I've known Chris for a while now - he was one of the first "Dad Bloggers" that stood out for me while I was working for Sears / Kmart. Since that time, his blog has grown and now he's part of our #MenWhoBlog community to help other male bloggers improve their craft, share ideas, and have some fun. As someone who's seen the evolution of the dad as well as male blogging space I wanted to get his perspective on a few things ...
How / why did you start blogging?
Back in 2007 I found that I was very impressed with some friends who were mom bloggers and what they were doing to share their experiences as moms. I talked it over with my wife and it was actually she that came up with the name Dad of Divas, as we were expecting our second daughter at that time. Since then the blog has continued to grow more and more. This year I launched a new site Dadspotlight.com to work with Don Jackson of daddynewbie.com on the Dad Spotlight podcast. I love doing this, though it is a lot of work and takes a lot of time.
What are your favorite male bloggers that you follow?
Some of my favorites include people like Drew Bennett of benspark.com, Adam Cohen of dadarocks.com, Jeff Bogle of owtk.com, Beau Coffron of lunchboxdad.com, Don Jackson of DaddyNewbie.com, John Kinnear of askyourdadblog.com and of course mantripping.com! - These are just a few of the ones that I read and learn from - but there are tons of other great examples!
Your blog name is clearly "Dad", in the mom space there seems to be a trend away from "mom blogs" but with guys "dad blogs" seem to be in vogue right now. What are your thoughts?
I have seen Dad Blogs come from obscurity into the limelight and I have to say that I love that fatherhood is finally getting recognized for the role and the importance that it holds in a childs' life. I also love that brands are recognizing that a dads point of view is important and that Dads are making many of the purchasing decisions in the home now. Dads being seen as engaged, positive role models are what we want all dads to emulate (or at least I know that I do!).
Your blog has been around for a while and you've certainly earned your stripes. What was the best piece of advice you were given when you were just starting out?
Never give up and never be afraid to ask for things that you are interested in. Whether this is a sponsored opportunity, an interview, or whatever it is, just ask - you might be surprised by the answer. Also, stay true to who you are and who your readers know you to be!
What do you think brands need to understand better about working with male bloggers?
They need to understand that male bloggers have different demands on their time and balance their time in different ways. Also, they need to know that male bloggers may not respond or react in the same way as our female counterparts when it comes to the offers that they provide us. They should not simply send us the same offer as they send females, but tailor the pitch to us and what they know we can bring to the conversation about their products.
What do you think male bloggers need to understand better about working with brands?
Brands want to know who you can reach and how you will work with them to get their message out. Be open and honest about what you do and how you will work with them from the very beginning.
