Worth Casing Blog Spotlight | Tonia With An Eye

Today as part of our worth casing blog series we catch up with Tonia Zemek, a tv producer-turned-blogger, to discuss the business of blogging. Tonia has spent around 15 years working as a producer on shows like Good Morning Australia, MasterChef, My Kitchen Rules and the TV Week Logie Awards. Now she’s swapped on-air for online content creation.

Tonia blogs at www.toniawithaneye.com and works as a communications and marketing advisor. Tonia With An Eye could be called a lifestyle blog, mixing fashion, human interest and a bit of comedy. 

How long have you been blogging and why did you start?

I hit publish on my first post back in July 2014. I still consider myself a relative newbie. Having spent the bulk of my working life producing content for broadcast, I was hungry to explore life online. It was pretty irresistible to have the opportunity to connect with like-minded folk with similar interests. I’ve always enjoyed meeting new people and now, thanks to my blog, I can do it without leaving the house or heading to the airport! Perfect.

Tell us a bit about your blog and what we can expect to see in the next twelve months?

Tonia With An Eye is all about interesting people and possessions. Those possessions range from family heirlooms and priceless antiques, through to junkyard jewellery, high-end furniture and everything in between. As for the people…they’re strangers, acquaintances, friends, family and anyone with an interesting story to tell.

Next year, I’m going to pop my old producing hat back on and launch a series of vlogs where I’ll be chatting with some pretty fascinating folk. I’ve also got a few other regular features in the pipeline – one of which will showcase precious possessions belonging to a few cool cats I know (as well as some more familiar faces).

Do you have a favourite place or dedicated space for blogging?

I blog at a little old desk I repurposed. It was once a canary yellow breakfast table at my first flat. Given it’s already a precious possession, I figured it made sense to give it pride of place at Tonia With An Eye HQ, where I blog about people and possessions.   

What are your must have tools and resources when it comes to blogging?

I have supersonic hearing. I’m not kidding. Consequently, I always have earplugs handy when I’m blogging. My MacBook Pro and my Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 camera are my other two must-haves for blogging. This trifecta pretty much makes up my blogging kit. A nice cuppa and cake helps too.

Have you ever experienced blogger’s block and what are your top tips for when it strikes?

It’s still early days for Tonia With An Eye so blogger’s block hasn’t struck just yet. Luckily, thanks to my years of producing daily tv, I’m accustomed to coming up with ideas in a hurry (heck, sometimes in the space of a commercial break).

What have been your blogging highlights and biggest challenges?

My daily Frocktober series was certainly a highlight of 2014. Frocktober is a fundraiser for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF). Put simply, Frocktober puts the “fun” in fundraiser. Over 31 days in October, I wore 31 dresses and wrote 31 blog posts about them; some of the frocks were op shop finds, others were hand-me-downs and I had a few designer numbers thrown in too. The response was phenomenal and I blitzed my fundraising goal, thanks to my very generous followers.

My biggest challenge is tearing myself away from the Mac before midnight. I would blog ‘round the clock if sleep wasn’t so essential to productive waking hours. Pesky, right?

Who inspires you and what’s on your Worth Casing list when it comes to other bloggers?

In Australia, I tip my lid to Styling You, Woogsworld, Fox in Flats and Tune Into Radio Carly. I’m also a regular reader of some blogs based abroad, like Cupcakes and Cashmere, SFGirlByBay and Express-o.

What advice would you give to anyone that is thinking about starting a blog of their own?

Dive in. Remember, you can hang out in the shallow end until you feel comfortable taking off the floaties. Most importantly, you’ll meet a bunch of new people and be amazed by the support you’ll find from other bloggers. Don’t dilly-dally or wait for a light bulb moment. Your blog will naturally evolve once you’ve made a start, so get amongst it ASAP (yes I’m shouting – that’s an order folks).

Part of your blog is dedicated to possessions, what’s one of your favourite things?

Call me a sentimental old fool but my Grandma’s dance card from 1936 is certainly in my top ten. I wrote about it here {May I have this dance?}.

If you weren’t in the business of blogging what would you be doing?

I’d be someplace else on social media, looking for alternative ways to share our stories and support each other online. I love the power of the net to give us all a voice. So I’d be doing that…or baking or shopping or going out for dinner or laughing over lattes or….

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Speaking of possessions… what’s one of your favourite things at the moment?