Her Magazine is New Zealand’s only women’s business lifestyle magazine! Her Magazine highlights the achievements of successful and rising New Zealand businesswomen. Her Magazine encourages a healthy work/life balance.
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/59614
... THEREFORE WE ARE! distraction ... it felt very much like it was meant to be." Little did Jane know that the project would lead to her rough time becoming very public. With a broadcasting background Jane is no stranger to the spotlight. You might remember her from her days as a presenter for Music TV channel C4 (now FOUR). The pint-sized host has also fronted an advertising campaign for youth depression website thelowdown.co.nz. As someone who has battled with depression Jane was an ideal candidate, yet she admits that "People don't really know when someone fronts something like that how genuinely tied to the cause they are". Cue the 'depression entry' as Jane refers to it; a blog post that generated one of the biggest responses she had ever had with The Girls' Guide. "It felt like a coming-out on the blog because I was brutally honest about how badly it [depression] had affected me ... pushing that publish button was scary," Jane admits. Though she has no regrets she's pleased she took that step. "A huge number of people said they understood or that it helped them in some way. I know it's really cheesy and clichéd, but if it made a difference to someone or helped someone then it was definitely worth putting myself out there for," says Jane. She, like Dr Boyes, acknowledges the therapeutic potential of blogging, and describes the process as being 'cathartic'. Yet despite the personal satisfaction and success that blogging has provided, Jane admits that there are definite risks to baring all on the worldwide web. "You need to make sure that whatever you put up [online] is something that in 20 years time you're not going to regret. I also think it's important, generally speaking as human beings, to just keep some stuff for you and your family and friends." Dr Boyes agrees, "Research shows that people tend to feel more dis-inhibited communicating online, meaning they may post things they later regret," she says. One woman who knows only too well the consequences of revealing too much online is Heather B. Armstrong. In 2002, comments regarding co-workers on her personal website Dooce.com cost Heather her job. Her online faux pas even created a new word 'Dooced.' Urbandictionary.com defines the term as 'to be fired from your job because of the contents of your weblog.' "Be ye not so stupid", Heather tells readers on her website. "Never write about work on the internet unless your boss knows and sanctions the fact that you are writing about work on the internet." Fortunately for running Dooce.com from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah. Often considered the poster girl for professional blogging, Heather leads a seemingly ideal existence complemented by a healthy income, although life hasn't always dealt her a winning hand. In 2004, Heather suffered severe postpartum depression following the birth of her first child. She was admitted to a psychiatric ward. Heather blogged throughout her time there and during visiting hours passed notes to her husband who then typed them up on the site. Her efforts were rewarded. Visitors to Dooce.com quadrupled by the time Heather checked out of hospital. The case of Dooce.com demonstrates Heather, she only has herself to answer to these days. Today, Dooce.com is one of the most read blogs in the world. Forbes has named Heather one of the 'most influential women in media', the New York Times dubbed her 'Queen of the Mommy Bloggers' and she has more than 1.5 million followers on Twitter. It's fair to say that Heather's site is quite popular. "What do I do? Why, I just sit in my pajamas all day long writing about my feelings!" Heather jokes. To be fair, her description isn't that far from the truth. Together with her husband, Jon (who was able to quit his job in 2005 due to advertising sales on the site) Heather works full-time "Be ye not so stupid... Never write about work on the internet unless your boss knows and sanctions the fact that you are writing about work on the internet." how the success of a professional blogger can rely on being open with readers. To many it may seem bizarre sharing the most personal of situations with complete strangers, but as with Jane Yee and Dr Boyes, Heather is an advocate for blogging as a healing medium. "I credit them [readers of Dooce.com] with saving my life during my postpartum depression," she says. "Here in this tiny space of the web is an example of just how awesome and life-altering the Internet can be." www.hermagazine.co.nz | 37