TheIsleofMan.Net Interview: 'Bryan Allain from BryanAllain.com'

Bryan Allain is a husband, father and blogger who runs the very popular BryanAllain.com. He is also the author of "31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo," an e-book that every blogger should read. In addition to his blog site, Bryan also runs KillerTribes.com, a site devoted to helping other bloggers through community.

He's a funny guy, a pretty down-to-earth dude, and even though he's a Boston Celtics fan, he's still alright with me.

Bryan does a fair amount of interviews.

This was one of them.

Kevin Haggerty: First off, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions. I know you're a busy guy and I appreciate it.

Bryan Allain: I'm a busy guy because I never say NO to these things...I need to work on that. Then again, I'm a blogger, so I can never turn down an opportunity to talk about myself.

KH: In one sentence -- Who is Bryan Allain?

BA: Jesus wept.

KH: For those who have never visited your site, how would you summarize bryanallain.com? (I grant you freedom to now use more than one sentence. You're welcome.)

BA: I feel like I was too worried about being brief with that last question. Can I go back to that one? I'm a chemical engineer working in Pharma, but trying to transition to writing and coaching and being funny as a primary means of providing for my awesome family, who are the most important people in my life. As for bryanallain.com, it's a place I've blogged at for over 10 years, but more specifically, over the last 3 years, I've tried to be intentionally funny and it's worked out well. These days it is a mix of humor, inspiration, and info about the things I am doing with Killer Tribes.

KH: A couple months ago, I read your book, 31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo. It really changed my life and totally changed the way I approached blogging and maybe even writing, in general. This isn't a question as much as me saying "thank you" for writing the book!

BA: I love getting that feedback, so thank you!

KH: How long had you been kicking around the idea of writing the book? What was your "aha!" moment?

BA: The book began as a 137-page book I wrote in early 2010 that I sold as an expensive course. Those who bought it, loved it, but the high price point limited the number of customers. So I decided to take the best nuggets out and turn them into a 60-page book that I'd sell for less than $5 to get into as many people's hands as possible. As for an "aha!" moment, it was probably when I read Sarah Mae's "31 Days to Clean", because it helped me nail the exact format I wanted to use.

KH: In March, you've got some huge happenings on the horizon with your "Killer Tribes Conference." What's the down low on the event? Plug away!

BA: This event is going to be amazing for a bunch of reasons. First, the people going are awesome. Some of my favorite bloggers are there, so the company alone will be worth the trip. But the presenters I'm lining up are amazing too. Steve Kamb will talk about how he built up nerdfitness.com into a huge, thriving community. Mark Hughes will share marketing secrets that led him to create "one of the biggest publicity coups of all time". Sarah Mae will talk about how generosity can help you sell more of your product. Daddy-O is going to unload 30 years of wisdom from the hip hop industry into some take-homes for the little guy. And Tripp & Tyler will be amazing emcees to keep things funny. The price is only $89 before 1/31 (and $99 after that), so there's almost zero chance you'd regret making the investment to come and be a part.

KH: You write for and run bryanallain.com. You also run Killer Tribes and all that that encompasses. But, the way I understand things, none of that is your full-time gig. How do you balance a full time job with everything else you have going on, in addition to being a husband and father?

BA: Not very well sometimes. My rules are that I have to get up early to get stuff done. So 60-90 minutes before everyone else gets up I am making progress on what needs to get done. I also take time at work over lunch to get stuff done, which makes me a crappy co-worker, but it's a sacrifice for my dream. Most evenings are time with the kids (unless they'd rather be playing with friends) and from 9-11 is time for Erica and I that I rarely steal from. That's my favorite time of every day. It's frustrating though, because despite working on so much, I feel like I'm not doing any of it as well as I could be. So that's a tension I manage as I hustle. For now "good enough" has to do.

KH: I've read your book. I read your blog posts regularly. Yet, I don't really see anywhere that you've expressed a desire to walk away from your full time job. Is it a goal for you to
be able to do that?

BA: You're kidding, right? Oh you're not? I feel like all I ever talk about is wanting to leave. It is a goal of mine, but I'm leery of talking about it too much because I feel like it can sound a lot like whining. The other thing is, I COULD leave if I wanted to today. There's nothing stopping me. Granted, it would put my family in a crappy situation because my other income streams aren't big enough to sustain us yet...but the point is, at some point I will have to make a leap of faith, and when that point is will be a decision Erica and I make together through prayer and number crunching and trusting God. So when you think about it like that, complaining about not being able to transition careers away from the great job I have now that God has used to provide for us seems kind of short-sighted. That being said, I REALLY REALLY want to be able to devote my entire work week to writing and coaching and making people laugh. So much so I might kill a man for it if I had to.

KH: What's your favorite post that you've ever written and why (feel free to add a link)?

BA: So hard to pick just one. Tie between Watching the Bachelor with Moses, Noah's Ark According to the Office, and The Truth About Bears.

KH: I asked Knox McCoy this question and he got it wrong. I'm going to see if you fare better. You're at the "Y." You got next. You can pick Kobe or Lebron. Who do you choose and why?

