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Posts tagged ‘Social Media’

Janet Giampietro, Creative Consultant, Designer and Social Media Strategist

Janet Giampietro’s BIO

Janet Giampietro

Janet Giampietro is a Creative Consultant + Social Media Strategist.

With over 20 years of creative development experience, Janet has extended her creative thinking to social media strategy. Janet utilizes her extensive communications and marketing background to help startups, small businesses and nonprofits enter the social media sphere, build their communities and integrate their messaging. As a consultant to Ventureneer.com, Janet has developed and managed its social media presence.

Janet was the Founder and Creative Director of Studio Francesca, a design and communications firm that developed award-winning materials for companies and nonprofits. She has produced communication materials for JPMorgan Chase, Pfizer, The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Janet also served as creative consultant to the nonprofits: Abilities!, IDA-NY, and Agenda for Children Tomorrow (ACT). Her work has been recognized in national publications including Print, ID, CA, Non-Traditional Design and Idea.

Janet has been active in Literacy Partners and School Power Lunch Programs in New York City. As an adventure traveler, she has visited many developing countries and believes in giving back. After five years of serving the Young Heroes Foundation in a pro bono capacity, Janet is currently its President and QOO.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

1. Oprah Winfrey has been inspiring us each month with her unique approach to life and to creating our very best lives so, as a tribute to her, A La Oprah, what did you know for sure when you decided to be a solo business practitioner?

Janet: In many ways, it’s a good personality fit. As a previous small business owner and freelancer, I’ve been my own boss. I like challenges, adventure and managing my own time.

 

2. Take us through a typical day with your schedule from start to finish.

Janet: With no crises looming, a typical day is: Up at 7am and doing 20 minutes of Pilates 3xs a week before digging in. Between 8 // 8:30am, I’m easing into the first few hours with admin, answering email, reading current news/feeds, then moving onto returning calls. Then it’s onto the actual project work, meetings, conference calls or whatever for the bulk of the day. My social media and blog updates are scheduled at the end of the day, 3xs weekly. A lunch break is a necessity even if it’s a half hour walk.

3. What are a few of your “can’t live without” applications on your personal computer/smart phone?

Janet: On my MAC, there’s CS4, MS Office, Quickbooks, iTunes. I’m working in the cloud more and more with clients. On my iPhone – apps: NPR News and NPR Addict, NYTimes, WSJ Mobile, Dragon Dictation, HootSuite, Facebook, and myPantone.

4. What are your tricks for time management?

Janet: Knowing one’s personal strengths and weaknesses is the best impetus for planning. I work best doing admin/answering emails etc. in the morning, catching up with news and feeds. Creative/strategizing happens later in the day for me. With a few exceptions, social media time is scheduled between 6–7 3xs a week. That’s reading/updating my accounts and updating my blog content or finding new blog topics. For me, that has to be scheduled, dedicated and finite time.

5. Best advice received when you started your business?

Janet: Tailor the business to your strengths and don’t try to do too much.

6. When did you know for sure that starting a consulting firm was the right path for you to take in your career?

Janet: I had been considering consulting for a while. With the economic situation as it was, people were flocking to social media for networking and engagement. Many people were (are) unclear as to what to do in that space and others were (are) terrified of it. I saw social media as changing the way forward, and felt that I had skills and advice to offer small businesses and nonprofits getting started in it.

7. If given an extra hour each day to seek new ideas and brainstorm, what are some sources you turn to?

Janet: I read a lot of travel essays and nonfiction on international politics. In both cases, these types of books open up my mind to different possibilities, lifestyles and methodologies. I like doing research and scan many news feeds daily. I also mine my social media accounts for news, trends and thought patterns.

8. Given the current economic climate, how has your strategy for your consulting firm  changed for the short-term and long-term?

Janet: In this current economic climate, I’m still untangling the new NEW, so these strategies are evolving.

What’s been your proudest achievement as an entrepreneur?

Continuing to learn and grow, and find new ways of expanding and applying my creative/marketing background.

9. If you could re-start your business, what would you do differently and why?

Janet: Since this is a relatively new venture, I’m still doing analysis and adjustments. I’m sure there should have been more research, and better planning.

10. What are some of the ways that you achieve balance in your life?

Janet: Travel is both my escape and refresher. It’s one of the few ways for me to truly disconnect. When that’s not possible, I love to exercise – I’m a walker and hiker. Family and friends are my anchors.

