@JoelECarlson – Round 2 of today’s Twitterviews is going to begin. Everyone please welcome @maikelvdm to the program! Lets get started.

@maikelvdm – Hey @joelecarlson Thanks for having me

Q – #1    So @maikelvdm, where did you grow up, where have you lived and what kind of schooling/training have you received?

A: Grew up in Asten, The Netherlands (1.5 hrs South East of Amsterdam, 4 hrs North of Paris). Lived in both Holland and the US

School, Design Academy in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Studied design, art direction and marketing.

Q – #2    Interesting. So what kind of work have you done in the past, and what got you into eco/green-marketing now?

A: Managed many jobs, graphic designer, art & creative director. Strategic director and marketing director.

Having spend almost 20 years in marketing I felt us marketers needed to take greater responsibility on how we market products

Since I have mainly worked in the consumer goods category, it’s easy to see where many great improvements can be made

Both @BjorgvinS and I were on the same page regarding all things green, which related to our European up bringing

And @Element_Six was born.

Q – #3    Awesome! Can you give some examples (pics or links) to some of your work?

A: Here are a few links of work samples http://ht.ly/37C8a & http://ht.ly/37C8S

As I’m sure you can imagine, this is not even the tip of the iceberg. So am showing my age here

Q – #4    No worries! So is your client base primarily in MN, the US or is it broader than that even?

A: We currently enjoy a very diverse client base, from Istanbul, Turkey, to LA, NYC, & Eden Prairie. What’s not to love

That said, Mpls provides us with a perfect geo location serving both coasts and direct flights back to Europe.

Q – #5    Congrats! Now for some of your FAVS: Favorite – Restaurant, store, comfort food, eco/green product and tech-gadget.

A: Restaurant – Lurcat & Namaste in Uptown. Store, Diesel, Replay, GStar and Hugo Boss store, all in Holland.

Comfort food: Dutch pancakes and anything indonesian, such a big part of the Dutch culture

Tech gadget: Anything Apple, although I wish it wasn’t so. Unfortunately, they do rock their gadgets.

Favorite green & eco product: Any type of bicycle. Peddling a bicycle is the ultimate green & health experience.

Q – #6    Cool! Now what kind of physical training are you doing now, and how long have you been involved with it?

A: Triathlons seem to be my thing. Will starting training for my second Ironman race, June 2011 in France.

Been biking and running most of my life, started tri’s roughly 4 years ago. Not a big swimmer, but am improving on this

Q – #7    You have quite a full life, in addition to your involvement with the #jmu612 group. Does it get overwhelming some times?

A: Sure seems like I have a full life, not mentioning another active wear business @ThreeActive I’m involved with.

Thing is, when you work with talented people like; @BjorgvinS @ericamayer @JoelECarlson & many others all will be good

Plus, sleep is waaay overrated, I think. Right?

Q – #8    Haha! So to end today, what life advice or mantra can you share today?

A: I don’t think I am in a position to share any life mantra or advice. I am who I am, take it or leave it. It’s all good.

@JoelECarlson – Fair enough. Thanks @maikelvdm for sharing some of your thoughts today. Have a great afternoon! #jectv

@maikelvdm – Thanks for having me, Joel. Continue fighting the good fight, sire. #jectv is a great asset to our twitter community. Cheers!

@JoelECarlson – Hello, and welcome to Twitterviews with our guest @heattherrist today. Lets get started!

@heatherrist – Good morning Joel! Thank you for having me as a Twitterview guest today.

Q – #1     So @heatherrist, where did you grow up, what High School did you attend and then where did you attend college?

A: I grew up in #Mpls. Moved to Woodbury in 7th grade through HS and then found my way back to Mpls at the U of M.

Go Royals and Gophers!

Q – #2    So which do you like more: Mpls or St.Paul? :) When you went to the #UofM, what did you major in?

A: I knew that ? was coming! I think the topic of #mpls or #stpaul sides is so funny. Ppl really do have their side of the river.

I have love for both! There is to much to take advantage of in both cities to pick one!

I majored in psych at the U of M! Its helped me get where I am now and ties in nicely with the org I work for @Avenuesforyouth

Although my career took a turn toward communications/development/marketing- its a nice background to have.

