Isabel Alvarez Arata
Joining me for this episode is pet industry entrepreneur, freelance journalist, writer and copywriter, Isabel Alvarez Arata. We chat about what it takes to start and be successful in the pet industry and writing for online and print publications. We discuss her successful pet industry blogging and copywriting services. Of course we chat about her wildly successful podcast, Covered In Pet Hair, a fun and boozy show for pet lovers. Have a listen from someone who knows the pet industry from nose to tail, my dear friend, Isabel Alvarez Arata. Enjoy!
Listen to Episode #207 Now:
BIO:
Born in Ecuador, raised in Miami, FL, and having lived across the US and in Europe, Isabel is fascinated by culture, language, and the arts. Fueled by her first encounter with rescue work and volunteerism at 17-years-old, Isabel believes her life's purpose is to help companion animals live better lives.
Since 2008, Isabel has inspired and encouraged pet parents and pet industry professionals to do right by their pets and the pets in their care through exercise, conscientious attention, proper nutrition, and more.
Founder of The Wag Pack, a pet care company formerly based in Northern Virginia and now fully online, Isabel knows the pet care industry, top pet care experts, and must-have pet products.
A self-described gourmand and former hospitality industry professional, Isabel blends her love of life, travel, and wine with her passion for pets in Covered in Pet Hair, a boozy web show for pet lovers.
Transcript:
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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.
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Tim Link: Let's talk pets.
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Tim Link: Welcome to Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
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Tim Link: This is your host, Tim Link, and I'm so thrilled you're joining us today.
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Tim Link: Got a super duper duper duper guest, a good friend of mine, and she is a wonderful writer and a multi-talented, versatile journalist, writer, business and marketing person.
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Tim Link: We're talking about Isabel Alvarez Arata.
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Tim Link: Of course, you probably know her best from her.
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Tim Link: A hit show here on Pet Life Radio, Covered In Pet Hair.
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Tim Link: So we're gonna pick Isabel's brain a little bit about writing, writing styles, how to get started, how do you develop that into a lifestyle and into a business by getting your message out there, as well as maybe making a little bit of the money and talk to her obviously about the show covered in pet hair.
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Tim Link: So fun, fun show with a good friend of mine.
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Tim Link: So it's gonna be exciting.
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Tim Link: Everybody hang tight.
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Tim Link: We'll come back right for this commercial break.
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Tim Link: You're listening to Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
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Announcer: Take a bite out of your competition.
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Announcer: Let's talk pets on petliferadio.com.
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Tim Link: Welcome back to Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
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Tim Link: Joining me now is the pet industry entrepreneur.
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Tim Link: She's a freelance journalist, a writer, copywriter, business specialist.
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Tim Link: She focuses on the pet industry, blogging, copywriting, really versatility.
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Tim Link: And that's what we're going to talk to her about.
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Tim Link: And of course we're talking about Isabel Alvarez Arata.
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Tim Link: Welcome Isabel.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Thank you so much for having me, Tim.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's great to see you here.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: As always, I appreciate the opportunity to be a guest on your amazing show.
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Tim Link: Yeah, thanks.
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Tim Link: What's exciting, because obviously we chitty chat about life and pets and animals.
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Tim Link: And obviously we've been friends for quite a while now.
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Tim Link: Very young still, we're still youngsters, of course.
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Tim Link: I love the fact that, I want to focus a little bit on the writing aspect, because the thing I've always admired about you and what you do is you can create an idea, develop it into a successful industry practice, develop it into a successful business.
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Tim Link: And at the same time, have some fun with it, have some knowledge that goes out to people.
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Tim Link: And so it's always been something I've admired about how you go about doing that.
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Tim Link: And so I guess my first question is, how do you sort of get your epiphany of what gets you started in the morning and then continue to grow and expand what you're doing?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, first of all, thank you.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's a huge compliment.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I appreciate you using my resilience as something so nice.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Really, it's just a matter of having had to be resilient, having had to say yes to things, like being like, I am not where I wanna be, so I need to try new things.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I think that a lot of people have these lofty goals that they wanna do certain things, they wanna get certain places, but they're very, very kind of tied to a plan or tied to a path.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I have never been tied to a path because if life has taught me anything, it's, you know, things change.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Life can happen when you don't want it to happen and in ways that you never thought it would happen.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So when I first started writing, for example, I was running my pet sitting dog walking business in Northern Virginia, and I just happened to meet a publisher of a local newspaper.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: We were both promoting our businesses.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: She was promoting the newspaper, the Alexandria Times in Alexandria, Virginia, and I was promoting the Wag Pack, which served Alexandria, Virginia.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I asked her, just because I like to ask people things and I like to get to know people, I was like, do you have a pet column?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And she said, no.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And she told me that they had never found anybody to write it.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I just said, I'll do it.
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Tim Link: And I love that aspect of it.
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Tim Link: I love how you go about doing that.
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Tim Link: I mean, when I hear you talk about that, I see the great business person you are, the marketer that you are, but also looking for those opportunities, those little tidbits, because I can't remember, I used to teach classes on early writing and publishing, how to get your books published, either through agents or through self-publishing.
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Tim Link: And the first question I always ask the authors to be, or authors is, what do you see in your book?
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Tim Link: What do you want it to be?
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Tim Link: And they're always like, well, I want to be a New York Times bestselling author.
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Tim Link: And I immediately say, well, stand in the back of the line, because so does everybody else.
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Tim Link: And the realization, you can't just start a business.
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Tim Link: You can't start a writing career or publishing a book by expecting it to be an overnight sensation.
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Tim Link: But I think we get tied up in a lot of that overnight sensations and our inability to be able to set back, put together a plan like you do.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: When I offered to write the column, I would have done it for free.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Let's be clear, because it was in my service area.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I loved to write.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'd been writing for a long time.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: My mom always told me I wrote well.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I was like, I would do it for free, but they offered me $25 a column.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: It was monthly.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it was once a month.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: It didn't take me that long to do and they allowed me to promote my business.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it was like a win-win situation.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: They didn't have to invest a ton in the writer.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: They were just starting to see if they could get advertisers from that endeavor.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I just wanted to get my business name out there.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And actually I got a bunch of new clients for our dog walking services from a lot of the columns that I wrote.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it worked out really well.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And then fast forward to the pandemic, when I had to close my business, one of my industry friends who knew I wrote that column was like, do you want to start writing again?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And that's why I'm where I am today.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And my friend's name is Jeannie Taylor.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: She's a very well known pet photographer.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And she just asked out of curiosity.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And from that question that she thought to ask and me saying yes to things that weren't necessarily part of my plan, now I'm writing full time and actually making a living as a writer.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it's just a matter of you got to trust the process.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: You got to trust that things are going to work out.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: As long as you follow your passions and your interests and your conviction, you're going to get there.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I'm still getting there.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: This is just part of the process.
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Tim Link: And I think that's a big part of it as well, is trying the different things, sticking to the plan and initiative, but being flexible enough when new opportunities present themselves, even in fields that is not your norm or as a side of what you're doing, you can definitely create a great living and get your name out there for sure.
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Tim Link: So now most of the writing that you're...
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Tim Link: Yeah, the writing you're doing today, I mean, I know it is a pet industry and pet care and pet friendly living type things, but it's diversifying even more than that, or at least into different publications that people wouldn't go to necessarily thinking, I want a great pet article, so I'm going to pick up this publication or read it online in digital format.
