Healthy Houston

       Living in a large complex city like Houston  has its many advantages, but when trying to find information about children’s health, the sheer size of the city can make the process difficult and unreliable . Shortly after obtaining a position at the Texas Medical Center, Jessica Johns Pool realized this conundrum and decided to take action.   With the help of  Dawn Dorsey and Jennifer Patrick,  Healthy Houston Kids was created in the summer of 2009 and is still being updated today.  Offering a vast amount of health information such as medical clinic reviews, free vaccine information and even safe swimming tips, Healthy Houston Kids is a generous helping hand with all things health.  Reaching out to the community in one way or another these medical charlie’s angeles are definitely making Houston a safer place for all.  Thank you.

1) What inspired you to start your own blog?
Writing for different hospitals and health care companies taught me that there’s a wealth of health information out there for consumers, particularly parents, to keep up with. I started Healthy Houston Kids to help make it easier for parents to find local pediatric health information.

2) Many people blog for different reasons. What is your ultimate goal as a blogger?
To create a site that’s the go-to place for parents who want to find healthy activities and health services for their kids.

3) How long did you think about it before you started blogging and what was the catalyst for your first post?
I researched topics, blog platforms, link building and social media strategies for several months before launching Healthy Houston Kids. I also asked a former coworker and friend, Dawn Dorsey, to partner with me.

4) What do you hope readers take away from reading your blogs?
We hope our readers learn about a health service for their child that they didn’t know existed here in Houston, about the latest research and how it applies to their children, and reminders on how to keep their children healthy.

5) What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of maintaining a blog? How do you choose to address it?
Growing readership has been the biggest challenge for us. We maintain Facebook and Twitter accounts, work with other bloggers, and distribute bookmarks to local libraries and retail shops that cater to children’s needs.

6) What other blogs do you enjoy reading and why?
Locally I follow Houston On The Cheap, Turning Houston Green and Texas Word Tangle. Nationally I read Dooce, GruntDoc and The Happy Hospitalist.

7) If you could narrow it down to one answer, what do you love the most about Houston? Why?
Diversity. My first impression of Houston was that there was room for everyone. I’m not talking so much about physical space, but culturally. It’s an attitude. You can be a rancher, a business tycoon, a knitter or a blogger – of just about any ethnicity or political persuasion – and you’ll find plenty of other people with similar interests.

How has blogging changed your life?
I’ve learned a tremendous amount.

9) Are there other blogs/websites do you maintain?
I write and consult on communications for a living, so you can find my copy on many company and nonprofit sites.

10) Has the city of Houston brought you any local advantages or disadvantages that affect your blog?
The institutions of the Texas Medical Center are an enormous advantage for our blog. The doctors and researchers here in Houston produce amazing research and advances in disease treatments. We try to make Healthy Houston Kids one place where it’s easy to find out about those advances as well as things like free exercise classes for kids.

11)  Do you have a favorite post on your blog.
Our most popular post has consistently been the page that lists places to get free and cheap immunizations for your children.

12)  Have you had any interesting reactions from your blog (either on the internet or in real life).
The parents we hear from are glad to have found our site and encourage us to keep publishing.

Mc.Houston

Posting Houston’s top stories and incorporating his own twist on news, Mike McGuff’s nationally ranked blog,mikemcguff, is the number one blog for all the Houston stories and events.  Posting stories as a news reporter his blogs include interviews, discussions, and illustrations that produce a well rounded informative blog post.  Also, posting events days in advance Mike allows for his readers to take part in all the Houston has to offer.  Informative, entertaining, and unique; mikemcguff.

1) What inspired you to start your own blog?
Back in 2005 I was a young punk TV producer looking all over the Internet for story ideas. There was so much out there, not all of it could possibly make it to TV.  I thought a blog would be a great place to showcase the extra stuff plus items that wouldn’t be appropriate for television.

2) Many people blog for different reasons. What is your ultimate goal as a blogger?
As a person who has worked in radio and television, I like to inform and entertain.  I see blogging as the new way to do that.  It’s like having my own radio or television station.  Maybe it is the only place in this world where I have some control?