Q – #3    For sure! Especially for connecting with ppl/biz via social media. What other work have you done and are you doing now?

A: I have been with @AvenuesForYouth (Avenues for Homeless Youth) just over 4 years as the Marketing & Development Manager

I am also on the Board of Directors for communications/development (5 years) with @BalletMN, which is based in St.Paul :)

@BalletMN is a family business, so it was destined to happen! I really enjoy what I do for the org and all of the ppl.

I have found a passion for using new media/sm to connect the dots (and people) within my orgs and personally

Q – #4    Great! So who are some ppl/biz that you follow that you’ve found benefit from connecting with?

A: # Twitter has been a great tool in connecting! So many ppl want to share experience & tools- & in the world of #sm its important.

For #SM, I am a huge fan of @socialnicole and her blog http://bit.ly/anEM2d and @arikhanson blog http://bit.ly/9sqDPD.

ALso, groups for networking and sharing like #JMU612 & #Stptweetup (which you #joelecarlson are very familiar with).

Nonprofit portion – @GiveMN @smartnonprofits Lots of great conferences and workshops are offered to keep up to date and connected

Q – #5    Good for you to get benefits from SM. Now for your FAVS: Restaurant, store, comfort food, tech-gadget.

A: Love the fav portion – Restaurants – Amore Victoria, Eli’s Bar & Grill, @BulldogNE and the @BlueDoorPub for amazing Juicy Blucy’s

The @BlueDoorPub covers the comfort food questions – and then some :)

Also, a HUGE fan of @WholeFood_MPLS – best salad bar in town.

@WholeFoods_MPLS also offers great cooking classes I http://bit.ly/9VocBi

Tech-gadgets – I just crossed over into the MAC world! I am starting to see what all the #MAClovers are raving about.

Q – #6    To end, what’s a personal/business goal that you have for yourself, and what life advice or mantra do you want to share?

A: A prof goal – staying relevant in this ever changing world of #sm marketing & keep building relationships that bring new adventures.

And I love this “Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music”

Thanks so much @joelecarlson for connecting so many dots and for having me as a Twitterview guest!

@JoelECarlson – I like your quote!  Thank you @heatherrist for your comments and your time. Thanks for connecting!

@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone, and welcome to the Food-Friday Twitterview of local chef, caterer and blogger @tastebudtart. Set your timer for 1hr.

@TastebudTart – Hi, @JoelECarlson!

Q – #1    So @tastebudtart, tell us where you grew up, where did you attend HS and what did you start doing out of HS?

A: I grew up in Plant City, FL, went to Plant City High School and went to college at Florida State University. #GoNoles

Q – #2    I see. So what kind of coursework did you take at #FloridaState, and how did you get from FL to MN?

A: @JoelECarlson sorry for that delay. pot boiling over. (not really)

I studied Nutrition, at FSU, and we moved to MN after a stint in San Diego…for the weather. ;-)

Actually, we moved for my husband’s job.

Q – #3    Okay. So when you came to MN, what kind of work did you start out doing, and how did that lead you to what you do now?

A: I had worked in Nutrition for 6 yrs, + decided to leave health care when we moved to MN. I did some odd jobs…

Including a stint as a barista, before heeding the call from friends to be a personal chef.

p.s. my husband hates the smell of coffee, so that was a short-lived job. ;-)

Q – #4    So what kind of spectrum of catering work do you do? (Types of menus) What about food do you blog about primarily?

A: My catering specializes in local, sustainable ingredients and keeping vegetarians + meat eaters all happy….

With my nutrition background, I can accommodate all types of dietary needs as well.

My blog is really about anything that strikes my fancy food-wise. *shameface* although, I’m a bit behind on it lately.

Q – #5    This is a shame/guilt-free zone. :)  So what are your: appetizer, main dish and dessert specialties? (1 each)

A: ooh, hard one. My BBQ Black Bean empanadas are a big app, dessert: a lemon coconut poundcake or zen bar (can’t pick 1)

Main dish is hard, b/c there is more variety. A recent fave is Black Tea Rubbed Pork Tenderloin. Created at #CookingtheMarket

Q – #6    Lets now shift more about YOU. When you are looking for a real comfort food for yourself, what do you get/make?

