Mummascribbles meets…What Emma Did – Mummascribbles

I have a slightly different interview on my blog today with Emma from What Emma Did. The only reason it’s different is because she is not a mum and so any parenting questions were a tad redundant! This is a great interview and you might want t get your credit card ready haha! Thanks so much for taking part Emma

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family
I’m Emma – I’m 29 and run the fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog www.whatemmadid.com . It’s been running for almost 6 years so is pretty much a huge part of my life. In May 2015, it also launched into an online dress boutique too, so as you can see it keeps me very busy. I have just moved into my own house (which of course has a dedicated blogging office!) but I am very close to my parents and my twin sister. Family is pretty important to me, so I like to be close to them and see/speak to them everyday.

What do you like doing to be you, when you are not working or blogging?
This is fairly hard to answer, as blogging and working take up most of my time. If you are passionate about blogging, it can become a ‘lifestyle’ – which is great if you enjoy it like I do! My day job is within PR, which sees me working with press and bloggers on a daily basis, therefore it is closely linked to what I do outside of work too. Other than that, you’ll usually find me at blogger events, press shows and events, occasionally the gym, seeing friends, shopping, or on my laptop in some coffee shop in Manchester city centre!

What is your biggest achievement to date?
Winning the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards for best new fashion blog in 2010 is definitely my biggest achievement. Bloggers weren’t as popular back then, so I feel it was a real proud moment to take away that title. It opened so many doors for me and my blog that I am eternally grateful for. Another achievement is working in the fashion industry in Australia for a year, where I headed over there on my own and wanted to experience a new country. I continued whatemmadid.com over there too, covering lots of Australian brands and events.

How do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis?
I have three main areas I have to juggle daily: working in PR, running my blog and running my online boutique. Sometimes, I have no idea how I manage it and feel like there is always room for improvement with my time management. I make sure I get up an hour earlier for work and upload images to the back office of my blog, allowing me to update my blog during my lunch hour if I can, and then continuing during the evenings. I use hootesuite to keep my social channels alive whilst working, and then usually dedicate my weekends to the blog and boutique too! I do give myself around 2 evenings a week to see friends and socialise, usually by going out for dinner and drinks, or popping to see people/inviting them round to place. In a nutshell, the hardest part in managing time efficiently, and the most reward part is meeting other bloggers and working with new brands daily! The blogging world is so supportive – if you feel low one day, there is always another blogger who reaches out via social media which can instantly cheer you up.

Why did you decide to start blogging?
I started blogging in January 2010 from the back of being a freelance writer. I set up whatemmadid.com to record all my online features, which then lead to writing about brands and products I was loving. This then lead to reviews, travel pieces, outfit photos… and the rest is history!

Tell me a bit about your blog?
It’s a nice mix of fashion, beauty and lifestyle features – some weeks I focus on beauty product reviews and make-up tutoritals, and the next I’m posting my outfits in gallery form, or the next it’s sharing the best cocktail bars in Manchester. I feel like there is something for everyone – a real lifestyle mix. The fact is now has an online dress boutique page means that not only can readers learn all about the fashion and beauty brands/launches I’m loving, but they can shop my favourite styles too! All my dresses are affordable and are timeless – you can take a look here: www.whatemmadid.com/the-boutique

What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows?
I aim for it to grow as a ‘blogtique’ – a combined blog and boutique which provides a wide offering. It’s nice to offer a platform for people to read about the latest fashion, beauty and lifestyle reviews, but also be able to shop on the site too. When people want to find an affordable wedding guest dress, I’d love them to remember that WhatEmmaDid offers this service too…

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog?
My usual advice would be to just go for it, and give yourself six months to work on the design and content before you can expect a sudden growth or brand interest. But with how crowded the blogging world is now, my new piece of advice would be to find a niche. Think of a USP that would give your blog something extra, something unique.

If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?

1. Jude Law – because he is my secret celeb crush 2. Cara Delevingne – My ultimate idol, and seems like a right laugh too!

3. Shakespeare – I’m a sucker for inspirational quotes and intelligence, so who better?