I am starting a new series in which I plan to interview many individuals within the plus community to get some general information as well as some things more specific.  The goal of this series is to provide readers across the blogsphere a candid look at those they read about on blogs, in magazines, etc.  To begin with I thought I would focus the light on myself to let you know a few things about me you may already know and some you may not.

Stay tuned over the next few weeks to read about some of the names you know already and a few surprises!  Before I forget don’t forget to sign up for the Full Figured Newsletter for a chance to win a copy of the Curvy Girls Guide to Style!

Where are you from?

Born and raised in Little Rock, AR.  I lived in Houston, TX for 10 years then back to the place I was born?

Any Kids?

I am the proud father of two boys and a girl.  I am also a grandfather with one that is almost three and one on the way.

What inspired you to start Full Figure Plus?

I was in-between jobs in looking for a way to make an income on the Internet.  Inspired by my wives journey to find affordable lingerie and an article in Business 2.0 about this new thing called blogging I saw it as a way to create a business and do what I love which is to write.

How long has Full Figure Plus been around?

Full Figure Plus started off in November of 2004 as a blog dedicated to showing plus size women and big and tall men places to shop on the Internet.

As a man why choose a niche more commonly associated with women?

Well, as a man I know what I like to see in a woman when she gets dressed so part of it was from a purely male point of view of seeing larger women looking like a million bucks when they step out.  The other part of me wanted to help my wife out with.  In the end it’s more about the business of helping plus women and by proxy men look good when they get dressed.

What does your wife think about you working mostly with women?

After she stopped laughing she told me she is confident in our marriage and knowing that my audience is mostly women that actually dealing with ladies is a part of the job.  I think it is more of an observation on my part that I work with women.  I realized early in my blog career men don’t read blogs about clothes.

How long did it take your business to take off?

My wife gave me two years to get things underway.  The first year of my business I made absolutely nothing!  I was writing daily sometimes up to seven days a week but no income was coming in!  At the eighteen month mark the first check for $4.84 came and started what has grown into a major income source for me.

Describe a day at the office for you?

I start each day reading email, which usually takes me about an hour to sort it all out.  Next, it is time to research what I am going to write about that day.  Typically, my inspiration comes from some of everywhere though Google News is one of my good friends.  Writing is actually the simple part.  Once I start composing the words flow through the keyboard to the screen.  Once I hit publish I switch to graduate student to complete more research and writing as a student attending Ashford University Online.  Once two hours of studying is done its back to reading and responding to email and outlining the next day’s blog posts.

What advice do you have for other bloggers?

Blogging as a business is hard!  When you are boss and worker it takes a lot of work.  If you have a job and start a blog do not even think about giving up what you have until your business reaches the point you are consistently making between $1-2 thousand dollars per month.  Also, treat your business as a business and get all the proper permits and licenses to register your business with your particular state.

What does the future hold for Full Figure Plus?

Considering my blog has evolved from posting links to talking about modeling, size acceptance, size discrimination, fashion on the international scene, social networking, and more all I can say is that Full Figure Plus is my dream as a writer come true and that it will go wherever there is a need in the plus community to be reported on.

Besides being difficult interviewing myself writing the answers was interesting.  I think you get the idea of what you will be seeing over the next few weeks.

Up Next: Plus Model and Hippy and Healthy contributor Teslyn Butler

Don’t forget to sign up for the Full Figured Newsletter for a chance to win a copy of the Curvy Girls Guide to Style!

As a reader of blogs and websites dealing with issues in the plus industry have you ever said to yourself, “I can do that” or are you already working and wondering why you are not meeting the goals you set out for yourself?

Recently I had the opportunity to have a consultation with business consultant/model/superwoman Vanessa Reece.  Regular readers will recognize her from her modeling and blogging activity.  As a business consultant not only will she be able to help you look at your blog from the angle of what the visitors see but as I stated before arm you with the tools to help you grow.

If you are ready to move now use the exclusive code for Full Figure Plus readers “fullignite”. Email Vanessa at vanessa@ignitethescreen.com with the details of your business and get ready to explode your business.

Changes to Full Figure Plus

For those of you who are still unsure about what you want to do below are the details of what she did for me and how I feel it will work out for the best for Full Figure Plus and you the readers.  The first step was a questionnaire sent to me asking me to talk about my business.  We followed up with a Sykpe call/chat in which the following tweaks occurred

1. Less emphasis on ads
2. Featuring photos more prominently in blog posts
3. Changing colors to be more consistent blogwide
4. Increased font size of blog posts
5. Added Facebook button inside blog posts
6. Better incorporation of photos on the home page
7. Updated Newsletter (Stay Tuned)

A lot of the tweaks I was able to do myself during the call which means that you guys are already seeing what Vanessa did for me.  Side Note:  Vanessa will be your business consultant not your web designer.  If you are in need of web design services you will have to look elsewhere the point of this exercise is to make your blog look as good as possible for your target audience.

