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LIFE & STYLE
Friday 4th November 2016
@redbricklife
Redbrick Meets: Jordan Bunker Life&Style writers Ed Coy and Miriam Nixon speak to fashion and lifestyle blogger Jordan Bunker about career choices, the fashion industry and social media Ed Coy & Miriam Nixon With almost 7000 Instagram followers and an ever-growing readership, blogger and freelance journalist, Jordan Bunker, is a strong authority on menswear, lifestyle and travel. Starting out as a writer for independent publications like PAUSE and TMRW, he has combined his knowledge of all things lifestyle with a degree in Multimedia Journalism from Bournemouth University. With a clear goal of running a fully-functional blog, he set about building up a skillset and learning from those in the business. 'I always wanted to write my own blog from the age of 16, but I didn’t feel like anyone would want to listen to fashion and lifestyle advice from someone of such a young age. So instead, I thought I’d write to some independent publications first and get a feel for the industry.' At 19, at the start of second year, he stepped down from his writing roles to start his own blog, using the contacts and skills that he had acquired from working with the publications. Initially, there were mixed results, but he insists that it’s all part of the process of self-development. 'I don’t think I’d do anything differently as the mistakes that I made at the start shape my blog now. So I look back at blog posts now and
think how I would have done that differently, but by doing that then, I’ve learnt what does and does not work.' Having decided to try and enter the fashion industry at 16, Jordan decided his best route in would be to work as hard as he could at developing his writing. As a successful blogger, the best advice Jordan has for young bloggers is to write as much as possible, 'Simply, just start writing. There’s no one way to go about it, but writing for publications was the best way for me because it immediately elevated me to being invited to events on behalf of the publication rather than being invited as ‘Jordan Bunker’. If you write more, you start to develop a writing style and tone and people may start getting in touch with you about possible opportunities. The most valuable thing is experience so if you have a chance to go on a placement or work experience, throw yourself into it! As long as you’re writing, getting better and honing your craft, opportunities will hopefully come your way, you just need to put yourself out there.' Now working freelance, one of the inherent aspects of this is the variety, which Jordan enjoys. 'I’ve never been one to want to work 9-5 behind a desk, Monday to Friday. So, although it may be extremely busy or extremely quiet some days, it keeps it interesting
and exciting.' Social media plays a big role in getting in contact with brands and publications, and as a result Jordan finds himself on his phone throughout the day. 'When I’m home and writing, I wake up at 8, then go through Instagram, then Twitter, then Instagram again. That probably goes on until about 9 and then I’ll go through emails, get back to
people and then start working on blog posts or articles for publications. I’ll have a to-do list for the day and the week.' One of the best parts of working in the industry is the opportunity to attend events with other like-minded people. 'Often they’re in London but most recently I was invited to Liverpool for a photog-
raphy exhibition which was really fun, so those opportunities come up as well and you have to factor those into your working week.' Perhaps the most well-known outlets that Jordan has written for are ASOS and GQ. The key for getting both of those jobs was the hard work that has gone in over the period that he has written the blog. 'That all came about through my experience, so writing since I was 16, doing extra stuff outside university...A university degree won’t hold up by itself – everyone wants to know what you’re doing outside university. It’s what you do in those three or four years whilst you’re at university that will make you stand out from the rest.' Bloggers took a fair chunk of criticism recently when a number of editors at Vogue magazine took exception to the idea of blogging as a legitimate medium. Jordan takes it on the chin, though, describing it as part of the process of moving into the social media age. 'Some people accept bloggers for what they do and obviously some don’t. Right now, we’re in a time where both play their part in fashion. I think people can relate more with bloggers, but Vogue editors know what they’re talking about because they’ve been in the industry for such a long time. I know people that work in the print industry that read blogs all the time and find them great, but