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Tim Link: How do you sort of get those opportunities, balance those two out, getting your message as the pet industry professional, but perhaps not getting locked into being just the pet industry professional?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, it's kind of been interesting because when my friend approached me to write for some magazines, she was basically asking me to write whatever the magazine needed.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: A lot of it, because of my business background, were marketing pieces.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And so I was able to go in and tell businesses stories and promote their products in these magazines.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Then I got editorial.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So the editorials that I've covered, a million different things, historical practices.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: We've talked about roller derby.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I've written about so many things, wedding planning, a she shed article.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I just wrote one for Charleston Women about she sheds and how they're becoming a big deal.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I interviewed a shed maker and a woman who has a she shed for that.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So right now, it's just, I write about anything that the magazines and the newspapers want me to cover.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: They know me as the pet expert.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So they do have me writing for two magazines.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I write a monthly pet column.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So for Island Vibes out of the IOP in South Carolina, Isle of Palms and Mount Pleasant magazine, I have a running monthly pet column where I feature a local pet and I tell their story.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: But they know that I also can write about organizations in the pet industry.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I've written for Low Country Dog about Super Zoo, for example, my Super Zoo Experience, which is a trade show that I attend every year.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I've written about a lot of things that are and are not related to the pet industry for those magazines.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: But then the thing that really truly fills me and the thing that is pretty much the way I make my living is writing for pet businesses.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I create content for pet businesses.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I blog for them.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I do social media management for them.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I promote their services and their business in their local vicinity, in their local area, by writing on their behalf.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Because most of the pet industry business owners are so busy that they want to do all the marketing.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: They wanna tell their story, but they don't have the time.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's just not a realistic part of their day to day.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So they know that I have the experience in the industry that I've worked where they are.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So they trust me to tell their story in their voice and reflecting their brand standards, their brand tone and voice.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: But obviously they know that I have the background to back it up.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So a lot of my clients don't even read what I write for them because they trust me so much, which is such a compliment.
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Tim Link: Absolutely.
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Tim Link: Well, that I think that's a key part of when I'm looking at business aspects.
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Tim Link: I mean, I knew early on when I've been doing my wagging tails business for almost 20 years now.
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Tim Link: And early on, I wrote a lot just to get the name out there.
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Tim Link: So I used to write, and I enjoyed the work and I enjoyed the message, but I wrote weekly for Catstom magazine, wrote for Dogstom magazine, Victoria still has positively, digital magazine and a whole host of other ones, plus individual articles from places like Guidepost and you name it.
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Tim Link: So I was writing these small sort of lifestyle type articles with blended in some how-to type of situations.
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Tim Link: And that sort of allowed me to continue to grow the business from the consultation standpoint while doing something that was supplementing that and allowing the business to grow from the marketing aspect.
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Tim Link: But I think you hit it, what you're doing most now in the moneymaker that's coming in is well needed because you get a business even like myself that I've been doing this for 20 years and I sort of think I know what works and what doesn't work, but what worked 20 years, 10 years, even five years ago is night and day from where it is today.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Absolutely.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm trained in search engine optimization.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So the blogs, for example, that I write are optimized for Google to find them and promote them.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: The idea for any business and any business owners listening know exactly what I'm talking about.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: You wanna land on that first page of organic search results on Google.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's the moneymaker right there.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So in order to get there, you need to have a robust website that tells Google that in that specific vicinity, let's say Houston, let's say Alexandria, Chicago, you are the expert when it comes to pet sitting, dog walking or dog training or cat behavior.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: You wanna be the expert.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And the only way that you are recognized by Google as such is if you have things that are being updated regularly, you speak as an expert would about a topic.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Google writes websites according to that reliability and that knowledge and that trustworthiness.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And if you are maybe blogging once a year, you're not gonna get the same running as you would if you blogged three times a week, which my clients aren't blogging three times a week.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: They're paying me to blog once a week.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And most of them can't even dream of doing that on their own, let alone three blogs a week.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And when you really see these successful bloggers, for example, they're blogging three times a day, as you know, just because that is how you get that traffic on your site.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Realistically speaking, once a month is better than never.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Once every two weeks is better than once a month.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And once a week is better than once every two weeks.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So that's what I tell my clients is, you know, write and share your story and share things that you're passionate about and let Google find you, not by paying them per click, right?
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: We don't wanna do that.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: We wanna do it so that we're giving content, we're educating parents, we're elevating the industry, and you're also helping your business get recognized online by Google.
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Tim Link: It's obviously a critical part of it.
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Tim Link: I mean, I remember in those early days, just trying to do anything, just tons and tons of interviews, whether it was in studio or whether it was on radio, just trying to get that message out.
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Tim Link: And usually when you landed, I found out very early on two things.
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Tim Link: One, that you had to be diligent at it and had to be doing it for a long time and really become the expert in whatever you're doing in order to be on those front pages.
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Tim Link: But also you gotta look for opportunities to be able to parlay your particular interview or whatever it may be on particular shows that do get a lot of hits.
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Tim Link: You know, you can't always dictate that, but it's very true a lot of time.
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Tim Link: I remember three or four just specific articles or interviews that people had where I was part of, they asked me to be part of it.
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Tim Link: And we did the video where we did the article piece, and then everything just blew up from there.
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Tim Link: But you know, you can't always, you know, knock on Oprah's door and say, you know, can you do an editorial piece on me and so on and so forth.
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Tim Link: Those things tend to land in your lap a little bit more after you've been doing it for a while, but you've got to look for those opportunities.
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Tim Link: So how do you go about pulling that grasp or getting their minds open to the idea of, okay, you know, I'm running my business, I do all my marketing, I know what works, what doesn't work, et cetera, et cetera.
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Tim Link: And you're coming in with a new approach or a proven approach, I should say, but it's new to them.
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Tim Link: They have never, you know, let go of those reins to let somebody, you know, be able to write blogs and do things for them.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, I think that connection, connecting with people really helps.
00:14:48.460 --> 00:14:49.940
Isabel Alvarez Arata: We're connecting with people in your industry.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm still involved in the pet sitting industry, even though I'm not a pet sitting business owner anymore.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I have accepted a lot of opportunities for free without being paid to maybe MC a conference or to speak at a conference.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And we do these things because we have a message to share, but it also puts us face to face with these potential clients.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I was just at the Texas Pet Sitters Conference in February, immediately went to Savannah for the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters Conference.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And in those conferences, I got clients because they get to the conference and they know for a fact that they're already overwhelmed.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: They are overwhelmed.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: They're not doing their bookkeeping.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: They're not doing enough hiring.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Everything has to be done by the small business owner.
00:15:36.640 --> 00:15:40.020
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's not like you have an accounting department or an HR department.
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Isabel Alvarez Arata: You are all those things.
00:15:41.640 --> 00:15:50.360
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So when you find that I, somebody you know and trust can take one of those major things off your plate, you say, please, please take it.
00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:55.240
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And obviously, because I work in the pet industry, my pricing reflects that.
00:15:55.240 --> 00:16:01.580
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like if I wanted to work in tech and I had a background in tech, I'd probably be charging four times what I charge the pet sitting industry.
00:16:01.740 --> 00:16:04.400
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But that's what fills me and that's what I love.
00:16:04.420 --> 00:16:05.500
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And that's what I know about.
00:16:05.520 --> 00:16:10.540
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it is a lot easier to write about pets than it would be to write about some kind of code, right?
00:16:10.880 --> 00:16:12.160
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I don't know anything about that.
00:16:12.180 --> 00:16:18.860
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it would probably take me four times as long to write something that I can write in an hour for the pet industry.
00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:22.420
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So those things, all of it kind of comes together.
00:16:22.440 --> 00:16:26.140
Isabel Alvarez Arata: When you trust the person, they're charging you a fair price.
00:16:26.640 --> 00:16:29.320
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You know that they have to represent you.