Why did I do these tweaks?  Full Figure Plus is a business at its foundation and to grow as a business one must put back into the company in order to serve those seeking out what this blog provides.  In other words I do what I do for you because without you the reader there would be no need to write.

If you are ready to get started use the exclusive code “fullignite” for a discount on the consultation. Email Vanessa at vanessa@ignitethescreen.com with the details of your business and get ready to take your business to the next level!

When I think about how much Full Figure Plus has grown since the early days I feel that I wasted a lot of time that could have been spent getting to know not only my fellow bloggers but readers and other business owners in the plus community.  It has only been in the last few weeks that I have come to the realization that networking or talking amongst ourselves is vital for the long term survival of our movement.

With that being said I started to think of some of the reasons we need to network more and I mean beyond the same people we always deal with.  As the thoughts came together it hit me this is something that I have been slacking on even though Full Figure Plus for the most part has been a successful blog.

1. Networking will introduce us to a side of business we may not have known about
2. Networking will allow your strengths to shine
3. Networking will give you the tools to work on your weak areas
4. Networking will bring allies into your circle to help out during lean times
5. Networking will force you out of your comfort zone
6. Networking will allow you to help someone or get help
7. Networking will allow you the opportunity to make new friends

An example of networking at a high level is the amount of people I met during Full Figured Fashion Week™ last month.  I am still going through the stack of business cards I gathered from individuals in various fields such as modeling, designing, jewelry, fashion styling, makeup and more.  If I had not got up from my desk I would have missed this opportunity which is why I will be at Full Figured Fashion Week™ when it hits Los Angeles as well as at The Fuller Woman Expo in Detroit.  Both events will hit this Fall when I know more I will pass the word on.

I probably could go on about the power of networking but the point is to make sure that we all occasionally get up from our computer and actually meet with the people we have been talking online with for years which will only serve to make your blog and business grow over time.  I would love to hear what you think about networking in the plus community.  Feel free to comment or shoot me an email.

If you have been paying attention you know that there is another one stop shop for plus-size fashion on the Internet called Sonsi.  I had the pleasure of finding out about this innovative idea before I went to New York earlier this month.  You can read about my initial thoughts in the post Sonsi Combines One Stop Shopping with Social Networking.

Today I am going to concentrate on the “Sonsi Pick of the Week.”  At this point there is not a lot to chose from but the items in the spotlight this week are priced low and come from brands you are already familiar with like Lane Bryant, Kiyonna, Donna Rico, and Fashion Bug.

Sonsi offers one of the largest online assortments of women’s apparel, accessories and products, specifically for real women sizes 12 and up. With over 80 brands in one convenient shopping destination, Sonsi features trendy tops and bottoms, classy cocktail, evening and casual dresses, career wear, active wear, outerwear, swimwear, accessories and more, in a variety of price points from great brands such as Kiyonna, Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Alight, Catherines, Cacique and more. SonsiLiving, the social side of Sonsi, is an inclusive online social community where real women can participate in social networking, groups and clubs, live power chat sessions, interactive quizzes and games, and stay informed with expert blogs, content and advice covering topics such as fashion, beauty, health, relationships and more.

A few of the items that caught my eye are listed below.  By having outfit suggestions in one place from the 80 brands that make up the Sonsi website I think that the pick of the week will be a popular part of the website that also features blogs and message boards.

Considering Sonsi is one of the ventures coming out of Charming Shoppes I hope that this community serves as a tool for the entire plus-size fashion community and not just and extension of the Charming Shoppes brands.  Its to early to tell but my gut tells me that it will grow beyond any single brand.

Be sure to check out the Sonsi pick of the week and join the Sonsi Living social community.  You can find me under the ID of what else fullfigureplus.

Thinking about the 2nd Annual Full Figured Fashion Week™ I have come to the conclusion that it really does not matter what the critics think there is no stopping what Gwen Devoe and those involved have set in motion.  Think of it like this there has be somewhat of a ministry (blog coverage) and motion (Full Figured Fashion Week™ growth) which translate into a movement.  Last year was history in the making and there was little to no mainstream media coverage. This year the activities were covered by the New York Times, Essence magazine,Vougue Italia, Glamour.com, Aquila – Asia, The Huffingtion Post, The Winnepeg Sun, and I am sure others.  Remember ministry plus motion equals movement.

The point is simple full figured fashion is on front street and it was brought there on the back of people like Gwen.  It was my pleasure to be able to meet here and talk with her and all the volunteers, participants, models, bloggers, and admirers of Full Figured Fashion Week™.  On to the juicy stuff.

