Tell us about your role as Lifestyle Editor at Kidspot - What does your work day look like?
My day starts super early - 5am! As many entertainment editors would know, big celebrity news always tends to break overnight for us Aussies, so I like to start my day knowing that the big stuff is covered early. The rest of my day is spent keeping an eye out for stories, chasing leads, writing up what needs to be published and sharing bad jokes with the team to keep morale up while working from home.

You’ve covered the lifestyle beat for Kidspot since 2016 - how has it changed in that time?
Kidspot has always been a lovely place to work. The lifestyle section wasn’t always a fast-paced section to work on, but over the years it has grown with stronger coverage on celebrity news and TV because that’s what our audience was craving. Social media has been a big focus since I began in 2016 too, which is why you’ll see me occasionally trying out hacks on Kidspot’s TikTok account.

What does Kidspot offer Aussie audiences that mainstream news sites with lifestyle verticals cannot?
Kidspot offers a fun approach to lifestyle topics with a focus on what parents want. From budget hacks, to health, to the celebrities we love, the team knows how to tackle the sweet spot when it comes to parents and what they care about in the lifestyle space. 

What types of lifestyle content do you cover for Kidspot?
Lifestyle covers a lot of the Kidspot website. I head up the celebrity / entertainment, travel, health, beauty, home (lots of hacks!), and career / money sections. I often say "parents have a life too", and that’s what the lifestyle section is all about.

What key trends in the lifestyle space will you be following this year?
Trends are so hard to predict right now with COVID-19 throwing so many curveballs! I’d like to see travel have a good run this year. We all need a break!

Have there been any interesting trends emerge while your audience has been at home during lockdown?
I’ve loved seeing people slow down and enjoy their families a little more since COVID-19 hit. I’ve loved how people have embraced being at home - baking sourdough, tie-dying clothes, heading out for daily walks, de-cluttering… I did them all!

What story pitches from PRs do the Kidspot team respond well to?
Personally, email is best. While I’m always happy to say hi and have a chat to our lovely friends in PR on the phone, I prefer a follow-up on email rather than a call on my personal line.

If something is definitely of interest, you can expect a reply from me in seconds. If it has taken me a day, it’s possible that the angle isn’t quite right and I’m trying to think of a way to make it work for our audience and brand. If it has taken me longer than a week, you can assume it’s a no and I just haven’t had a chance to tell you yet because the email has become buried in my inbox! I get there eventually.

Answers submitted by Leah Goulis, Lifestyle Editor at Kidspot.