Meet Susan: One Of The Most Authentic Bloggers I Know

Every Wednesday, I profile a new member of the Brazen Community of bloggers. This week I’ve chosen to profile Susan Pogorzelski. Susan’s blog is twenty(or)something. Enjoy!

When I first discovered Susan’s blog, we were just starting to rev up the Brazen Community. We were scouring the Internet for 20-something bloggers that we could relate to. Susan was somebody that I could relate to, so I got really excited.

The great thing about Susan is that her writing is so real. So true. She doesn’t pretend that she has all the answers and she’s not afraid to admit that sometimes she’s totally lost.

There are plenty of days when I feel the same way. Lost. Alone. Not sure what I’m going to do next. But then I remember that I’m NOT alone. Bloggers like Susan give me comfort, because in times when you feel like your life is in utter chaos, you can always remember that somewhere, there’s somebody else who is feeling the exact same way.

Thanks for letting me profile you Susan! And to everyone else, enjoy!

When people ask what your blog is about, what do you tell them?

twenty(or)something is a blend of career and personal development. It’s a place for me to reflect on where I’ve been and figure out where I’m going as I rediscover who I am as an adult.

It’s important to have a goal when blogging. What’s yours?

I don’t remember having any real intention with the blog when I first started out, and certainly the early posts show that. My blog has kind of erupted, transformed into an outlet where I can be honest with myself and admit my flaws and my fears and attempt to overcome them. I knew that I needed to learn about myself, find out where I fit in life after college, and kind of rediscover who I was. So in that respect, I suppose I had a goal, but it wasn’t necessarily intended.

In the past few months, I’ve been more aware of it, though, as I’ve really narrowed my focus and defined my blog for the first time. It feels like I have a clear goal now; the blog has expanded to be more about sharing experiences, building connections, and forming relationships. A blog can be deeply personal, as it exposes a part of yourself, but there’s a tremendous support system in the community, great people who provide insight and help you learn, who really aren’t afraid to call you out, who offer new insights and different angles. I’m looking forward to continuing the blog and using it to navigate my life — because I still don’t have it all figured out — but I hope to continue to cultivate those relationships and be honest and open with both myself and others.

Any personal stories about how blogging has helped you navigate 20-something life?

My blog is probably what got me through my quarter-life rut. If you look at where I am now compared to where I was then, there’s a startling contrast. I was a mess.

For awhile, I was stuck and had no idea where I was going or what I was supposed to be doing. I really think I had a case of career-ADD, as I tried to think of everything that could possibly be a good career fit while getting back to my love of writing: “Maybe I could write for TV, let’s look at fellowships and think about moving to LA;” “An editor at Marvel? Where can I submit my application;” “Oh, look…There’s a job in communications. I’ve done that before, I’d be happy there.” Seriously, it was that bad. I wanted to apply everywhere because I was frantically trying to figure out a career and desperate to get back to myself.

I believe blogging helped me focus myself and sort through all of that. It’s pretty cool to see how far I’ve come in under a year, and I’m excited to see where blogging will take me next.

Do you currently subscribe to any other bloggers in the Brazen Community?

I really credit Brazen with introducing me to my online community. There are so many bloggers I admire because of their writing and ability to have their readers relate to their experiences, but also because they‘re so open to forming that connection with you. I really hate to cite names because I know I‘m leaving out so many great bloggers, but these were the people I first really connected with from BC: Jonathan Mead, Carla Blumenthal, Holly Hoffman, Dorie Morgan, Monica Evans, just to name a few. And yes, I cheated by looking at my Twitter list.

Have you ever met any bloggers that you know offline?

I wish I have! I haven’t had the chance yet, though my relationships with bloggers have certainly changed as friendships are formed beyond that of reader/writer. I hope that will change in the future and I’ll be able to meet some of you.

If we were to meet in person, what is one thing that you’d want me to know about you before we met?

Look down; I’ll be pretty easy to spot that way! Actually, I would hope that there weren’t any preconceived notions before meeting — good or bad. My life online is a large part of who I am, but it’s not all that I am. I tend to show one side of myself online, not intentionally, but it’s the deeper, emotional side because that’s just how I communicate. I think I’d say be prepared to see that other side that makes up the whole of who I am.

If your blog had a soundtrack, what would it be?

Keane’s Hopes and Fears album. The record title alone, I think, describes everything I’ve been through this past year. I’m an eternal optimist, but I’ve harbored a lot of irrational fear. These songs have some great lyrics that have a lot of depth, peppered by hope and optimism in the music itself. The whole thing speaks to my life as a 20-something.

If you could change one thing about blogging what would you change?

I hate the competition that I see growing among bloggers — wanting to be the first, the best, the most popular. I’m not really sure where it stems from, but it seems to negate the purpose of a blog…Maybe it’s naive of me, but I always thought a blog was a place that fostered discovery and growth, sparking conversation so that you could learn and gain new perspectives through conversation and debate.

I think the best communities are the ones where you can debate intelligently, where insight is added and you can cement your opinions, build upon them, or form new ones. That’s what blogging has been about for me; that’s what I wish it would get back to.

Tell us about your most controversial blog post. What were peoples reactions?

I‘m definitely not one for controversy, so I can‘t really think of a blog post that raised anyone‘s blood pressure. However, a difficult post to write and share was the one where I talked about moving back home. I really struggled with the idea, wondering if or how my relationship with my family would change. I weighed every alternative; I wanted to be responsible and make the best decision for myself and everyone around me. In the end, I did what I needed to. The support I received was overwhelmingly kind.

Except for one guy. He felt the need to equate moving home with changing his socks. Seems he doesn’t see the value in a clean pair. Fresh start?

If I’m new to the Brazen Community and want to connect with you what’s the best way to get your attention?

The hardest thing to do in any community is take that first step and reach out, especially if you’re inherently shy. My advice is to connect by all means possible — comment on blog posts if you have something to say or share, ask questions, relate with your own experience. Take it to another venue and start a conversation on Twitter or send an email. Twitter actually really helped the community that started on Brazen turn into something more personal for me, with friendships growing from there. People are incredibly generous; it takes some courage to reach out, but there are people who want to connect.

If you like what you’ve read here about Susan, subscribe to her blog and become a fan through her profile on Brazen Careerist.