11. The one book you would recommend highly to our readers (and why?)

Janet: I’ve most recently read DIFFERENT: Escaping the Competitive Herd by YoungMe Moon. I reviewed it in a recent blogpost. The author has a strong storytelling style and stresses differentiation, not as a marketing tool, but as a mindset – similar to a design thinking state of mind. The book is a refreshing and informative read.

12. If you received a surprise bonus equal to half of your monthly salary, what (if anything) would you spend it on?

Janet: A fabulous bit of adventure travel – somewhere in Africa.

13. What are some of your most rewarding charitable involvements and why?

Janet: I’ve done pro bono creative work for a charity founded by a friend called Young Heroes, which provides food and hope for Swaziland’s orphan families. Young Heroes’ founder, Steve Kallaugher, has recently entrusted its management to me.

My involvement is rewarding for many reasons, but two specifically: In a very small way, I’m contributing to a project that may have a profound effect on someone’s life. And secondly, I’m learning new skills and expanding on existing ones.

14. Who has been the most influential person to you as you’ve advanced in your career?

Janet: Geri Stengel, founder of Ventureneer.com and a serial entrepreneur. She has consistently reinvented her talents and built upon her previous successful ventures. She’s quite a motivator.

To learn more about Janet, please visit her website by clicking the link below:

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Christine Hueber, Social Media Marketing Expert

Christine Hueber’s BIO

Christine Hueber

Christine Hueber has become regarded as the voice for business owner and entrepreneur marketing and social media marketing. As founder and CEO of ChristineHueber.com, she has created a dynamic boutique enterprise that is devoted to empowering business owners and entrepreneurs around the world. It currently has over 20,000 members in her online and offline programs.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

1. Oprah Winfrey has been inspiring us each month with her unique approach to life and to creating our very best lives so, as a tribute to her, A La Oprah, what did you know for sure when you decided to be a solo business practitioner?

That it was going to be very interesting and exciting. That I would grow in ways and have experiences that would amaze and delight me.

 

2. Take us through a typical day with your schedule from start to finish.

My days vary a lot, but this is what I strive for:

  • I usually start work at 5 by thinking and focusing on projects/writing that will take me where I want to go for the first three to four hours of my day.
  • The next three to four hours, I focus on my business and work with clients.
  • I break for lunch and personal activities from noon to 1PM.
  • I focus on my business/marketing for the following three to four hours.
  • Depending on the time of year, I go walking for thirty minutes or running for an hour at some point during the day.
  • I try to end the day with a good book.

 

3. What are a few of your “can’t live without” applications on your personal computer/smart phone?

 

4. What are your tricks for time management?

  • Have two primary goals for the day and set a timer.
  • Manage email/voicemail once a day.

 

5. Best advice received when you started your business?

Focus on what gets me closer to my goals.

 

6. If given an extra hour each day to seek new ideas and brainstorm, what are some sources you turn to?

Those who have done what I want to do and myself.

 

7. Given the current economic climate, how has your strategy for your company changed for the short-term and long-term?

I focus on revenue-generating activities in every economic cycle.

 

8. What’s been your proudest achievement as an entrepreneur?

To provide constant value to my clients.

 

9. What are some of the ways that you achieve balance in your life?

I run/walk outside daily, set aside time for thinking and enjoy delicious meals in delightful company.

 

10. Two books you would recommend highly to our readers (and why?)

  • [amazon_link id=”0307465357″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Four Hour Work Week[/amazon_link] by Timothy Ferris for the effective perspective on work and life.
  • [amazon_link id=”0385491743″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The 80/20 Principle[/amazon_link] by Richard Koch for how simple it makes being effective in work and life.

 

11. If you received a surprise bonus equal to half of your monthly salary, what (if anything) would you spend it on?

Travel.

 

12. What are some of your most rewarding charitable involvements and why?

Providing value to those who are seeking it.

 

13. Who has been the most influential person to you as you’ve advanced in your career?

My clients are the most influential and most valuable.

 

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Michele Price, ProsperityGal

MICHELE PRICE’S BIO

Michelle Price

Straight talking Entrepreneur and  Community Architect for Social Media For Smart People,  Michele speaks from real life business experiences.  Michele shows you where you can find the solution inside your current problems.  She combines multiple cutting edge marketing strategies, then illustrates how to use them to build a loyal community of brand evangelists. Michele’s highly successful internet radio show, Breakthrough Business Strategies, where she is the on-air media personality, spotlights high profile guests each week on two topics; business success mindset and web 2.0 tools, techniques and strategies.

