In today’s interview, we sit down with The Cat Lady, also known as JennyorAlice, a dedicated Package Team Leader Assistant at Forum Promotion and the voice behind the long-running blog Fireside Chats. From exploring online communities to building a blog with hundreds of posts, she shares her journey, passions, and what keeps her going.

1. How did you first get involved with Forum Promotion, and what led you to your role as Package Team Leader Assistant?
I enjoy getting to see the different communities that you see advertised on Forum Promotion so it only made sense to join the package team here. Now I get to visit the different communities and get paid to do so. Then I was eventually asked if I wanted to become the Package Team Leader Assistant when Ravenfreak got promoted to Package Team Leader from his original position as team leader assistant.

2. What does a typical day look like for you in your role behind the scenes at Forum Promotion?
I make sure to check out the services section to see if there are any packages that need a packager. If there are any packages that need to be accepted, I’ll get to that next. Since I’m online just about every day, it’s a regular thing to check out the posting service first. If I see any topics that interest me, I’ll post on them while I’m already here.

3. What do you enjoy most about being part of an online community like Forum Promotion?
I like working with the staff here, in addition to getting to do packages and visit different online communities. I think we have a pretty good group of people working here at FP.

4. Where did the nickname “The Cat Lady” come from, and does it reflect your real-life personality in any way?
I have a cat at home and it’s my first ever cat. I’ve always been a dog person growing up but having a cat as a pet as really started to grow on me. So I just came up with the nickname “The Cat Lady” since I have a cat for a pet. I know it doesn’t sound very original but I couldn’t think of anything else at the time.

5. You’re an avid reader—what genres or authors do you find yourself returning to the most?
I tend to drift back and forth between different genres. I’ll read horror, fantasy, mystery, thriller/suspense, crime drama, historical fiction, romance, and occasionally poetry. I will read young adult/teens and children’s stuff as long as it holds my attention. As far as authors go, I find myself going back to Darcy Coates when it comes to horror… Joe Hill is another good one (especially if you like Stephen King).

6. Has reading influenced your communication style or creativity in your online work?
I read for the fun of it. Whether it has influenced my communication style or creativity, I’m not sure. I’ve never stopped to think about it or take notice. I’ve heard that reading has a lot of benefits like increasing your vocabulary and keeping your mind sharp as you get older.

7. What inspired you to start your blog, and what do you hope readers take away from it?
I started my blog because I didn’t really feel like I had someone to talk to about reading. So, my blog allows me that avenue to share my love for reading but it also lets me reach more people. The blog lets me express my love for reading and for anything literature related.

8. How would you describe the tone or “vibe” of Fireside Chats to someone who has never visited it before?
There should be something for everyone. I’m not what you’d call a “book snob”. I’m not one of those people that will read certain books recommended by famous people for their book club and nothing else. I’ll read a lot of different stuff from different genres and different authors. As mentioned before, I’ll even read stuff for teens and kids so you might find stuff for your kids to read if you are looking for that sort of thing. I read anything that interests me.

9. Do you prefer writing structured content, or do your best ideas come more spontaneously?
I tend to be more spontaneous with my writing, especially when I’m coming up with articles for my blog. The only time I’m not spontaneous is if I am trying to post every day for a whole month then I’ll plan out what I’m going to do for the whole month.

10. What has been your most rewarding moment so far in your blogging journey?
The fact that I’ve had my blog for over 7 years and I have made it to 900 articles on my blog. If you told me when I started how far I’ve come so far, I’m not sure I’d believe you. I started off my blog just to see if I could do it and I think I’ve proven that I can do it (and keep it going).

11. How do you balance your responsibilities at Forum Promotion with your personal projects and reading time?
Reading is the last thing I do before going to bed at night. Even if I don’t get to read during the day at some point, I’ll read leading up to bed time because it helps me to wind down and I have an easier time going to sleep. As far as posting on my blog, I definitely try to post stuff on my days off. It’s easy to do that because I can take my time to sit down and actually write out the article. When it comes to Forum Promotion, I’m usually checking that pretty regularly. I’m on the internet pretty much every day (unless I’m just really sick).

12. What’s one misconception people might have about staff roles in forum communities like Forum Promotion?
That it’s hard or that it’s not fun. I know when it comes to your job or career, they say if you enjoy what you do then you’ll never work a day in your life. Well, I enjoy what I do here on FP. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t enjoy it.

13. If you could collaborate with any writer or creator for Fireside Chats, who would it be and why?
Well, this is a hard question. I’d probably pick an author like Darcy Coates since I keep coming back to her stuff over and over again. I wouldn’t mind talking to Joe Hill or Stephen King either since I’ve read quite a few of their stuff as well.

14. What advice would you give to someone who wants to get more involved in online communities or start contributing to forums?
You could always join the package team here at Forum Promotion. You’ll get to see lots of communities and you’ll get paid to post on there. But even if you don’t make the staff here on FP, it would be nice to visit other people’s communities anyway. You would be supporting each other, especially if you decide to do an exchange. It would help out everyone on both sides. Plus, you might learn something in the process.

15. Finally, what’s next for you—any goals, projects, or ideas you’re excited about in the near future?
Well, since I’ve made it to 900 articles on my blog… my next goal is to reach 1,000 articles. I hope to reach that goal by next year at the latest (keeping my fingers crossed). I hope to continue on my blog beyond that. I’d be curious to see how far I’d get and how long I can keep it going.

Outro
From discovering communities to building one of her own through Fireside Chats, The Cat Lady—aka JennyorAlice—shows what consistency and passion can achieve. With her eyes set on 1,000 blog posts and beyond, her journey is far from over, and it’s one well worth following.