Thank you SO much!! Here are some standard questions I've been asked. Anything else beyond this, do not hesitate to email me!

:)

When did you start "I'm Not Obsessed?"
How did you come up with the idea? Why did you decide to create it?

I started INO in December of 2005 a few months after my first child was born. I became a stay at home mom and found the downtime unbearable. I tried several different ideas before landing on celebrity gossip. I needed something that would keep me interested, have a wide following, and provide fresh content on a daily basis.
Since then, it's become a full time job. My husband stays home with the kids and I focus primarily on the site and expanding the brand.

Where did you go to school/what were your initial career plans? Did you 
always want to pursue something along the lines of "I'm Not Obsessed?"

 

I went to SUNY Albany and graduated with a business degree (dual concentration of MIS and marketing). Never in a thousand years did I think I would start a gossip site. It was always my intention to work until I had children and then quit to be their mother. Always.
When I finally got around to reaching that dream, it just wasn’t what I thought.

Why do you think "I'm Not Obsessed" has become such a success?

Besides having some really great friends in the industry, I put a lot of thought, time, and hard work into the site. It’s not a hobby and I don’t look at it that way. It is my full time job and just because the topic is light and airy doesn’t mean the effort behind the curtain is the same. 

Not many people understand the time commitment that is needed to run a successful gossip site. You basically have to be ON 24 hours a day. There is no downtime. You are always going online to make sure nothing broke while you decided to take a break.  While others are resting after dinner, my computer is on checking my sources until I go to sleep. And even then I miss stories!

What are three major points to a gossip site that have to be met in order to be successful?

•    Be timely. The news isn’t news unless you break it as soon as it happened.
•    Be accurate.  Well, as accurate as a gossip site can be.  If it isn’t from a rep, I usually quote the source so my readers can judge whether or not they want to believe what’s been said.
•    Have a voice.  Why will someone choose your site over the others? Is it because you are really funny? Really clean? Really snarky? Everyone has a preference – you just have to mold out a site that fits a group and hope they stick around.

"I'm Not Obsessed" chronicles the lives of celebrities like many other blogs
do. How does "I'm Not Obsessed" differ from other celebrity blogs?

I would say that I treat celebrities like they are human beings. I am not mean for the sake of being mean. I try to keep it clean and safe for work because the majority of my readers access my site in front of children or at their jobs.

There aren’t many blogs that meet those criteria. Originally I started out much dirtier, as that is what I thought a blog should be. But then I saw a niche existed for readers who didn’t want that type of information. So instead, I changed my voice and am now going on three years of constant blogging. It’s really helped.

Here is another interview:

What motivated you to start a celebrity-monitoring blog?

I became a stay at home mom and was looking for an outlet. I’ve always loved celebrity gossip and it was something I could do while my child was sleeping.

Blogging sounds like an ideal full day job for many – what are the ups, and downs?

There aren’t many downs. You work from home, make your own hours and choose what you want to write about. There is no boss hovering over you and you can put in as much or as little effort as you deem necessary. However, there are no sick days and there is never a moment when you clock out… especially with celebrity gossip. It’s a 24 hour a day job if you really want to be on top of things.

Does blogging sometimes (awards season, or other) take up too much of one's time?

 

Award season isn’t the easiest. But I don’t always live blog events anymore. If I happen to be watching, then I will do so with my computer. But if I’m out, I try not to think about it. I will say that these shows now take on an entirely different meaning for me. I do not watch out of enjoyment. It feels more like a business meeting.

Describe a blogger's usual working day.

I get up at 7AM, make a run to Starbucks in my pajamas, come home and get to work for 3 or 4 hours straight. I write stories to last me late into the afternoon. If I decide to leave my house, my blackberry is attached to my hand constantly checking to see if something happened while I stepped away from my computer. This doesn’t stop until I go to sleep.

When my children nap, I pop on again to make sure nothing broke. It’s a constant search for content and before anyone else can break it. Lots of stress if you take it seriously.

You are suddenly the person who gets invited to all the coolest events. How do you prepare for those?

Luckily, NYC has a very lax dress code. So I can show up in skinny jeans and a black shirt and fit in no problem. I stopped trying to impress and instead just go and have a good time. Otherwise, you could drop hundreds of dollars a weekend on an outfit no one will care about anyway.