Michele Price travels in the United States and internationally to share her insights, strategies and wisdom for intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs to combine their abilities to make a difference as well as thrive economically.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

1. Please share with us how ‘whoismicheleprice’/Prosperity Gal was created?

Michele: Who is Michele Price was created because Michele Price is a common name and someone already took Micheleprice.com. Breakthrough Business Strategies radio had not been named or evolved yet.  During the the early time on whoismichelprice.com  I was referred to as the Breakthrough Specialist  by clients.   Communication is critical to all businesses and how you personally communicate is the foundation of everything you create in your life and your business.  Having the ability to hear beneath what is being said on the surface to uncover where your breakthroughs are trying to come through, you just are not hearing them.  Having been a business women for over 25 years I know the power of being able to live in prosperity. How it gives us all the space to create for ourselves and for others.

 

2. There is no typical day in the life of an entrepreneur. Please share with us a sample of your day, start to finish.

Michele: I wake up asking myself- who can I serve today with my commitment to my life’s purpose (i.e. creating a difference & profit and living a deeper, meaningful life).  Some days I do a Tao meditation other days I listen to Michael Bernard Beckwith’s messages about living life with authenticity.  I make a yummy softboiled egg, nice delicious cup of coffee and either write or communicate via social channels on mine and my client’s projects.  I create presentation slides. I work on communication strategies and make myself a nice lunch with spinach, garlic, olive oil, avocado in cusinart over steamed veggies.  I have a coaching call with a client and take a walk outside to feel the wind ( I love feeling and hearing wind-many times I think I need to move to Chicago).  Some days I am creating/editing videos other days I am giving professional interviews with clients then giving them media coaching.  Once a week I will enjoy a prescreen movie other days I go to blogger meetings or enjoy an evening at home working on my new group coaching program.  It is always flexible and yet with intention that is strictly aligned to my purpose and my goals.

 

3. What are your ‘can’t live without’ Smartphone or desktop applications?

Tweetdeck

 

4. What are your tricks for time management?

Michele: When you are clear and living on purpose, time management is simple.

How does this move me forward and align to my goals?

No, then do not do.

5. What was the best advice you received when you started your career?

Michele: Build relationships and remember to see their needs and always be asking, “Are you on target with your goals?” and “How can I help?”.

 

6. Given the current economic climate, what has been your strategy for building awareness of your business for short term and long term growth?

Michele: Short term is speaking if you are a good speaker. So for many it might not be shorter. For me, I can give presentations and create new business.  Long term is being consistent about spreading time between LinkedIn, Twitter & Blogging and using a set of topics that lead back to what services I offer.

 

7. What is your proudest achievement as an accomplished entrepreneur?

Michele: Helping clients see where they need to gain clarity in their own communications and how it plays out in their company/clients/staff output. Ultimately this results in an increase in business.

 

8. How do you achieve balance in your life?

Michele: By living my life’s purpose. Work does not stress me. When work feels stressful I realize that I am off track. I refocus on getting back in alignment to my purpose and voila! No need for balance.

When you need work/life balance you are doing life out of alignment.  Did you create a business that does not support the LIFE you want to live?  Then there is your problem.

9. Your top 3 book recommendations?

Michele:

  • [amazon_link id=”0061714704″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation[/amazon_link] by Sally Hogshead
  • [amazon_link id=”1591844193″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]It’s Not About You: A Little Story About What Matters Most in Business[/amazon_link] by Bob Burg
  • [amazon_link id=”0143038419″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Eat Pray Love[/amazon_link] by Elizabeth Gilbert

 

10. What are your most rewarding charitable involvements?

Michele:

  • Agape International
  • Eclesia Housto

 

11. Who has influenced your career the most?

Michele: My Grandmother and my ancestors. They keep me present with their wisdom.

 

12. What is your advice for someone interested in entrepreneurship?

Michele: Make sure you are an entrepreneur first, otherwise you will just be a business owner.  One is not better than the other. Yet if you align to the one that is not you, your life will be miserable.

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Manisha Patel, Co-Founder of ThreeSite.com

Manisha Patel’s BIO

 

Manisha Patel

Manisha Patel lived in UK for about 4.5 years. She came back to India in 2004. She had completed her MBA in International Business from a US University. Then she graduated from University in 2003. She learned many important entrepreneurial lessons in MBA and that prompted her to create a business called: ThreeSite.com.

