Meet Ruby Hunt of WestsideMommy.com

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ruby Hunt.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started my blog, WestsideMommy.com, when my daughter was about eight months old. I didn’t have an easy pregnancy, my family lived across the country, and I didn’t have much of a support group at the time. I spent most of my early months as a parent searching for mom-friends, parent-and-me classes, researching how to be a good parent, and how to get through the day.

It was a tough adjustment, to say the least, but working on my blog helped me with my postpartum depression by giving me something other than my child to focus on. My microblog is a place for me to share my parenting experiences, use my background in graphic design and photography, and learn about social media and marketing first-hand.

Through my blog, which turns five this November, I’ve experienced a side of Los Angeles and it’s environs I overlooked when I was single. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people, explored fantastic places, and attended a lot of fun events. My blog focuses on kid-friendly activities, products, events, and more. WestsideMommy.com has given me plenty of opportunities I would have not had otherwise, and the best part is experiencing it all with my daughter.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My husband works in entertainment, so he already works long hours. Oftentimes, the only time I have to work is when the kid is asleep, which means it takes away from our already limited time together. We learned to schedule our time, which has been helpful in our marriage. Now, he happily utilizes the time I work to play video games or watch t.v. shows I’m not interested in.

An important thing I learned about being a blogger is to be authentic, do your research, and stick to your beliefs. For example, I was about to post a glowing book review until I did an online search on the author (something I should have done prior to reading the book). Digging deep, I learned several controversial news stories about the author’s personal character, actions, and lawsuits against him. Because the book was a self-help book and encouraged its readers to attend a paid retreat, I made the decision not to post the review and explained to the PR company my reasons. It was definitely a lesson learned. For me, being a blogger is about putting your moral compass in check and being your true self.

WestsideMommy.com – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My blog mainly focuses on kid-friendly activities in the Los Angeles area. It also contains event recaps, movie reviews, book reviews, food and dining, fitness journeys, and more recently, mom getaways. WestsideMommy.com is a culmination of my eclectic “mommy life”. I’ve always enjoyed “experiences over things”, and thankfully I have the ability to do and share my adventures.

Some of the posts I’ve written that people enjoy a lot (and that I’m proud of) are about efficiency – “22 Rides and Attractions at Disneyland in 14 Hours” and “How I planned an Epic Mom’s Weekend in Las Vegas”.

One of the benefits of being a Los Angeles based blogger is my proximity to Hollywood. I’ve had the pleasure of attending press events to interview actors Charlize Theron, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel; directors Jason Reitman and Luc Besson; musician Pharrell Williams; and more.

What sets me apart from others is that I am me. Everyone is different and has their own interesting journey in life. This is mine.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I remember when I first started my blog, I wondered if there would ever be a time when I would have more events than I could physically attend. Thankfully, that time has come and I’ve been able to share the love and send friends to cover and experience things I cannot.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.westsidemommy.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westsidemommy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westsidemommy/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/WestsideMommyLA

Image Credit:
Ronni Garcia, Aya Quan, Danielle DeLuca, Josh Hunt

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.