Time for another blogger video interview from the Newstex Blogger in the Spotlight Video Interview Series where we turn the spotlight on the bloggers, Twitter publishers, and video publishers who syndicate their Authoritative Content through Newstex.

This Blogger in the Spotlight Video Interview features Jay Brewer of Blogpire, a blog network that offers news, reviews, and more about products in a variety of niches.  Watch the video below to learn more about Jay and his successful blog network.

Watch for more Blogger in the Spotlight video interviews coming to the Newstex YouTube Channel soon!

Welcome to the first interview in the new Newstex Blogger in the Spotlight Video Interview Series where we turn the spotlight on the bloggers, Twitter publishers, and video publishers who syndicate their Authoritative Content through Newstex.

The first Blogger in the Spotlight Video Interview features Kelly Jad’on of BasilandSpice.com, a blog that offers views on healthy living from over 300 authoritative contributors.  Watch the video below to learn more about Kelly and her successful blog.

Watch for more Blogger in the Spotlight video interviews coming to the Newstex YouTube Channel soon!

The February 2010 Blogger in the Spotlight is Trisha Torrey who writes the Every Patient’s Advocate blog.

Blogger in the Spotlight is a monthly series where Newstex turns the spotlight on our publishers with in-depth interviews that give you a glimpse into the stories, tips and secrets of successful bloggers and content producers.

This month’s interview is with Trisha Torrey who was diagnosed in 2004 with a rare, fatal lymphoma and told her life would be measured in months not years.

But her intuition told her there was something wrong with the diagnosis.  In search of alternatives to both the diagnosis and chemo, Trisha did some homework, empowered herself, made a few professionals angry, but eventually proved that in fact, she had no cancer at all.

With that odyssey behind her, she changed careers to begin teaching others to improve their chances for better medical outcomes, too.  Today Trisha is known as Every Patients Advocate. She is a newspaper columnist, radio talk show host, About.com’s expert in patient empowerment, and a national speaker who teaches patients how to navigate the unwieldy and dysfunctional health care system.  She’s been quoted by CNN, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, US News and World Report and others.

Her blog, called Every Patient’s Advocate provides tools patients can use to get the healthcare they need.

Trisha’s first book, You Bet Your Life! The 10 Mistakes Every Patient Makes will be published in October 2009.

Learn more about Trisha’s expertise at her websites:  www.EveryPatientsAdvocate.com or http://patients.About.com.  You’ll also find her on Twitter (@TrishaTorrey) and LinkedIn.

Newstex: How did you get started writing your current blog?

Trisha Torrey: I started in my blog in January of 2007 when I realized I had far more to say and comment about than I could possibly fit into my bi-weekly newspaper column.  Blogging seemed like the perfect outlet to turn current health information, which mostly revolved around how the professionals viewed it, into something relevant to patients.

Newstex: What makes your blog unique?

Trisha Torrey: I have a different voice – the voice of a healthcare consumer or a patient needing safe, effective care.  There are plenty of blogs about people’s experience with specific diseases, or complaints about healthcare, but there are very few that focus on using specific experiences, or even current events, and making them into something patients can learn from.  That’s what my blog does.

Newstex: To what do you attribute your blog’s success? (more…)

The January 2010 Blogger in the Spotlight is Sheila Scarborough who writes the Family Travel Logue blog for the BootxnAll Travel Network.

Blogger in the Spotlight is a monthly series where Newstex turns the spotlight on our publishers with in-depth interviews that give you a glimpse into the stories, tips and secrets of successful bloggers and content producers.

This month’s interview is with Sheila Scarborough who is a writer and speaker specializing in travel, tourism, the social Web and NHRA drag racing. She is the co-founder of Tourism Currents, an online learning community site that teaches tourism professionals how to use social media in their destination marketing.  She’s been blogging since February 2006 and can be found blogging for the BootsnAll Family Travel Guide and Tourism Currents as well as on her personal blog, Sheila’s Guide,  where she writes about tourism, tech and social media.

Newstex: How did you get started writing your current blog?

