Achieving Authenticity

An expert on branded content and digital strategy, Marta Tryshak has successfully grown her two websites, 'With Love Gabrielle' and 'The Youth Society,' into leading lifestyle blogs that unite the voices and experiences of women all over the world. Though Tryshak's platforms are focused on style, art and the visual image, she also places an emphasis on the written word, noting that a healthy marriage between visuals and written content is where the future of lifestyle blogging is headed. (Photo Credit: Stefania Yarhi)

5 Questions with Marta Tryshak

1. What is your favorite way to interact with viewers of your site?

WithLoveGabrielle.com is the voice of one individual as opposed to TheYouthSociety.com which is the voice of multiple women. I enjoy hearing our readers opinions regardless of which outlet they prefer. On TheYouthSociety.com it’s exciting when the readers become a voice by wanting to contributing their content and we’re always looking for women to share their experiences.

2. Are there any adjacent industries outside your own that you actively source for inspiration?

The nature of what I do gives me an opportunity to experience and be involved within numerous industries and all have a great impact on my work. I’ve recently gone back to the University of Toronto for marketing and I absolutely enjoy learning from the industry leaders to broaden my understanding of the field. Also arts play an integral role, I finished my degree in architecture and art history and the two will always have a profound inspiration [on me]. Fashion plays an important role but at the end of the day each industry is a creative one and all have a connection to each other.

3. Where do you see the future of blogs heading?

From seven years ago when I started WithLoveGabrielle.com and I was one of the few bloggers in Canada, to where it is now, it’s been an ongoing evolution. Within lifestyle blogging, I find that there’s great focus on visual appeal and less attention given to the actual written word. While the visual matters, I find that the importance of writing will always be key. So while the focus is on the images right now. in part due to Instagram influences and YouTube videos which are all visual content, I think that over time the attention will come back to the importance of written content also. While a picture is worth a thousand words, the word is what describes the moment. So I think that more importance will be given to carving out the right voice for bloggers and not just the image. We are story tellers and the essence of the story is the most important part.

4. What is the mission of your blog?

With both of my sites I look to connect with women on a more personal level. I am not an authority on fashion or living a certain way, but rather a voice that a woman can relate to. I face challenges and obstacles in the same way women do and I hope that through my sharing it gives someone a sense of support that there’s someone out there experiencing a similar situation. On another side of the spectrum I hope to motivate women to not be afraid of their dreams, I’ve chosen to chase mine and hopefully through the experience, another woman will consider pursuing her passion because of it. At the end of the day, I just want women to be the best versions of them and that can only be achieved through constant learning. I just chose to share my story in the same way the writers of TheYouthSociety.com do.

5. What makes your blog different? How can viewers leverage the content on your blog?

The content of both sites is very honest in a sense of an opinion and that’s very important to me and the rest of the team. The authenticity is key and I hope that the readers can take away something from what we’ve experienced and either apply it to their life or just get comfort from it. We are just a group of women sharing our thoughts with each other, it’s like those conversations that you have with your girlfriends at brunch over mimosas! And we all know a lot gets said during those times.