@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone, and welcome to the Twitterview of @canada2lakemtka. Lets get the fun started!

@canada2lakemtka – Great! I’m all ready to go!

Q – #1    So @canada2lakemtka, where did you grow up, and how did you end up in MN?

A:    I grew up in Winnipeg, Canada & moved to MN to work w a marketing co. – hated the job, but loved the TC, so I stayed!

Q – #2    I see. So after High School, what kind of training/schooling did you get for marketing? Where do you work now?

A:    I attended the U of Manitoba School of Art, with an emphasis on design. Now, I work as creative director for @provisionsbook

Q – #3    So what is the creative director’s role for a company like @provisionsbook?

A:    I design approx 50% of ads in the books, all marketing materials, website maint., write/produce e-newsletter & social media

Q – #4    That’s neat. Now I see from your Twitter BIO that you’re sort of a FOODIE. What kinds of eateries have you been to?

A:    Yes, have to say I love to eat! And cook too. Fan of El Meson, Yumi’s Sushi in Excelsior, Alma, Cosmos, La Belle Vie

I also love Saffron, Bar La Grassa, La Belle Vie, and had a lovely lunch today at the Dakota. Yummy squash soup!

Q – #5    In your opinion, are there any types of restaurants that the Twin Cities is lacking, and are the too many of 1 type?

A:    Minnesotans love their steak, so I think there are a few too many steakhouses. Burger joints are also a little overdone

I love all the new food carts-fun trend that’s finally catching on here (@Chefshack1) I wish there was more dim sum though!

Q – #6    Lets find out your FAVS: Favorite – restaurant, retail store, grocery store, summer activity and tech gadget.

A:    FAV restaurant – depends on my mood! Yumi’s Sushi, Cafe Ena, @omminneapolis, Sanctuary

FAV retail store – @opmboutique in St. Louis Park, @Lakewindscoop, @CooksCrocusHill & @Nordstrom, of course!

FAV grocery store, next to @Lakewinds would be Whole Foods & Linden Hills Co-op.

FAV summer activity – running with my pub Hammer & boating, FAV tech gadget – my ipod!

Q – #7    iPod’s are loved. <3.  So to end, what advice or mantra would you like to share with everyone?

A:    Hmmm, good question – “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” (Winston Churchill) sums it up for me!

@JoelECarlson – @canada2lakemtka – Thanks for your time and your comments today. Thanks for sharing some of your foodie wisdom too.

@canada2lakemtka – My pleasure! How much fun a Twitterview is! Have a wonderful weekend!

@JoelECarlson – Hello, and welcome to the Twitterview 2.0 of @MichaelaKocon. Lets find out what’s new with her.

@MichaelaKocon – morning Joel!

Q – #1    So @MichaelaKocon, it’s been a few months since we last connected. What kind of traveling have you done this summer?

A:    Well, I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico memorial week for my good friend’s wedding with friends, and I’ve been up north to

Q – #2    Sounds like fun. What was your involvement with the wedding?

A:    They have been good friends since high school, my boyfriend was in the wedding, I just attended

Another friend from high school, one of my best girlfriends, also got married this summer and I was her wedding planner

Q – #3    Is that your first time doing wedding planning? Do you like doing it?

A:    This was my 1st time wedding planning, and I absolutely LOVE it! I was her personal attendant as well so it worked out

I’ve always been an event/party planner with my group of friends and love coordinating all of the details!

Q – #4    Nice. Now you mentioned that you went up north some. Do you fish, hike, read or hunt?

A:    Fish? no thanks! when I was little, my dad would only let us fish if we could bait the hook and take the fish off ourselves

so, no fishing for me! I love reading up north, and just sitting out on the lake enjoying the calm water and fresh air.

Q – #5    Very relaxing. Now I know that you also coach a soccer team. Who are they and what was your experience like?

A:    I do! I coach a U14 Girls C3 team. Wayzata Inferno. Love those girls! My experience was amazing, they are wonderful!

Q – #6    Would coaching High School soccer ever interest you?

A:    Definitely, I was asked to coach at Wayzata High School this fall, but thought it would be hard given my new position

I would love to coach high school soccer sometime in the future, it is a huge passion of mine to coach a sport i love

Q – #7    New position? Where do you work now, and it’s your role with the company?

A:    I accepted a position at @_HealthPartners in late June as a Marketing Associate with the Care Delivery team, my new role is to

work with the clinics and @RegionsHospital on different printed marketing projects and coordinating events/giveaways

Q – #8    Nice! Do you use any of your Social Media skills on the job? Also, you’re a Foursquare user, so any new badges?

A:    Social Media is not a huge focus at my current position, but it is still very much apart of my personal life.

I am a Foursquare user and received a swarm badge. I will soon be the Mayor of our corporate building at HP

Q – #9    Any Swarm Badges from Target Field? How do you think the Twins will finish the season?

A:    Yes! The one I got was from Target Field. I think the @MinnesotaTwins will finish 3 games ahead of the Sox! #havefaith

Q – #10    It’s been a GREAT inaugural season at #TargetField. So what advice or mantra would you like to share today?

A:    Love hard.

@JoelECarlson – Agreed! Thank you @MichaelaKocon for your comments and your time today. Enjoy your Fall, and may Winter stay away for a long time.

@MichaelaKocon – Thanks Joel! Much appreciated. Fall is my favorite (cutest clothes) so hopefully winter stays far away!

Q – #11    X-Tra Question for @MichaelaKocon : Got any big plans for the next month or 2?

A:    ooo extra! ;) lots of traveling! Going to a @Packers game next weekend (Go Pack Go!), visiting sister @ college at Madison

and visiting good friends in Boston/NYC for a long weekend to see plays and enjoy the city!

@JoelECarlson – Thanks, I wanted to be sure to fit that in. :)

@MichaelaKocon – ha ha no problem! thank YOU :)

Two brands came to my attention this week that at one time had the “it factor”, but now have fallen out of the graces of many people that used to use them.  They are AOL and MySpace.

MySpace held the attention of Social Media newbies because it was new, it had a variety of capabilities and it is probably by some considered the “1st to the dance”.  When was the last time, if ever, that you used MySpace? Months, years or never?  MySpace was really focused on music and that is basically where it’s focus is today.  Some people commented to me that MySpace was kind of “creepy” even when they used it.  It wasn’t very clean and simple to use for business purposes either.  MySpace got my attention because of a report this week that talked about the average age of Twitter, LinkedIn and…MySpace users, which made me think “Is MySpace relevant enough anymore to be incorporate in Social Media reports?” When I attend events, people talk about Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as the core tools that they use. No mention EVER of MySpace. Do you think MySpace can become cool a 2nd time?

The other brand that I was confronted with this week was AOL. Yeah the CD-in-the-mail-ISP from the 90′s.  There was an article in the LA Times about how a former William Morris chief is going to help AOL in Hollywood.  I remember using AOL, but that was probably over a decade ago. How often would you hear that audio reminder “You’ve Got Mail” and get excited? (Which later became the title of a popular movie staring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.) Times have changed. Today if you see @aol.com at the end of an e-mail address, don’t you feel that person is a little outdated in their use of technology? AOL just isn’t cool, they aren’t “techie hip”, so can they ever become cool a 2nd time?

Some brands in other sectors of business do get a revival as time goes by and are successful in doing so. Their products can be classified as retro or classic. Can that happen though in the technology world? What do you think?