00:16:29.340 --> 00:16:30.440
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like I'm representing them.
00:16:30.460 --> 00:16:32.320
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm putting their names, I ghostwrite for them.
00:16:32.340 --> 00:16:34.440
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I'm putting their names on what I write.
00:16:34.800 --> 00:16:35.800
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And they say, you know what?
00:16:35.800 --> 00:16:40.160
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I have no problem with her pretending to be me and impersonating me, because I trust her.
00:16:40.520 --> 00:16:48.160
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I think that that's really a matter of connection, longevity in the industry, maintaining that face-to-face connection whenever possible.
00:16:48.500 --> 00:17:00.560
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And also through my show, I think that that's one of the things that I have most benefited from doing Covered In Pet Hair, is maintaining that connection with people, even when we're across the world.
00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:06.720
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I get to see, meet, share a drink with people, connect other people.
00:17:06.780 --> 00:17:10.900
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I see a lot of these people in person at Super Zoo after having had them on my show.
00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:12.460
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So we feel like friends already.
00:17:12.840 --> 00:17:17.920
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it's just creating my circle and then including more people in that circle.
00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:21.640
Isabel Alvarez Arata: The more I get out there and meet people in my industry.
00:17:22.040 --> 00:17:30.000
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And everybody knows somebody, I've had people referring me business all the time, just like my friend who got me into writing after the pandemic.
00:17:30.520 --> 00:17:40.100
Isabel Alvarez Arata: People remember you if you are willing to help and have a good attitude and look like somebody who really is passionate about what you're doing and it's authentic.
00:17:40.120 --> 00:17:44.020
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I feel people pick that up and they wanna promote you, even if there's nothing in it for them.
00:17:44.560 --> 00:17:45.960
Tim Link: Yeah, I agree with you wholeheartedly.
00:17:46.160 --> 00:18:03.140
Tim Link: You know, it's almost a common theme I have been seeing since obviously doing this show, talking to writers and authors and bloggers and those that write articles in publications, but also talking to celebrities, how they got their start and how they build up their brand and their business.
00:18:03.580 --> 00:18:05.540
Tim Link: And I've seen the theme be fairly consistent.
00:18:05.540 --> 00:18:15.600
Tim Link: You know, early days take good opportunities, even if it's not what you thought it was going to be, be versatile enough to take opportunities and get to know people.
00:18:16.100 --> 00:18:20.940
Tim Link: And you don't always have to start at the top, usually start at the bottom and then you work your way up.
00:18:21.280 --> 00:18:22.860
Tim Link: And before you know it, you're at the top.
00:18:23.020 --> 00:18:27.960
Tim Link: I guess that's a theme in life, but it's definitely anything to do with entertainment industry as a whole.
00:18:28.340 --> 00:18:31.060
Tim Link: And I see that trending, you know, in the writing space as well.
00:18:31.460 --> 00:18:32.860
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Absolutely, absolutely.
00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:39.060
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I mean, there's a very controversial Real Housewife of Beverly Hills once said that she doesn't say no to anything.
00:18:39.080 --> 00:18:42.320
Isabel Alvarez Arata: She says yes to everything, whether it's, you know, part of her plan or not.
00:18:42.340 --> 00:18:45.220
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I mean, she's the household name in the Bravo universe.
00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:48.680
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And so, you know, we don't always want to say yes to everything.
00:18:48.700 --> 00:18:53.460
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I will say to her, maybe if you had said no more, you wouldn't be in the trouble you're in.
00:18:53.960 --> 00:19:07.060
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But I will say that there are opportunities that maybe were like, you know what, I want more or I want to get paid or I need, and sometimes it's a matter of kind of saying, maybe this is a cost out of my own pocket.
00:19:07.160 --> 00:19:09.180
Isabel Alvarez Arata: However, what are the benefits?
00:19:09.260 --> 00:19:15.100
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And weighing that out, because not everything is gonna pay us dividends the first time.
00:19:15.180 --> 00:19:27.480
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's all of these things kind of stack up and create a brand and a brand legacy, if you want to say that way, so that you can say, you know, I've done all these things and I would love to help you.
00:19:27.520 --> 00:19:32.180
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And in the future, maybe I'll be able to say, I've done all these things and I'd love to help you and this is my fee.
00:19:32.500 --> 00:19:36.080
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But until I've done all those things, why would anybody pay me, right?
00:19:36.100 --> 00:19:42.200
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it's really a matter of proving yourself, proving that you're worthy of what you are going to command in the future.
00:19:42.300 --> 00:19:58.700
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I'm in my 40s and I'm just starting out as a writer and a podcaster and I can't expect what I did in my 28, when I was 28 and starting my business to really matter now because I'm doing something completely different.
00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:04.960
Isabel Alvarez Arata: If I were to apply to work as a manager at a pet sitting business, I'm sure I'd be the best candidate for the job, right?
00:20:04.980 --> 00:20:06.320
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Because I did it for 12 years.
00:20:06.540 --> 00:20:19.760
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I ran my own business, but now I'm proving myself as a writer, somebody who can take freelance work and deliver on time, somebody who can be kind and resourceful enough to find people to interview.
00:20:19.780 --> 00:20:24.680
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Contacts are hard to come by, so I have to be resourceful and I have to prove myself that I can do that.
00:20:24.900 --> 00:20:32.520
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And until I've proven myself, which I think I'm starting now to get more editors or referring me to other editors.
00:20:32.540 --> 00:20:35.780
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I'm seeing the fruits of my labor, but it didn't happen overnight.
00:20:35.780 --> 00:20:37.020
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Here we are four years later.
00:20:37.240 --> 00:20:40.460
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And this is really when I'm seeing things kind of come together for me.
00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:41.680
Tim Link: There you go.
00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:56.220
Tim Link: Well, I think obviously the success you had in your previous business and the skillset you learned in marketing and promoting yourself had to make it a little bit easier, obviously, or a lot easier to parlay us into a successful new venture for you.
00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:57.440
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah, absolutely.
00:20:57.460 --> 00:21:02.160
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I think that that's what's really interesting is everything that we learn really does help us.
00:21:02.340 --> 00:21:12.040
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I know that there's people who have to take gaps from their employment, people who had to close their businesses during the pandemic, people who had to switch careers for whatever reason.
00:21:12.060 --> 00:21:22.160
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I think that when a recruiter or when a hiring manager only looks at what they bring to the table based on that particular industry, they're missing so much more.
00:21:22.180 --> 00:21:33.760
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Because all of the skills that we learn, whether it be at home as a mom, whether it be waiting tables, which I did for a long time, and I think everybody should do at some point in their life because it teaches you so many skills.
00:21:34.120 --> 00:21:39.320
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Anything that we do helps us some way somehow in the next venture.
00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:40.840
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So learn as much as you can.
00:21:40.860 --> 00:21:46.460
Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's kind of my philosophy, is learning as much as I can, doing as much as I can, trying a lot of things.
00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:51.220
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I've had like 20 jobs in different careers and different industries.
00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:54.160
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I started working on when I was 14 years old, and I did it all.
00:21:54.180 --> 00:21:59.320
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Customer service, airlines, jewelry store, restaurants, you name it, I done it.
00:21:59.700 --> 00:22:04.320
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I was a teacher for a while, definitely didn't enjoy that because I was too young and too wild.
00:22:04.980 --> 00:22:09.000
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But everything that I did, I took something from, and I probably still use it today.
00:22:09.380 --> 00:22:10.480
Tim Link: Yeah, and I think that's it.
00:22:10.680 --> 00:22:14.880
Tim Link: I think that's key behind, one of the many keys behind your success for sure.
