INTERVIEW: Janet Montgomery - From My Big Eyes

When you meet an Atlanta blogger, you can pretty much bet that you will hear some interesting stories. Keep in mind that not all bloggers are reporters, but all bloggers are indeed storytellers. And each blogger is passionate about their chosen niche. It's made for some fascinating reading since the cultural phenomenon of blogging first came about in the late 1990s.

Especially in the last 10 years, since I launched wanderlust ATLANTA in August 2010, I've had the great honor of meeting quite a few Atlanta bloggers, one of those being Janet L. Montgomery, author of From My Big Eyes.

From My Big Eyes | Janet's ensemble inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama

I first met Janet when I worked for a company that was promoting private events at the Fox Theatre. I hosted a group of bloggers for a behind-the-scenes tour and Janet was one of the guests, and a highly enthusiastic and engaging guest at that! We've followed each other on social media over the years and I'm happy to now share an interview that she so graciously granted me recently.

wanderlust ATLANTA: Please tell us a little about you. Where are you from? What bought you to Atlanta? What’s your profession? 

Janet: I am from the small country town known as Newville, Alabama, which has a population of only about 500. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science I left historic Tuskegee University and moved to Los Angeles for job opportunities. The Aerospace industry was booming in California and I wanted to experience and gain exposure to the big city life. I earned a Master of Management Info Systems (MMIS) from West Coast University while there. 

My parents weren’t big fans of flying to California to visit me. After 10 years, I decided I wanted to be closer to my family, so I headed back South, to Atlanta, Georgia. Professionally, I'm an IT certified Project Manager with more than 30 years of IT experience.

I'm also a freelance writer. My first nationally distributed published article was in Upscale Magazine. “The Godfather Quincy Jones: The Life and Legacy of a Music Giant". I'm also a content creator, working with campaign managers to promote various Georgia brands and businesses. 

Janet attending an Atlanta Tuskegee University Alumni scholarship event

wanderlust ATLANTA: Why did you start blogging?

Janet: I needed a platform to share information and things that I wanted others to know about — to inspire, inform, and influence. Blogging is a passion. It started out as a hobby, but now, it’s turned into a small business used to help fund my son’s college educational needs. I am a single mother and he’s my WHY! 

Janet on the red carpet

wanderlust ATLANTA: Tell us about “From My Big Eyes”, please.

Janet: I launched the blog on May 15, 2016. It was my birthday, so it's a date I can easily remember. It's a lifestyle blog with the tagline "Sightings of People, Places, & Things". You'll find posts about celebrities, places, products, home, money, fashion, beauty, travel, and entertainment! And even more! My website just underwent a redesign to include additional topics. Please let me know what you think!

Janet meets actor Tony Cox

wanderlust ATLANTA: Your logo is fabulous! Tell us about that? 

Janet: My logo was created from my own eyes — they're "my" eyes! I wanted something unique, different, and original. I wanted something that could help people easily remember me and my brand. I worked with a graphic designer and that's where the blog gets its name, From My Big Eyes. I write from my perspective and about my life experiences. 

wanderlust ATLANTA: What have been some of your favorite blogger experiences?

Janet: Shortly after I started blogging, in 2016 I went to New York City and was in the audience of Good Morning America (GMA). Meeting Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, and the GMA team was absolutely incredible. Experiencing all the behind the scenes was unforgettable. 

Janet on the set of Good Morning America

Janet: Also, opportunities to attend amazing red carpet events in Atlanta and opportunities to meet and interview A-List celebrities, movie writers, producers from Tyler Perry, to iconic and legendary Civil Rights leader John Lewis, Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg, sports figures like Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Strahan, and R&B singer Kelly Price, and so many more.

Janet with Congressman John Lewis

wanderlust ATLANTA: You shared with me one of your bucket list items – to be an actress! Tell us about that experience.

Janet: I decided I wanted to work on the set of a television production here in Atlanta. It happened! I was an extra for two episodes of Saints & Sinners on Bounce TV and I also worked as an extra (clip) on the tv show American Soul.

Janet meets actor Mark Wahlberg

wanderlust ATLANTA: What’s one person, place, or thing that Atlantans must not miss? 

Janet: The Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar & View! The view is the perfect place to really capture 360° of Atlanta, and also the Jackson Street Bridge for Atlanta’s picturesque Skyline.

wanderlust ATLANTA: Immediately after my book was published, "111 Places in Atlanta That You Must Not Miss", Janet and I partnered on a giveaway of a copy of my book and one of her "From My Big Eyes" t-shirts, which come in at least 26 colors!

Janet on Jackson Street Bridge | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

wanderlust ATLANTA: What pearl of wisdom would you share with someone considering starting a blog? 

Janet: Consistency is key, so show up everyday. Brand yourself.

Janet on the red carpet

wanderlust ATLANTA: When you have spare time, what’s your favorite Atlanta tourist destination and why? 

Janet: The National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Such a great place filled with history that every American needs to visit just to see how far we have progressed and also to help understand how much work there is still to be done in terms of Civil Rights in America. 

Janet on the red carpet

wanderlust ATLANTA: What’s something I’ve not asked that you would like to share? Something Atlantans don’t know about you.

