Anna Taylor is not your typical 23-year-old. The college grad is the editor-in-chief and founder of online magazine Pink & Black. Focused on inspiring 20-something women to grow and become better versions of themselves in
all aspects of life, P&B is sure to become your new favorite site (if it isn't already).
In this interview, Anna discusses her proudest moment involving P&B, the inspiration behind choosing the name, and when you can expect new content on their site!
- Brea: You started Pink & Black while in college, what was that process like?
Anna: I really think that was the best
time I could have ever started it because college is such a
motivating time. Everyone is very career driven and energized and
creative--and I was too! There was a specific type of career
experience I was searching for when I started college and Pink &
Black ultimately gave me that sense of fulfillment. When I started
Pink & Black, I really didn’t have any expectations for it to
become what it is today but I put a lot of hours between and after
classes, after work at my campus newspaper and between anything else
I had going on into it. I’ll even admit that there were many days
when I used Pink & Black to procrastinate instead of studying or
finishing homework, especially near the end of college because I kept
developing new features and grew a bigger presence on social media.
I’m proud of all the work I did on it but I really should have
gotten out more.
- B: What inspired you to choose the name of your magazine?
A: There really isn’t much of a
story behind the name, sadly. I had an untitled project that I really
wanted to start and while working on it one day, I had my iTunes
library on shuffle. A song called “Pink and Black” started
playing and for some reason, it stood out to me. Since then, the
brand has sort-of been built around the name. I wouldn’t advise
anyone to name a project or business like that though because it
doesn’t always work. P&B is still coming around but let’s be
honest, pink is the best color to design anything with because it’s
so feminine and fun.
- B: There are plenty of 20-something online magazines these days, how does P&B Mag stand out from the rest?
A: There really are tons now! There
are a lot of factors in my mind that makes us stand out from the
rest, but I am and always will be biased. I think Pink & Black is
a really fun site for young women to keep coming back to. While the
content might not be all-exclusive, to me it’s a lot more
interesting than some of the most well-known sites for 20-something
women. Plus, we have a nice site design and we’re always adding
something new so it’s not the same experience every single time
someone visits, whether that’s new features or something extra on
the site.
Above all, Pink & Black is a
fun guide for young women getting their start into adulthood, by
women dealing with the same struggles, hardships and awesome
experiences.
- B: As editor-in-Chief, what challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?
A: Believe it or not, I face many
challenges working virtually. My biggest challenge has really been
realizing that I can’t do everything myself. This is honestly a new
development that I was recently advised on and really, it makes sense
because no matter what someone’s title is or where someone works,
they can’t do everything and maintain a healthy and successful
operation. As a result of that, I’m dividing some of my
responsibilities out among other editors, hiring more writers and
assistants.
I was also thinking the other day about how nice it would
be to hire and pay someone to work as my personal assistant to help
with emails, documents and general organization so I can spend more
time working on big projects. That would be the best thing ever so
I’m not going to completely forget about that idea.
Another challenge: time management
between work and life.
- B: What has been your proudest moment involving P&B?
A: I’ve had several! The proudest
was probably when I shared it with people in my life for the first
time. There hasn’t been a single person I’ve shown it to who
hasn’t been impressed with it. That’s a really good feeling.
- B: Where do you see P&B in the next few years?
A: I see Pink & Black offering
more than just written content. One of my goals is to implement video
use on the site, and I have strategies and ideas for that but lack
the technology and availability for it to be at a certain standard
yet. I also see P&B becoming a more profitable brand and I’d
love to eventually see a site redesign that I create.
- B: What 3 pieces of advice would you give someone looking to start their own business/company?
1. Start right now!
The sooner you start, the quicker you can grow and continue to build
on your brand.
2. Do it for the right reasons. It’s so silly but I’ve heard or read about people saying they want to start a business strictly because they think it’s something that will make them a lot of money. Put some passion behind it. Start a business that you’re genuinely interested in and it will strive.
3. You get out of it what you
put into it. This
could be advice for just about anything in life but if you’re not
willing to spend extended hours on your business and a few dollars
here and there, don’t expect it to be a major success. Set your
standards high and never stop looking for ways to make it better.
- B: I saw a tweet stating that P&B is looking for new writers! What qualities do you look for when hiring a new writer?
A: Passion! That’s 100% what I look
for in an applicant because I want P&B’s staff to honestly be
interested and dedicated to their work and ours. Good writing and
experience is also a plus and I always appreciate people who say
they’re a fan of the magazine because, well, I’m a fan of it too.
;)
- B: Because All She Wrote is music loving blog, what song best describes P&B Magazine and why?
A: This question is so hard! I think
“Everybody Got Their Something” by Nikka Costa is a good one.
It’s a fun song about finding and being yourself.
- B: Anything else you'd like to add?
Connect with Anna + P&B: Personal Twitter | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram
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