Pharmaceutical Industry discussion, review, analysis, news and information.

My second interview is with the beauty blogger, Christina Jones.

Christina is also a sister in the former About Weblogs Network.

(you see it pays to have ‘sisters" in the blogosphere, they will agree to any interview even with their eyes closed!) ;-)

Anyway, I introduced Christina as a beauty blogger because that's the first I knew about her, but is actually more than that. This lady is beautiful inside and out, I know that for a fact because she used to be my channel editor at b5media. For all the online help I got from her, I owe her a truck-load of Philippine mangoes (the sweetest in the world!)

To me Christina has a constant online presence that never hesitates to reach out a hand in every way she can. To date she is Editor of B5media’s Arts & Crafts, Beauty & Style, Home & Dining, Travel & Culture Channels.

So, let’s have more of Christina Jones:

What is your name, educational background or expertise? What is your current occupation or business affiliation, and what do you like/love about it?

I am Christina Jones - my educational background is in business management, and I have worked in the beauty business for just about as long as I have been legal to work in the United States. 

Currently I am a stay at home mother/wife and I manage our household and ranch as well as write and maintain several websites in the health and beauty genre.  I also am a channel editor and administrative assistant for b5media. 

I loved the relationships I developed while working in the beauty business and loved the feeling of helping people look their best.  I also enjoy computers very much and always have, so my current work, although a little bit different, is just another extension of my passion.  

How long have you been in your current industry or business? Is there a previous industry /business before the current one? – If yes, what is it and how did you like it better compared to the current one?  

I have been affiliated with beauty for just about as long as I can remember.  I began as a makeup artist and esthetician, and settled in for the long term as a nail technician.  I owned my own salon as well as worked for Jewelry Television, a 24 hour shopping channel maintaining the 25 host/hostesses hands and nails, keeping them close-up camera ready at all times. 

I moved away from my business in Tennessee to Texas 3 1/2 years ago, and now I write about health and beauty, and I love it just as much as I always did the actual practice.  The opportunities that this business has given me have grown and adjusted over the years as I have needed them to suit me, and I have never and will never regret my decision to enter and remain in the beauty field.  

Have you heard about weblogs or blogs? If yes, do you have a blog/blogs and what is/are it/they about? If not, are you even reading other people's blogs?  

No, what are they?  Ha!  Yes, I write about 8 blogs. 

eBeautyDaily.com is about general beauty and taking care of yourself, NailTechSecrets.com is about taking care of your nails and hands and feet, and MRSANotes.com is about antibiotic resistant bacterial infections, one of which hit my family very hard 2 years ago.  I also write a celebrity blog, a basic internet user’s blog, and several others in various stages of growth (or non-growth as the case may be).

Being an expert in your particular industry, what kind of media do you use to become updated with fresh knowledge? (books, magazines, newspapers, tv, internet, etc.)  

I use the internet very much to keep abreast of new things in the beauty industry, but as the industry thrives with concrete rather than virtual contact, I read a lot of magazines and books related to beauty and wellness. 

I subscribe to professional journals where applicable as well and maintain memberships with groups that will help me keep on top of all new technologies, techniques and products in the industries in which I participate and about which I write. 

If you are told that there is an existing blog about your particular industry or business, would you regularly read, subscribe or even recommend it to your colleagues and friends?

I certainly will take a look at it - if it appears to be well written and informative and on the up and up, then yes I would regularly read and subscribe to it.  If it is good I will recommend it to everyone who I think would be interested in it. 

How many hours a day do you spend surfing the internet, if ever you do? 

On average, probably 2 hours.  This number has been much much higher in the past, but with having taken on a monstrous amount of extra work in recent months, my surfing time is down to a bare minimum. And two hours IS a bare minimum.  LOL

Have you ever discovered the power of the internet as a tool in communication, education and even business? What do you think about it?

I have been dealing with communication on the internet for a very long time, as I have worked with different companies/entities managing their communities for as long as I have been online.  I believe there to be some real difficulties with online communication, most of them stemming from the fact that there is no face to face contact, no voice inflection to be heard and you have to learn to choose your words very wisely so as not to be misinterpreted. 

But in general, the internet has made available to all of us an amazing ability to get to know people that you would never have had the opportunity before, and that, to me is completely worth any communication difficulties that may arise.  I have made many lifelong friends online. I wouldn’t trade this medium for the world. 

As far as education, I have taken many online classes over the years, and I love them - I think there is no better way to become educated, really.  With all of the technology available now, in my mind the time and effort and extra expense it takes to join a non-virtual classroom is just not worth it.  As far as business is concerned, I think the vast amount of important communications should be done offline - there is too much room for error and misunderstandings in "on the fly" written communications.

Finally, the most important question of all: What impact do you think blogging will have on business?

I think it remains to be seen.  I know that a company without a web presence is a company that is sorely lacking in an important part of their business strategy, but I don't know if the same thing will ever be able to be said about a company that doesn't blog.  I certainly think that blogging adds a new dimension to customer relations and every advantage you can have in the "mart of competitive commerce" is a good thing. 

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Thanks again Christina!