Tracy Pendergast is a lifestyle blogger, creating and cultivating her own content over at Hey-Tracy. She uses her platform to bring together her favorite things: family, food, general life hacks, the transformation of her SoCal home and of course, all the life along the way. Tracy also co-hosts the Home School’d podcast – a show that educates today’s homeowner.
Notable guests on the podcast include: Mina Starsiak Hawk of HGTV’s Good Bones, Kelly Mindell of Studio DIY and Jimmy Diresta. Tracy believes in a strong balance of DIY and hiring out- and lives by the philosophy that your perfect living space is built over time.
Q&A with Tracy Pendergast
What interests you most about taking on DIY projects?
I want my home to feel touched and loved and special. There are certain areas I’ve created for my kids and their little personalities, that I couldn’t pull off a shelf. On another level, I think it’s so important to understand how my home and the things in it work! Whether I’m hiring out or doing things myself- having a base knowledge is going to empower me to make better decisions.
What creative areas do you prefer to focus on?
Focus isn’t my strong suit, but currently my creative energy has been spent: in my garden, cultivating and creating content for both the podcast and my site, and editing all of our rooms to create more intentional spaces.
What do you consider to be your greatest business accomplishment thus far?
Anytime I get a message that the podcast has inspired someone to take on a project they didn’t think they were capable of, my heart skips a beat. I’m so proud of the slow and steady community we’ve built, and how supportive it feels. Is it my greatest business accomplishment in terms of profit or exposure? No. But it’s been such a meaningful part of my life, and I’ve learned so much. Many of our guests (pretty much all of them!) have become friends and mentors, and to me that’s priceless.
What has been your most difficult project that you’ve tackled?
Last year we lived in our home through an insane 4 month renovation. Managing 2 toddlers through that was definitely difficult, but worth every second.
Do you have a brand partner that you consider to be your favorite?
Loomwell! I’d say anytime the product is as wonderful as the people it’s a home run.
Which platform helps you to reach your audience the most, and how do you keep them engaged?
Pinterest has been the key to success in all 3 of my businesses. Their analytics are so detailed, it requires the least amount of effort and I know that anyone who clicks has a sincere interest in the product/article. I think there is definitely value in Instagram and Facebook in terms of creating a relationships- but I really encourage creatives to do the deep dive over on Pinterest.
Based upon your personal experience, what’s one piece of advice that you’d give to blogger/influencers?
Keep checking in with yourself and don’t be afraid to change course! You will grow and change- don’t be afraid to let your business do those things with you- you’re not stuck.
What’s one fun fact about you that our readers would be surprised to know?
Prior to becoming a mama I was an actress. My journey in this space was born along with my son! I felt a tug to stay home, but knew I needed to maintain a creative outlet- so here we are! It was always my plan to jump back in to television when my little ones started school, but only time will tell.
What do you like most about HAVEN Conference?
I’ve never been, but I’m a fan of anything that celebrates creativity and collaboration!
What do you want your audience to take away from your presentation at the Heart of HAVEN virtual conference?
I want them to be inspired to create podcasts centered around community, creativity and heart. I want them to talk to people they can actually learn from, and ask questions they really want to know the answers to. Yes, we will also cover the logistics and technical aspects- but without that enthusiasm and wonder, those things don’t mean much.
Q and A with a HAVEN 2020 Speaker Series
(This section will be updated as more articles are published)
Amber Kemp-Gerstel
Ashley Wilson
Heather Cooke
Carmen Smith
Jessica Litman
Corey Hudson
Wendy Zock
Racheal Jackson
Jessica Russell
Cara Newhart
Jess Crow
Brittany Norman
Jenn McMurray
KariAnne Wood
Karen Snyder
Yuni Min
Kera Jeffers
Kate Smith
Erin Marshall
Erin Ruoff
Rachel Rosenthal
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