I’m answering all of the questions I’ve heard the most over the past 15 years of writing about the Gem City as Girl About Dayton.

“What made you start Girl About Dayton?”

I started this blog originally in 2011 as an answer to the deafening chorus of people at the time saying Dayton was dead, there’s nothing to do here, etc. I thought if I could share what I love about Dayton, it could help people see its potential and give not hating it a try. And it worked!

You can read more about how I got started in this interview.

“Is this your job?”

No, Girl About Dayton is a hobby. My full-time job is creating content and copy for clients at a marketing agency.

“Do you get a lot of free stuff?”

No, I’m writing about Dayton businesses and occasionally I’m offered a meal or something but for the most part I just follow my curiosity around town to find things to write about. Most of my free opportunities are through national companies with a presence in Dayton.

“How do I monetize my Dayton-based content channels like you?”

Over the years, I’ve been asked several times about monetization with the assumption I must be making money doing this. I actually don’t make money through Girl About Dayton. I am very fortunate to have a great full-time job I love that pays the bills, so I am not really motivated to monetize Girl About Dayton, which also means I don’t have a lot of advice for those who do want to do this sort of thing and make money doing it.

“Are you that girl who writes about restaurants?”

Yes, I write about restaurants, but I also write about shopping, events, art, etc.

“You must go out all the time!”

I can have busier times where it feels like we’re constantly on the go, but most of the time I’m at home. I work from home, my boyfriend also works from home, my favorite cook (me) lives here, my cats are here, all of my blankets and books are here.

“Where do you do your writing?”

At home! Specifically, people ask if I go to a certain coffee shop or anything and the answer is no, I can do a few things at a coffee shop, but I’m way too distractible to do anything substantive away from home. Plus, see above. When I go to coffee shops it’s mostly to drink coffee and chat with a friend.

“Who takes your photos?”

I’m always surprised when people ask this question but it’s a really common one! The answer is me – I take all my own photos unless noted otherwise. My thought is that if it’s always the same viewpoint and iPhone camera, you can see what I see.

If it’s a photo of me, it’s taken by my boyfriend, Jared, unless otherwise noted. He also knows that when the food comes, my camera eats first. (Sorry, babe!)

There are also photos of me taken by photographers – see my Credits page for details.

“Have I seen your writing anywhere?”

Maybe! I have written quite a bit for the Dayton Daily News and Dayton dot com. If you picked up a free copy of Dayton Beer Advisor when it was around, you may have seen one of my articles there.

A long time ago I wrote for Virgin Atlantic’s Ruby blog that’s no longer live. I created a moving guide with Move Guides UK.

Professionally, you may have driven past a billboard I’ve created in Dayton, received a letter I’ve written for a client in the mail, taken a brochure I wrote, looked at a print ad I made, engaged with a social post or ad I developed, etc. My company works with a lot of local entities, so it’s likely you’ve encountered my writing several times and not known it.

“Do you use AI?”

No. And you shouldn’t either. This blog is 100% created by grey matter. I take my own photos using my phone (unless otherwise noted). All of my design is by graphic designers (or me doing my best on regular Canva). I use CapCut to create videos for social (not using the AI features).

“Why are you writing a blog after 2018?”

No one has ever asked me this question – it’s just one I ask myself regularly. The answer is that it’s something I enjoy. Plus, when I visit a new place, I search for the bloggers first. I want to get an idea of a place from someone who can articulate what makes it special and I love thinking that I’m providing a similar experience for people visiting our city, too.

“What’s your favorite restaurant/shop/business?”

Actually, another reason I started this blog way back in 2011 is because I cannot answer this question in person. The moment I hear a question like this, all of a sudden I have never eaten at a restaurant in my life.

Girl About Dayton through the Years

2011-2012

During this period I posted A LOT and it was about anything and everything I liked at the time. I think I had like 30 blog categories, so it was unfocused but I had a lot of fun with it.

Starting out in 2011, my blog was VERY minimal with a white background and grey and orange accents. It was a theme on WordPress, so I made some choices for how it looked but I didn’t have a ton of control over it.

I carried it through to my business cards, too. I really liked this clean look at the time!

2012-2018

This is when my blog really took off locally, maybe in part because I narrowed the focus to almost completely Dayton-only content. I had opportunities to write for so many publications and take part in so many events and things. Unfortunately, hackers hacked my blog and I lost a lot of photos, content, and momentum.

Most of my original blog years had these colors and logo. It was still a minimal look and it felt so much more like me. My sister helped me create this logo!

2019-2022

Even though I was busy writing for local publications, I kept the idea having my own blog back up and running in the back of my mind. I also kept up with posting all about the fun things I found to do on social media.

This period of time, I had a Weebly landing page where I linked all of my articles with Dayton Daily News and other publications while my new blog was being built. I never ended up launching that version of the blog, however.

2023-Present

Early in 2023, I just felt that the time was right to get back to writing for my own blog. I pulled together a team and got to work!

My logo and brand colors got a major overhaul and facelift thanks to designer Natasha Croft. This helped Veasely Designs create the absolutely gorgeous magic that is this blog. I can’t say enough how much I love how it turned out.

The colors are vibrant and fun, and it always gives me a boost to look at.

The Future

My current plan is to keep following my curiosity all over Dayton and writing about the local businesses I fall in love with here. There are bigger projects on various back burners but nothing to report yet. But stay tuned just in case!

I hope so much that you’ve found a new favorite place from these pages at one point or another. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for joining me on this adventure!

Cheers to another 15 years!