To be honest, i was really contemplating for a long while as to whether i should return to the blogging world or not. And one of the person that really inspires me tons is her. Her spirit of excellence, consistency and never say die attitude amazes me and inspired me to return to the blogging world. So this post is dedicated to anyone that has a dream but have no courage to live it out yet!
We know each other through our hubbies. They are buds. My first impression of Linda is that she is very classy and more of the 'Ang Moh' type, which might be tough for us to really communicate as i am not as fluent at English compared to her. But her warmth and friendliness melted my heart! Somehow there were common topics and we hit off...not too bad! Haha...
And suddenly one day, i was told that she started blogging! To be honest, i was skeptical abt the blogging world. Because it depends on who your targeted audience is. If ur audience is you, you & yourself, then thats not hard. But if its people outside your circle of immediate friends, thats tough. And so she started her blog and of cos as a supportive friend, i signed up for post updates sent via email by her blog. I remembered receiving a few emails (even now still! ) on new posts from her blog, on a weekly! And then in her IG, her followers were also increasingly increasing! From hundreds to one thousand to two thousands and now in the three! I finally realised what it means to live out one's dream. She was consistent & determined. So i decided to have a mini interview of her.
(Source: silverkis IG)
(Source: silverkis IG)
(TGS - This Gal Shines, SK - Silverkis)
TGS: Its an apparent fact that you love comestic and skincare. So how did it all get started?
SK: I was born with very sensitive and easily irritated skin… growing up was tough as I was always suffering from bouts of eczema all over my body and face. So I learnt at a very early age the importance of taking proper care of my skin. Also, I was blessed with a mother who also believed in using proper skincare – she bought me my first facial wash from Shiseido when I was 10!
TGS: Were there any difficulties at the initial stage of setting up the blog and getting everything going? What are they?
SK: Setting up a blog isn’t hard these days given the number of free hosting sites around. But getting some sizeable traffic was certainly a challenge. I researched and tried all the “tricks” out there… how to get the search engines to crawl my site, getting my site rankings up the search results, etc. There are quite a number of things you can do, but if you picked a good blogging platform to begin with, most of that is already taken care of for you. Ultimately, it is about generating the right content that people want to read, being timely in releasing updated information, and being good to your followers. It also helps to be active in other platforms such as forums and social media sites like Instagram and building up a reputation as somebody who really knows what she is blogging about!
TGS: Any interesting experiences on blogging to share?
SK: I still work a full-time job in a very boring industry that is totally not beauty-related. And sometimes the lines get blurred between the roles – when to switch into beauty blogger mode versus work. When I first started blogging, I was so intent on getting as many people to visit my site that I was not very careful about segregating. And then later on when my search rankings started creeping up, if you googled my name my beauty blog pops up. It never occurred to me until one day a colleague stopped me in the corridors and asked me for recommendation on eye cream! And along the way she mentioned that xyz from another department told her that I blogged about eye creams!
TGS: You have been invited to a few events and they looked so fun! Who are some of the famous blogger(s) that you have rubbed shoulders with so far?
SK: Umm…. I don’t really get starry-eyed around “famous” people… they’re all just people to me, and I am more interested in getting to know everyone on an individual level rather than by their Instagram followers or blog subscribers. So I can’t really name names la!
TGS: List 3 things that keep you going, even til now.
SK: (1) Getting to know my readers well really drives me on! It is the best feeling when a reader leaves me a comment to tell me they liked what they saw, or they appreciated my frank opinions… I sometimes get readers who hop over to my Instagram and leave me comments there as well. I’ve also gotten to know some much more established bloggers overseas who I am big fans of, and they have started to follow my blog… it lets me know that I’m doing something right after all!
(2) I love seeing how the beauty industry evolves… it sounds geeky but I love checking out new product innovation (e.g. this year we saw a whole bunch of liquid cheek – lip dual-use products launched, and this summer a whole new formulation for eyeshadows, etc etc). I also love discovering new brands such as Neuth that is just starting out but already I love their products!
(3) Of course, being recognized for my work really fuels me. The other day I was at a Chanel event for customers (not a media event for bloggers) and somebody turned to me and asked if I were Silverkis! I was embarrassed of course, but it really feels good to be gaining recognition. And more brands are starting to reach out with invitations and product samples… it lets me know that my blog is finally reaching a critical mass and the industry is starting to take note!
TGS: What are the future plans for your blog?
SK: Only God knows… ;)
TGS: What advice would you give to anyone that has a dream but doesnt dare to step out into action yet?
SK: Well… then it’ll always remain just a dream wouldn’t it? Dreams are nice… you just have to decide if you want to actually live it. Little steps aren’t hard… so just take it 1 baby step at a time, and trust God to pave the way!
So for all YOU who has a dream, its never too old or too young to realised it. Start by taking baby steps and you will be one step nearer to realising them!
If you would like, pls follow Silverkis at her IG name, silverkis .
And also follow her blog (silverkis.com) , she gives honest reviews on skincare and cosmetics and there are even giveaways from time to time!
Lastly, to Linda, keep on keeping on, for you'll never know who you impact tomorrow! 😘😘
1 comment:
Oh gosh, Shine my dear... you are absolutely the sweetest! And yes! We do have common topics to chat about (errant husbands included)!!! ;) All the best to you too on your blogging aspirations.... i'm so looking forward to the day we can go attend events together!!!! Love you lots!
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