00:22:14.900 --> 00:22:22.160
Tim Link: All right, well, we're gonna take a quick commercial break and we'll come back and have a container chat with Isabel Alvarez Arata.
00:22:22.180 --> 00:22:27.640
Tim Link: I'm gonna talk to her about Covered In Pet Hair and the podcast, video cast that she has off of that.
00:22:28.060 --> 00:22:30.640
Tim Link: And then wrap up a little bit about her writing styles.
00:22:31.060 --> 00:22:33.040
Tim Link: How in the world did she juggle all this stuff?
00:22:33.060 --> 00:22:34.140
Tim Link: So everybody hang tight.
00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:35.780
Tim Link: We'll come back for a commercial break.
00:22:36.020 --> 00:22:38.840
Tim Link: You're listening to Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
00:22:44.674 --> 00:22:49.054
Tim Link: Hey, everybody, this is Tim Link, the host of Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
00:22:49.134 --> 00:22:50.794
Tim Link: Got some exciting news for you here today.
00:22:50.934 --> 00:23:00.874
Tim Link: My audio book is now available, Wagging Tails, Every Animal Has A Tail, is now available in audiobook form through audible.com, amazon.com, and iTunes.
00:23:01.014 --> 00:23:04.514
Tim Link: It's a collection of 32 conversations I've had with the animals.
00:23:04.874 --> 00:23:09.074
Tim Link: It's a fun, interesting, heartfelt book that's suitable for all age groups.
00:23:09.334 --> 00:23:14.574
Tim Link: So everybody, pick up a copy of the audiobook, Wagging Tails, Every Animal Has A Tail, and you'll be glad you did.
00:23:26.334 --> 00:23:29.174
Tim Link: Welcome back to Animal Writes on PetLife Radio.
00:23:29.294 --> 00:23:35.794
Tim Link: Continue our conversation with pet industry entrepreneur freelance writer journalist Isabel Alvarez-Rada.
00:23:36.174 --> 00:23:42.514
Tim Link: Now Isabel, we touched briefly about your show, Covered In Pet Hair, which is on Pet Life Radio, but it's also many, many other places.
00:23:42.894 --> 00:23:51.494
Tim Link: And I think you have a little bit of a unique twist to us, a compliment host who just come on here and gibber jabber for a while and get our step foot out there.
00:23:51.814 --> 00:23:58.494
Tim Link: Tell us a little bit about the show, Covered In Pet Hair, and then where people can find out, but also how's that fitted your overall business plan?
00:23:58.634 --> 00:24:04.534
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, Covered In Pet Hair is a boozy show for pet lovers, and it's on Pet Life Radio, as we've discussed.
00:24:04.594 --> 00:24:06.094
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It is so fun to do.
00:24:06.174 --> 00:24:14.594
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love doing it because I actually started it in the pandemic when I remember missing out on all the industry events that I used to attend.
00:24:14.654 --> 00:24:22.074
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I really loved that face-to-face, that being at a conference or being at an event and then going to get a drink after, having dinner with people.
00:24:22.094 --> 00:24:24.534
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I miss that human interaction, that human connection.
00:24:24.554 --> 00:24:32.774
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I have the idea to do something where it would feel like happy hour between two industry colleagues and friends.
00:24:33.254 --> 00:24:38.994
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And it would give me the opportunity to highlight interesting people in the industry because we all have such an interesting story.
00:24:39.014 --> 00:24:40.094
Isabel Alvarez Arata: There's always a pet.
00:24:40.194 --> 00:24:43.814
Isabel Alvarez Arata: There's always a pet that inspired us to enter this industry.
00:24:44.254 --> 00:24:45.354
Isabel Alvarez Arata: We are no different.
00:24:45.574 --> 00:24:51.514
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It is really interesting to know where people's heads were, what backgrounds they had before they entered the industry.
00:24:51.734 --> 00:24:54.474
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I've always found people in our industry fascinating.
00:24:54.474 --> 00:24:56.254
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Obviously they are my people.
00:24:56.274 --> 00:25:02.674
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I always say that these are my people because if I make like a joke about a dirty litter box, they'll get it and most people won't.
00:25:02.994 --> 00:25:04.734
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it's my people.
00:25:04.754 --> 00:25:07.434
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Pet people are just, it's just my circle.
00:25:07.834 --> 00:25:16.874
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And so when Mark agreed, our executive producer agreed to put it on, I just started reaching out to friends in the industry that I felt had a lot to share.
00:25:17.154 --> 00:25:22.454
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And what I want from the show is to, for it to be entertaining and slightly educational.
00:25:22.474 --> 00:25:23.594
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So mostly entertaining.
00:25:23.834 --> 00:25:25.174
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You can hear somebody's story.
00:25:25.194 --> 00:25:26.614
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You could learn about what they do.
00:25:26.954 --> 00:25:30.014
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And maybe you can learn about a product that'll make your life a little bit easier.
00:25:30.034 --> 00:25:36.414
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Maybe you'll learn some tips for your dog with separation anxiety or your cat that scratches everything up.
00:25:36.754 --> 00:25:38.874
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Whatever it is, you might learn something.
00:25:39.014 --> 00:25:43.074
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You might get to understand your pet a little bit better just from the conversations that we have.
00:25:43.154 --> 00:25:45.854
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But also you'll get to know people in the industry.
00:25:45.874 --> 00:25:54.234
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And you'll remember that no matter who cares for your pet, whether it's a veterinarian, a pet sitter, or a groomer, et cetera, they're humans too.
00:25:54.254 --> 00:25:55.554
Isabel Alvarez Arata: They all have a story.
00:25:55.554 --> 00:26:00.394
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's more than just that transactional relationship we have with these pet care providers.
00:26:00.774 --> 00:26:02.114
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And that is really the goal.
00:26:02.114 --> 00:26:06.674
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And how it fits into my business plan is really just highlighting the industry.
00:26:06.754 --> 00:26:10.194
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I've always been an advocate for the pet sitting industry.
00:26:10.194 --> 00:26:14.034
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I think that pet sitting, in-home pet sitting is such an amazing industry.
00:26:14.054 --> 00:26:16.094
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's such an amazing service for pet parents.
00:26:16.114 --> 00:26:21.974
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I think it's like completely underrated and under acknowledged in the pet industry.
00:26:21.994 --> 00:26:27.674
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I think dog trainers have an amazing power to really improve lives.
00:26:27.914 --> 00:26:34.294
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But I also think that pet sitters, dog walkers can be so important in that overall quality of life of the pets in our care.
00:26:34.674 --> 00:26:42.094
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I like to just elevate the industry by highlighting the people that are in it, telling their stories, educating pet parents.
00:26:42.234 --> 00:26:48.214
Isabel Alvarez Arata: My goal is not to really reach professionals unless they enjoy that chit chat and that banter.
00:26:48.454 --> 00:26:50.874
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But I really, my goal is to reach pet parents.
00:26:50.914 --> 00:26:54.094
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Even if they own pet businesses, we're all pet parents.
00:26:54.574 --> 00:27:06.314
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And we can all do just a little bit better for our pets if we know what they need, if we better understand what they're after, what their reactions look like, what their behaviors look like.
00:27:06.314 --> 00:27:12.454
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So that's really the goal is just to bring people together, elevate the industry and elevate pet care in general.
00:27:12.914 --> 00:27:13.314
Tim Link: Yeah.
00:27:13.354 --> 00:27:22.254
Tim Link: Well, one of the things I always enjoy, obviously talking to you whenever I get to appear on Covered In Pet Hair, but it's the, like you said, the entertainment aspect of it.
