Making a Living off Being Yourself
I wanted to introduce you to Tavi Johnson. Tavi has been more then a influencer, writer, blogger, contributor, Tavi has been a big inspiration to me and the launch of the magazine. Our first issue of Curated-Chicago included an article from Tavi about the Chicago culinary scene. Enjoy this special article to discover more about Tavi.
The Lifestyle of a Blogger: By Tavi Johnson (Founder and Head Writer of the Chicago Lifestyle Blog: Chi@Glance)
We’ve been told there’s nothing new under the sun, but along came bloggers. Imagine capitalizing and making a living off of being yourself and following your passion. Attending the hottest parties, dining out at the best restaurants free of charge, being sent samples and products just for your thoughts, and best of all YOU (being your own brand) call the shots. Bloggers are still fairly new and advertising and public relation firms see them as a new form of marketing for the future.
I’ve been a Lifestyle Blogger for four years now. My blog Chi@Glance (AKA Chiataglance) primarily focuses on ALL things related to the dynamic city of Chicago. In addition to being a blogger I’m an influencer. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. As an influencer companies, PR firms, advertisers, etc…reach out to me to market their product or service. I fall into the realm of a “Micro Influencer” meaning someone who has a social media audience reach between 1,000 – 10,000 followers. Micro Influencers are seen as profitable because we have a smaller, but more niche audience.
Now that we have the definitions and terms out of the way….what is life like for a blogger? Well some are making up to 5K+ per social media post! That’s not me, but I do have some very interesting stories and unique experiences that have occurred though my years of blogging. I pretty much attend social events every day.
As a Lifestyle Blogger I cover ALL Industries, but tend to gravitate towards the culinary industry the most. I just covered the James Beard Foundation Awards, also known as the Oscar’s of the food world. My seat was so close to the action that award recipients we’re approaching the stage from behind me! The whole night I was bumping into celebrity chefs, attending some of the hottest after parties (Lena Brava and Girl & the Goat to name a couple). By the end of the night I was popping bottles at 5:30am at a Michelin Star Restaurant with the Chef and a few other people.
Although that story is quite unique I frequently end up in those types of scenarios and experience the best of the best. I review the hottest restaurants before they open to the public, cover trade shows from various industries, enjoy luxury vacations at beautiful resorts, interview celebrities, attend high end galas, and I do this all in order to inform and educate the general public of these events happening right underneath our noses in the beautiful city of Chicago.
When I started blogging four years ago it was a way to express my creativity and share my love of Chicago with native Chicagoan’s and tourists alike. Following your passion can be lucrative and VERY rewarding if you stay the course. Since growing my audience I’ve interviewed celebrities on the red carpet like Brain McKnight, Earth, Wind & Fire, Ceelo Green, Michael Bolton, Carley Rae Jepsen and more. I’ve traveled to other states to cover food festivals and have interviewed celebrity chefs like Tyler Florence. I’ve attended private dinners with master sommeliers and wine makers. I’ve been invited to intimate events by companies like Sephora where they gifted me and the eleven other lucky bloggers invited $500 worth of makeup. I’ve been sent products like shoes from companies like Timberland in exchange for product reviews. I’ve been taken on private tours of company headquarters by CEO’s. I’ve been summoned on sunset helicopter rides to tour the city. I’ve worked on high level events with non-profits. I’ve done staycation pieces for high end luxury resorts. All of these exciting and rewarding experiences came from me following my passion and turning my dreams into a reality. I get to do what I love and use the medium of blogging to share that joy with the world.
In 2018 FeedSpot named Chiataglance top 20 Chicago Lifestyle Blogs to follow and Top 35 Chicago Things-TO-DO and Travel Blogs. I was also recognized and interviewed by Voyage Chicago for being a Chicago Trailblazer/Influencer. Who would of thought a website and my love of writing would take me this far! I hope to explore Chi-At-A-Glance (www.chiataglance.com) for many years to come and who knows what opportunities await next! Follow your passion and the rest will follow!