some people just don’t get them. I guess some bloggers do things that I probably wouldn’t and maybe this gives us a bit of a bad name overall. Having said that, most of us are doing it in the right way, for the right reason, which is that we enjoy writing about fashion.' Male bloggers are growing in popularity but are still far outnumbered by their female counterparts. For Jordan, this can have its advantages. 'It’s not necessarily easier but if someone who works for a marketing agency or in PR has to look for a male blogger, they won’t find that many of us.' It is, though, an ever-increasing market. 'Social media has definitely helped push fashion further up the list of things men want to talk about and it’s starting to grow. I’ve seen more men start up fashion blogs or engaging with fashion, but it’s a slow process.' Looking towards the future, Jordan hopes that his blog evolves with his own development as a writer. 'I think it’s always something that I’m going to be working on, but alongside other freelance jobs. I do like the balance of having the blog and freelancing for magazines and newspapers, so I think I’ll carry on and try to keep improving my writing and photography.' Check out Jordan's www.jordanbunker.uk
Redbrick Meets: Daniel Bridgewater Life&Style writer Jessica Gray speaks to Daniel Bridgewater, founder of Buckt, about life after university, starting a business and bucket lists Daniel Bridgewater graduated with a first class honours degree in Business Management with Communication from the University of Birmingham in 2014. Even before going to university, Daniel had an eye for business opportunities. Before beginning his course at UoB, he had his own business that he continued to run throughout his studies. After attaining a first class honours in Business Management, Daniel was faced with the dilemma of whether to continue with his business ideas or get a ‘proper’ job. He chose to continue with his business (a creative training agency that used theatre and drama to help young people develop skills that can lead to future job prospects) and pursue marketing in order to work with different clients. He mixed this experience with his own personal life to create the new business, Buckt. Following a breakup with his long term girlfriend, Daniel found himself in a slump not knowing what to do next. 'I decided to make a bucket list. After pursuing some of the challenges I set myself I then decided to combine it with an idea I had from my time at
university, an online subscription box that delivers tickets to the customer’s door.' A year ago he merged these ideas to form the basis of Buckt, however, he put the idea to one side in order to focus on his (then) current business. Fast forward 6 months and, after speaking to an employee who convinced him to pursue the idea, Daniel began look into how to put his Buckt plans into action. Buckt is a totally original concept that allows customers to sign up for various different boxes that range in price and contain tickets, discounted experiences and challenges to pursue. The membership box is a good option for those looking to stick to a budget as there are various prices and no long term contract to sign. Each box contains 8 to 10 activities that are delivered to the customer’s door each month (including tickets to top attractions, discounts on high end budget activities and invitations to unique and obscure events). Dan explains his reasoning behind the idea: 'It seems like these days most couples spend the majority of their time sitting on an iPad or laptop trying to find something to do rather than actually
doing it. There are also too many people who are bored of their mundane 9-5 routines and just want a new lease of life to experience.' So far the business has had extremely positive feedback. Daniel has entered Buckt into the Baldwins Kickstart business competition and has thus far made it to the final (set to take place in November). 'When I have spoken to Baldwins Kickstart they seem to have faith in the business; after the rehearsal pitch there didn’t seem to be much criticism. I would say this was one of the proudest moments I have had with Buckt, knowing people back my idea and believe it can go places is a very powerful feeling!' Buckt is now running a crowd funder to raise funds to help with their launch. 94% of those surveyed during research either like or really like the concept, they just need some initial pledges to get Buckt up and running. With packages ranging from £15-25 per month, Buckt hopes to reach all ages on different budgets. So if you feel like Buckt is something you could be interested in (and with names such as Planet Ice, HeliAdventures and CounterAct
already signed up, who wouldn’t be?), have a look at their crowd funder at www.crowdfunder. co.uk/buckt. Daniel is hoping this idea will appeal to most people living in the West Midlands: 'It is a great way to explore the local area and find obscure activities. I hope to have the company up and running by January 2017. By the end of next year, I would like Buckt to be operating in the West Midlands and London, then move across to the East Midlands and the North within the next 2 to 3 years. I also hope to expand into stag dos and hen dos, just to keep it diverse!' Daniel will be taking Buckt to the Baldwin’s Kickstart business competition on 10th November 2016 in a hope to win a £20,000 prize that will help towards the set-up of the business. If you think this is an idea worth investing in, then take a look at the crowd funder and subscribe to one of the boxes today!
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