00:27:22.594 --> 00:27:41.394
Tim Link: I know that if I'm interviewing an author who writes about animals or a author who is a professor or a serious veterinarian who has a serious book that they're publishing and putting out there or a serious article that's coming out, they get bombarded over and over again with the same questions about what it is.
00:27:41.414 --> 00:27:41.974
Tim Link: And it's great.
00:27:41.994 --> 00:27:49.594
Tim Link: It's great knowledge because it may be the first time somebody is actually hearing this person or maybe they've heard the name but really haven't paid attention to everything that they're writing.
00:27:50.074 --> 00:28:08.054
Tim Link: But it's always the question that hits them that you do a great job of asking these quirky little questions, the behind the scenes, the peel the onion back on your guests to get people to relate to say, hey, this guy, yeah, he is the professional in this area, but he's also kind of a normal, strange kind of guy.
00:28:08.074 --> 00:28:12.354
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You know, it's always about getting to know the person.
00:28:12.374 --> 00:28:15.794
Isabel Alvarez Arata: We play games where I say, like, there are no wrong answers.
00:28:15.814 --> 00:28:16.914
Isabel Alvarez Arata: This is your opinion.
00:28:16.934 --> 00:28:19.154
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I want your personal opinion about this.
00:28:19.714 --> 00:28:22.334
Isabel Alvarez Arata: We'll also play games where we both learn.
00:28:22.354 --> 00:28:25.894
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'll get statistics that my guests would never know off the top of their head.
00:28:26.214 --> 00:28:29.394
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I'll ask true and false questions so that we can both learn together.
00:28:29.774 --> 00:28:34.314
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And, you know, gauge how serious a problem is, how common a problem is, things like that.
00:28:34.374 --> 00:28:37.394
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I always put people on the spot in the best of ways.
00:28:37.414 --> 00:28:44.434
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I'll be like, I'm gonna give you a minute, you know, to describe your product as if you were on Shark Tank or something like that.
00:28:44.454 --> 00:28:45.454
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But it's always playful.
00:28:45.474 --> 00:28:47.674
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's always got the best intentions in mind.
00:28:47.694 --> 00:28:50.614
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I never want to catch anybody not knowing an answer.
00:28:50.834 --> 00:28:57.614
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I really just want to have fun with them, enjoy their company and just kind of learn what makes them tick.
00:28:57.814 --> 00:29:04.214
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And if I can learn from them, which I always do, that's always a bonus because I can just be like, oh, I didn't even think about that.
00:29:04.214 --> 00:29:06.334
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Or I didn't expect that answer from you.
00:29:06.354 --> 00:29:07.934
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I would have expected something different.
00:29:08.134 --> 00:29:09.954
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So there's always surprises for me as well.
00:29:09.974 --> 00:29:14.834
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Even though I researched the show and planned the questions and do all that, sometimes I end up surprised too.
00:29:15.074 --> 00:29:15.934
Tim Link: Yeah, absolutely.
00:29:15.954 --> 00:29:19.614
Tim Link: And maybe you'll find some tidbits where they let something slip that you can hold against them later.
00:29:19.634 --> 00:29:21.594
Tim Link: That's what I'm thinking.
00:29:21.614 --> 00:29:27.034
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, it's so funny because at first, when I first started, there were a lot of people who were like, what's that?
00:29:27.054 --> 00:29:28.314
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm not gonna try to drink.
00:29:28.334 --> 00:29:33.414
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I feel like people were trying to be very, I guess, proper in the pet industry.
00:29:33.434 --> 00:29:34.954
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I don't wanna have a drink.
00:29:34.974 --> 00:29:38.334
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Or maybe people who don't drink didn't wanna come on because they were like, well, I don't drink.
00:29:38.354 --> 00:29:40.154
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And that's not a requirement, obviously.
00:29:40.174 --> 00:29:41.954
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I worked in restaurants.
00:29:42.194 --> 00:29:43.214
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love wine.
00:29:43.434 --> 00:29:44.474
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love cocktails.
00:29:44.494 --> 00:29:46.334
Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's just part of my life.
00:29:46.374 --> 00:29:54.714
Isabel Alvarez Arata: My joys in life is enjoying food and friends and wine and cocktails and tequila is one of my favorite spirits.
00:29:54.734 --> 00:29:55.894
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So that's me.
00:29:56.014 --> 00:29:59.794
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But that doesn't mean that everybody who comes on my show has to feel the same way.
00:29:59.814 --> 00:30:02.354
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I've had many guests who do not drink.
00:30:02.374 --> 00:30:04.414
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I had a guest who had a popsicle while we chatted.
00:30:04.434 --> 00:30:06.414
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I have guests who have coffee.
00:30:06.414 --> 00:30:07.394
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It doesn't really matter.
00:30:07.414 --> 00:30:15.554
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But the point is to feel like we're in the same place and sharing a refreshment together and just getting to know each other in a more casual way.
00:30:15.574 --> 00:30:27.714
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Where yes, this looks like it's all set up, but this might as well be my living room because this is all of my special things, all the things behind me on my studio represent a part of me.
00:30:27.854 --> 00:30:35.114
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And so when I get to see their studio or wherever they've set up in their house, like what you have behind you is pictures.
00:30:35.354 --> 00:30:42.474
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And we get to see a glimpse into these people's personal lives, professional lives as well, and we just get to connect on a human level.
00:30:42.674 --> 00:30:43.194
Tim Link: That's right.
00:30:43.214 --> 00:30:47.854
Tim Link: And as George Casanza says, Pepsi beats wine anytime, hands down.
00:30:47.874 --> 00:30:48.794
Tim Link: I don't care what you say.
00:30:49.374 --> 00:30:49.934
Tim Link: Just kidding.
00:30:50.074 --> 00:30:54.054
Isabel Alvarez Arata: The good thing is, George, there'll be plenty of Pepsi for you and plenty of wine for me.
00:30:54.494 --> 00:30:55.094
Tim Link: That's it.
00:30:55.514 --> 00:30:56.154
Tim Link: That's it.
00:30:56.274 --> 00:31:01.074
Tim Link: Well, being from Atlanta, I've got to say Coke is better than Pepsi, though I don't drink sodas at all.
00:31:02.714 --> 00:31:03.774
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You're gonna get kicked out.
00:31:03.794 --> 00:31:04.334
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Forget it.
00:31:04.354 --> 00:31:05.574
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Start packing.
00:31:06.734 --> 00:31:24.494
Tim Link: My cheeky way is when being invited to a good meal or get together a birthday party, whatever it may be, bring the best of something, whether it's the best bourbon, best tequila, best wine, because good chances they'll feel compelled to open it up right when you got their glass right in front of them.
00:31:25.374 --> 00:31:26.014
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Oh my gosh.
00:31:26.034 --> 00:31:26.874
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You're so funny.
00:31:26.894 --> 00:31:27.454
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Do you know that?
00:31:27.474 --> 00:31:29.114
Isabel Alvarez Arata: That did not happen to me at a party.
00:31:29.134 --> 00:31:42.994
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I brought a really great bottle of champagne for a recent party, and they put out their leftover holiday wine, and I kept circling the bar to see if they updated the wines.
00:31:43.014 --> 00:31:44.294
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And they had it.
00:31:44.714 --> 00:31:48.174
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So yes, hopefully, usually that's the way it goes.
00:31:48.194 --> 00:31:49.554
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Hopefully, that is the way it goes.
00:31:49.894 --> 00:31:52.554
Isabel Alvarez Arata: In my house, we open everything that's brought that day.
00:31:52.574 --> 00:31:54.754
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Let's open it up and we'll figure it out later.