Sheila Scarborough: I retired from the US Navy in early 2006 after 22+ years, and launched a new career as a travel writer.  A long-time friend and journalist told me, “If you’re going to be a writer, you need to have a blog.”  Knowing that a general travel blog would probably just get buried in the online noise, I chose to focus on the family travel niche since I have two kids. The BootsnAll Travel Network offers free blogs for travelers, so I started mine there to have a built-in audience.

Newstex: What makes your blog unique?

Sheila Scarborough: My blog is based on my own travel experiences with my family, so I don’t do that many product/site/service reviews or travel news posts.  As my kids have gotten older, I find that I do a lot of posts featuring ideas and places that are good for preteens or teens.  There are other blogs that do a better job of covering travel with babies and toddlers, although I do occasionally still write about that because I haven’t forgotten how to wrestle with a diaper in a strange place!

Newstex: To what do you attribute your blog’s success?
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The November 2009 Blogger in the Spotlight is David Harlow from HealthBlawg.

Blogger in the Spotlight is a monthly series where Newstex turns the spotlight on our publishers with in-depth interviews that give you a glimpse into the stories, tips and secrets of successful bloggers and content producers.

This month’s interview is with David Harlow, the Principal of The Harlow Group LLC, a Boston-based health care law and consulting firm.  David’s public and private sector experience over the past twenty years – including stints as a state regulator and as a downtown Boston law firm partner — affords him a unique perspective on legal, policy and business issues facing the health care community.  In projects ranging from facilities development to joint ventures to Medicare demonstration projects to HIPAA and Stark and fraud and abuse compliance initiatives and beyond, health care providers, vendors and payors of all shapes and sizes rely on him to help them navigate these issues on a daily basis, and to structure transactions and relationships in order to maximize the realization of organizational goals in a highly-regulated environment.  David emphasizes the practice of preventive law, anticipating potential flashpoints early in the course of a project, and working to avoid litigation or regulatory enforcement actions whenever possible.  David’s blog, HealthBlawg, is a nationally-recognized health care law and policy blog.  You should follow him on Twitter.

Newstex: How did you get started writing your current blog?

David Harlow: When I left my partnership at a downtown law firm to strike out on my own as a health care lawyer and consultant, I knew I needed something to replace the marketing staff at my old firm.  Since everyone lives on the internet these days, I decided to focus my efforts on developing an online presence through blogging.

Newstex: What makes your blog unique?

David Harlow: Aside from the subject matter, which has niche, rather than broad, appeal, I’ve been told that a number of factors combine to make my blog appealing both to my regular readers and to those who come across it via links or online searches:  My perspective, informed by over twenty years’ experience in both the private and public sectors; and my writing style, which I strive to keep legalese-free and accessible, even though I am often dealing with complicated issues in health care law and policy.  At the same time, I usually assume a certain baseline familiarity with the issues.  I also integrate other forms of media into my blogging, such as podcast interviews with leaders in the health care field.

Newstex: To what do you attribute your blog’s success, and what are the top 3 tips you can give to bloggers looking to develop successful blogs? (more…)

The October 2009 Blogger in the Spotlight is Mark S. Ament from SportsBiz.

Blogger in the Spotlight is a monthly series where Newstex turns the spotlight on our publishers with in-depth interviews that give you a glimpse into the stories, tips and secrets of successful bloggers and content producers.

This month’s interview is with Mark S. Ament, an attorney who combines his expertise in business, law and sports to publish a highly interesting, insightful and authoritative niche blog – SportsBiz.

Newstex: How did you get started writing your current blog?

Mark S. Ament: At the time I began writing, I was still a practicing attorney and a significant portion of my practice involved the representation of sports industry client. Among these clients, I served as the outside general counsel to a major Division I university’s athletic department for which, among other assignments, I negotiated its multi-million dollar football and basketball coaches’ contracts, including one that, at that time, was among the largest ever done for an NCAA coach.  In addition, I represented the university throughout the process of financing and constructing new football and baseball stadiums and the licensing of media rights which are among the largest collegiate media rights contracts in the country.

As with many bloggers, I decided to start the blog as a way for me to keep up with what was new within the business while informing my clients at the same time.  I have since retired from the active practice of law and am now consulting in the sports business, primarily in the areas of marketing and financing.  I have continued writing because I have found it invaluable in keeping in touch and up to date and, frankly, I’ve become somewhat addicted.

