J.Says Online
  • Home
  • Entertainment
    • THE J. LIST
    • J.LIST BLOG
    • GENERAL HOSPITAL
  • Seriously Beyonce`, WTH?!?
  • Society/Culture
  • So This is Life?
    • J.Says Daily
    • J.Says & the "Quarter-Life Crisis"
  • Contact/ Info
  • Feedback

Interview: Hot Bloggers Tell All

1/28/2013

2 Comments

 
Picture
These days, everyone is a blogger; logging their opinions on everything from politics to entertainment to express themselves and/or be an internet sensation. Art created one of the web’s best hubs for current music news (MadeToBeNow.com), Ronald (RonaldMatters.com) & Dio (It’s DiO!) operate as activists for the LGBT community all while commenting on pop-culture & daily life and Chike Evans is a burgeoning journalist on Blog Talk Radio’s “The Steven Knight Show” and YouTube with "Conversations with Chike Evans."  These online media personalities gave an interview to J.Says Online to reveal how they've managed to stand out and discuss the downsides of web success.

What brought you to online media and what were your initial intentions when you got started?
Art: Ever since I can remember I’ve always had a profound love for music; like an obsession. I always knew everything about everyone in the business, like the latest single, the latest video, the next album, the inspiration behind each record, I mean… I was crazy even back in the day. Then one day, I decided it would be fun to share all that. And here I am. 
Ronald: Superstar status! *throws hands up as if I see my name in bright lights* When I first started my blog, I had intentions of being the next Freddy O or Necole Bitchie. However, I discovered real quick that I would appreciate being a niche blogger more. Fame wouldn’t be all that great if the gay community hated Ronald Matters.
Dio: Online media has served as an outlet for me: my thoughts, worries and aspirations [it] has been used as a release. I was initially intrigued by the B. Scott character; he inspired me to put it all “on the table.”
Chike: My friend, now boss, Steven Knight, brought me to online media… [He] asked me to be a part of the project. There was no way that I could have said “no” to that.
J.Says: I wanted somewhere to express sometimes lengthy opinions, inform and start a dialogue with new people, especially Beyonce` fans, because I didn’t know any other dedicated fanatics.

Picture
It's DiOOO! (Autumn Chanel Photography)
How have your goals changed over your time online?
Art: The goal was always to have the best music blog “for me”; every little piece of it, from the…design, the way of writing, color schemes, everything. The only rule is that if I like it, then it’s ok. The goal was, is and will always be to make something I like. Something I think is fun.
Chike: Now I see my dream unfolding in front of my eyes. I see the prize, so to speak, and that makes me push even harder to achieve my goals.
Dio: I wouldn’t say that I ever had any goals as an online personality. It is merely a self-therapeutic platform.
Ronald: After a while in the game, you’d be a fool to say your goals haven’t been modified in some kind of way.

What do you know now that you wish you would've known in the beginning?
Dio: I wish I would have realized then that being an online personality would make my past and present public knowledge. I’m much more reserved in “real life”.
Chike: I learned that people are really willing to hear what you have to say as long as you present yourself appropriately. After all, it is about who you know. Right? 
Art: A lot about coding and HTML, website design, writing, social media, I mean… It’s a whole world of new stuff that would have been very useful to know at the beginning.
Ronald: Content is king, always will be. Promotion is the queen. Nothing else matters. Nobody cares about your blog design; hopefully it’s minimalistic so the content can shine and won’t load forever on my slow a** phone. Learn the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) basics up front. It sounds confusing, but you will appreciate it later…and start that Google AdSense account.

Picture
Get up on the latest in music with MadeToBeNow.com
Sometimes, being an internet personality requires revealing your identity; be it an email or a video blog. How do you maintain control over your personal image?
Art: I really don’t care much about that, because I think people don’t care about it, really. The main focus of my site is music and my love for it. I mean, I do talk about who I am and my image is public, but I rather have people putting attention on the blog rather than on me, you know?
Chike: My image is not too far off of who I am. I am just being me. I follow the old adage “Be yourself.” It does get a bit difficult in separating the business me from the personal me. I am still learning how to do that.
Dio: One way that I have kept reasonable distance between my audience and I was the creation of the personality and alternative name, “DiO”. I also try not to make too many intimate relationships with viewers. It’s good to maintain a bit of mystery, especially when you’ve publicized so much of your life.
Ronald: I’m an open book. Being able to openly talk about sex, family drama and interpersonal issues - especially from the gay point of view - is what draws people to RonaldMatters.com and my YouTube channel. You truly never know who you may help. The times when I have been the most revealing is what gets the most comments and emails of thanks and inspiration.

