Over the last 5 years, we have come to know each other rather well. You read my daily posts, we chat on social media, I have met up with many of you as I have been out and about at events and just shopping(Lori-lol). Because we have all gotten to know each other so well and you have come to know me, you know that Pittsburgh Frugal Mom is Dana Vento and not Pittsburgh Frugal Mom. Interesting to note that while we have been one in the same, Pittsburgh Frugal Mom is of course only the ‘persona’ and while I love her dearly, she is me. I have been unpeeling myself and my life to you like an onion, one layer at a time. My stories and product reviews, week by week and day by day providing us each the chance to see what works, what you want to know about and what just needs dumped. Sometimes the emails you send Pittsburgh Frugal Mom make me cry and sometimes laugh, I just never know what might be inbound. My decision to no longer be known as @pghfrugalmom does not make me cry, it makes me brim from ear-to-ear with a smile and it’s because of all of you that I am no longer @pghfruaglmom I am @danavento at least on Twitter Pinterest. Dana Vento is iconic and Pittsburgh Frugal Mom is an avatar/icon.
Pittsburgh Frugal Mom, no she’s not leaving, she is just really getting her face, my face, the one that you have come to know as Pittsburgh Frugal Mom. Officially I am my brand, I am the driving force, I am the story behind the story. My story is pretty simple as I kind of disagreed with a company about what made Pittsburgh Frugal Mom. It seemed no matter how much I articulated that I was Dana of Pittsburgh Frugal Mom, the company did not get it.
Details: A little while back, there was a real debate as to who a company was hiring, was it Dana Vento or Pittsburgh Frugal Mom. To me, there was no debate, I mean how in the world could you hire Pittsburgh Frugal Mom, as she was just a persona, you had to hire Dana Vento to represent your brand. The items requested of me were simply to talk about brand, but what was not working is the fact that the company hiring me kept saying, “we want to use your persona, but hire you because we love your personality.” I was not sure how I could not show myself and how Pittsburgh Frugal Mom was possibly going to represent their brand. I disagreed with what they were proposing and I have found it necessary to show that it is Dana Vento, not Pittsburgh Frugal Mom that is doing all the work. Pittsburgh Frugal Mom is simply a great name, but it is not a person. The magic behind the force has been and will continue to be me. My readers have identified, located, purchased and loved the products I choose and I identify with my readers, fans, followers, etc. through all the mail and opinions they offer daily and I look forward to that continuing.
A Little More On Point:
A Company hired ME a while back, and they investigated me, my site, and all they ever wanted was my ‘persona’ and the icon of my site. They never really wanted me to work there, nor did they anticipate me making such a scuff when they ordered me to ‘hand over my site’ and it was with that, that I banished the thought of the name taking over me, ever again. The icon is just that an icon an avatar, and this company totally forgot that humans had feelings, so this iconic girl, decided to change.
Over the last year I have made quite a few changes. One big change is Pittsburgh Frugal Mom got a name, Dana, and when she is at events, and places it is Dana of Pittsburgh Frugal Mom, not Pittsburgh Frugal Mom of Dana. Pittsburgh Frugal Mom is only an icon and she would not have a life if I did not bring her forward, so it was time to become the person I have been waiting to be. Now again, after all the social media was changed long in advance, the site Pittsburgh Frugal Mom, while owned by me is no longer, rather: DANA VENTO.COM my own brand.
If you want to see me, being me, offering you opinions, ideas, recipes, and reviews take a look at my YouTube station, you will see that no icon or fictional character could work on YouTube. My site Dana Vento.Com is all about Adventure. Eat. DIY. Repeat.: Travel, Tech, Fashion, Food, Beauty & Lifestyle.
So the natural progression of changing all my social media first and now my website is just that, natural. No drama, no big story, just the plain need to be me. I know that your stories are to Dana when you submit them to email, and to my wall on FB, not Pittsburgh Frugal Mom and Dana is waiting to hear more on behalf of Pittsburgh Frugal Mom. I thank you for the first 5 years together and I hope we continue on for 50 more years! Let’s see where the adventure leads us now as I lavishly continue to live my life out loud!