merkal2005: Hi Maria, please tell us about yourself

Maria Gajewski: This is my least favorite job interview question, but I'll try!

I live about 1 mile from Lake Michigan in the United States. My house overlooks a river and I spend as much time as possible in or near the water.

For money I work as a researcher studying nonprofit and NGO organizations at a university. I enjoy getting paid to use my brain and help people.

In my spare time I blog, play guitar, lift weights, sail when the ice melts,and read books about pirates. I recently turned 30 and had a pirate themed party! I also love to travel, especially to warm, beautiful islands.


merkal2005: You gave your blog an excellent name. What is the story behind it?

Maria Gajewski: Thanks! The name comes from the Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus. He was interested in change and how it happens. One of his most famous quotes was, "It is impossible to step into the same river twice," because everything is changing all the time.

Since I wanted to focus on change as my blog's theme, I thought this was a great fit!


merkal2005: When did you start blogging ? How is it going now?

Maria Gajewski: I started blogging in May 2007, but didn't get serious about it until August 2007. So far my blog has grown at a good pace. I've definitely had times where it was hard to keep writing, but I've worked through those times and having a lot of fun now.

Being a blogger has given me a lot of opportunities to interact with great people and learn a lot - two of my favorite activities.


merkal2005: What are your suggestions to new bloggers?

Maria Gajewski: Two suggestions:
1. Find a support group to work with. I was lucky to join Blog Mastermind when it was brand new and learned a lot about blogging, and also made a lot of new blogging friends. This network is always there for me when I run out of post ideas, have technical problems, or need guest posts.

2. Take some time to find your true voice. When I first started blogging, I wrote in a much more formal voice, because that's how I write for my job. Over time, I realized that blogging is more conversational, so I changed my writing style. I have more fun with my writing now, and people seem to enjoy reading it more.