Has being a relatively public figure affected your personal life or how people interact with you?
Art: Well, I think that a lot of people pay more attention to me than they normally would if they didn’t know I have a popular blog, but is really not a big deal. It ain’t like I’m frickin’ Lady Gaga!
Dio: Yes, especially my dating life. Often when I’m interested in someone they are already aware of who I am, which puts me in a weird predicament because my online personality is not necessarily who I always am. As I said before, I’m much more reserved in person than on Youtube. When I meet people they expect me to be over-the-top.
Ronald: The stalkers, baybehhhh! When I tell you they are in the UK, Africa, Australia and even Antarctica! That aside, I love seeing my supporters in person. It’s still fresh and new to me. Recently, I was with my friend at the annual [Memphis] festival just strolling along when a young boy started screaming “OMG! There goes Ronald Matters!” over and over again. My friend, who didn’t expect this, goes, “Umm… I think you have a fan.” It was so sweet. We took a few photos for his Instagram and Twitter and we talked for a brief moment. That was one of my favorite moments from 2012. 
Chike: My friends and family treat me exactly the same. However, people that only know me through my work do treat me celebrity-ish. It has its moments, but I am not one to take myself too seriously.
J.Says: People in my life are sometimes worried I’m going to “Taylor Swift” them and write an article about them. I don’t do that. If I’m going to quote them or mention a discussion loosely, I get permission. Sometimes, my mother’s friends run back to her and say “Did you know she wrote about this?”

How do you manage your time and create balance between your online and daily life?
Ronald: Bloggers generally shy away from weekend updates unless there’s a big event. After 7pm is usually off limits, too.
Art: That’s a hard thing to do and I’m still struggling with that. Sometimes I wish I had more time to do everything I love doing. The blog is my child and I know that I need to take care of it and just be there on a daily basis, but at times, it’s hard. Now, I’ve just come to the conclusion that I have to publish something every day, even if it’s only one post. Otherwise, time just flies.
Dio: I have yet to completely master balance between online and daily life. I go through periods of being fully involved online and not at all.
Chike: I honestly would say that this is the hardest one for me.  I still have a “day job”.  I also have a career in the medical field that keeps me pretty busy.  The juggling of it all has proven quite interesting to say the least. Just when I think things are becoming impossible, something happens to make everything go over without a hitch.  That is what confirms to me that I am on the right path.

What do you think has made you or your brand successful? 
Art: I like to think that the way I write, the design, the stuff I talk about and the people I talk about are the key ingredients to the success of my blog.
Ronald: Being me, Ronald Matters, is the key ingredient to anything I put my hands on. If I can’t be me while doing it then it won’t be fun. 
Dio: I have heard from many people that I say things that the average person will not. I also remain true to myself on Youtube. I stick to what I know and I steer away from topics that I am not fully involved in. The things that I discuss on Youtube are mostly testimonial.
Chike: The success of “The Steven Knight Show” as definitely helped my brand tremendously.  That project is/was a great jumping board for me. The fact that I base my movement on relationships and becoming interpersonal with people definitely helps. I try to leave people that I encounter with a warm feeling.  Almost like… I am family.
Picture
Have a conversation with Chike Evans?
Have you ever had to compromise your beliefs in the process of trying to find success?
Ronald: No. That’s crazy.
Dio: Personally, I have not, but I know other online personalities who have.
Art: At first, I wouldn’t talk about artists I didn’t really love or about scandals, because the main focus is the music. Then, I learned that music fans at times want to know how the people they don’t like are doing; if they are succeeding or failing and sometimes, some of us end up changing our mind about certain things, artists and genres.

Chike: Fortunately, I am in positions with both “The Steven Knight Show” and “Conversations with Chike Evans” that allow for me to call most of the shots. That is a great luxury…to not have to compromise. I am very thankful for it. I have not had to compromise too much, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the work. When I lay my head to pillow, I have to feel good about myself. If not, I would definitely have problems with that.
J.Says: I’ve been pushed to be more sensationalist or gossipy to get more hits, but I never want to post unless I have something of substance to offer. In some cases, I’ve been more diplomatic in my writing in an attempt to not piss people off, so when it doesn’t work, it’s particularly irritating. I’ve gotten a lot of criticism about my Beyonce` section; I’ve been accused of over-analyzing and being negative and told I need to change it. It’s called “Seriously, Beyonce`, WTH?!” not “Seriously Beyonce`, You’re Amazing.” Everyone already knows I adore her. That section is about constructive criticism; that’s not going to change. I just don’t post the latest music, I discuss it.

