The Tattooed Bookkeeper

Recently I turned to one of my oldest (not in years, look at her picture—she is a young hottie, but we have been friends for over 20 years) and dearest friends, Angel Quintana, for creative inspiration. Angel is a jack of all trades—blogger enthusiast, retired fashion designer, tastemaker in fashion and home design, and as the blog title references—a tattooed bookkeeper (a nickname given to her by her clients, as well as the title for a potential book/tv pilot/blog that she has been penning). This girl is not afraid to take risks. Her entrepreneurial spirit has led her down many paths, but for the last several years she is putting her creative energies into building her personal brand online, and hopefully making a few bucks while she is at it.

I would have preferred to have a face-to-face with Angel, but she lives on the West Coast. So, we had to schedule a phone call to chat about her recent endeavors, as well as our love lives and good bands, which we will keep offline (sorry, too juicy for this blog!).

Angel’s blog, Life According to Angel, essentially captures everything and anything that she is into. To extend the reach of the blog, she is also creating a YouTube channel, where she will feature reviews of her favorite books, films and music, product reviews, how-to's on cosmetics and fashion, and whatever else that is on her mind. First and foremost, her goal is to connect with an audience of like-minded people, or in her own words, "I want to be part of a community that gives a shit about the shit that I like."

Ideally, she wants to monetize her blog and drive traffic to her two online businesses, Bobo Bandits, a doggie accessory store inspired by her beloved schnauzer, and French Seams, An Ode to Vintage Living, her personal collection of vintage and vintage-inspired handmade goods. Both are works in progress, but will be available on Etsy.

Angel found inspiration for her blog through social networking sites such as Flickr, where she discovered a whole community of girls posting photos and blogging about their outfits. She then joined onto dedicated "what are you wearing" sites, such as Chictopia, which she plans to link up to her blog to consolidate her online presence, as well as her profile on Give it To Me Raw, which reflects her love of raw food and healthy living.

As a loyal follower of many lifestyle and fashion blogs, Angel sees how these bloggers are successful at building communities and earning money through advertising. Angel is a little late in the game, but she is catching up! She doesn't bother with Facebook much anymore because it's not a source of inspiration for her and it feels like a waste of time. She would rather put her thoughts out there in a different medium.

Whether engaging in online communities, or creating her own, Angel feels the most important thing to remember is to be yourself. People like you for you – be authentic, open, and put it out there. Someone will listen.

I'm listening, Angel! Good luck with your ventures.