Bloggy Friends Spotlight – Robert Yaniz Jr.

Bloggy Friends Spotlight number 3!!! I would have posted one last Sunday as Sundays have apparently become my Bloggy Friends Spotlight day, but…Easter. lol. I mentioned this before, and I’ll say it again – the plan is to make this a weekly spotlight unless I get LOADS of responses, and then we might go up to two, three or even four times (so naughty…growl!) a week depending on the number of bloggy friends piping up. I love sharing your spotlights, so if you want in on this, fill out the form here!

Alrighty….now onto TODAY’s Bloggy Friend – This time it’s a dude!!! (Yep, and the crowd goes wild!!!) I’ve known this blogger since I was 16. Yes, really. In fact, we met at AMC Theatres when we both worked at the Veterans 24 location. We went to USF together. Go Bulls! Then, we would hang at a lot of karaoke bars here in Tampa, and sing our hearts out. I even took his engagement photos and photographed his wedding. We go way back you guys… Tear…Gimme a second guys, gettin all nostalgic like….(sniffling behind my computer. where the f%&* are the tissues?!?)…

Okay! I’m fine now. Robert is what I would call a pop-culture major with a specialization in movies. Like, he would KILL the categories of music, television and movies if we were playing a trivia game. He knows more about these thangs than we have time to get into, so you just need to check out his website and learn his awesomeness for yourself.

Check out HIS deets:

Name: Robert Yaniz Jr. (side note from Famous Ashley – the cool kids know him by his nickname – or stage name if you will – of Rob Fox…just sayin..)

Your blog: Crooked Table

Can you tell me about your blog?  I write reviews, podcasts, video and other articles relating to the entertainment world (but mostly film). (another side note from Famous Ashley – he actually wrote a few articles for me when I pretended to be an editor in chief of a local mag, but that story is for an evening of drinking. And currently, we both do ghostwriting for the same company because we’re both cool writers like that.)

Do you post on WordPress, Blogger or Something else? WordPress

What’s your niche? Entertainment

Is your blog making you money? Random play money. I write for several other sites, and Crooked Table serves as my “home turf” in that it gives me the freedom to create my own proprietary content and develop my own voice independently from my paying gigs.

How did you get started? “Crooked Table” was a name that I randomly came across while brainstorming a novel idea with a friend, and the phrase stuck in my mind for years before I did anything with it. Early on, the site (at first, thecrookedtable.com) was designed as a hub for writers, but eventually evolved into my own entertainment-centric blog, since I’ve been obsessed with movies since childhood. Now, the current version of Crooked Table focuses on “The world of film from a fresh angle.” Evolution in action, I say.

What are your must have tools to run your blog? My MacBook Pro is my everything. (yes FCC, that’s an affiliate link. Girl’s gotta eat right? Get off me! Pft!!!)

What advice would you give to someone just starting their blog? Be true to yourself. Focus on a topic that you’re truly passionate about because that passion will fuel you to stick with it for the long haul. Making money and gaining a following is great, but the real reward of blogging is the personal fulfillment you get out of the time you invest in the project.

Where can we find you on social?
Facebook for my writing
Facebook for Crooked Table
Twitter
Tumblr
LinkedIn

If you had it to do over, is there anything you would have done differently? I would have started the current form of Crooked Table earlier and dreamt bigger years ago!

Who do you consider your bloggy mentors? I wouldn’t be where I am now without writing for Screen Rant in the early-2000s. That team was a big part of helping crystallize my decision to pursue film blogging and criticism more aggressively.

When you have a blogging question, where is the first place you go for the answer?
Google! Just keeping this honest.

What are your plans for the future of your blog?  Since Crooked Table is so inextricably tied to who I am, it’s hard to imagine anyone else taking it over. It’s very personal in nature, at least right now. But I definitely have big plans for growth, as far as both written and media content. The Crooked Table Podcast continues to evolve, and I’m planning on getting back into making videos soon as well.

Is there anything you would like to add that you think people should know? More than anything, I try to be genuine in all my endeavors. I don’t so much as tweet something unless I 100% believe in it, and I hope that attitude is reflected across all of the content on CrookedTable.com. That’s one of my highest priorities.

How frikkin cool is Robert? I think he’s pretty damn cool. I strongly suggest you check out his awesomeness online, and follow him on his social channels.

Did you miss the last Bloggy Friends Spotlight on Tracy Shaw? If so, I forgive you because you can still check it out HERE!

Don’t forget – I’d love to profile you too, so if you wanna be in on this -fill out the form here!

Stay tuned for our next Bloggy Friends Spotlight! Until next time, may your page views be high, and your blogs be monetized. Big virtual hugs Bloggy Friends ?