What are the pros and cons of building an internet brand?
Art: [Con] Time. Time. Precious time. You will need a LOT of that. You will have to invest all your creativity on it. You really have to go all in; otherwise, it just won’t work. As for the pros, once you get big, it feels good to know people like to read what you write and the fact that you can make money out of it; it’s just amazing. I just loved--like you have no idea-the first check I got from my blog, even though it wasn’t that much. It was because of something I created. It’s just the best feeling in the world.
Ronald: Pros, you’re popular. Cons, you’re popular. Friends and potential dates are all scared they’ll end up being talked about in a video or blog post. 
Chike: 1 great pro is that the entire world has access to you. The con is that the entire world has access to you.  The gavel swings both ways on this one. Putting yourself out there and creating new fans and followers is great.  Sometimes you can also have hate mongers that will be like a heckler in the audience except, this is the world wide web and it is all around the world as well.

Dio: The biggest con to building an internet brand is being misinterpreted and also making yourself very vulnerable to criticism and hate-there’s tons of hate online.
J.Says: 1 pro is that if your work is recognized, it can lead to new opportunities. The biggest con for me is that sometimes, you can get caught up in the “numbers” and trying to cater to your audience so much to where it isn’t fun anymore and you forget why you got started.

Have you ever wanted to quit? If, so, why?
Dio: More times than I can remember. Sometimes I look back at some of my work and think to myself “I sound like an idiot” or “I look a mess”; it also goes back to the time-management issue.
Art: Quit? Never. I have taken some time off from time to time, but I’m back now.
Chike: Never crossed my mind once, I am having too much fun!
Ronald: I take breaks from time to time. I just enrolled back into college full-time and need time to adjust, but quitting never crosses my mind because I feel like this is part of my calling.
J.Says: I’ve wanted to quit thousands of times. It’s frustrating when you don’t always see fruit from your labor.

Picture
Have you visited RonaldMatters.com today?
Have you experienced negativity online? If yes, what happens and how have you dealt with it?
Chike: 1 particular time I was having a conversation with Rosanne Barr on Twitter. We were discussing the Trayvon Martin incident and, as you know, our conversation was public to the world. A person that did not agree with our points of view chimed in and said some very negative things about the both of us. This person then became a stalker and exuded great negativity on a consistent basis. I had to report them to Twitter and consequently block them from all of my social media outlets. It was insane!
Art: I suppose I have read some mean tweets and emails, but I really don’t pay attention to that. I rather focus on the positive.
Ronald: There is always going to be somebody saying you’re exploiting a stereotype or have a certain opinion because you’re a “stan” (hardcore fan of a celebrity). Child, bye. I argue sometimes for fun, but if it gets too serious and the attacks become personal, I back away.
Dio: All the time, I receive tons of hate mail. In order to be an online personality, it is imperative that one have tough skin. I don’t let it get to me. At the end of each day I don’t lose a wink of sleep.
J.Says: I definitely have and my approach is to kill people with kindness or just not read comments.

Any regrets or moments you aren’t proud of?
Art: I truly regret not putting more time into [the site] a few months ago.
Chike: I was interviewing an actor on camera and I severely mispronounced his name. I was mortified. I normally do very well with that sort of stuff.  What makes it so bad, it was someone that I admire greatly.
Ronald: I don’t do regrets. If I did it, I own it.
Dio: I don’t understand the concept of regret. Why become obsessed with things you can’t change?
J.Says: Nothing huge, just with layout. When I look back, I can’t believe I thought some things were a good idea.

What have you learned, either personally or business-wise?
Art: I have learned that there is a business man inside of me. I never, ever imagined that something I created could be successful; just in my wildest dreams I pictured earning money from writing about music. It’s just crazy. I treasure my creativity way more.
Chike: Even more so than before, relationships are everything. Be a great keeper and guard your reputation. In this business it precedes you. People will have an idea of who you are before you even get a chance to meet them. Be a person of your word and communication to the highest power is crucial.
Ronald: Knowing what I will and won’t tolerate is always changing. Things aren’t always peachy keen in the blogging business, but I won’t quit because this is something I am passionate about.
Dio: I consider myself and “indi- online personality,” mainly because people recognize me far and wide; however, I’m not a massive online personality like B. Scott or Kingsley. I don’t discuss pop culture, which puts me in a separate lane.
J.Says: I’ve learned a ton about branding, web-design and marketing.

