FAQ

Eff Eh Kyoo? EFF EH KYOO! I hereby declare that “Why don’t you have a section for frequently asked questions?” shall disappear from my list of frequently asked questions! Huzzah!

If I were to personally answer all of the questions I received through email / Facebook / Twitter / Formspring each and every day, I’d have little time left to photoshop my head onto cartoon bodies or make weird videos with my cat – let alone microwave my dinners and stuff.

This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list but, some questions are better left unanswered anyway. Like the ones about my credit card number and expiry date. Fool me thrice…

Is Lauren O’Nizzle your real name?:
The first half is real, but O’Nizzle is a nickname I picked up as a teenager. As many people call me ‘Nizz’ as they do ‘Lauren’ these days. Something about that zuzzy sound… it sticks.

Why am I reading your blog?:
Procrastinatory reasons?. Either that, or you actually know and care about me in real life (Hi Mom!). This blog won’t grow your business or teach you how to do anything really… Hopefully, it will make you laugh or help you discover something cool. I am not a guru or an expert – I am an entertainer. You are reading this blog if you like to be entertained.

How do you meet all of those celebrities?
Through work, mostly, but also at parties, events and through other people.

What do you DO though? Like, what is your JOB?
Jabbering into a microphone and, you know, Internet stuff. I blog and I Tweet. I am a digital strategic guru slash Ninja (I work full time at a digital media agency where I write, produce & host web videos, interview musicians/actors/athletes/models, go to events, take photos, manage Twitter/Facebook/Youtube/Fickr, and other things. Basically, I represent for hip brands in the online space. I love it.)

I also blog for CosmoTV and do some additional freelance writing / video hosting / teaching on the side.

I also blog for CosmoTV and do some additional freelance writing / video hosting / teaching on the side.

So… How can I get a job like that?
This is a question I’m asked THE MOST. The truth is that there’s no magic formula for getting a job like this. It’s not like going to Medical School. That said, school DID play a huge role for me. Communications + Computer Science + Journalism = job in online media? In my case, yes.

I’ve been into computers and the Internet since I was a young kid. After highschool, I got an honours degree in Communications with a minor in Computer Science-Information Technology from the University of Windsor, and then a Master of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Western Ontario. All the while, I was writing, volunteering, travelling, performing, blogging, acting, doing internships, networking, hosting videos and doing a number of other things that helped me develop the skills I needed to do what I do now.

I had just been asked to cover the MMVA’s as a digital correspondent for MuchMusic and then hired at the Toronto Star for a summer job as a radio room reporter, when I met my current boss at a conference in Boston. I did some freelance work for the agency over the summer between my other jobs, loved it to death, and did more and more of it. By the Fall, I came on board as a full time employee. Buh-bye news world (for now).

What do you want to be when you grow up?:
My end game has always been to have a full time TV gig or write a successful book. If neither of these things happen by the time I am 35 and I’m not doing something comparably major, I plan on going back to school for a PhD. Media theory is something I’m truly passionate about, and I’d love to dedicate my life to studying, researching and writing about communication technologies and the ways in which humans are interacting with them right now.

Where do you find the time to do all of this stuff?
I suffer for sleep and am a chronic, crazy multitasker who rarely stops working. I can’t even remember the last time I sat down to watch a TV show or movie without a laptop in front of me, let alone chilled with a friend sans-iPhone. If I’m out an an event, I’m often live Tweeting it or taking pictures for a blog post. I get a lot of flack from my loved ones for never relaxing, but this is what I love to do. Making media is just as much a hobby and passion as it is a job for me.

Are you famous?: No. I am Canadian… and a very un-famous one at that.

Can I hire you to host a video / do an interview / write an article / cover an event ?
I’m always interested in hearing about cool opportunities and projects. Hit me up and we can see if the fit is right and our schedules comply!

Can I interview you for a project / article / news piece?
Most definitely. Feel free to shoot me an email – laurenoneil at gmail dot com

Can I pay you to promote my crappy product or lame event on one of your blog?
Haaaayul no. That’s not how I roll.

If you happen to have a super sick concert or event to promote and you’d like me to attend, hit me up for sure – but please, before you send me some junkity junk in the mail, know that if it sucks I’ll toss it out. Free shizz = NOT why I blog.

Can you help me with *some random computer-related task*?
No, but Let me Google that for you…

Can you teach me how to use Twitter? Set up a blog for me? Design me a website like yours?
Yeah… no. Not to be a jerk, but there are people who charge very good money for these services and I am not one of them.

I emailed you last week but never heard back… Do you hate my guts?
No, I promise! Due to the nature of what I do for a living and for fun, I receive many many emails per day – sometimes hundreds. I always intend to reply but… well, you know. It’s hard to get your driveway clear if the snow just keeps on falling.

What’s the best way to get a hold of you then?
Persistence and having something important to say. If you write me about a good opportunity, or a good connection, or even with a good joke, I’ll be quicker to respond than if you write to me with something like “Hey… I stumbled upon your website last night and think we should work on a project together sometime or something… wanna Skype?”

Twitter @s, DMs, Facebook inbox and text messages all work, but email is my preferred method of contact for professional matters. Don’t even think about calling me on the telephone unless we’re tight. As in parent-child tight. I hate the telephone.

Getting Personal:

Where are you from?:
I was born and raised in a city called Chatham, edumacated in Windsor, London and Jonkoping, and moved here in May of 2010 right after grad school.

How old are you?: 25.

What’s your nationality? Canadian. Irish grandfather, Belgian grandfather, and Two French-Canadian grandmothers.

Are you single? Nope.

“Eat a hamburger”
That’s not a question, you are a jerk, and leave me alone. Thin people have feelings too and hamburgers are gross. Be kind. It’ll do your karma good.

How many cats do you have?

Two at my parents’ house (Tickory and Steve French) that I love more than anything but don’t see nearly enough anymore, and one here in Toronto that I live with but don’t technically own… Groundskeeper Willy. He’s great… for a cat who isn’t Siamese.

Can we be friends?
Sure!

Do you have any tattoos?
Not yet! If I’m ever thrown in jail though, I’m getting soooo much ink. Teardrops everywhere.

What do you drive?
A Mazda Protege. She is my baby and I love her more than everything. Even my iPhone.

OMG iPhone? Why not a BB?
‘Cause ew. Been there, done that, broke the track ball. Plus, BBM is annoying and I hate it.

Why do you share so much of your life online?
I am a narcissistic, uber-connected millennial with a passion for words and images. I could write enough about why the web is my creative medium of choice to fill a book… maybe some day I will.

What do you eat like?
A brontosaurus, pretty much, without all of the bugs and stones and stuff.

OMG I totally saw you IRL at this concert / event last night but I didn’t want to be all creepy by coming up and saying hi…
Ok, but you could have. I love it when people recognize me from the Internet. It makes me feel a little bit cool for a few moments before I go back to tripping through the subway and getting shoved into lockers by the big kids.

<3