00:31:55.034 --> 00:31:55.754
Tim Link: There you go.
00:31:55.774 --> 00:31:56.374
Tim Link: That's good.
00:31:56.474 --> 00:31:57.054
Tim Link: I like that.
00:31:57.074 --> 00:31:57.654
Tim Link: I like that.
00:31:58.074 --> 00:31:59.334
Tim Link: So let's pick your brain.
00:31:59.354 --> 00:32:07.554
Tim Link: This is one of the things that always trips people up when they're, no matter how long they've been writing or publishing books or articles, whatever it may be, is the writing style.
00:32:08.274 --> 00:32:14.974
Tim Link: It always shocks me that people maybe not realize they have a writing style, and I'm not just necessarily talking about content.
00:32:15.114 --> 00:32:16.874
Tim Link: I'm talking about what's your routine?
00:32:17.034 --> 00:32:19.014
Tim Link: How do you keep the balls on the table?
00:32:19.254 --> 00:32:21.154
Tim Link: Are you a 5 a.m., right?
00:32:21.174 --> 00:32:23.354
Tim Link: 5,000 words a day type of person?
00:32:23.754 --> 00:32:28.234
Tim Link: Or are you like me, wait till the deadline and whip something out real quick and hope it sticks?
00:32:28.634 --> 00:32:42.634
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay, so for my blogging clients, I like to work ahead, even though I've not accomplished that for very long, because just in case something happens, I want them to have a weekly blog every Monday or a weekly blog every Tuesday.
00:32:43.274 --> 00:32:48.854
Isabel Alvarez Arata: They all get a date assigned to them during the week and they will get a blog every week on that same day.
00:32:49.214 --> 00:32:51.334
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So for those, I try to work ahead.
00:32:51.734 --> 00:32:56.474
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Most websites have the ability to schedule your blog in advance.
00:32:56.494 --> 00:33:01.734
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So you can write, you can go to a hotel, which I've done before, and spend a whole weekend just writing blogs.
00:33:02.034 --> 00:33:05.054
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Just write blogs, schedule them one week after the other.
00:33:05.074 --> 00:33:07.114
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And it's optimized and it's ready to go.
00:33:07.114 --> 00:33:10.894
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And you don't even have to worry about it for a month or two, however many you can write.
00:33:11.154 --> 00:33:15.374
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And for blogs, you're looking at 450 minimum for words.
00:33:15.774 --> 00:33:20.654
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And maximum, if you're writing pretty regularly, you don't wanna really go over a thousand.
00:33:20.814 --> 00:33:25.174
Isabel Alvarez Arata: The optimal blog length is about 500 to 750 words.
00:33:25.194 --> 00:33:28.934
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it doesn't take that long, especially if you're writing something that you know and love.
00:33:28.954 --> 00:33:37.314
Isabel Alvarez Arata: For the magazines, however, it really is a matter of starting immediately, because I have to find contacts to quote for these articles.
00:33:37.874 --> 00:33:42.614
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And if I'm doing a marketing piece, which I don't do as much anymore, I'm doing more much more editorial or columns.
00:33:42.634 --> 00:33:50.474
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Now, if I have to find a quote from somebody and I don't know anybody, let's say like, do you think I have like a shed maker in my contact list?
00:33:50.494 --> 00:33:51.034
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I didn't.
00:33:51.054 --> 00:33:56.074
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I went straight to the internet, started sending emails out and hope that somebody responds.
00:33:56.414 --> 00:34:08.354
Isabel Alvarez Arata: The challenge for journalists, I think, and writers in magazines, newspapers and similar publications is that people don't know if they trust that you're just gonna get their quote and not ask for more.
00:34:08.374 --> 00:34:18.894
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I will say that some people are hesitant to talk to me because they think I'm gonna be like, oh, here's what I wrote, but now you need to pay me for an ad space.
00:34:18.974 --> 00:34:23.174
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And the magazines that I work for, that is not the way we operate.
00:34:23.334 --> 00:34:27.814
Isabel Alvarez Arata: There's no bait and switch, but I guess there are publications out there that kind of get a little sketchy.
00:34:27.834 --> 00:34:38.734
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So people are concerned, but my recommendation to any expert out there, if a publication reaches out to you for comment, respond and ask them, is there any charge to participate?
00:34:39.134 --> 00:34:40.814
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It is a very common question.
00:34:40.834 --> 00:34:43.074
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I try to include it in my intro email.
00:34:43.094 --> 00:34:43.974
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like there's no charge.
00:34:43.974 --> 00:34:45.314
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You're a subject matter expert.
00:34:45.534 --> 00:34:46.334
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You will be quoted.
00:34:46.354 --> 00:34:47.874
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I will let you approve your quote.
00:34:47.894 --> 00:34:49.934
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You can email me your quote if you're more comfortable.
00:34:50.374 --> 00:35:00.714
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I like to make my contacts really comfortable, but you can always ask to make sure that you don't feel like you're gonna fall onto a bait and switch situation if you're not, if you don't have the marketing dollars for some kind of publication near you.
00:35:00.734 --> 00:35:04.114
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Even though I highly recommend local publications, I think they're great.
00:35:04.374 --> 00:35:11.014
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I specialize in local business and I always see such great results from certain publications that cater to the local public.
00:35:11.194 --> 00:35:14.414
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So really with those, I have to start immediately.
00:35:14.434 --> 00:35:15.834
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I have to do a lot of follow up.
00:35:15.914 --> 00:35:23.074
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I have to, you know, I can't take it too seriously if somebody ghosts me, if somebody changes their mind, if somebody doesn't meet my deadline.
00:35:23.274 --> 00:35:31.574
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I just kind of have to have a lot of contacts working at the same time so that when the due date arrives, I have at least a few quotes and I can throw things together.
00:35:31.914 --> 00:35:39.534
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Because that's really what it comes down to is when you're a journalist, you're getting the information from others, you're not writing the information.
00:35:39.934 --> 00:35:43.354
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So you have to compile that information before you can even start working.
00:35:43.754 --> 00:35:49.394
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And so the sooner I can get that information, the sooner I can knock it out, the better I am at making my deadlines.
00:35:49.774 --> 00:36:00.474
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Luckily, my editor, my publisher are very well connected in the areas where I write, so they can oftentimes give me contacts, but sometimes they can't.
00:36:00.494 --> 00:36:02.094
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So that's when things get really hairy.
00:36:02.134 --> 00:36:04.014
Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's when my job becomes the most difficult.
00:36:04.194 --> 00:36:04.974
Tim Link: That makes sense.
00:36:04.994 --> 00:36:05.494
Tim Link: It makes sense.
00:36:05.754 --> 00:36:10.614
Tim Link: And that's the interesting thing about the little blurb, the little quote from somebody.
00:36:11.014 --> 00:36:17.954
Tim Link: For those that get contact by Isabel or other journalist writers, definitely ask those questions, but get your quote out there.
00:36:18.694 --> 00:36:22.934
Tim Link: They may ask you 20 questions and you only have one blurb in the whole article, but those things stick.
00:36:22.954 --> 00:36:33.334
Tim Link: I remember just about a week or two ago, somebody referenced a quote that I gave to, and I apologize, I can't remember the publication, but it was about digging dogs in your garden.
00:36:33.494 --> 00:36:35.814
Tim Link: How do you prevent your dogs from digging in your garden?
00:36:36.074 --> 00:36:40.834
Tim Link: And that quote has to date back 15, 16 years ago.
00:36:41.234 --> 00:36:45.614
Tim Link: And the answer to you, just to let you know, is find them alternative things to pay attention to.