More information about Manisha Patel can be found here:

www.threesite.com

IN THE SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

1. Please share with us what prompted you to create ThreeSite.com?

Manisha: I lived in UK for about 4.5 years. I came back to India in 2004. I had completed my MBA in International Business from a U.S. University. I graduated from University in 2003. I learned many important entrepreneurial lessons in my MBA Program and it prompted me to create a business called ThreeSite.com.

 

2. There is no typical day in the life of an entrepreneur. Please share with us a sample of your day, start to finish.

Manisha: Apart from being an entrepreneur, I also play two very important roles – Mother & Wife.

My day starts at around 5.30 am with 30 mins of refreshing and & light exercise in the green grass. I then prepare my son, Sean, for school.

After that, I and my husband prepare for work. In the evening, we have a family dinner with beautiful indian curries and dishes. At around 8.30 pm, I get back on my laptop and check my emails as many of my clients are in USA, UK and Europe.

Due to time zone differences, I need to touch base with my prospects and clients in the late evenings. I read motivational books in the evening and go to bed around 11.30 pm.

 

3. What are your ‘can’t live without’ Smartphone or desktop applications?

Manisha: The Following apps are a must for me as a business woman:

  • MS Outlook – Calendar, Emails & To Do List I manage in Outlook
  • CCleaner – to clean up temporary files
  • Skype
  • Team Viewer
  • Photoshop & Illustrator
  • Firefox.

 

4. What are your tricks for time management?

Manisha:

  • Keep everything simple and straightforward. – KISS principle
  • Never check your emails when you wake up.
  • Planning, Planning, Planning
  • Set SMART Goals – (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable and Time-Oriented Goals).
  • Set time for completely relax for 10 mins a day  (Switch off mobile phones, emails etc.)
  • Be focused.
  • Last but very important – don’t overwork

 

5. What was the best advice you received when you started your career?

Manisha: Quote by Steve Jobs – “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

 

6. Given the current economic climate, what has been your strategy for building awareness of ThreeSite.com for short-term and long-term growth?

Manisha: Our aim at ThreeSite.com is “Your Online Success Is Our Business”.

In the current climate, we would like to help individuals and small businesses as much as we can in order to grow their online business by offering cost effective services such as web design, search engine optimization, social media marketing, wordpress website development, virtual assistant, link building and iPhone app development.

We have designed highly popular and cost-effective packages for micro and small businesses:

Social Media Marketing Packages

Small Business Web Design Packages

Small Business SEO Packages

In long run, we want to add more services and also would like to serve more customers across US, UK, Europe, Australia & New Zealand.

 

7. What is your proudest achievement as an accomplished entrepreneur?

Manisha: ThreeSite.com successfully delivered 600+ projects in the last 8 years. Our business is now Level 2 Supplier on Fiverr.com. Our proudest achievement was when we completed 500th Project as we were in the first 10% service provider list of those who had completed these many projects in a short period of time.

 

8. How do you achieve balance in your life?

Manisha:

  • Set mobiles and laptops off for 10 mins a day.
  • Never miss a family dinner
  • Learn 1 new thing every day

 

9. Your top 3 book recommendations?

Manisha:

  • Awaken the giant within – Tony Robbins
  • The Power of Communication – Helio Fred Garcia
  • The Art of SEO – Eric Enge

 

10. What are your most rewarding charitable involvements?

Manisha: Giving back to the community is always my favorite topic. I visit a temple every Saturday and provide food to poor people.

 

11. Who has influenced your career the most?

Manisha: My dad who is also an entrepreneur had influenced me a lot to start a business.

 

12. What is your advice for someone interested in entrepreneurship?

Manisha: 

Love what you do and do what you love
Take calculative risk
Ask yourself “How can you add value in other’s lives?”

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Jackie Bigford, Executive Vice President at Social Steamr

Jackie Bigford’s BIO

Jackie Bigford

Jackie Bigford is a passionate Entrepreneur working online for 6 years with a focus on Social Media Web 2.0.

As a Social Media Strategist and Coach I have worked with some amazing non-profits groups with a focus on Brand Recognition to increase their online presence and fund-raising efforts.

I have had the privilege of developing relationships with inspiring, caring energetic people from around the globe and have been interviewed and featured in dozens of blogs and top 10 lists.

Featured in the Huffington Post Twitter Powerhouses Series” created By Sean Gardner Rise Of The Female Geek ..” They use their influence to make an impact, moving humanity in a positive direction and embracing the very best.”