What’s your advice for those seeking to do something similar to you?
Art: Find what you love to talk about. I mean, you have to eat, breath, think and love it! Otherwise, you will end up getting bored and it just won’t work. Look for a specific niche of the market that may fit with your interests and go for it. Be ready to spend a lot of time perfecting it, but get ready to smile once you see it gets big. It will all be worth it.
Ronald: Be yourself. If you’re boring, there are other boring people out there in the world who will love you. Start now. Don’t wait until a specific date or until you get such-and-such done. Nobody cares about your excuses. Have a life outside of what you do. You can’t continue to inspire others if you aren’t living life and have experiences to draw from.
Dio: Do the things that make you happy. Don’t compromise. Don’t pay attention to the numbers. Don’t compare yourself.
Chike: Be diligent, forthright, mentally open, focused, driven and personable. All of those will be vital skills as you start growing and meeting new people who can help influence and cultivate your career. Lastly, make everyone feels special because everyone is special.
****
2 Comments
Chike Evans link
1/28/2013 06:50:17 am

This was so much fun. Thank you ever so much for considering me interesting enough to be a part of this. KUDOS to you and all that you do.

Reply
RONALDMATTERS.COM link
1/30/2013 06:23:32 am

Thanks for the interview JSays! <3 <3 <3

We must collaborate again!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Entertainment

    Rants and raves about all things entertainment industry. Includes my own movie, music and concert reviews. You can find topics under "Tags and Categories" below.

    Note: Occasionally, articles will be posted by other writers and they will be marked as such. Want to be a contributor for this part of the site? Click the "Contact/info" tab and fill out the form to apply.

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2022
    August 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    June 2009
    January 2009
    November 2008