Your blog gets quoted as an official news source by media. Do you think blogging will one day obliterate "standard" journalism?

I think we are slowly walking down that path, yes. I’ve personally had meetings with major network news programs looking to collaborate with me. These are the news giants and they are officially outdated. Why?  Because these companies have too much red tape. A blogger can just post a rumor without thinking twice. But by the time network gets approval from legal to run a story, it’s a few days old in today’s world.

Eventually, blogging will be the way everyone gets their news. It’s only a matter of time before ABC, NBC, and CBS all get blogs that outsource their own television programs. When that time comes, I might be out of a job… so I’m not rushing it.

You have an education in business consulting. Could you explain a little about the ways to make blogging a (financially) successful job?

 

I think my background has helped me monetize my site earlier than I should have. I’m always thinking of ways to increase revenue and I’m not sure that mindset is shared with other bloggers. Some people just wanted an outlet to express their opinions on their subject. For me, it’s always been about bringing money into the household and having a reason to think outside the box.

Many of your readers say that your positive attitude towards the gossip is what brings them back to your site. Do you think that this shows the entertainment journalism/blogging crowd has become too mean towards celebrities?

Honestly, I started out like all the other mean bloggers out there because it was a formula that worked. There are some VERY successful snarky men making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year (and some making millions). But that market was filled already and had no need for one more blog to jump in the pool. That’s when I changed my tone. I decided to reach out to the group of people who didn’t want the negativity and so far it’s worked.

Do you think that the line between the celebrities doing something actually interesting (the infamous up-skirts, fighting with the paparazzi, falling down drunk) and doing something usual (getting coffee, going to the gym) has been blurred?

I think there is such a need for constant information in this field, that people will take the pictures of a celeb getting coffee as long as it’s new. There are too many magazines, tv programs, blogs, newspapers and radio programs all vying for content these days. The occasional up-skirt isn’t cutting it anymore. We are all desperate to fill our pages up with content – even if it really isn’t news because the demand is so high from our readers.

If you could send a message to those who have to face the paparazzi every day, what would it be? Are you glad you're not in their shoes?

Let me put it this way. I would NEVER want to be Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton or Jennifer Aniston. These women have had their lives taken away from them. When you are truly A LIST, you just become something that people make money off of. If I had a choice, I would like to be a B list celeb. Someone that can still go to the movies without having a street close down. But so is life… and this will never be. I guess my advice would be, “Be careful what you wish for.”

We see a lot of different musicians, actors, etc. on your site. What music do you like? Whose everyday style do you admire?

I am really into folk music (according to iTunes). I never thought that would be my genre of choice but lately it is. But I am also an R&B, pop and rap kinda girl. Yael Namin, Ingrid Michaelson, Pussycat Dolls, Kanye West, M.I.A, and Jason Mraz make up the current cd I have in my car.  

HERE IS ANOTHER INTERVIEW:

Who is your favorite celebrity to report on?

I always enjoy writing about Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie because my readers get really emotional. It's nice to see so many people communicating with one another.

Have you ever met or formed a relationship with the celebrities you report on?

No.

Do you feel more women read your website than men? Why do you think that?

I believe my statistics are about 98% women based on semi-annual surveys I've given throughout the years. Gossip is and always will be a woman's sport. It doesn't surprise me at all. My husband doesn't want to hear a thing about what I write about nor does he care about the latest and breaking news.

Do you believe in Celebrity Worship Syndrome?

Yes - it's an addiction just like anything else. It's an escape - a way to remove oneself from the troubles of life and is available 24 hours a day. Luckily, it doesn't affect our health or our minds like drugs and alcohol do. It's like reading a great book that never ends in which the reader can't put down.

Do you think that obsessing over a celebrity can lead to depression or anxiety?

I think if someone gets depressed over celebrity obsession they already had the predisposition for the illness - celebrity just happens to be their current focus. Should this genre be eliminated - then those same people will find focus on something new continuing the depression cycle. Celebrity media is not the cause.

What do you think causes the obsession of celebrities? 

People need a release from their lives. In our times and in this economy, it makes sense that people want to hear about lavish vacations and magnificent summer homes. It's the dream. The thought that it's possible. The hope that pushes people to go to work and put in a 12 hour day.