Living in London, England as a PA by day and a blogger by night, meet Rebecca-Monique of BlaquePearl.com. She talks blogging, working in media and juggling it all below!

iG: Where did the idea for the blog come from?

RM: I got my inspiration from loads of fashion and beauty blogs that I had been following. Blogging became an escape from the normal hustle and bustle of everyday life and I decided to document my own style and looks.

iG: Who is your blog for and what can readers expect?

RM: That’s hard question to respond to because I don’t know the answer myself.  Although I try to consider what my readers would find interesting, it’s important for me to stay true to myself. So, in essence, my blog is for me; a way to document my personal style development and archive snippets of my life. I’m just honored that those who regularly follow it appreciate what I post. Readers can expect to see a lot of picture-led content (OOTD, photo diaries etc). I love snapping details. There’ll also be the occasional lengthier written pieces (fashion/beauty-related reviews, experiences, products etc.).

iG: You have a lot of experience in media. What does your experience include, what did you learn from it and how does that tie in with your blog?

RM: I specialized in broadcast journalism (radio and TV) but regarding invaluable knowledge that links to blogging: I did a module in online journalism where I learnt about blogs for the first time and SEO and HTML coding which helped with the basics of setting up my blog, how to generate site traffic, monitoring its progress etc. As a journalist, you become accustomed to working with PR companies e.g. communication etiquette, maintaining good long-lasting relationships etc so that helped too.

iG: How do you juggle family, your blog and other activities? And what would be your advice for other working mothers juggling multiple things as well?

RM: I’ve recently returned back to work from maternity leave after 10 months of looking after me and my husband’s son. It’s all about being in tune with your baby’s (both babies!…I kid!) demands and needs, not forgetting your own. That way, it’s a lot easier to plan your day or week around your commitments. My advice to other working mothers is be realistic about what you can mange. As much as you may love the idea of being superwoman, no one is. Setting realistic goals means that you don’t beat yourself up or feel like you’ve failed if you don’t get round crossing off everything on your ‘to do’ list. Blogging should be enjoyable and it shows when you have genuine passion for something. Think quality, not quantity. Even if you only get to do one post a week, personally, I think that will suffice to keep your readers coming back for more. Take 15 minutes aside each day to work on a post (or a few), be it planning, taking photos, editing photos or doing the write up. That way it’ll feel therapeutic rather than a chore.

iG: What keeps you motivated to continue to supply new content and update your blog?

RM: Passion. I love what I blog about and how I blog i.e. taking photos of my outfits, the write up etc. When you do something that you enjoy, you’re constantly thinking of ways to improve and develop. With blogging, you’re the editor/ gatekeeper. You choose what you want to publish, and how you want to present it. That freedom allows you to bring your creativity to the forefront and showcase your talents and skills in their entirety.

iG: You have really great outfit posts, how would you describe your style and where do you pull inspiration from?

RM: Thanks! I get my inspiration from everywhere and everything, be it art, strangers in the street, TV, films, magazines etc. No matter how unique we’d like to think we are, we’re all influenced by each other in some way or another. I’d say I’m feminine rather than girly. There are days when I want to dress smart, trendy, sexy, youthful, or casual. Sometimes you want to glam it up; sometimes you want to dress down. I add a dash of colour in most of what I wear. With age, my style has become more conservative, ladylike and chic. I love well-fitting pieces, detail, and tend to colour scheme my outfits. I’m not your ‘finger on the pulse’ kind of person and don’t always intentionally follow trends; I simply wear what I’m drawn to and like.

iG: What motto do you live by, what inspires you?

RM: Take responsibility for yourself. We all make decisions in life so live with them. Don’t blame anyone for whatever has gone wrong in your life. No one owes you anything, however, you do owe it to yourself to make a change for the better if you’re not happy with the way your life is going so stop moaning and start acting. Also, it’s good to look at the bigger picture & realise that things could be worse. Appreciate what’s right; stop focusing on what’s wrong. People who are motivated and have a positive outlook on life inspire me. That drive to progress and succeed gives life so much more purpose and reward.

iG: What does inner glam mean to you?

RM: To me, ‘inner glam’ is being intrinsically happy with who you are physically, mentally, and spiritually. Feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin is an attractive trait to possess and important for general well being.

iG: What advice would you give to women who may not know who they are or may rely heavily on media influencing their behavior/style?

RM: We’re all influenced by the media in some way, shape or form. I think everyone has to find their own way in life, be that to do with shaping who we are as people or our style. It takes some people longer than others, but finding who you are isn’t something any amount of advice or guidance can teach; it comes from within, through experience, and trial and error. You’ll know when you’ve ‘found yourself’ because you’ll feel content. Thing is, we don’t ever stop growing, changing or learning, irrespective of age, so who we think we are now may change months or years down the line.

iG: What advice would you give someone trying to pursue a career in media?

RM: It’s an extremely competitive industry. One that I myself am yet to break so aren’t really qualified to give advice on that front. But, like with most things in life, persistence will pay off. Find your niche interest and go with it i.e. if you love entertainment, stick with that and pick what you want to specialize in e.g. TV, films, celebs etc. Be a master at it. Your passion will shine through. Networking is vital when it comes to the media. Unfortunately, in many cases it’s not what you know but who you know. Go to social gatherings/events, keep up-to-date with social networking sites and for news etc. Experience is paramount in the media industry so get as much references/samples of your work to add to your portfolio in order to make it stand out from the rest.

iG: If readers only get one thing from your blog, what is it that you would want them to get?

RM: Appreciate the little things in life and smile. In all honesty, I’m not really trying to send out a message. I just hope that people enjoy my posts.

Check out Rebecca-Monique’s blog Blaque Pearl and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Lookbook or Pinterest!

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