3) How long did you think about it before you started blogging and what was the catalyst for your first post?
Back in 2004-05 I really started to watch the blogs popping up with great interest.  I wrote a story for abc13.comabout the Houston blog scene and interviewed Kevin Whited and Anne Linehan of blogHOUSTON and Charles Kuffner of offthekuff.com.  Both blogs are still going strong in 2010. I would say writing that article for KTRK’s site really got me interested.  Plus I am sure my friends were tired of me sending them funny links all the time via email.  I started blogging at the end of 2005.

4) What do you hope readers take away from reading your blogs?
Ultimately I want to inform and entertain.  I hope they learn something or maybe think about things with a new perspective.

5) What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of maintaining a blog? How do you choose to address it?
The most challenging aspect is keeping up the interest to post all of the time.  In my opinion, if you stop blogging for a few days, you’ll lose audience.  I care about this because working in media you are trained to be obsessed with audience numbers.  I guess it is hard to turn off at this point…maybe one day. Luckily I must have an obsessive enough personality that this works to my benefit interest wise.

6) What other blogs do you enjoy reading and why?
This kind of changes by the year because I am certainly not reading the same stuff I did five years ago.  I’ve gone through the music blog phase, tech blog phase…etc.  Right now I read a lot of the local Houston blogs like the ones put out by the Houston Press.  I am also watching upstart Culturemap with interest.

7) If you could narrow it down to one answer, what do you love the most about Houston? Why?
I love it because I am something rare…a Native Houstonian.  I’ve only been away from this city for six years of my life and I came back to visit as much as possible.  It is who I am, what I know. Being the fourth largest US city, there is plenty going on to keep you interested.  The city has changed a lot over the years and I am excited to see what it’s like by the time I am an old man.

How has blogging changed your life?
Lots of people used to ask me why I waste my time blogging.  In the early days it kind of had a negative connotation for some reason…maybe it still does with some.  I’ve been able to do some cool things as a result of the blog.  I’ve been on the radio, TV and met with the mayor of Houston and a congressman…all because of my little blog. 

9) Are there other blogs/websites do you maintain?
Yes. I develop websites for people when I have time.  My big project right now is abbysbookcorner.com.  This is a book drive put on by my goddaughter’s parents.  My goddaughter passed away a few years ago from meningitis and this is all done in her honor. It started in Dallas and is spreading across Texas.  I built that site and am currently collecting books for the Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.

10) Has the city of Houston brought you any local advantages or disadvantages that affect your blog?
Without Houston I would have little content!  I think it has been great for me.  While my audience is mostly Houstonians, I also have readers from all over the world.

11)  Do you have a favorite post on your blog.
I think one of my top blog posts is the one that really put me on the map so to speak.  Former KTRK 13 weatherman Ed Brandon came to me in secret and wanted my blog to host the announcement about his upcoming retirement in 2007. Since I was the only source for the news, the Houston Chronicle actually had to quote and write the story from my blog post. That Chron article is framed in my home office.  I have thanked Ed for this many times.

12)  Have you had any interesting reactions from your blog (either on the internet or in real life)
Some of the comments I receive on blog posts could be classified as interesting or horrifying depending on your take.  I think interesting reactions are when people recognize me in the physical world and say I look a lot younger in person.  I don’t think he will mind me telling this, but 740 KTRH talk show Michael Berry emailed me for advice when he started out on the radio a few years ago.  He thought from my writing that I was some hardened media veteran and was surprised when he met me.  I guess I just have an old soul.

The Dogfather

 2) Many people blog for different reasons. What is your ultimate goal as a blogger?

My ultimate goal is to provide information to Houston’s dog loving population and to share news of events and activities that benefit animals, rescue groups, non-profits and the like.

 3) How long did you think about it before you started blogging and what was the catalyst for your first post?

I didn’t really think about it, I just started one day with a fun pic of Isabella. I started sharing more photos and getting readers photos and then quickly started to expand into promotion of groups, activities and animal related news.  

