This is not your typical interview! Last week, I asked you guys on Facebook to send me anything you’ve wanted to know and I would answer them here. I’m sticking to my promise!!!
Here are round one of the interview questions sent by you!
Camille Morgan: Who was your favorite celeb interview that you have interviewed so far?
I want to say Nicki Minaj, only because the interview was conducted in 2009, right before she dropped her verse on Five Star Chick. (which is the first time she used those funny voices.) Back then, she expressed that she was going to wait to sign with a major label because they didn’t get who Nicki Minaj was. Looking back, every thing she said she was going to do in that interview, she went on to do. She knew who she was as an artist and what she wanted to accomplish, and she didn’t let anyone change that. When I look back on that interview, it’s definitely inspires me.
Jane Lesego Legwale: What I want to know is if you ever had days where you felt like giving up or regret being a blogger due to people’s negative comments(hate) towards your blog?
To be perfectly honest, I don’t get that much hate towards my blog outside of people who are mad because their comment might have been sent to moderation, or a fan of a celeb who may take offense to a story. I will say that the negative comments that I read towards the celebs, does affect me personally.
2. Do you feel that forums like blogs contribute to the rise of internet-bullying? Love u all the way from South Africa!
Thanks for the love from South Africa!!!! I do think that blogs and any forum online that allows for free speech and it’s members to post their opinions can contribute to the rise of internet-bullying. As a person with a huge following, I realize my influence and I have to be careful about the things I say and how it may contribute to bullying, so I try to be extremely nice when blogging about celebs and if I don’t have anything nice to say, then I may not blog it at all.
Nicole Garland: What did you before?
My first full-time job while still in college was a receptionist at an accounting firm. I then interned and was later hired at a radio station in Detroit as their promotions coordinator. I left after 6 months and eventually moved to New York where I worked odd temp jobs but money wasn’t consistently coming in. I finally said, “I’m not sending out another resume. If someone wants to hire me, they are going to have to find me!” lol! I was fed up! I pretty much started my site when my back was against the wall.
Monica Humphery-Kimble: Know you like blogging but have you ever thought about writing a book?
I have. I’m waiting for that defining moment to come in my career. I’m not sure if I’ve reached it yet. I already have ideas 🙂
Charles Culp: How can a new brand compete with celebrities that are in the same category?
No matter what type of business or brand you decide to create, you will always have to compete with someone who has a larger following, more fame, and more money than you may have, so please do not let that discourage you from jumping in the game. To put it in perspective, I don’t think people realize it, but right now I run my website with one other writer and an intern and I have one person that sells all the advertising so we can keep the revenue coming in. In comparisons, my website has to compete with corporations and websites that have at least a staff of 30 or more people, have at least $20 million in investments and so on. When I think about it, it makes my head spin because on paper, it would look like we don’t have a chance. But we do, and we consistently keep up, keep our social media updated, keep the revenue coming in, keep the blog updated, and so on. I remember in 2011, we were out in LA, standing on the red carpet next to outlets like ExtraTV and Access Hollywood, and we were producing content that was comparable. That made me smile because no one would have thought that we were still such a very small site. And to dead any rumors, I never sold my site. I’ve thought about it, and I’ve had the option, but it’s still ran 100% with my own money and the money that we bring in from advertising. So I say all this to say, it’s very easy to get discouraged when someone who is has a larger following and more money is doing what you want to do, but I am proof that as long as you are passionate about your craft, and continue to focus on your own path and the overall goal, it’s possible to win the race.
Laticia Stephen: Do you look back at past post and wonder should you have said that? I often go back to old posts that you’ve written and you were a little messy. Now your posts are less gossipy!
Thanks Laticia! You have to understand that when I first created NecoleBitchie.com, I was sleeping on couches with hardly a pot to piss in. Is that an excuse, no it’s not but I do believe that what people say about others, is a reflection of what they think about themselves or them not being happy with their own personal situations.
I didn’t think too highly of myself back then, I suffered from low self-esteem, (My living situation was a huge part of that) and in return, I didn’t have very nice things to say about other people. I love looking back on those old posts because it reminds me of where I was and how far I’ve come.
Jonté Gray: Lets get to the juicy stuff… Love life; dating? Your celeb crush (wale lol)??
Wale is not my celeb crush! LOL! I am very playful with Wale. I think he’s a misunderstood Virgo and I somewhat relate in a way. We are both very weird. I first met him when he came to my birthday party in 2009. With that being said, I don’t know if I have a celeb crush. It used to be Michael Ealy (I actually met him…haha!) but he’s married and actor Nate Parker (from the Great Debators) is married too. I don’t believe in lusting after someone’s husband. If I could fall in love with someone through their music, it would be John Mayer (I listen to him a lot!!) but he’s said some questionable stuff in the past, so that leaves me with no celeb crush. Actually is it possible to crush on Drake? He’s so loveable!