00:36:46.034 --> 00:36:53.534
Tim Link: Get it, if you have the proper yard, get a large tractor tire, fill it with play sand, bury some toys in there, and that'll be their digging spot.
00:36:53.734 --> 00:36:55.734
Tim Link: So just a little tip from your uncle Tim there.
00:36:56.754 --> 00:36:58.994
Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's a really good tip, I love that.
00:36:59.034 --> 00:37:00.654
Tim Link: Yeah, those little quotes.
00:37:00.674 --> 00:37:06.614
Tim Link: So get the message out there for sure, if someone is asking for your expertise, is a key way to do it.
00:37:06.974 --> 00:37:10.514
Tim Link: And then I like what you said, and I admittedly, I did not know this.
00:37:10.534 --> 00:37:15.814
Tim Link: I did not know that if you write blogs or write blogs for others, that you could actually schedule them out.
00:37:15.834 --> 00:37:26.754
Tim Link: So you could write up, even if you're whether you're doing it for yourself or whether you're doing it for as a business like yourself, you can write up a bunch over a weekend or over a day and have them staged out.
00:37:26.794 --> 00:37:29.894
Tim Link: And you don't have to worry about that aspect of it moving forward.
00:37:29.914 --> 00:37:31.054
Tim Link: And I think that's brilliant.
00:37:31.074 --> 00:37:43.514
Tim Link: And that's something that I would have, it seems logical now that you mentioned it, but I would have never thought, hey, I wonder if there's a service out there where some way I can get my 20 blogs sent out over a 20 week period.
00:37:43.894 --> 00:37:50.054
Isabel Alvarez Arata: The only limitation I've seen to that is if you have like a free website, they may have you upgrade in order to get that feature.
00:37:50.114 --> 00:37:50.954
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Totally worth it.
00:37:51.054 --> 00:37:54.194
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I think having a website that has a blog on it is basic.
00:37:54.414 --> 00:38:00.074
Isabel Alvarez Arata: These days, people want to see what you're about more so than just your About Us page.
00:38:00.094 --> 00:38:01.534
Isabel Alvarez Arata: They might browse your blog.
00:38:02.014 --> 00:38:19.834
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I also like the idea that when you are in a publication, for example, like you said, the publication, of course, for me, they are print publications, so you get a magazine, you get the newspaper, but you also have, you are also quoted online on their virtual magazine, right?
00:38:19.854 --> 00:38:20.834
Isabel Alvarez Arata: The online magazine.
00:38:20.954 --> 00:38:26.814
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And most of those publications have their own website where they put all of their articles on there, all of them.
00:38:26.834 --> 00:38:37.714
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So if you were to Google Isabel Alvarez Arata, you find my name in a lot of places, not because I've written for online publications, I've written for print publications that also publish online.
00:38:38.034 --> 00:38:59.554
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it's really important that if you are a subject matter expert, you're an animal communicator, you're a CPA that specializes in law firms, you're a realtor that specializes in homes over a million, whatever it is, talk to them so that you're not only reaching the publication audience, but you're also living indefinitely online with that quote.
00:38:59.574 --> 00:39:00.834
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So make sure it's a good quote.
00:39:01.194 --> 00:39:03.154
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Make sure that you have control over the quote.
00:39:03.434 --> 00:39:08.854
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Maybe ask them to send you questions over email, which is better for everybody because then nobody has to change your quote.
00:39:09.294 --> 00:39:22.234
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Check your grammar and send it and enjoy the benefits of having an article online that not only can you look at, reference back to, but you can share on across your social media, you can take a screenshot, use it as images.
00:39:22.254 --> 00:39:26.994
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You can even make a real lot of it, reading some of the important parts of what you said.
00:39:27.014 --> 00:39:34.034
Isabel Alvarez Arata: There's so much you can do with that content once it's out there and it's free advertising and free content for you to share.
00:39:34.054 --> 00:39:36.154
Tim Link: Yeah, I think it's a brilliant thing.
00:39:36.174 --> 00:39:43.874
Tim Link: And you say, no, print is definitely not dead and so many publications have a print version, then they'll put it on their digital platform as well.
00:39:44.354 --> 00:39:50.794
Tim Link: And especially when you're talking about, you had mentioned the local newspapers and the local publications.
00:39:51.234 --> 00:40:00.534
Tim Link: I can't count the number of times I'll read one of those and I'll pull out an article and I'll save it or a client will contact me, said, I pulled this out, didn't think I'd ever need it, but I stuck in the drawer anyway.
00:40:00.554 --> 00:40:01.334
Tim Link: And guess what?
00:40:01.434 --> 00:40:03.554
Tim Link: They remembered where they put it, which is amazing to me.
00:40:03.574 --> 00:40:04.174
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Exactly.
00:40:05.234 --> 00:40:07.614
Tim Link: Then they contacted me for my services.
00:40:08.134 --> 00:40:16.534
Tim Link: And also we'll leave you one quick funny story on that whole regards to local compared to national and international publications.
00:40:17.134 --> 00:40:23.474
Tim Link: I was blessed many, many years ago to help a client who wrote as a senior editor for the Associated Press.
00:40:23.814 --> 00:40:25.174
Tim Link: And I did not know that at the time.
00:40:25.554 --> 00:40:27.854
Tim Link: And so I helped her with her cat situation.
00:40:27.874 --> 00:40:35.534
Tim Link: She had two cats that were fighting and I got them to live in the same small apartment in Manhattan for the rest of their lives without fighting.
00:40:35.554 --> 00:40:37.454
Tim Link: So it worked out real well for everybody.
00:40:37.874 --> 00:40:44.874
Tim Link: And she wrote a wonderful, wonderful article that got picked up to 129 different outlets across the nation.
00:40:45.034 --> 00:40:51.594
Tim Link: I mean, we're talking about, you know, the Washington Post, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, Detroit Free Press.
00:40:51.614 --> 00:40:55.034
Tim Link: I mean, it went out to some of the biggest and baddest publications out there.
00:40:55.594 --> 00:41:04.154
Tim Link: And I remember my mom, my late mom up in Indiana, and I would call and I would tell her these things and I'd go for a visit and say, Mom, you know, this is hitting everywhere.
00:41:04.174 --> 00:41:05.254
Tim Link: It's in this and it's in that.
00:41:05.274 --> 00:41:07.754
Tim Link: And mom would say, oh, that's just lovely, Tim.
00:41:07.854 --> 00:41:08.674
Tim Link: That's just lovely.
00:41:08.754 --> 00:41:09.314
Tim Link: That's nice.
00:41:09.734 --> 00:41:22.474
Tim Link: Well, one visit, right when this was all happening, I was on a book tour and lo and behold, it came out in our local newspaper, the local hometown newspaper, the Palladium Item in Richmond, Indiana.
00:41:23.054 --> 00:41:28.814
Tim Link: And there I was on the front page with my little article where they picked it up from the Associated Press.
00:41:29.094 --> 00:41:30.194
Tim Link: And then it became real.
00:41:30.334 --> 00:41:35.874
Tim Link: And so I went to visit mom and she had it plastered on her door, you know, to her little nursing apartment.
00:41:36.134 --> 00:41:37.494
Tim Link: And all the people knew me.
00:41:37.514 --> 00:41:42.294
Tim Link: I was a celebrity in my hometown, got to throw out the first pitch at a ball game and all that one.
00:41:43.014 --> 00:41:44.114
Tim Link: But it wasn't real.
00:41:44.414 --> 00:41:48.094
Tim Link: You know, here I was in all the biggest, baddest publications out there.
00:41:48.114 --> 00:41:50.794
Tim Link: And it wasn't real until it hit that hometown newspaper.
