23rd May, 2017

Welcome to the Wow Women Series.
The WW series is where you will get to know some of the wonderful women who influence and intrigue me. People who are doing amazing things in this world of ours and who have a great story to share.

I have gone all fan girl on this first feature – Chantelle Ellem from Fat Mum Slim. Chantelle is the reason I joined Instagram. It was her Photo A Day challenge that drew me in and I’ve been hooked ever since. We have shared emails, messages, snail mail and photos over the years, but we are yet to meet in person. One day we shall, I am sure.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls – meet Chantelle.

1. Tell us a little about yourself – what do you do, where are you located and what do you love most about your part of the world?
Hello. I’m Chantelle and I’m a blogger. I live in Northern New South Wales, in a little town between Byron and the Gold Coast. I’m a mum of two beautiful girls, and a wife to my lovely husband. We moved here around 5 years ago, and I just love the pace that everyone lives and the weather is gorgeous 99% of the time. Oh, and we have the best beaches in the world at our doorstep.

2. You’ve been blogging for quite a number of years and have a wonderfully loyal following – how do you keep yourself so motivated, and do you ever have days where you stay in PJ’s all day long?
I have been blogging for 9 years, which just seems crazy! I’m a driven person, so I think it’s just natural for me to feel motivated most of the time, but of course I have lazy days. I’m a get-up-and-go person, so don’t stay in my PJs all day long because I love to get up early, shower and get dressed, but I do have days where I just want to chill and do nothing {my kids never want to let me do that though!}.

3. For those avid bloggers keen to quit their day jobs and take on the blogging world full time – share with us, how long did it take for you to turn your blogging into a profitable business and what do you attribute to your success?
For me, turning blogging into a full-time business took some really calculated risks. I needed to know what work I needed to do to match the income that I was earning in my job as an online editor – and so I sat down and really worked it out. Thankfully because I’d planned it so well, and also supplemented my income with freelance work my business was profitable from the first month that I went full-time as a blogger. Working for myself is the hardest thing I’ve done, and I know that I should probably have expanded to have staff on board to alleviate some of the pressure but I’ve always wanted to keep it as my own, and small enough that I didn’t have to add extra stresses of managing people.

My advice changes from year to year as the online landscape changes, so I think my advice today would be to offer something to your audience. Before story-telling was enough to get by in blogging, and for some people it still is… but I think now the easiest way to have success is to offer something: a service, an expertise, an entertainment, education or otherwise.

4. With being a Mother, wife and a successful business woman – how to you manage a work/life balance?
Do you know what? I don’t. That’s one big lesson I’ve had to learn. Balance is bullsh*t. It doesn’t exist. Each week changes, and what might work one week, won’t work the next. I used to try and juggle playing mum and work all on my own, and I was going a bit bananas. I have a beautiful nanny that comes twice a week to help with the girls, and that has alleviated so much stress for me, and guilt too. It means the girls are off having a blast and I can power through my workload. I’ve learned that I just have to make things work however I can.

5. Your very best tip to other bloggers:
Be you. There is no one just like you. Don’t try and emulate anyone else. Be you.

6. Your love of photography is no secret and your Photo A Day challenge has become a worldwide movement. How did you come up with such a brilliant idea?
I had done a photography challenge on my blog, and hadn’t seen anyone doing it on Instagram so I decided to start on that platform. I have so many post-it notes and journals scribbled with ideas I want to put into place, but sadly not enough time to make them happen! Idea creation is my special talent!

7. Gifting to others and supporting the Rafiki Mwema charity are so important to you. What is one thing you always treat yourself with?
I hope this doesn’t sound weird, but I’m very hands on with my kids. If I sit on the couch, they sit on top of me. My littlest daughter likes to sit on my me and pinch my skin between her little fingers. My husband is also very loving and hands on as well. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by life, and so suffocated by the touch of other people {gosh, that makes me sound so bad and I really do appreciate them and don’t want them to stop!} but I love getting a massage. That’s my treat. Going to a cheap little place in town and getting a really good massage. It’s my favourite treat.

8. Tell us something we don’t know about you:
Oh gosh, I’m a personal blogger I think I’ve said all the things! I have this dream, a weird dream I’ve had for about ten years now, I’d love to move to a remote little area with my family, shave my head and let it grow it’s natural colour, and live off our own produce. There’d be no wi-fi, no TV, just simple living. I’m sure I’d survive such a short time, but I always wonder how life-changing that experience would be.

9. Quick Quiz:
Sweet or Savoury? Sweet
Summer or Winter? Winter
Pants or Skirts? Skirts
Wine – Red or White? White
Top and bottom sheet, or just bottom? Bottom
Coffee or Tea? Tea!
Toast or Cereal? Cereal
Shower or Bath? Shower
City or Country? Country
Cats or Dogs? Dogs! Always dogs!

10. What can we expect to see from you next?
This year I want to take a month off from online and just spend time mapping out my next five years and dreaming up big ideas. I want to write a cookbook, host retreats, do more travel, and paint artworks. I’m a total mixed bag. I guess, you just never know what you’re going to see… you might just have to wait to find out.

Thankyou so much Chantelle for being the first to feature in this new series. It’s been an honour getting to know you a little more.

Stay tuned for the next Wow Women feature.

Big love,
C x

You can find Chantelle here:
Blog
Instagram
Twitter