Newstex: What makes your blog unique?

Mark S. Ament: When I started SportsBiz, it was one of the first, if not the first, blog to cover the business side of sports.  There were business blogs, investing blogs and sports blogs, (which were usually fan blogs).  However, there was little that spoke to the people working in the industry and, with a legal and business background, I thought I could help fill the void.

Newstex: To what do you attribute your blog’s success?

Mark S. Ament: As I mentioned above, there were few blogs dealing with any aspect of the business of sports when I started, so I was able to get first mover advantage.  Of course, that only works if you can continue to produce content that is good enough to keep that advantage. I’d like to think that the reason I’m still around is that I’m filling a niche my readers think is important.

Newstex: What are the top 3 tips you can give to bloggers looking to develop successful blogs?

Mark S. Ament: Network, network, network; write, write, write.  Okay, so those are really six tips.  Still, blogging is a social medium and it’s important to interact with other bloggers in your chosen field.  Visit those blogs, see what interests people, comment on those blogs and become a member of the community.  Then, and only then, write about what you know and write on a consistent basis, so readers will be in the habit of checking your blog.

Newstex: What is the best thing that has happened to you as a result of your work on your blog?

Mark S. Ament: Without doubt, it is the opportunity to meet (mostly virtual, but meeting nonetheless) an incredible number of interesting people who I would not have ever met without it.  It’s one of the driving forces that keeps writing. (more…)

The September 2009 Blogger in the Spotlight is Maddie Grant from SocialFish.

Blogger in the Spotlight is a monthly series where Newstex turns the spotlight on our publishers with in-depth interviews that give you a glimpse into the stories, tips and secrets of successful bloggers and content producers.

This month’s interview is with Maddie Grant, CAE who is an association industry blogger based in Washington, DC.  She is chief social media strategist for SocialFish, a consulting firm that helps organizations build community on the social web. Maddie has written articles for a number of publications and speaks frequently. Maddie writes for the popular “SocialFishing…” blog, covering the intersection between social media and association management. You can find Maddie at www.socialfish.org.

Newstex: How did you get started writing your current blog?

Maddie Grant: I was working as COO of a small membership association and decided to start a personal (yet professional) blog where I could explore issues relevant to associations.  I found that it quickly became part of me, something I had to do, and eventually I built my consulting firm around it.

Newstex: What makes your blog unique?

Social media is a hot topic and represents a fundamental change in how people communicate, collaborate, and work.  Blogs are social media, and there are many great blogs about blogging, and blogs about social media, but mine was one of the first to tackle how the association industry specifically is being transformed because of it, and how building community is at the heart of why associations exist.

Newstex: To what do you attribute your blog’s success?

I was lucky to start blogging when the association blogosphere was still tiny.  In only a few short years, it has truly blossomed, and I had an advantage of being in the first wave of bloggers.  It didn’t take long to make a name for myself as a blogger – in our industry, everyone knows everyone, and even much faster and easier now though social media!  Blogging is so interactive, I have great relationships with technology bloggers and nonprofit bloggers too, and we’re all learning from each other.

Newstex: What are the top 3 tips you can give to bloggers looking to develop successful blogs? (more…)

The August 2009 Blogger in the Spotlight is Jay from MarketFolly.com.

Blogger in the Spotlight is a monthly series where Newstex turns the spotlight on our publishers with in-depth interviews that give you a glimpse into the stories, tips and secrets of successful bloggers and content producers.

This month’s interview is with Jay, the author of Market Folly.  Jay has experience at a long/short equity hedge fund focused on intensive fundamental research.  Using his expertise in the area, he tracks hedge funds extensively on his blog.  He has degrees in both Economics and Communications and has been involved in financial markets for just under a decade.

Newstex: How did you get started writing your current blog?

Jay: I have been tracking hedge fund portfolios for many years and figured there were other people out there interested in the topic and decided to start posting up my findings.  It was an easy place to keep all my research and aggregate a nice timeline, so it was really convenient.

Newstex: What makes your blog unique?