00:41:51.194 --> 00:41:55.134
Tim Link: So I think that's a very valid statement that you had made.
00:41:55.434 --> 00:42:03.374
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You know, it's interesting because I always thought that maybe the older generations were more connected to the local newspapers.
00:42:03.434 --> 00:42:08.914
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But most of the people I work with are younger than me in the local papers and the local magazines.
00:42:08.974 --> 00:42:13.374
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So there's definitely still the younger generations are understanding it.
00:42:13.394 --> 00:42:18.134
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You know, it is a really great way to build community and to support local business.
00:42:18.134 --> 00:42:22.854
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And even reading your local publication is supporting local business.
00:42:22.874 --> 00:42:24.014
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Just reading it, right?
00:42:24.434 --> 00:42:28.954
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Learning about what's going on in your town is supporting local business, which is something we all wanna do.
00:42:29.314 --> 00:42:41.694
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And just a final note about writing styles, like when it comes to like AP style versus whatever style, I have to write in very different styles for the magazines and newspapers, obviously it's AP style.
00:42:41.794 --> 00:42:43.914
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So we do not use the Oxford comma.
00:42:44.374 --> 00:42:50.934
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And then for blogging, for example, for blogging, Google wants it to be shorter sentences.
00:42:51.234 --> 00:43:03.114
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And they put a really big emphasis on readability, but not like your fancy readability, you're middle of the road person, being able to follow, not get bored, not get overwhelmed with.
00:43:03.354 --> 00:43:05.714
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So you have to know who you're writing for.
00:43:05.734 --> 00:43:10.234
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And so I'm very intentional about today, I'm writing for the magazines, I write this way.
00:43:10.514 --> 00:43:14.674
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And for the blogs, I write this way, because they are completely different.
00:43:14.734 --> 00:43:17.494
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And it really is nice as a writer to be able to do both.
00:43:17.654 --> 00:43:23.814
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And on top of it, to optimize for SEO, using keywords and all that, it really keeps you on your toes.
00:43:23.834 --> 00:43:26.894
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it's like, I get to do different things for different clients all the time.
00:43:27.094 --> 00:43:34.034
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's not mundane or redundant, because it really is more streamlined targeted for whomever it is I'm writing for.
00:43:34.034 --> 00:43:36.114
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I really enjoy it, it keeps me on my toes.
00:43:36.274 --> 00:43:47.374
Tim Link: There you go, and then when you start writing more and more international, then you have all that to worry with too, the UK English compared to the American English and writing for publications in Spain.
00:43:47.394 --> 00:43:49.094
Tim Link: That would be good for you.
00:43:49.214 --> 00:43:59.174
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes, it's one of the reasons I'm fluent in Spanish, and it's one of the reasons that I've not at all tried to translate my show or what I write, because I'm like, I don't think I can handle it.
00:43:59.194 --> 00:44:01.374
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I think I've got enough in my brain right now.
00:44:01.394 --> 00:44:06.034
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Maybe when I start feeling like I need a new challenge, I'll start writing in Spanish.
00:44:06.314 --> 00:44:06.894
Tim Link: There you go.
00:44:06.914 --> 00:44:09.234
Tim Link: I'm waiting for that to happen any day now knowing you.
00:44:09.894 --> 00:44:17.074
Tim Link: So Isabel, tell us a little bit about where people can find out more about you and your writing and your services and all the wonderful things that you do.
00:44:17.454 --> 00:44:23.614
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, I can be found on Covered In Pet Hair across all social media platforms on petliferadio.com.
00:44:23.934 --> 00:44:26.434
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You'll find all of the episodes we've put out.
00:44:26.754 --> 00:44:29.994
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You'll find me on YouTube at Covered In Pet Hair as well.
00:44:30.474 --> 00:44:33.934
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And if you Google my name, you'll find all the publications that I write for.
00:44:34.154 --> 00:44:39.194
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like I said, they share my writing, not only in their digital magazines, but also online.
00:44:39.214 --> 00:44:48.174
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So, and if you are an aspiring writer, my recommendation is, and if you want to write for your local paper, your local magazines, just email the editor.
00:44:48.194 --> 00:44:50.034
Isabel Alvarez Arata: They're always looking for reliable people.
00:44:50.054 --> 00:44:52.234
Isabel Alvarez Arata: All they'll ask you for is a writing sample.
00:44:52.314 --> 00:44:56.894
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And you know what I use as my writing sample for my first ever paid writing job?
00:44:57.194 --> 00:45:00.974
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Is a newsletter I sent to my clients and it still got me the job.
00:45:01.294 --> 00:45:02.854
Tim Link: There you go, there you go.
00:45:02.854 --> 00:45:06.174
Tim Link: Keep all that old material, you never know when you have to blow the dust off of it.
00:45:06.194 --> 00:45:08.194
Tim Link: I love it, I love it, reuse, I love it.
00:45:09.654 --> 00:45:10.294
Tim Link: That's it.
00:45:10.314 --> 00:45:13.034
Tim Link: So that's it, coveredwithpethair.com.
00:45:13.054 --> 00:45:18.874
Tim Link: We'll post that on the site and obviously all of the other social media sites for Isabel Alvarez Arata.
00:45:19.134 --> 00:45:20.714
Tim Link: Isabel, it's always a pleasure.
00:45:20.734 --> 00:45:23.354
Tim Link: I could talk all night, all day with you for sure.
00:45:23.374 --> 00:45:24.054
Tim Link: Same.
00:45:24.074 --> 00:45:29.034
Tim Link: Excited about all your writing and all your new adventures and ventures going on.
00:45:29.254 --> 00:45:37.894
Tim Link: So definitely the admiration is always there for you, and I look forward to continue following you and finding out what you got going on the next time around.
00:45:37.994 --> 00:45:39.854
Isabel Alvarez Arata: The admiration is absolutely mutual.
00:45:39.874 --> 00:45:41.134
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Thank you so much for everything.
00:45:41.154 --> 00:45:47.934
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And if it wasn't for you, I don't think I'd have a show on Pet Life Radio because you are the reason that I was able to speak to Mark.
00:45:48.474 --> 00:45:50.214
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You did that warm intro, you see?
00:45:50.414 --> 00:45:50.914
Tim Link: That's it.
00:45:50.934 --> 00:45:52.474
Tim Link: Now I only take 10% off the top.
00:45:52.474 --> 00:45:55.574
Tim Link: So it's great, great stuff for me.
00:45:55.594 --> 00:45:56.774
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Worth every penny.
00:45:57.134 --> 00:45:57.974
Tim Link: There you go.
00:45:58.814 --> 00:46:00.574
Tim Link: All right, well, we're coming to end the show today.
00:46:00.574 --> 00:46:03.974
Tim Link: I want to thank everyone for listening to Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
00:46:03.994 --> 00:46:07.234
Tim Link: I want to thank the producers and sponsors for making this show possible.
00:46:07.534 --> 00:46:17.374
Tim Link: If you have any questions, comments or ideas for the show, you can go to petliferadio.com and we will definitely answer your questions, entertain your comments and bring on the people you want to hear from most.
00:46:17.794 --> 00:46:21.994
Tim Link: And while you're there, check out all the other wonderful shows, including Covered In Pet Hair.
00:46:22.214 --> 00:46:23.974
Tim Link: That's at petliferadio.com.
00:46:24.274 --> 00:46:31.494
Tim Link: So until next time, write a great story about the animals in your life and who knows, you may be the next guest on Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
00:46:31.774 --> 00:46:32.374
Tim Link: Have a great day.
00:46:33.154 --> 00:46:39.174
Announcer: Let's Talk Pets, every week on demand, only on petliferadio.com.