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December’s North East spotlight series welcomes: Samantha Rickelton

With Christmas fast approaching and the region’s business people looking forward to a well deserved rest, we’re bringing you a December interview series with a holiday twist.

Here at Bdaily we love to bring our readers closer to the stories we write. So this month, we’re asking the questions we don’t usually get a chance to ask - giving you the chance to learn more about the business people you so often read about.

Next up is Samantha Rickelton, professional blogger and author of well known North East blog ‘North East Family Fun’, amongst others.

Enjoy!

Your Business

What were the highlights for your business in 2015?

At the start of the year I decided to work towards the goal of being able to support myself blogging full time so I could leave my employed role in the NHS by Christmas 2015. I am delighted that I was able to do this sooner rather than later and left the NHS to blog full time in October.

Another definite highlight was being asked to sit on the panel of judges at this year’s North East Blogger Awards and deliver a presentation to a room full of brand managers about ways they can work with bloggers as part of O PR’s ‘Ocademy’ training.

Finally, making the #NETwitterati list and being featured in The Journal was also one of the highlight’s of my year.

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently this year?

I think I could have probably left my employed role in April however it’s scary taking the leap to full self employment for the first time, especially when you have three children to support and I wanted to be sure I was ready.

Experience has also taught me that it pays to be careful who you work with and not to say yes to everyone. I receive 20-30 emails per day from brands who wish to feature on one of my blogs - it would be easy to say yes to everyone, especially the gambling and bingo sites that pay well however this isn’t really what my blog is about and wouldn’t sit well in the long term which is what I have to think about.

Is there anything we should watch out for your company doing next year?

I have dabbled with blogging for other sites including DFDS Seaways and Manor Walks and would definitely like to branch out into writing for other businesses (especially in the North East). I am also going to develop my second blog ‘Life as Mrs R’ which focuses more on my own personal ramblings.

I plan to launch a monthly #LoveNorthEast twitter chat with another blogger Karen (who I run the North East Network for Brilliant Bloggers with), publish a monthly blogging advice column and focus on North East blogger outreach too.

Your favourites

Have any other North East companies impressed you this year, if so - why?

I am finding that there are definitely more North East companies engaging with bloggers this year - The Botanist are an example who have an excellent on-going relationship with North East bloggers and in fact my post featuring their children’s menu has been one of my top performing posts this year.

Jesmond Dene House and St Mary’s Inn are also lovely to work with and I think I may have collaborated with them over 6 times in the past year or so. The team always go the extra mile and make you feel very welcome.

In terms of bloggers, my two to watch this year would be Ashlie from Sugar Rushed and Dannielle from While I’m Young and Skinny - both fantastic storytellers.

When business life gets on top of you, what do you do to destress?

Take myself to the cinema which is probably the only place I’m not tempted to check my emails or social media from my phone!

Have any social media accounts caught your eye this year, any favourite pages or people to follow?

Obviously Bdaily for business news! I also religiously follow the Hootsuite blog over on Linkedin - it is packed full of so much advice and I urge anyone who uses social media to follow them.

Over on twitter I like accounts that have a sense of humour about them and don’t take themselves too seriously - Lane 7 and The Fat Hippo are both excellent examples of this.

The what ifs

If you could do any job in the world what would it be?

Definitely the job I am doing now. When I was a child I dreamed of reviewing holidays for a living like the presenters on Wish You Were Here and then as a teen I idolised Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City - I guess my job now is a combination of the two.

If you could go back in time, which piece of advice would you give your younger self?

To follow my heart and not my head. At school I was very academic and pushed into taking science-based A Levels and then a degree in Genetics. I adored media studies at school (and gained grade A*) but it was definitely seen as a ‘soft’ subject back then and I was advised not to follow that career path.

I do wonder what would have happened if I had persisted and just studied the subjects I enjoyed. It has made me realise that with my own children I will only ever encourage them to follow their dreams and not study subjects simply because they feel they have to.

What would be the perfect Christmas gift for you?

I am currently saving for a new MacBook as I have to share mine with my husband at the moment and he never gets a look in! So a MacBook Air would be fabulous.

Thanks Sam!

To feature in our North East December spotlight series, contact Jamie at jamie.hardesty@bdaily.co.uk.

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