Featured In The Bit Rebels Series By Dianna Adams Twitter’s Top 75 Badass Women “these women are badasses because their style is instantly recognizable, and they exude confidence and humility …they know how to make others around them feel special.”

I have always been cause driven and volunteer my time to protect animal welfare and rights. The extraordinary global reach of Social Sharing sites has allowed me to build rapport with and influence people on a global scale.

http://JackieBigford.blogspot.com/ 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

1. Please share with us what prompted the creation of SocialSteamr.

Jackie: Social Steamr is the brainchild of my partner, Rob Nielsen. He saw so many Social Media people who were struggling to gain a qualified loyal audience on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Getting attention from the right people on social networks requires specialized knowledge of what works and what doesn’t.

Social Steamr is a company of qualified professionals from around the world who are passionate about Social Media and who genuinely want to help those with small budgets to get noticed online.

Rob and I have collaborated in the past and when reached out to me I loved the business model and the rest is history, as they say. You can find out more about Social Steamr on our website.

 

2. There is no typical day in the life of an entrepreneur. Please share with us a sample of your day, start to finish.

Jackie: My Mornings start online around 11AM EST, I live in Canada and my partners live on the West Coast in the US, so we have a 3 hour time difference. The first thing I do is open emails, check to see what orders have come thru, assign them to members of the team. Then I check the Social Media Sites to see what messages I have waiting for me. I then speak to clients via Skype to make sure all is right. I open my Google Alerts and prepare my posts for the day. I manage several Twitter and Facebook Pages.

In the late afternoon, the CEO and I have a conference call. We believe communication is key to our success. Social Steamr is not my only business, I have an online Pet Business with another partner and I am writing a book. My day ends around 10PM.

 

3. What are your ‘can’t live without’ Smartphone or desktop applications?

Jackie: I work from home so my computer is my lifeline. I simply could not live without Skype. It is my connection to the world. Our clients are from all corners of the world so it is essential to be able to reach them 24/7 and I love the video conferencing that Skype offers. I have just discovered Hootsuite and will certainly use this tool to automate some of my tasks.

 

4. What are your tricks for time management?

Jackie: I follow a rythmn every day, or I try to. It is so easy to get lost when you love what you do. My days are long, so the best advice would be to make sure that you take out time for yourself. Use the automation tools that are available to take away the mundane tasks. I love Google Alerts.

 

5. What was the best advice you received when you started your career?

Jackie: Shift the focus from my needs to the needs of the client you are dealing with. The best tool for a successful relationship is the skill of listening.

 

6. Given the current economic climate, what has been your strategy for building awareness of SocialSteamr? ( what you do for short term and long term growth)?

Jackie: Social Steamr is a new start-up company and for the past 6 months we have focused on the same strategies that we would recommend for our own clients. I manage the Social Media Campaign with a strong focus on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Consistent quality customer service is what we strive for everyday. Happy customers tell their friends and business associates and ultimately that will be what drives our success.

 

7. What is your proudest achievement as an accomplished entrepreneur?

Jackie: I engage people from the heart, with honesty and integrity and this has been my secret weapon. I remember when I was a Sales Rep for a Technical Training College, the prospective student commented that I should be in sales. ?

 

8. How do you achieve balance in your life?

Jackie: Being an entrepreneur is not a 9 to 5 job, the hours are long. I walk every day for a mile and a half, I spend quality time with my husband. Every Friday night is date night, just for us. I have a houseful of feline furrbabies and I am very lucky to have both of my parents with me. My Mom is my best friend.

 

9. Your top 3 book recommendations?

Jackie:

The Hobbit – Tolkien
The Lord of The Rings Trilogy – Tolkien
Heart of a Woman – Maya Angelou

 

10. What are your most rewarding charitable involvements?

Jackie: Three years ago I created and manage a Social Media Campaign Dolphins Love Us to bring awareness to the horrors that dolphins and whales suffer both within the Captive Trade Entertainment Industry and the brutal capture and slaughter of entire pods of dolphins in Japanese waters.

 

11. Who has influenced your career the most? 

Jackie: I have had many, many influences in a very long and rewarding career. The common thread has been people, especially women who know what they want, have the drive and passion to put in the work to achieve their goals. The have an inner strength that tells the world they have arrived on their own terms. I admire this quality. Oprah comes to mind.

 

12. What is your advice for someone interested in entrepreneurship?

Jackie: Don’t give up before the magic happens.

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