SFL Blogger Spotlight | Hami in Miami

In the SFL Blogger Spotlight this month is none other than Hami in Miami!

Check out how this fun dog with a blog got his fame!

Introducing

Name: Sophia Costabal, Human & Pawblicist to Hamilton Barkley, my Scottish Terrier

Blog Name: Hami In Miami 

Blog Type: A fun fusion between a Local Miami blog, Pet Blog, and Travel Blog, all told through the perspective of my dog, Hamilton 🙂

Blogger Bio

Where are you from?

I was born in Miami, Florida to Colombian and Chilean parents. Hamilton was born in North Carolina, but acclimated quickly to the tropical Latin Miami vibes 🙂

Why did you start blogging?

I felt it was a natural progression to my Instagram account. Two years ago, when I went to pick Hamilton up in North Carolina, I couldn’t stop posting pictures of him on my personal Insta account; he was just the CUTEST little black bunny-looking pup! My friends were sick of seeing his pics so I opened his very own account, @HamiltonBarkley.

I would post a picture a day of him in order to track his growth and the silly things he would do. Before I knew it, after about a year, I had +4K followers and a ton of engagement – people wanted to see more of Ham and more of our adventures in Miami.

How long have you been blogging?

I have been blogging for a year. Actually, September marks a year on the dot since I launched the blog 🙂 Happy 1st birthday little blog <3

How did you come up with the name of your blog?

My dog’s name + the city we live in. Bam!

Blogger Fun Facts & Advice

1)Are you an introvert, extrovert, or an ambivert?

I mean, you have to be extroverted if you are going to be taking a real dog to all these photoshoots. People are constantly asking me questions and wanting to pet Ham….I don’t blame them – haha!

 2) How much time do you dedicate to your blog each week?

If we are talking just about the blog, not including all other social media platforms and content planning, I think I average 8 hours a week:

• 1 Hour Planning a shot and doing research
• 2 Hours going on location and taking pics of Hami
• 2-to-3 Hours editing pics/creating videos
• 3 Hours creating the actual post

3) What is your favorite social media channel and which one do you put most of your focus on and why? (provide links to your fave social media platform)

My favorite is Instagram simply because that is where the ‘Hami Lovers’ (that’s what I call his fans) are consuming our content and are engaging with us the most.

4) What is your favorite place to eat in Miami?

I am addicted to sweets. The guilty pleasures in my neighborhood of Coral Gables are:

• Cafe Curuba – for their Guava filled Pan de Bonos (YES!) and of course, their amazing pour-over coffee
• Morelias Paletas – because who doesn’t love fancy popsicles/paletas?
  
  

5) What place would you recommend a tourist to definitely not leave Miami without visiting?

Oh, man! Miami has SO much to offer…that is why I have endless content possibilities for my blog – haha! Here are the ones that come to mind:

• Miami Beach because it’s iconic and always a must!
• Wynwood Neighborhood because you need to experience the antithesis of Miami Beach and take in some art & hipster vibes
• The Perez Art Museum and the Frost Science Museum because they are not only beautiful pieces of architecture but are honestly a really great & fun way to spend the day.
  
• Fairchild Tropical Garden for those that love nature as much as I (and Hami) do!

6) Are you usually on time or on “Miami time”?

Neither! I am always early as I hate rushing and being late. I am THAT person that gets to the airport 3 hours early.

7) What do you do in your spare time? (Question from Nabila)

When I am not doing Branding & Marketing for Movado, or working on the blog, I like to spend time with my husband and of course, with Hami! I also try to be as consistent as possible with my Yoga practice, when life doesn’t decide to get in the way 🙂

8 ) Have you met anyone interesting/famous on your blogging journey? (Question from Nabila)

Because I am working with a living/breathing dog, I like to let the owners/people in charge of the places I visit know that I am bringing a dog. Because of this, I have managed to meet a ton of the people that make Miami the amazing city that it is – restaurant owners, CEOs of companies, etc.

9) Where do you hope your blog will take you in the future? (Question from Nabila)

In the short run, I hope to start incorporating more pet-friendly travel content into the blog…Write-ups on hotels, airlines, etc, that are leading the pet-friendly travel movement.

And in the long-run? Well, what I think pretty much every blogger hopes for…

To make a living from my blog and leave corporate America behind. haha Shhhh, don’t tell my boss! (J/K – he already knows lol).

10) Share a small piece of advice for fellow bloggers.

Three words: Consistency, Persistence, and Passion.

• Set a target for how many times you want to post in a month and do it! Be consistent.
• When you don’t feel like working on the blog because it’s not growing as fast as you had envisioned, don’t stop! Be persistent and push through.
• Love what you are writing about because if you do, it will make the consistency and the persistence so much more bearable 🙂

The Blogger Union is the amazing resource that it is because of YOU! If you would like the chance to be featured in our Blogger Spotlight, register to become a member here (it’s free!) and contact us at info@thebloggerunion.com!