 4) What do you hope readers take away from reading your blogs?

I hope they will learn more about the many programs, people and activities that are helping animals in need in our community.  I am also an advocate for spaying and neutering and I hope that all my readers will learn the benefits of spaying and neutering as a means to curb animal overpopulation and related suffering.

 5) What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of maintaining a blog? How do you choose to address it?

Time.  It is extremely hard to post on a regular basis when you have a full time career and a family to take care of.  I have set aside several hours a day to post and have had to focus on staying organized.

 6) What other blogs do you enjoy reading and why?

 I enjoy FashionHouston.com, RealEstalker, and Chloe Dao’s blog.  They are varied and interesting.  I love to view real estate, which is RealEstalker is so fun.

 7) If you could narrow it down to one answer, what do you love the most about Houston? Why?

 The people.  I find Houston to be so diverse and unique and I think there is a place for everyone in this community!

 8) How has blogging changed your life?

I have learned a lot more about social media and have seen how much it can help promote great things.

 9) Has the city of Houston brought you any local advantages or disadvantages that affect your blog?

I would say an advantage as I have lived here for many years and had a large base to promote the blog to.  

 10)  Do you have a favorite post on your blog?

 I love an interview I did with now Mayor Annise Parker.  It was great to hear her take on Houston’s animal’s needs and how she would address them.

 11)  Have you had any interesting reactions from your blog (either on the Internet or in real life)

I have had so many positive reactions and Isabella has as well.  She is very well known and its always so fun for me to see people recognize her at dog events from the blog.  I am now referred to as Isabella’s dad most places and I love that!

Jolivet’s town.

3) How long did you think about it before you started blogging and what was the catalyst for your first post?                                                                   My original intention was to cover hot political issues and write about them for the local indy media website. Then I read about Blogger offering free blogs. That was early in 2007. That summer I started my first blog, but only made one or two post about events that some friends were planning.

4) What do you hope readers take away from reading your blogs?                                                                                                                                                                              I strive to give readers a heads up on enriching, entertaining and exciting events that will be fun if you decide to take your kids and still cool enough to enjoy with your best friend.

5) What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of maintaining a blog? How do you choose to address it?                                                               Blogging can get ho-hum if you only blog about current events or trendy topics. That’s why I always throw a few timely events in here and there, but I focus the bulk of my content on fun things that you can do any day of the week,  like horse back riding and hot air balloon tours,  instead of just writing about the rodeo is in town.

6) What other blogs do you enjoy reading and why?                                                                                                                                                                                                              I subscribe to several business blogs that I comb for fresh ideas and surf the regional favorites like Burnt Orange Report and Grits For Breakfast to stay abreast of the news behind the news.

7) If you could narrow it down to one answer, what do you love the most about Houston? Why?                                                                                                  The small town flavor. It’s a metroplex created by combining of a lot of small cities and I enjoy living in an area where it’s still vogue to get to know your neighbors.

How has blogging changed your life?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           I spend more time than I would like to admit staring into a computer monitor.

9) Are there other blogs/websites do you maintain?                                                                                                                                                                                                         I’m a content publisher and web designer, so I maintain several websites for other businesses and publish several unique blogs.

10) Has the city of Houston brought you any local advantages or disadvantages that affect your blog?                                                                                Working out of Houston hasn’t been an ideal place. Many of the conferences and best networking opportunities are on the West Coast. Times are changing and a couple of the big conferences are now including Houston on their agenda. 

http://midtownlive.blogspot.com/2010/02/5-things-for-couples-to-do-in-houston.html                                                                                                                                          It’s a short list of romantic experiences for couples that can be exciting whether you’re faced with a big budget or no budget.                                                                         I feel that it’s important to offer options to my readers and I try to always include things that are free and inexpensive to show that having a good time relies more on your creativity than your finances.  

12)  Have you had any interesting reactions from your blog (either on the internet or in real life)                                                                                                    I recently received a call from my mom. She wanted to know why I wasn’t using my name on one of my blogs and I had to explain branding to her.

Read all about it, Houston!

How has blogging changed your life?