Day 1

Unfortunately I missed this days events that included media and runway activities, but you can read all about it on my fellow blogger and Curvy Collective member The Curvy Fashionista. (Side Note: I will talk about why I missed day one in a post coming soon)

Day 2

The Full Figured & Fabulous™ Runway Model Competition was hosted by New York Television Anchor Ruschell Boone and a panel of celebrity judges including Yuliya Racquel from IGIGI gave ladies who did not make the cut to model in the other activities the chance to shine and compete for $1000 in cash and the title of Ms. Full Figured & Fabulous™.  Of the seven contestants MariJo Monteiro took the top prize.  While the runway show was great the highlight for me was finally being able to see the Glamazons in person.  If you have not had the opportunity to see them I suggest you make a point to make it happen.  All of the fashions the ladies wore on the runway were great and if these ladies are the ones that did not make the cut can you imagine what those that did look like.  Richard Lew was the in house photographer you can see more pics on his website. Ministry plus motion equals movement.

Day 3

I already talked about the business panel I spoke on yesterday, to read more about it check out Full Figured Fashion Week™: The PLUS Side of Business Afterthoughts. After I talked on the business panel it was time to switch to blogger and Curvy collective member to report on the New and Aspiring Models Panel Discussion/Seminar (hosted by Sharon Quinn).  Just like the business panel the model panel was packed to hear from panelist Aminah Benjamin (Producer – Rip The Runway) and others talk about modeling on the underground circuit and making sure your photo book represents who you are today.  Additionally, there was talk about knowing your measurements, and what you think looks good on you may not be good for you.  It was refreshing to hear new models being given the advice to treat their career as a business, not fall to scams from bogus modeling agencies, and to not give up when it comes to perusing your dream.  After a short Q&A session in which the participants were called at random to introduce themselves in the best possible way the panel members answered questions and then it was photo time in which as you can see I was hard at work but still found the time to take a picture with Tali Giat from the reality show More to Love, and attendee Latonya Mann.  Ministry plus motion equals movement.

After the modeling panel came The State of the Curvy Community Panel Discussion.  This is the same panel I spoke on last year and featured people like Golda Poretsky – Founder of Body Love Wellness and  Plus Size comedienne Erica Watson.  This years panel was free flowing with more questions from the audience and lots of great feedback from the panelists.  What struck me as odd was when Erica Watson and Rosie Mercado spoke on how they have literally received death threats for perusing their individual activities.  Even my wife got into the conversation when the topic turned to discrimination within the plus community.  Plus Model Magazine Maddy Jones once again hit it out of the park by touching on the plus community has created its own media wing because of the discrimination from traditional sources.  I predict this panel will continue to grow and evolve in the future.  I was introduced to Fashion Fit Formula in which my wife was precisely measured and told what clothes she should wear for her specific body type.   I will talk more about the Fashion Fit Formula in a separate post. Additionally, it was after this panel that it was discovered that the New York times blog had wrote about what was going on. Ministry plus motion equals movement.

Day 4
Marie Denee hosted a shopping trip for 23 lucky ladies and a gentleman during the Full Figured Fashion – The Shopping Excursion. I did not attend this event but you can read about it on the Curvy Fashionista blog as well as see the photos on Facebook.  One of the great stories of this event was that Pam Shainhouse founder of Allistyle.com in Toronto, Ontario won a VIP ticket to the runway finale.  It was great to talk with Pam during the business panel and even better to hear that she would also be at the finale.

Though I could go on talking about different things during Full Figured Fashion Week™ I am saving the coverage of the finale for another post to give you a glimpse of each of those who showcased clothes.  If you could not make it to New York you missed a lot if you were there you learned alot.  Stay tune for coverage of the finale. Remember to see more photos check out Richard Lew‘s website.  Ministry plus motion equals movement.

During the 1st Full Figured Fashion Week™ as part of the Curvy Collective I had the pleasure of being able to speak on this panel that will be discussing issues within the curvy community.  The panel is back with I am sure more cutting edge topics for your mind, body, and soul.

The Curvy Collective hosts a panel discussion, “The State of the Curvy Community.” Perfectly timed, in the midst of current news in the media, this panel discussion addresses the current state of the plus-size community and the significance of Full Figured Fashion Week™, through the eyes of the industry’s leaders, bringing different perspectives from various experiences and points of view.

Join us for an intimate panel discussion of “The State if the Curvy Community” hosted by the Curvy Collective and moderated by “The Original Runway Diva,” Sharon Quinn.
Panelists include:

Erica Watson
Yulia Raquel
Marianne Kirby
Golda Portesky
Mad Fashionista (Curvy Collective)

The events so far have been mind blowing so I know the panel discussion will be be unbelievable!