Kerry Peart: Did you ever call that guy from Austrialia on Rihanna’s 777 tour?
No!!! His name was Tim. I was shocked when that aired on television because I had no idea that the camera guy that was filming us was filming for Rihanna’s DVD.
To be honest, I started being bitchy to Tim as the tour progressed because he started annoying me a bit and I was delirious from lack of sleep and being on the plane for so long. At one point, I was using the bathroom and he was sliding forks, knives, mustard packets and anything he could find, in a small crack at the top of the door and they were hitting me on the head as I was using the toilet. I was pissed! LOL! I really think Tim should do some type of show. He has the personality for it and he’s so crazy. Perfect for TV.
Shavonn J: Best ways to brand yourself? How to stay relevant and keep you morals and values?
The best way to brand yourself is through consistency. It’s almost impossible for a brand to be a brand without being consistent at something because ultimately that is what they will be known for. So, to grow a brand, you have to consistently provide the same experience to your customer, reader, client etc each and every time they come in contact with you. Staying consistent is how a brand remains relevant as well. To give you an example, if you are interested in growing traffic to a website, you have to make sure it’s updated each and every day with good content, or at least often, so that people will come back. If you blog one day and then don’t blog until 2-3 weeks later, it’ll be hard to keep consistent traffic coming to the site.
As far as morals and values, especially for those interested in blogging, do not compromise your morals or values for a pageview. It’s not worth it. There were times when I could have broken huge stories that could have brought my website a ton of hits, and made my site’s name so much bigger, but that story could have also ruined someone’s life or career. My morals would not allow me to do that. Also keeping your cookies in the jar is a huge one. This industry is small and people talk and I don’t believe in the term, “screwing your way to the top.” You can actually screw your way out of a job.
J Mael Williams: How does NecoleBitchie.com get revenue?
NecoleBitchie.com makes money through companies that advertise on the site. We were signed to an advertising network for the first few years who pitched our site to different companies like McDonald’s, CoverGirl and so on but eventually we decided to sell our own ads (which is a lot more work!!!!) because we felt we were getting ripped off by the networks who normally take up to 50% in commission.
Brandi Asha Earley: Do you think the blogging industry is becoming over saturated? Do You believe gossip blogs can distract people from enjoying the art that is created?
Yes it is over-saturated. I realized it had become oversaturated when I went to VH1’s website one year, and the home page of their site featured the latest celeb gossip versus the shows that they were airing. If I go to any given radio station’s website, they are promoting the latest gossip on their homepage. People are covering celeb gossip because it brings in the hits, and they can get more people to visit the website.
It’s crazy when you are in a space when everyone is doing the same thing because it’s a constant struggle on trying to keep up while also trying to stand out. What will make them come to your site, over these millions of other sites that are posting the same story?
The gossip surrounding a celebrity’s personal life definitely distracts people from the art, and it is kind of sad if you think about it. I don’t think people get the credit they are due anymore because people are more concerned about what they are doing in their bedrooms than they are the quality of music or movies that they are producing.
On the flip side, if a celebrity wants to keep their private lives private, they can. Paparazzi are tipped off by artists and their publicists who want the publicity. Stories end up in Page Six through their publicity teams, not eye-witnesses. Sometimes a business arrangement or publicity campaign brings a celebrity couple together versus them truly being in love with each other.
Tiffani Walker: After all that you’ve been through in life, the good, bad, ugly, beautiful. What do you know for SURE about life? And what are you embracing in your life?
I know for sure that you have to treasure and appreciate each and every moment. We are in a day and age where a lot of our moments are being lost because we want to stop and take photos, not for our photo albums that our kids and grandkids will see, but for a group of followers we may not know on Instagram and Twitter. We film our moments, not to go on a dvd that our grandkids and kids will one day see, but to share that moment on Vine. I feel like we spend so much time capturing our moments for other people that sometimes that moment is lost or less appreciated. It’s something I think about all the time. I really wish I treasured and lived more in my moments, especially over the last five years. I’ve also learned that you have to treat people right, never take anything for granted (broke is always around the corner), and most importantly, always remember that the energy you put out, you will get back.
Lastly, if it’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that a smile makes you look so much prettier than a frown. Happy people are the most beautiful.
Right now, I’m focused on embracing all my struggles, my shortcomings, my flaws, my modest upbringing and the bad times as well as the good. Those bad times, have made me so much stronger as a person. I could have never gotten this far without experiencing the heartache, the pain and disappointment.