Hi! I’m Megan and I love to travel, go on culinary adventures & be creative – you can follow along at @moderatelyexcited! I’ll try (most things) once and consider myself a dabbler. My blog, Some Things I Am Moderately Excited About, is a collection of snarky guides to here (Chicago) and there (everywhere else) to help you live a life full of adventure and exploration with a sense of humor. It’s a great place to find off-the-beaten-path spots, amazing places to stuff your face and other low key but score-brownie-points-with-your-friends-cool destinations – check it out at www.moderatelyexcited.com!
When did you start blogging and what inspired you to start your blog?
As I’m typing this, I have officially only been blogging for two months. Two months ago, I finally stopped lying to myself and dove into the industry head first. My background and passions essentially were always leading up to this moment; I have a BA in journalism from Indiana University (go Hoosiers!), a minor in business marketing and a minor in studio art, with a concentration in photography. Professionally, I have been working in digital and social media marketing for over 5 years.
I was recently at a networking event through Women in Wireless, to see keynote speaker and incidentally the co-founder of The Everygirl , Danielle Moss. Toward the end I was chatting with the attendees and mentioned I had always thought about starting a blog. My neighbor, and also member of Women in Wireless, commented that I should – she said “you’re definitely interesting enough! I’m sure people would love to read about all the things you do!” I replied sure, but that I felt like I wasn’t passionate about any one thing in particular… but rather “some things I am moderately excited about.” The joke went too far and here we are!
What is your favorite blog post that you have written?
So far, I have been pleasantly surprised by all my posts. I like my travel posts better than my local posts (they’re more fun to write) but they all are fun to read. I am proud of the fact that the sense of humor I’ve refined while completing the improv program at Second City (I just recently graduated!) has begun to shine through more. If I HAD to answer, though, I think it would be “Bienvenidos a Miami: The Moderately Exciting Guide to Miami, FL”. Who doesn’t like confessing their love for tacos?!
What do you love about blogging?
I love the sense of pride and accomplishment I feel promoting the work that I’ve done. It’s kind of like a piece of art – it’s a labor of love and full of emotion. Some days you hate it. Some days you dread it. But at the end of the day it’s your voice coming through, telling a story that (for me at least) will be educational to someone.
Plus, no day is the same. There is always a new technology to learn, or a new friendly face to collaborate with. You have the ability to connect on a human level with the community, and also do your own creative thang. The more I write, the more I’ve really gotten to find and know myself – who I am, what I stand for and how to be my genuine self. And it’s a fusion of everything I love – writing (who would’ve thought!), photography and graphic design, web design and development, marketing and analytics, data (nerd alert) – the list goes on!
What are some brands that you have worked with, or some brands that you would love to work with?
I would love to work with big name brands eventually – especially travel brands like Lonely Planet, Airbnb, Trip Advisor, Travel + Leisure, National Geographic (hey, a girl can dream, right?). But I also would LOVE to collaborate with cool local brands who value the integrity of their product, image, mission and voice. Dark Matter, Bucketfeet, Dabble are a few that come to mind, but I am always open for collaboration!
Be sure to follow Megan along on her blog here!