    Tags/Categories

    All
    1a. Album Reviews
    1b.Concert Reviews
    1c.Stuck In My Head
    1d.The State Of The Music
    1e.The Curious Case Of...
    1g.You Should Hear This
    1h. Song/Video Reviews
    1I. Rock&Rant
    1j. Artist Spotlight
    1k. Contributing Writers
    1 Music
    2a.movie Reviews
    2 Television/movies
    3 Books
    4:44
    50 Shades Of Grey
    98 Degrees
    Aaliyah
    Adele
    Aj Dugger
    Aladdin
    Alexis Jordan
    Alicia Keys
    Allen Stone
    Alt-pop
    American Idol
    Amy Winehouse
    Angela Bassett
    Anhayla
    Annie
    Ariana Grande
    Art
    Ashanti
    Ashford & Simpson
    Ashlee Simpson
    Ashley Tisdale
    Aston
    Aubrey O
    Babyface
    Banks
    Beauty And The Beast
    Being Mary Jane
    Bellamy Young
    Ben Savage
    Best Man Holiday
    Bet
    Bette Midler
    Beyonce`
    Biopic
    Black Community
    Black-ish
    Black Media
    Blink 182
    Blogging
    Blonde
    Bluebird Of Happiness
    B.O.B.
    Bobby Brown
    Bow Wow
    Boy Meets World
    Brandy
    Britney Spears
    Calling All Lovers
    Capra
    Carly Rae Jepsen
    Carrie Underwood
    Catfish
    Caution
    Celeb Journalism
    Changes
    Charity Music
    Charles Esten
    Chike Evans
    Chris Brown
    Chrisette Michele
    Christina Aguilera
    Ciara
    City & Colour
    Clarence Clemons
    Cletus
    Clipped
    Clive Davis
    Coldplay
    Connie Britton
    Conrad Murray
    Cookie Lyon
    Daley
    D'Angelo
    Danity Kane
    Daughter
    Dawn Richard
    Deacon Claybourne
    Dee Pimpin
    Deliver Us From Eva
    Delta Goodrem
    Demi Lovato
    Derek Yates
    Descendants
    Descendants 2
    Destinys Child
    Diddy Dirty Money
    Disney
    Disney Channel
    Divas
    Django Unchained
    Dove Cameron
    Drake
    Dreamgirls
    Eddie J.
    Empire
    Esperanza Spalding
    Eternally In Awe
    Etta James
    Evanescence
    Fantasia
    Feeling Myself
    Feminism
    Feminism In Music
    Fifth Harmony
    Fiona Apple
    Formation
    Franco
    Frankmusik
    Frank Ocean
    Fuller House
    Full House
    Gabrielle Union
    General Hospital
    Gil Scott-Heron
    Girl Meets World
    Girls Generation
    Gladiators
    Glory
    Gone But Not Forgotten
    Good To Know
    Grammys
    Grease
    Halloween
    Hayden Panettiere
    Hayley Reinhart
    Hip Hop & Rap
    Hocus Pocus
    Hugh Jackman
    Illegal Downloading
    Independent Artists
    Interviews
    It's Dio
    Jamaal D. Pittman
    James Lewis
    James Morrison
    Jamie Foxx
    Janelle Monae`
    Janet Jackson
    Jason Derulo
    Jay Z
    J.Cole
    Jennifer Hudson
    Jennifer Lopez
    Jessica Sanchez
    Jessie J
    Joe Jonas
    John Legend
    John Mayer
    JoJo
    Jonas Brothers
    Jordin Sparks
    Joss Stone
    Julianne Hough
    Juliette Barnes
    Jungle Book
    Junior Martinez
    Jurassic World
    Justin Bieber
    Justin Timberlake
    Kanye West
    Karmin
    Kate Winslet
    Katharine Mcphee
    Katy Perry
    Kelly Clarkson
    Kelly Rowland
    Kendrick Lamar
    Kenny Ortega
    Keri Hilson
    Kerry Washington
    Kevin Costner
    Keyshia Cole
    Kickstarter
    Kimbra
    Kings Of Leon
    K-pop
    Kris Allen
    Lady Antebellum
    Lady Gaga
    Lana Del Rey
    Lauren Alaina
    Lauryn Hill
    Leah Labelle
    Lea Michele
    Lee Crain
    Lemonade
    Lennon Stella
    Leonardo Dicaprio
    Lianne La Havas
    Liberation
    Lifetime
    Lip Synching
    Little Mix
    Luke James
    Madetobenow
    Madonna
    Man Of The Woods
    Mariah Carey
    Marie` Digby
    Maroon 5
    Match.com
    Mathew Knowles
    Meaning Of Life
    Media
    Megan Thee Stallion
    Meghan Trainor
    Mgmt
    Michael Jackson
    Michelle Williams
    Mick Jagger
    Miguel
    Miley Cyrus
    Misogyny
    Mj Johnson
    Morris Chestnut
    Mtv
    Musicals
    Music Business
    Music Consumers
    Music Nerd
    Music On Facebook
    Music Quotes
    Music Videos
    Nashville
    Nashville CMT
    Nelly Furtado
    N.E.R.D.
    Netflix
    Network Tv
    Nev Schulman
    Ne-Yo
    Nick Ashford
    Nicki Minaj
    Nick Jonas
    Nick Lachey
    Nick Nittoli
    Nikki & Rich
    No Doubt
    Now You See Me
    Octavia Spencer
    Olivia Rodrigo
    One Direction
    One Life To Live
    Pharrell
    Phylicia Rashad
    Pink
    Playlists
    Positions
    Power Rangers
    Prince
    Princess Jasmine
    Producers
    Proud Mary
    Queen Of Pop
    Quvenzhane Wallis
    Rare
    Raven's Home
    Raven Symone
    Rayna James
    R&B
    Reality Tv
    Reputation
    Rihanna
    Robin Thicke
    Robin Williams
    Roger Howarth
    Rolling Stone
    Ronald Matters
    Ron Carlivati
    Rowan Blanchard
    Roxie Bardo
    Ryan Tedder
    Sales
    Sam Smith
    Sam Sparro
    Sanaa Lathan
    Scandal
    Selena Gomez
    Seth Macfarlane
    Sex
    Sex And Cigarettes
    Shannon Bex
    Shannon Sanders
    Shonda Rhimes
    Simon Cowell
    Sister Act 2
    SNSD
    Soap Operas
    Social Media
    Solange
    Song Writing
    Sorry Not Sorry
    Sour
    Spell My Name
    Spotify
    Streaming
    Suga
    Superheavy
    Sweetener
    Sza
    Tamar Braxton
    Taraji P. Henson
    Taye Diggs
    Taylor Swift
    Tell Me You Love Me
    The Band Perry
    The Cosby Show
    The Day That Music Dies
    The Dealers
    The Dream
    The Exciters
    The Greatest Showman
    The Lion King
    The PinkPrint
    The Roots
    The Script
    The Seatbelts
    The Voice
    Three. Two. One.
    T.I.
    TIDAL
    Titanic
    Tlc
    Tlc Movie
    Tlc Story
    Toni Braxton
    Tori Kelly
    Trey Songz
    Tribute
    Tricky Stewart
    Tyler Perry
    Unbreakable
    Unbreakable Tour
    Unbreak My Heart
    Usher
    Vanessa Carlton
    Vanessa Hudgens
    Videoblogs
    Video Uploads
    Vontae`
    Wale
    Whitney
    Whitney Houston
    Whoopi Goldberg
    Will.i.am
    Women In Music
    Xfactor
    You Cant Win
    Younger Now
    Youtube Talent
    Zac Efron
    Zayn Malik
    Zendaya

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.