Looking for some major inspiration to jump start your own blog? Enjoy this interview with Zem Joaquin, the founder and CEO of ecofabulous, a website and blog focusing on eco sexy, sustainable, style. Full of valuable, relevant editorial content, rich video content and infused with tons of authentic personality, ecofabulous is a great example of taking a vision, like living green with style, and creating a successful lifestyle brand via a site and blog. Click here to enjoy ecofabulous!
What inspired you to start ecofabulous? What approach did you take for setting up your site and blog?
I was deep into an extensive remodel of my house and found it incredibly difficult to locate reliable resources of beautiful yet sustainable products. Because both of my children suffered from severe asthma I was determined to create an environment with minimal toxins, but refused to sacrifice my aesthetics. Many people either cannot afford to hire a designer or don't want to hire someone who isn't on the same page as them when it comes to style and/or environmental concerns. Ecofabulous is meant to fill that void by providing fun, engaging information about products and concepts so readers become more conscious without losing their sense of humor.
A lot of new bloggers want to know about finding their voice for starting a blog and/or site. How has this happened for you and how has your "voice" evolved as your brand grows?
Very good question! Ecofabulous was originally created for the TED community, and since I was the eco-editor of House and Garden at the time, it was narrowly focused on interior design and indoor air quality. Over the last few years it has broadened into lifestyle because in almost every case there is a beautiful, more eco-friendly option available for anything. Additionally, eco-design, like design in general has become much more accessible, democratized if you will. Though I still maintain ultimate editorial control, ecofabulous is a collective effort of many committed writers, researchers and designers, which is a big change from the days of 2AM blogging alone.
We love your videos! What are your thoughts on Web 2.0 and what advice would you give to new bloggers who want to achieve this?
Video is a wonderfully rich medium, so if you are interested, just start producing! I have created everything from big sponsored projects to cost-free interviews and worked with production teams of ten to a friend holding a Flip camera. Just figure out what you want to get across before you simply post video. Another thing to keep in mind is that short is best. Keep video to under 5 minutes, ideally under 3.
Best tips for writing content? Do you have an editorial schedule or do you just write as you are inspired?
I used to just write about things that inspired me for ecofabulous (though I always have had certain requirements/requests from the Conde Nast publications that I contribute to) but as we grew it became necessary to create an editorial calendar. Yet, due to the immediacy of the internet we have to have a very flexible system - we don't want to be late to the game. Luckily nearly everything we cover is in some way exciting, so approaching my fourth year I am still never bored!
Thanks, Zem!
Rebecca
What inspired you to start ecofabulous? What approach did you take for setting up your site and blog?
I was deep into an extensive remodel of my house and found it incredibly difficult to locate reliable resources of beautiful yet sustainable products. Because both of my children suffered from severe asthma I was determined to create an environment with minimal toxins, but refused to sacrifice my aesthetics. Many people either cannot afford to hire a designer or don't want to hire someone who isn't on the same page as them when it comes to style and/or environmental concerns. Ecofabulous is meant to fill that void by providing fun, engaging information about products and concepts so readers become more conscious without losing their sense of humor.
A lot of new bloggers want to know about finding their voice for starting a blog and/or site. How has this happened for you and how has your "voice" evolved as your brand grows?
Very good question! Ecofabulous was originally created for the TED community, and since I was the eco-editor of House and Garden at the time, it was narrowly focused on interior design and indoor air quality. Over the last few years it has broadened into lifestyle because in almost every case there is a beautiful, more eco-friendly option available for anything. Additionally, eco-design, like design in general has become much more accessible, democratized if you will. Though I still maintain ultimate editorial control, ecofabulous is a collective effort of many committed writers, researchers and designers, which is a big change from the days of 2AM blogging alone.
We love your videos! What are your thoughts on Web 2.0 and what advice would you give to new bloggers who want to achieve this?
Video is a wonderfully rich medium, so if you are interested, just start producing! I have created everything from big sponsored projects to cost-free interviews and worked with production teams of ten to a friend holding a Flip camera. Just figure out what you want to get across before you simply post video. Another thing to keep in mind is that short is best. Keep video to under 5 minutes, ideally under 3.
Best tips for writing content? Do you have an editorial schedule or do you just write as you are inspired?
I used to just write about things that inspired me for ecofabulous (though I always have had certain requirements/requests from the Conde Nast publications that I contribute to) but as we grew it became necessary to create an editorial calendar. Yet, due to the immediacy of the internet we have to have a very flexible system - we don't want to be late to the game. Luckily nearly everything we cover is in some way exciting, so approaching my fourth year I am still never bored!
Thanks, Zem!
Rebecca
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