Focus is a phenomenon that’s often misunderstood. Focus is not about shutting people out; it’s about looking at what’s around you with the attention it deserves. It’s not a hostile move as it’s so often described, it’s a gentle and friendly one. Looking in rather than out.
A recurring piece of criticism that Johan, Chris and I receive is that some see FELLT as an elitist network. By maintaining a closed network, some say that FELLT has increased the power distance between bloggers and instilled a sense of inferiority in those that cannot join. That’s very far from how we look upon the world. In fact, we see ourselves standing on the opposite side of that scale.
Anyone that creates any kind of content has our deepest respect. We know everything there is to know about the blood, sweat and tears that go into content creation. We know that a great blog post, a fantastic photo or even a terrific tweet are not things that simply fall into the cereal each morning, ready to be published and applauded by the masses. I believe it was Charles Bukowski that spoke it out loud: “Writing is like sex – many times only fun for the amateurs.”
I was recently interviewed by Independent Fashion Bloggers. Amongst other things I said the following: “I rarely look at FELLT as a network. It is about eight remarkable individuals and eight personal brands. From a tech, sales, editorial and management perspective we are going to help them evolve and go wherever they want to. Wherever it may be, we plan that development actions, and everything we do is a step in that direction.”
The interview is a good initial insight into our vision for FELLT and the fact that we believe in full focus rather than an open bar. We are set out to change the lives of our friends, not the world itself. Not because we dislike the world, but because we like them.