August 2012 Featured Talent Brittany Davila

Some of you may know my August featured talent simply by her nickname “Little b” from her increasingly successful website and blog Little b’s Health Habits. It was a few months ago that I had the opportunity to work with Brittany and learn all about her work with the website. Then I began to see and take note of how much her following was growing! Read below to learn about how this fitness talent is growing her brand through blogging.

James Patrick: Who originally dubbed you as “Little b”?
Brittany Davila: The letter “B” is something that has followed me for a while now. My great-grandma, mom, and two sister’s first names all start with the letter B, so we’ve always been “The B’s.” Then, it just so happened that my finance’s name starts with a B as well, so I just became the “little” version.

JP: Tell me about how you came up with the idea for Little B’s Health Habits.
BD: In March of last year I decided that I needed to take control of my health and wasn’t thrilled with the way my body looked. I started doing some research online and came across a few clean eating and fitness blogs that I really liked and found very informative and motivating. When I decided I was going to make a lifestyle change to clean eating, I started my blog as a way to stay accountable and log my progress. I never in a million years thought people would actually want to read it.

JP: What was the process like for you to actually launch your blog?
BD: I actually wrote a few posts before I posted the link to my blog anywhere. I am notorious for getting stuck in my routine or comfort zone and the thought of my friends and family reading it and possibly judging me scared me to death. One day I showed my fiancé what I had written so far and he was the one that convinced me to post the link on my Facebook page. From there my audience slowly started to grow, which is when I made a Facebook page specifically for my blog, so that I didn’t have to inundate my friends that weren’t interested with my posts every day. The rest just fell into place!

JP: How has the blog changed since you launched it?
BD: I’ve definitely opened myself up more now and try to be as transparent as possible with my readers. It’s important for them to know when I slip up or stray off track a bit, and in the beginning I think I was scared to do that.  I think the overall structure is better now, and photos are improving a bit. It is my goal to get a really good camera by the end of the year and also give the blog an aesthetic makeover.

JP: What is the ultimate goal of your blog?
BD: I honestly just want to be able to help people that are in the same boat as me. I know it is hard to be consistent with clean eating and exercise and if my blog is a place someone can go to get motivated, find a recipe, or be inspired by a workout then I’m happy.

JP: Describe your content posting strategy a bit.
BD: I try to post at least 3-4 times a week. I wish I could post multiple times a day to be honest, but unfortunately there are not enough hours in the day! I do my best to post a good mix of recipes, my daily eats, workouts, and tips. Lately, I’ve been focusing a lot on making cleaner versions of “bad” foods, for example my peanut butter cookie dough, or apple cinnamon protein muffins.

JP: How have you managed to grow your subscription base?
BD: I’ve been fortunate to get my blog and Facebook page in front of some pretty big names in the fitness world including Jamie Eason and Natalie Hodson, and they have helped me a ton. I’ve also really tried to immerse myself in the blogger world, and have made some great connections there as well. Bloggers are a tight knit group of people and we’re all very supportive of each other, I really cherish the relationships I have built.

JP: What do you feel makes your blog successful?
BD: I think that people can really relate to me. I have a full time job, a fiancé, a dog, and I like my red wine. I’m just a normal person that is doing my best to create a life of balance between health, fitness, family, and fun. I also think it’s a great resource for those that may struggle with creativity in the kitchen. Unfortunately a lot of people can get off track simply because they’re eating chicken and brown rice all the time. I try to show people that clean eating doesn’t have to be boring.

JP: What advice would you give to other talents who are looking to blog themselves?
BD: I would say be sure to find your voice, and just be yourself. Stay consistent and relevant and people will follow.

Thanks again to Brittany for sharing her insights with us on this feature!

James Patrick
www.jamesmpatrick.com