I say, don't buy any programs/classes until you know what you want to focus on. And most importantly, you need blogger friends. I would say this has been essential to my success as a blogger. Without other bloggers supporting me, I would be nowhere.
Q. What’s next for Amanda Rollison?
A. Well, this is a loaded question. (Haha) I am currently 36 weeks pregnant, so that’s what’s next for me! I’m not sure how much blogging I will get done with a newborn and a 2 1/2-year-old at home. It’s been fairly easy with one child, because I blog and network during his nap and after he goes to bed. But with a newborn, your time is not your own, and you work all day and all night. I will probably be focusing more on Instagram collaborations and promotions as they are not as time-consuming. I do hope to have a few blog posts stockpiled before baby girl comes but we’ll see… Till the end of the year (that’s crazy to say), I’ll mainly be working on our family, and trying to get everyone into a normal rhythm again.
To connect with Amanda
Instragram: @valuemindedmama