How Jen Bishop turned an addiction into a business

Welcome to our founder series. Twice a month we will interview the founders of businesses, NFPs and charities who impress us, and we know will impress you too.

This week we chat with publisher and founder of hugely popular interiors blog, The Interiors Addict: Jen Bishop.

At home with business: Jen Bishop on building a career from passion

It was a love of interior design combined with an unpretentious eye that made Jen Bishop’s Interiors Addict blog a favourite of house-proud enthusiasts – and it swiftly became a hotspot for professionals as well.

Jen Bishop started her career as a newspaper journalist and respected magazine publisher but it was not until she started blogging about her passion – interior design – that she realised she could run her own media business from what started as a side hobby. Interiors Addict began as a blog in 2011 and today is Australia’s biggest interior design and renovating blog aimed at the everyday person, drawing a readership of more than 100,000 per month.

Interiors Addict is now part of Jen’s company Addicted Media, where she is a sought-after brand ambassador supported by a small team who helps her maintain and grow her readership and revenue.

If you could give a start-up one piece of advice, what would it be?

Be brave enough to do and launch things before they’re perfect. You can perfect them later. Or even decide not to continue with them!

What have you learned on your business journey?

That working hard and being nice will get you most of the way there! It’s a misconception that you have to be tough or step on other people on your way up. It is absolutely possible to have genuine and mutually beneficial and respectful business relationships. Business is much more enjoyable when you like the people you’re working with, and the benefit of running your own business is you get to choose.

Jen Bishop - The Interiors Addict — Jen Bishop regularly appears on TV

You have a huge social media following and loyal readers. What are your top three ways to encourage engagement and build a following on social media?

Be yourself and keep it real.
Offer valuable content, whether it’s useful, entertaining or inspiring.
Remember it’s a two-way conversation so you should engage with people.

As a journalist and also someone who has engaged a PR agency, you’ve see a lot of PR and spoken to a lot of PR agents. What makes a good PR agency?

As a journalist, a good PR agency is one that makes your life easier by presenting you with relevant and newsworthy content or content ideas that are too good to say ‘no’ to.

As a client, a good PR agency is one which takes the time to understand you and your brand and your unique needs and selling points.

What advice would you give to someone wanting media coverage?

Make sure you actually have something newsworthy to talk about. And then definitely consider employing the professionals with the experience and contacts to help you get it.

You can read more of Jen’s advice on how to secure media coverage here: How you could be destroying your chances of media coverage

How has PR helped your business?

Media coverage has definitely improved my personal and business profile and my SEO. When people Google you and see mainstream media coverage, it can’t help but add to your credibility. Being presented as an expert in your field can only be good for your business.

How do you set goals? And how do you make sure you achieve them?

I meet quarterly with a great friend and fellow business owner to set goals. We make sure we write them down and keep each other accountable.