Shardul Pandey interviews only those who own their domain in webspace for doing business on Internet so if you too want to get interviewed please examine your domain at sangkrit.net before to e-mail all results to freedom@sangkrit.net.
[quote style=”1″]When with some of your unique idea about enhancing utility of Internet you create a website on your domain and stay focused on it, I become more than willing for interviewing you as a freedom fighter whether you think so or not but you certainly become one for establishing Internet world order.
That’s why I appeal you to bring most of things at your domain under GPL as it is the very nature of Internet that must be left open, free, fluid and live for the rest of humanity
–Shardul Pandey[/quote]
I welcome you in the Kingdom of Freedom Gail, please tell our netizens about yourself?
About myself? I come from a long line of foodies and photographers. Everyone in my immediate family has run some sort of food business over the years. I am the only one left doing so, but I can’t help it- I really love the culture and energy around good food and the sharing of it.
How exactly your idea sparked? What philosophy drives you for doing this?
There were two reasons that sparked the genesis of MY BLOG. Th first was I was retiring from running a custom wedding cake business(Gail Watson Custom Cakes), which I had been working for 24 years. I knew that I would need something to fill my time and my creative outlets. I had studied photography in school (back in the wet-darkroom days), and after making sweet things I wanted to get back to savory foods. At around the same time I was thinking about starting the blog, my dear Aunt Josephine, our matriarch, passed away. She was the consummate hostess and was a big influence on creating the intense romance around food in our family. So the nudge that got me to press “publish” for the first time was as an ode, or memorial to her. Sort of an extension of her legacy if you will.
How much time you spend on blogging ? How do you stay so up-to-date with information that you post on your blog ? Any weblogs you follow ?
My fiancée accuses me of always thinking about food, and she’s not wrong. I am always either developing recipe ideas in my head, photographing, writing or reading about food. I bounce around the web to see what others are doing, such as catching up on my reader, Pinterest, twitter and lately Google+.
What makes your endeavors unique on Internet ?
When it comes to being unique, I can only say that I’m not striving for that. My attitude is to be honest and excited about the things I am doing, and somehow that translates well for people. In the cake business I strove for a niche and I promoted it- the blog is purely organic, which is infinitely satisfying in its own right.
Do you work alone or you got people associated for working together ?
I mostly work alone, but as time is going on I am being asked more often to collaborate on projects. I love this! Though I enjoy the zen solitude of my kitchen, it can get quiet sometimes, so putting together energies to produce broader ideas is wonderful. I did that a lot in the cake business and it I always surprised myself with extended range of ideas and creativity that comes out of it. That being said, I think I’m also fortunate to work with some fantastically talented people.
Any more plans ? Are you planning to build a professional blog ?
As time goes on I am amazed at the path that the blog is leading me along. My immediate future plans is to keep doing what I am doing, but make it better and richer. To give an analogy: I’ve been making distance by paddling along, but I am reaching fuller strokes now and it’s more all encompassing.
What have you found to be the most challenging part in blogging ?
I’ve not found anything challenging about blogging really. I suppose the greatest learning curve was just to become more fluent in the technology, but I’ve really been enjoying that process.
What efforts you do for promoting your blog and building your readership ?
Because I approach my blog from an organic growth perspective, I’ve not done a whole lot of active self promotion, that is until recently. I’m at the point now that I want to share, not for the sake of success, but from the feedback that I get from my loyal readers, they enjoy it, they get something from it, so I’ve been putting some energy into building. Mostly right now that’s with Google+ and Pinterest. Not all social media works for all people. I don’t really gravitate to Twitter. I do spend time there, but it’s not natural for me- I guess because I’m more of a visual person, therefore I like Google+ and obviously Pinterest.
I am open for interviewing every upcoming individual, who owns a domain to somehow create virtual wealth in webspace since sustaining freedom is mostly built around domains running wonderful utilities in webspace that human-beings enjoy. What is your opinion for continuing this?
I’m not sure how to answer this question. I think that the net is an amazing place and the rules are still evolving. One thing that I like about it thus far is the mutual support and sharing that goes on. I do whatever I can to help assist other bloggers. For instance I help critique food photos for those who need some polishing. Though it might on some level create some competition for me, it’s greater to rise up together. Like I said earlier, in a way the development of the blogosphere will be better if we’re all getting better.
What is your ultimate message for netizens ?
My final message is that so many things in our world become corrupted over time, or just get sullied. I think the best thing we can do is self monitor the honesty and integrity of the net and make ourselves and other accountable. Someone asked me recently if food blogging is a fad, a trend or a norm. I think now it is a trend, but I am invested in it becoming the norm in a healthy and positive way.