Janet: In my early twenties, I attended the John Robert Powers Acting and Modeling School in Pasadena, California. My dream was to become a fashion model one day. Now, I model outfits at home using my driveway as the runway for fun and to showcase fashionable styles.

Janet Montgomery - From My Big Eyes

Janet Montgomery has big eyes and big dreams. She treats life as an adventure, enjoying so much of what life has to offer, and then shares her experiences with us! Check out her blog, From My Big Eyes, and like and follow her social channels as her adventures continue...

Some of the 250,000 Reasons I Blog

I want to extend a heartfelt "Thank you" to all my friends and fans and museums and attractions in Atlanta who have supported wanderlust ATLANTA over the last four-plus years. I'm extremely excited to share that a couple of weeks ago, while attending an Atlanta Ballet performance, I surpassed the milestone of more than 250,000 views on wanderlust ATLANTA. I'm incredibly grateful for all the support!

Best friends and supporters of wanderlust Atlanta, Barry, (me) Perry and Scott

I love telling the story of how wanderlust ATLANTA started, so thanks for allowing me to share it again. And while I'm at it, I'd love to share some celebrity spotting experiences—a hobby of mine—I've had since I moved back!

Marina Sirtis at Dragon Con

I had lived in Atlanta for (nearly) 15 years—1987-2001—then moved to Washington, DC, for nine—2002-2010—and moved back to Atlanta 4.5 years ago. While I was gone, Atlantic Station popped up out of nowhere and the High Museum of Art doubled in size, as did the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Atlanta was a very different place from when I previously lived here.

To familiarize myself with the city again, I decided to start a blog, something I'd thought about doing when I lived in DC, but never got around to. It was the best thing I could have done! I learned more about Atlanta in the first year after returning than I had in the 15 years I lived here before and it's been so much fun, I'm still blogging nearly five years later!

It'd be impossible to thank everyone who has made this such an amazing journey, and those who continue to make it so, but I'd like to name a few.

Thank you first and foremost to my friends who supported my enthusiasm to share all the wonderful experiences that Atlanta has to offer via the blog, even before anyone ever knew of wanderlust ATLANTA...my best friend Barry, and dear friends Perry, Scott, Mary Jo and Jeff.

A special thank you to fellow bloggers who have been a great inspiration to me over the years, Lesli Peterson of 365 Atlanta Family, Sue Rodman of Field Trips with Sue and Terry Kearns of Architecture Tourist.

With Tamoh Penikett of Battlestar Galactica

I'd also like to mention a few people I've met through wanderlust ATLANTA who have become dear friends...Patti Davis and Carrie Burns of Atlanta Movie Tours. Sally Smith, aka Margaret Mitchell of their Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind Tour is also a special person to me. John Daniel Tilford of Oglethorpe University Museum of Art has also been a great friend. 

With "Margaret Mitchell", aka Sally Smith

Also, Katie Simms, Laura Flusche, Neil, Clare, Carrie and Barbara, all of Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA), have treated me like museum family for years...thank you! Martha and Hillary of Atlanta History Center are so incredibly sweet and super supportive...Thank you! Deanna Smith of Fernbank Museum of Natural History is so much fun...you're awesome!

With Connor Trinneer at Dragon Con

Chelsea and Kellie of Brave PR have been and continue to be amazing! I've loved The Fox Theatre since I moved here in 1987, but their support of wanderlust ATLANTA has afforded me a whole new theatre going experience by attending—and then writing about and otherwise promoting—Broadway in Atlanta performances, as well as other experiences via their client database. They've always made me feel like a VIP! 

With Roseanne

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention some of my favorite Atlanta attractions...Atlanta Botanical Garden, where I've been a volunteer since I moved back; Dragon Con, now one of my annual traditions (seriously, I request that vacation time at least nine months in advance!); Medieval Times Atlanta Castle...so much fun!; Oakland Cemetery; Delta Flight Museum; Gibbs Gardens; Piedmont Park; SkyView Atlanta; Center for Puppetry Arts, Zoo Atlanta...the list goes on and on and on!

A few restaurants that I've especially enjoyed over the years include Livingston, Sun Dial, Agatha's and Watershed...oh, and Peachtree Food Tours! Again, this is Atlanta...we have thousands and thousands of dining options!

With Margaret Cho at The Tabernacle

      
Thank you for indulging me in sharing a few celebrity photos...celebrity-spotting has been a "hobby" since I met Leonard Nimoy in 2002, a profound experience for me and an incredibly sad loss when he passed away earlier this year. His kindness, humor and love for his endeavors encouraged me to meet others from Hollywood and other fame. It's been great fun!

Supergirl at Dragon Con

Again, THANK YOU to everyone who has supported wanderlust ATLANTA and followed its Facebook page. I am honored and extremely grateful for the time and support you've given and continue to give my genuine desire to share all the wonderful things to see and do in and around Atlanta...it's been a "super" experience! 

I encourage your to stick around for another quarter million...you never know what you might see!

Welcome to "wanderlust ATLANTA"

Welcome (back) to "wanderlust ATLANTA"…my new tourist blog! Yes, there's quite a bit of content here. wanderlust ATLANTA has risen from the ashes of tourATLANTA. After a substantial break—less than a year—I'm touring again (never stopped, actually) and writing about those adventures—as well as sharing information about upcoming events, exhibitions, outings, and more!

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