Name: Donna Biroczky
Email: donna@dangerouscupcakedesigns.com
Blog Name: Dangerous Cupcake Designs
Blog Address: http://dangerouscupcakedesigns.com
Follow Donna on: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
Share your brief bio:
Social media consultant/community manager by day, food blogger the rest of the time, I just moved back to SoCal after a three-year detour in South Carolina, where I began my food blog after finding too much time on my hands while living in the middle of nowhere. I blog mainly about food, cupcakes and natural living, with some jewelry design thrown in when I have time. We are currently living in our RV while house-hunting so that’s changed up our cooking and baking a bit, but it’s a temporary learning experience!
Tell us a little about your family.
My husband and I have four kids (24, 23, 18 and 12), two dogs (my son’s service dog and our high-maintenance Yorkie with special needs) and a turtle. We homeschool and get into the foodie business as a family. We travel and are big Nascar fans so a lot of travel involves race tracks!
How do you prioritize time between your family and your blog?
I dedicate several hours a day to blogging and social media/traffic growth, after making sure my family’s needs are met first. As my husband works f/t in an office, it’s up to me to get them to appointments and handle the day-to-day business, but when he’s not working, or when he is able to do flex-time, he’s here to help and join in as well, so luckily, it’s rare that the family feels they’re taking a backseat to the blog, and that’s usually when I have a deadline for a book review or special sponsorship/project. My husband loves to help me with food photography and ideas, so if I involve the kids too, no one’s left out!
How do you relax?
Food Network tv, reading through others’ blogs, camping, reading books and baking!
When did you start your blog?
About 18 months ago, but I didn’t really start promoting it or taking it seriously until earlier this year.
Why did you start blogging?
Boredom! I realized I wanted a change in career and I wanted to get more involved with food. Living in the boonies with a husband who worked long hours, in a rural neighborhood where southern hospitality didn’t exist, I found a lot of time to experiment with food, especially cupcakes and other baked treats. I found a way to combine it altogether and it now benefits us all.
How did you choose your blog name?
My now-18-yod used the nickname Dangerous Cupcake, and my husband asked her if I could steal it as he thought it fit. Here we are!
What keeps you motivated and inspired to blog?
Seeing my blog traffic grow and morph into something that gives me an opportunity to do book reviews, go to events and make some money. So fun!
Where do you see your blog and yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully I’ll be the owner of a legit baking business by then (I’m thinking food-truck style) and my food blog will be drawing a much bigger income that I can combine with my social media consulting into the perfect world!
Biggest life lesson learned since blogging?
The more you learn, the more there is to learn, and if you like learning, blogging is a great field! I’ve re-designed my own site and found I love all aspects of blogging, from behind-the-scenes to user-facing involvement and engagement.
What is your secret to success?
Never giving up! My traffic’s not where I want it to be, so consistent work to grow it and change it as need be keeps me with increasing numbers.
What do you wish someone would have told you when you first started blogging?
Great content is the foundation, but knowing a little about your c-panel and having flexibility are oh so important and will save you headache later on.
All bloggers encounter writer’s block. How do you get past this?
Live my life for a day or two without thinking “I could blog about this.” Then when you look back, you almost always have a few stories or topics to use that you didn’t even have to plan.
What has been your sweetest success story?
Getting contacted by The Daily Meal to be one of their featured bloggers. I’m just one of many but it’s a fun affiliation.
What has been your most popular posts?
- Do You Drink Enough Water Per Day
- Classic Snacks Made From Scrach by Casey Barber
- Infused Oils (low comments but tons of hits, so weird!)
- Bloody Sangria Recipe
How long have you lived in California?
32 years
Where is your favorite relaxation location in California?
My kitchen! Oh, outside of my house? The racetrack or the wineries in Temecula!
Do you belong to any other social media networks to promote your blog?
Have you attended any social media conferences? If so, which ones?
Not yet. It was too costly to travel from South Carolina to anything as nothing was local, especially with young kids at home and a husband with long hours, but now that I’m in SoCal, I’ll be attending some once we get settled.
Tell us something that most people would be surprised to learn about you.
I used to be in the Army Reserves, I have broken my face twice and I can sing!
Do you send out a monthly newsletter? How can we get on your mailing list if we are interested in more information?
I don’t at this time, but you can subscribe to my feed on my blog.
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