BUSINESS
VANCITYBUZZ:
THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK WEBSITE:
WWW.VANCITYBUZZ.COM
AKA: SUMAL, EDITOR AND CO-FOUNDER
Tough the website has technically been in existence for over three years now, it wasn’t until the 2010 Winter Olym- pics that VanCityBuzz emerged as a major player within the city’s blogging scene. “During the Olympics, people would thank us for posting stuff and for keeping them up to date,” Sumal says. “We used to struggle to get 2,000 to 3,000 hits a day. Now we get 12,000!” But even with all the success he’s achieved, Sumal hasn’t quit his day job and still works full time as a financial controller for the Blenz coffee shop chain. In addition to his nine-to-five gig and maintaining a thriving website, Sumal also has a wife and young son at home he tries to make time for. But you won’t hear him complain of exhaustion. “If it’s one thing that you love to do, you’ll find the energy to do it,” he states. “I see the success that we’ve gotten and it’s given me the energy to push through.”
PHOTO: KARM SUMAL WITH VANCITYBUZZ’S EVENT COORDINATOR AMIE NGUYEN
VV: FINISH THIS SENTENCE: I’LL STOP BLOGGING WHEN… KS: When I’m dead!
VV: HOW DID YOU GET STARTED BLOGGING? KS: My buddy Manny and I started it three and a half years ago in my parents’ base- ment—we thought it would be a good way to make some loose change. Turns out we were wrong but I developed a passion for it.
VV: WHAT WOULD BE YOUR BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE TO WANNABE BLOGGERS? KS: Keep it at and don’t be discouraged by haters because if you love doing it, nothing should stop you. And don’t get caught up with statistics.
VV: WHICH LOCAL VANCOUVER PERSONALITY INSPIRES YOU? KS: I’ve always admired Bob Rennie and Jimmy Pattison. Like myself, they’re from East
Van and proud of it. Tey’ve ‘made it’, so to speak—and yet remain humble.
VV: IF FOR SOME REASON YOU WERE FORCED TO LEAVE VANCOUVER, WHERE ELSE WOULD YOU LIVE? KS: Wherever my wife wants to go. Tat’s the only reason I’d leave the city of Vancouver.
VV: IF YOU HAD TO GIVE VANCOU- VER A TAGLINE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? KS: Vancouver: It’s expensive but worth it.
42 VANCOUVER VIEW May 2012
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