Real Life Sarah: An Interview

I like my name, Sarah. When I meet other "Sarah's" I always ask them if they have an "h" at the end of their name or not. If they do, we bond instantly.

"With an 'h' or without?" I ask
"With!" New found Sarah replies
"It's the only way to be!" I shoot back.

When I found "Real Life Sarah" online, I didn't need to ask her if the "h" was there, because I saw it with my own eyes. I knew we would be friends.

Our alliance was further confirmed when I saw a video of her shoving baby carrots up her nose.

Sarah is a mom blogger and the host of Mom TV, a popular youtube channel. But I'll let Sarah Pinnix AKA Real Life Sarah tell you the rest!

1. Sarah, Tell us about yourself.

I am a Work at Home Mom of three girls, with a wonderful husband whom I'm thankful for. (NO, you can't have him!) I'm a singing, dancing, slightly wacky, but very friendly person!

2. Tell us about your kids.

Hip Chick (9) is a thoughtful and tender heart. She loves to dance and read, and spend time by herself. How in the world did I give birth to an introvert? Princess (7) is a Live-Out-Loud, out of the box child who loves to make things, design clothes, and laugh incessantly. Little Pea (4.5) is the typical third child! She is sticky sweet and strong as an ox (temperamentally, that is)! She'll steal our heart, but you better not EVER interrupt her! I use these nicknames on the internet to try to shield them from possible humiliation as teens.

3. How did you get started in the world of social media? What did you do before you were a Blogger?

I was a Public School Music Teacher for 4 years after getting a vocal music degree in college. Then, after having my first daughter, I taught private piano and voice lessons. I fell in love with Blogging in 2007, and as my children started school, I wanted to be available for them in the afternoons. So I gave up my music teaching to pursue my passion in web publishing, blogging and video hosting! Always the teacher, I now do workshops and consulting for other bloggers and businesses.

4. What made you choose the name "Real Life Sarah"?

As I was reading blogs in the beginning, I gravitated toward those that were more "real." I get kind of vomit-y when people pretend to be perfect and make everyone else feel inadequate. I also didn't want to constrict my blog to "Mom" stuff; I wanted to include every aspect of life. Then, there is the faith component. I have truly found "Real Life" in my faith in Jesus, and I want to share that with people. I usually don't overtly write about religion or "preach," but I hope that it comes out in everything I do, from making cheap dinners to wiping boogers!

5. What is MomTV?

MomTV.com is a community of moms sharing videos, photos, discussions, and blog posts online. Think of it as the "You Tube" for moms, where everyone has their own "channel." Moms can import their RSS Feeds, Flickr Stream, and You Tube Videos and get to know other moms! You can also embed videos on your blog directly from MomTV, removing the uncertainty in content appropriateness of readers clicking through to You Tube. The super fun thing about MomTV is that they have several LIVE shows each day! Viewers can tune in and chat with the host, ask questions and share tips! It's fun!

6. What do you like about Vlogging?

I love vlogging because it gives you instant personal credibility with each other. Reading a text post, the reader can imagine any inflection, tone, facial expressions the writer might make. In vlogging, you can really get to know the blogger, so that when you read his/her words, you can envision it how the author would say it! Video also gives so much more opportunity for humor! I use facial expressions, voices (and I've been known to wear a wig) when trying to be funny. That would definitely not work with writing!


7. What advice would you give to moms interested in entering the world of blogging/vlogging?

• Read a lot of blogs first, and decide your focus, mission statement and tone. If your blog will have a niche focus, read the blogs in that niche and figure out what NEW element you can bring to the space.
• Choose your name carefully. Google it incessantly to make sure it's original. Remember, presumably it will have to stick with you throughout your life stages so don't box yourself in too much.
• If you are new at vlogging, go visit Jendi at www.simplevloggingtips.com! She is terrific at explaining things from the beginning!
  

8. Lastly, if you were describe yourself in three words what would they be and why?

• Renaissance (I still can't spell that without looking it up): I am always trying new endeavors.
• Spaztastic: If you're ever around me in real life, you'll know.
• Real: What you see is what you get.

Thanks Real Life Sarah with an "h!" For more information on Sarah Pinnix and MomTV, click here.