BA: I was born and raised in Massachusetts - when the Celtics won the title in 1986 against the Rockets I held my own parade by marching around the block I lived on with a homemade "Celtics Win" poster - so there's no way I'm taking Kobe or any other Laker. Kobe is a better closer than LeBron (his 6-24 in Game 7 of the 2010 Finals notwithstanding), but LeBron can do it all and is much younger and would be much more fun to play with. Give me the King (who has no crowns).

KH: I don't get the TV show "Glee." Apparently, grown men watch this program. This furrows my brow. Do you share my confusion or are you of the opinion that this is acceptable behavior? Expound.

BA: I 've never watched a minute of Glee so I can't refute your position. That being said, I'm on the record as thoroughly enjoying The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Bachelor Pad, Big Brother, and any Rom-Com ever made, so I'm probably not the right person to ask about acceptable television behavior.

KH: What are some of the biggest mistakes you see beginning bloggers make?

BA: #1) Writing what they think other people want to read instead of writing what they want to write. #2) Setting a goal of writing more than they can handle at first (5-7 days a week) and then burning out on the whole thing. #3) Getting frustrated when no one seems to be reading at first instead of focusing on how they are building a backlog of great posts and getting better and setting themselves up for future success.

KH: What were the three best books you read in 2011?

BA: Anything You Want by Derek Sivers, Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer, The 4-Hr Body by Tim Ferriss, Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port, and How to Give a List of 5 Things When You are Asked for 3 Things by Bryan Allain.

KH: What inspires you to write?

BA: The answer is two-fold I think. My first thought was the interaction and feedback of readers. I love making people laugh and inspiring people, and when I get a note or comment that I've done that it's a very gratifying feeling. But more than that I just love expressing myself with words. I think even if I knew no one would ever read anything I wrote I would still probably want to write. I just enjoy the process and the finished result when a joke comes together or a point is really well made.

KH: Let's do some word association. I give you a name or title, you say whatever comes to mind. Your answer can be one word or a phrase. Example. If you said: "Jeff Dunham" to me, I'd respond with, "Puppets? Really? And this will last 30-60 minutes? Nah. I'm good."

Here we go.

The Goonies: Movie i wasn't allowed to watch as a young kid and even though I've watched it as a grown-up I don't have the connection to it that most people in my generation have.

Geico commercials: Too many spokespeople! The lizard, the googly eyes, the cavemen, the guy in the suit who talks so weird that I want to punch him in the throat with an angry porcupine. How about a commercial that says, "We are going to stop airing 80% of our commercials and instead offer car insurance for $20." Now that would get me to switch.

Gary Busey: The next Geico spokesperson

LOST: The best show on television I have ever experienced. No show was better at weaving story and mythology, paying such close attention to detail, and building suspense and mystery into their cliffhangers week after week and season after season. Even if you hated the destination, I can't understand how anyone didn't enjoy the journey.

Dave Ramsey: Employer of my friend Jon Acuff, guy who helps a lot of folks out with smart, simple principles, and probably the next Geico salesperson.

Breaking Bad: A show I have never seen, mostly because I want LOST to remain my favorite show ever.

KH: When I talked to Knox McCoy recently, we talked about an emerging culture of bloggers who happen to be Christians, but don't write from an overtly "Christiany" perspective. What do you think brought about this change? Was it a response to a need?

BA: I can't speak for others, but it wasn't that for me. I just want to be myself on my blog, and I'm not a person who brings every conversation back to God. Does my faith help shape my conversations and my perspective on everything? Absolutely. Do I occasionally talk about God and my faith in explicit terms? Yes. But my goal was never from the perspective of a Christian Blogger. Like you said, I'm a blogger who is a Christian. (And please don't think I've got this nailed either. I might discover down the line that I wished I had been more or even less explicit about my faith on my blog. I'm learning as I go.)

KH: Name 5 things that are overrated.

BA: Coke Classic, sleeping in, vinegar, The North Face, and cruise control.

KH: What's something that very few people know about you that may surprise the readers?

BA: Tough question. When you've been blogging for 10 years you tend to tell people anything about yourself that you find even remotely interesting. How about this: My first academic adviser in college was an astronaut. Al Sacco Jr. was his name, I think. Not only did he go up in space, but he also had a cameo on "Home Improvement." We lasted a couple of weeks together and then i ditched him for a different adviser because he was never around.

KH: If you could have a conversation with yourself in 5 years, what would you say to that version of Bryan?

BA: "Hey 2017 Bryan. I really hope you are enjoying life as a self-employed writer, coach, and Geico Spokesperson. I hope the 6th annual Killer Tribes Conference planning is going well. Enjoy the teen years with your kids no matter how hard they are because they are your favorite people ever. If you're in the middle of a mid-life crisis, knock it off. Too cliche. And that person behind you right now is your stalker, Kevin Haggerty. Pull out your futuristic gun that you always carry with you and shoot him dead."

KH: Ha. Awesome. Well, thanks so much again for your time!

BA: No problem, enjoy these last five years of your life before I shoot you dead.

Be sure to check out bryanallain.com and killertribes.com. Also, you can follow Bryan on Twitter HERE.