- Blog: DivasAndDorks.com
- Niche: Fashion/Technology/Lifestyle
- Founder: Christen Rochon
- Twitter: @DivasAndDorks
After noticing the vast amount of time she spent scouring the Internet for fashion, entertainment, and technology websites separately, 32-year-old Detroit native Christen Rochon seized the opportunity to merge the three cyber worlds into one. The result was DivasAndDorks.com, the one-stop destination for women who love their gadgets just as much as their gossip and Gianvito Rossi shoes.
Often called the “Black girl’s Mashable†or a “female-friendly Engadget,” Divas & Dorks (now based in NYC) reels in over 45,000 visitors each month since it’s inception in 2009; prompting Rochon to leave her $60,000/year broadcast media career with CBS Radio behind to tend to her website fulltime. Quirky and quick-witted content, combined with cutting edge technology keeps Divas & Dorks ahead of the pack, and on the radar of heavy-hitting corporate clients. As part of BlackEnterprise.com‘s second annual Black Blogger Month, Rochon retraces her path to online success.
I started blogging because…
I noticed that I would spend hours at work exploring fashion, gossip, entertainment and technology sites. Â After awhile, I realized that if I could find a site that combined two-three of those topics into one site that I’d save a lot of time roaming on the Web. Upon researching that there was a void in the blogosphere for this type of combined content, I decided to create it myself.
Being a dork is better than being a diva because….
I believe that it’s a lot easier to define what a diva is and how they act than it is to define a dork. In my mind, being a dork means being unique, original and a square excluded from popular circles. There are so many people that would argue the opposite but, hey, I guess that’s what makes me unique.
Divas & Dorks is unique because…
It combines fashion, technology and entertainment from my unique perspective. Â At the time of development in 2009, DivasAndDorks.com was created to fill the need of fashion, technology and entertainment news from your sister’s perspective. It prides itself on having a unique voice about entertainment topics, new gadgets and fashions; unlike anything else found on the Web.
People trust my brand because…
They know that no matter what, they can expect integrity. I’ve learned so much throughout my career in broadcast media and have been able to apply most, if not all, of what I’ve learned to my business. DivasAndDorks.com the brand is known for quirky editorial content, but it’s also known for excellent business practices and that’s something still relatively new in the blogging world.
The biggest mistake I’ve ever made in business was…
Wasting time with business associates that didn’t contribute to my professional development. There’s a huge difference between friends and associates–my grandmother taught me that not everyone you associate with is your friend. And the one thing that you can’t regain once lost, is time.
What I learned from that mistake was…
That in business, you can’t take things personal; you can’t allow your personal feelings to cloud your professional judgment. I have had several instances where I’ve had to distance myself from former business associates because their intentions were far from good and their faux friendship wasn’t contributing to my personal or professional development.
The biggest influence in my life is…
My mom. She was recently featured on BlackEnterprise.com with me for our unique mom/mentor relationship. Â She taught me the meaning of tenacity, and being unapologetic for having standards.
I realized blogging was a profitable business when…
I began to see more and more advertisers on blog sites. Â Coming from a broadcast media background with experience in digital ad sales (and an idea of corporate digital advertising budgets) I was able to differentiate between affiliate sales and sponsorships, and [began to] explore corporate sponsorship opportunities online.
The biggest lesson I learned about branding in the digital space was…
That “Tweets are watching…” Meaning, that no matter what, you
have to have a level of professionalism online. I’ve known several social media and brand managers for national brands list blogging brands that they won’t work with because of questionable behavior and branding online. Yeah, social media is supposed to be fun, but when you’re in the business of working in the digital space, it’s your job 24/7 and you’re responsible for what you say, do and portray online.The best piece of business advice I ever got was…
More of a learned sales lesson during my media sales career: “Every ‘no,’ gets you that much closer to your ‘yes!’†This advice really helped me get over a fear of rejection, in business and in life. The moment you walk around unafraid of rejection or being told no, is the moment that you become one of the most powerful business people in the world.
Click here to continue reading and to watch Rochon’s video interview…
I measure success according to…
Business goals and knowledge learned. Success can be as simple as accomplishing the task of networking with someone that you’ve always wanted to work with or landing two $20K clients in one week. It really depends on how you interpret daily tasks into the grand scheme of what your ultimate success is. I’ve never measured my blog success according to anyone else’s. The moment you measure your success based on someone else’s you’ve already limited yourself and your success based on the ability of what someone else can do. The best way to measure success if to note what’s been done plus the dreams that you wish to achieve and get to work towards it.
None of my success would be possible if not for…
Jesus–point, blank, period. There’s no way a girl from the inner city with so many obstacles stacked against her is supposed to be where she is today, without the help of God. I believe
that preparation plus opportunity equals success and I’ve been preparing for what I’m doing now since I was a third grader selling bookmarks and drawings in elementary school. God gave me the gift of hustle at an early age and through school, life experiences and my career. He’s brought me to the level of success that I am today. There have been so many random business miracles that have come out of nowhere and there’s no other way to explain it, but God.In business, you should you never be afraid to…
Have standards and demand compensation for your worth and work. Luckily, I learned the art of negotiation during my media sales career and have been able to apply that to my own business. You have to be comfortable knowing and expressing your self worth when in business.
If I weren’t blogging I’d probably be…
Working in a creative media capacity.  I’ve always loved the creative aspect of advertising since I was a little girl.  As a child, I was absolutely mesmerized by television commercials. I used to want to be just like Angela Bower from the sitcom Who’s The Boss. Currently, I’m taking classes to earn my second bachelor’s degree in new media design, which proves more than anything, that I’ll always have my foot in some area of creativity, whether it’s writing, designing or anything else.
My advice for anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps is…
Be unique, be genuine
and be resilient. I truly believe my brand is successful because it’s unique. Even when I first started and got side-eyes from people once I explained what my blog and business is all about, I was convinced that it was needed in the digital space. Of course, I can’t be everything to everyone, but I can be myself and if that’s something that isn’t appealing to you, I’m sure it’ll be appealing to someone else… When building a brand, you want to make sure that you have an audience/consumers, a genuine need to fulfill and the ability to provide a solution.What’s next on the horizon for me is…
Expanding into other areas and taking tech talk from the digital space to international destinations and travel with DivasOnDestinations.com, which will be an extension of what we’re doing now, but with more focus on travel, entertainment and how to use technology to get more out of one’s traveling lifestyle. Â DivasDriveInHeels.com is also an area that may also grow into it’s own entity. Â Currently, Divas Drive In Heels is a feature on DivasAndDorks.com dedicated to the automotive lifestyle of the female consumer. We cover auto news–from new vehicle releases to design partnerships and even lifestyle events that auto brands create to engage with the savvy female consumer.
We’re also exploring strong mentorship and personal investments in young women within urban communities through our D&D Foundation, which will focus on enlightening, encouraging and developing the interest of young women interested in marketing, technology, fashion or entertainment fields. Also, I’m planning on getting into more television appearances, like hosting segments on talk shows/news programs as well as brand endorsements, ambassadorships and more commercials. I recently wrapped on a commercial for Samsung TV and had a blast–I’d definitely like to do more things like that. Ultimately, I just want to walk in the gift that God gave me and fulfill whatever I’ve been put on this earth to do.
Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on to BlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.
Watch below as Rochon reveals the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of Divas & Dorks’ success.
Video shot and edited by Brain Food Film. Shot on location at the 40/40 Club New York.