Jay: I believe MarketFolly.com is unique because it fills a specific niche in the financial blogosphere.  We track 40+ hedge fund portfolios in-depth every single day and try to bridge the gap that is often present with the secrecy surrounding the hedge fund industry.

Newstex: To what do you attribute your blog’s success?

Jay: I think it is a combination of a couple things.  Firstly, a lot of people have complimented our content and I’m a big believer in the notion that if there is good content out there, people will spread it around.  Secondly, I think it can also be attributed to working hard to generate material on a daily basis.  I always ask myself, “would I want to read this today?”  It’s cliche but hard work is the key here.

Newstex: What are the top 3 tips you can give to bloggers looking to develop successful blogs? (more…)

The July 2009 Blogger in the Spotlight is Esther J. Cepeda of 600 Words.

Blogger in the Spotlight is a monthly series where Newstex turns the spotlight on our publishers with in-depth interviews that give you a glimpse into the stories, tips and secrets of successful bloggers and content producers.

This month’s interview is with Esther J. Cepeda who is an opinion journalist and expert on the issues of U.S. Hispanics/Latinos. She writes about that and much, much more on www.600words.com.

Newstex: How did you get started writing your current blog?

Esther J. Cepeda: I was a columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times when the print media industry started to melt down because of the migration of advertising dollars to the internet.

When the newspaper had its second round of mass layoffs I was let go and the city lost the only metro columnist who regularly wrote about Hispanic and Latino issues, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from reporting and opining on news, sports, and culture. So instead of mourning the loss of my printed perch, I decided to keep writing on-line where all the action is anyway.

Newstex: What makes your blog unique?

Esther J. Cepeda: “600 Words” is unique because its foundation is laid on first-hand reporting of stories that are unique and relevant to a mainstream audience – news, politics, sports – yet also focused on Chicago and on Hispanics, who comprise such a large share of the internet traffic these days.

My readers – who write to me from all over the country and are young, old, black, white, Hispanic, male and female – honor me with comments such as “you tell it like it is,” “you’re never boring,” and “why isn’t everyone talking about this?” (more…)

The June 2009 Blogger in the Spotlight is Jeremy Goldkorn of Danwei.

Blogger in the Spotlight is a monthly series where Newstex turns the spotlight on our publishers with in-depth interviews that give you a glimpse into the stories, tips and secrets of successful bloggers and content producers.

This month’s interview is with Jeremy Goldkorn who is the founder, editor-in-chief and publisher of Danwei, a blog about media, advertising and urban life in China, where he has lived since 1995.

Newstex: How did you get started writing your current blog?

Jeremy Goldkorn: Danwei is about Chinese media and Internet — industries that I have been working in for more than a decade.

I caught the blogging bug during the SARS panic in China of 2003 when I  noticed that a few blogs were more comprehensive sources of information than the WHO, the Chinese government and media reports about the disease. Soon after the end of the SARS panic, I had figured out how to set up a blog and launched Danwei, initially as a one man show.

Danwei has always been primarily about observing changes in the Chinese media and Internet, and translating noteworthy articles and blog posts by Chinese writers. There are now four of use who work on the site.

Newstex: What makes your blog unique?

Jeremey Goldkorn: We have a mixture of content ranging from daily summaries of important stories in Chinese newspapers to tracking Internet censorship and following the changes in China’s media in terms of business, government regulation and content, political and cultural. We do a lot of translation from Chinese media and Internet writings and use Chinese language and Mainland sources very heavily in our research.

Although we do comment on certain issues, Danwei has never been an opinion blog: the emphasis is always on high quality information. We also produce our own video shows which attract a different group of people from our articles and blog posts.

Essentially, if you follow Danwei, you will stay on top of developments in the Chinese media and Internet, and that is what draws most of our readers.

Newstex: To what do you attribute your blog’s success?

Jeremy Goldkorn: Persistance, good writing, and focusing on specialized content area that big media companies are not well positioned to produce.

Newstex: What are the top 3 tips you can give to bloggers looking to develop successful blogs?

Jeremy Goldkorn:

1. Choose a subject area where you have real expertise, or enough passion to educate yourself into an expert.
2. Do original writing and research, not just commentary on what other bloggers or the media publish.
3. Your personal life is not interesting.  (more…)