The Internet is flooded with blogs. Sometimes it feels like there are more fashion, food and mommy blogs than there are grains of sand on a beach.
In reality, however, most of these blogs are unsuccessful. They are mostly all the same and have nothing unique about them to draw in and hook the reader. Victoria Jaeger and Courtney Neunaber were aware of this when they decided they wanted to start a blog of their own. So they came up with an idea on how to shake up the blogging scene in Dallas, and wow, has it worked.
The pint-sized bloggers settled down with their drinks. “It’s the shaken espresso, try it,” Jaeger coaxed Neunaber. Within seconds of meeting the duo, it was clear that they are close friends and have been for years.
The two may have just returned to the Dallas zip code, but their blog is already an authoritative voice on what’s what in the city. The blog, Clink With Us Dallas, has gained thousands of followers in just a few short months.
The idea of starting a blog came to them while they were finishing up their senior years at rival universities. Jaeger was up at the University of Arkansas studying interior design, while Neunaber was down in College Station at Texas A&M. They started the blog in early June, with no real plan.
“When we started it, we didn’t have a direction or any expectations,” says Jaeger.
But things have changed in just a matter of months.
Asking friends how they met is always an interesting question, but it was especially heartwarming with the Clink girls. “Third grade,” they said in unison. The girls looked at each other and laughed. “It’s like we are dating,” Jaeger said with a smile.
The duo met in Ms. Smith’s third grade class and quickly became best friends. In high school, they were both on the cheer squad and only parted ways for a short period of time in college.
Unlike most high school friendships, things didn’t seem to change once they parted ways for school. Despite being SEC rivals, and around 500 miles apart, the duo remained close.
When they got back to the Metroplex after graduation in May 2015, the girls had three things on their to-do list: Find a job, find an apartment, and start a blog. Most twenty-something’s should envy them, because they managed to do all three in record time while overcoming one serious logistical issue. They weren’t living in Dallas yet, but this didn’t stop the girls from tackling the third task on their to-do list. The first post on Clink With Us Dallas went up on July 1, 2015.
The blog covers a wide variety of topics, including interior design, food, fashion and nightlife. The girls get inspiration from their jobs, passions, hobbies and life experiences.
The success of Clink With Us Dallas is not due to luck, but rather because of the girls’ hard work and dedication to their readers. Within weeks of starting the blog, companies and businesses approached the duo to start doing promotional deals around the Metroplex for coverage on the blog and its Instagram account.
Morgan Hale works with Champion Management and jumped on the chance to work with Jaeger and Neunaber. She describes them as “diligent, responsive, and genuine”.
Their success is also due to the fact that they live their life by the blog’s motto, “There is always a reason to celebrate.”
“There are always ups when there are downs,” says Neunaber, as she explains their outlook on life.
Being young college graduates, starting new jobs and moving out on their own aren’t easy tasks, so finding the good in every situation is crucial, Jaeger explains.
“It’s made us realize there are things everyday, whether big or small, there’s something positive,” says Jaeger.
Francisco Chairez works with the girls to promote the Dallas Summer Musicals and believes Clink stands out because it is more than just another foodie or travel blog.
“I feel like with ours, it’s kind of a little touch of everything. And I feel like we kind of have our own little niche in the blogging world,” said Jaeger with a smile.