A: LOL, anything with cheese. Also, black bean or fish tacos. I eat them at least 4 times a week.

and wine, did I forget to mention wine?

Q – #7    Cheese….yummm! :)  Now your FAVS – Favorite: restaurant, grocery store, cooking/utensil store, exotic food & gadget.

A: Restaurants are so hard! had a great meal recently at @cafetwentyeight. La Sirena Gorda @MidtownGlobal. @BirchwoodCafe.

I do most of my shopping @MidtownGlobal, love the produce, local ingredients + interesting selection. @SewardCoOp, too!

Don’t have a fave cooking store. I like 2 browse them all. Of course, I hope to be offering some smallwares soon myself!

Exotic food = boiled peanuts. Does that count? I’m Southern. Fave Gadget = iPhone. No contest.

Q – #8    Boiled peanuts?!?! In the shell? If you could invite any 1 person (dead/alive) for dinner, who would you ask and why?

A: Boiled peanuts?!?! In the shell? If you could invite any 1 person (dead/alive) for dinner, who would you ask and why?

One person for dinner? Probably Julia Child. Wouldn’t that be a fun time? Of course, we’d cook it together. ;-)

Q – #9    Nice choice! Final point, what cooking advice or mantra would you like to share with everyone to end today?

A: Follow your instincts. Everyone has ‘em + most folks don’t listen. Cooking should be fun + easy, not stressful!

@JoelECarlson – Thank you @tastebudtart for sharing some of your thoughts and time today on #jectv. Have a great weekend and keep up the good work!

@TastebudTart – YOU @JoelECarlson! It was a pleasure tweeting with you. :-)

@JoelECarlson – Welcome everyone to today’s Twitterview 2.0 with tech/humorist and 1/2 of the @GeekGirlsGuide duo @irishgirl as today’s guest.

@irishgirl – I’ve never been called a humorist before, but if it means you think I’m funny I’ll take it! :)

Q – #1    So @irishgirl, lets first talk about your application with @nylons to the #SXSW event. What brought about the thought to apply?

A: Well, @Nylons called me and said, “Guess what I did?”

I’d love to say we were really strategic about it, but it was a whim. And we believe strongly in the topic.

With @geekgirlsguide, we just have a ton of passion and we like talking to as many people as possible.

Q – #2    So what is the application process like? How long was the “open voting” for approval? Still in the running?

A: We filled out an online app in July. The judges reviewed the apps and decided which ones went up for public vote.

Public voting was from 8/11-8/27. That accounts for 30% of your score (the initial judging was 40%).

Final judging (which is happening now) is the last 40%. They announced the first round last month (we weren’t in it).

But the second round will be announced this Monday. Fingers crossed!

We’ve been on their list of “trending” ideas (http://ow.ly/354Sb) which seems like a good sign, but who knows?

The page I just linked to: one minute we’re at the top, and the next we’re at the bottom. I can’t tell what it means!

Q – #3    Hopefully that works out for you and @Nylons! :) Now you get paid to blog a lot right? :) j/k  How’s work been lately?

A: Work has been very busy, in a good way. We have launched lots of cool stuff lately! Wanna see some of it?

@JoelECarlson – @irishgirl Sure, Tweet some links of @Clockwork_Tweet’s recent activity.

We launched @GirlScoutsRV: http://www.girlscoutsrv.org/ – I’m really proud of that one. cc: @bradbaso, @m3ggiesue

We also launched @UnitedWayTC at https://www.unitedwaytwincities.org/ – they are a great client and I love the site!

We also – for fun on a Lab Day – built an app called Slydology. Just a fun, silly (free) game – for iPhone & Android.

And lots of others: helped Capella with an iPhone app for students, new site for United Bankers’ Bank…fun to be busy!

Q – #4    Fun! Now you also have a @GeekGirlsGuide Social Media 101 session for next WED planned. Who are you targeting w/that?

A: That 101 session is for people who look at social media and either feel overwhelmed, skeptical, or think,…

There are still a large number of people who don’t really “get it” – especially how it can be used professionally.

The best summary of their attitude is, “I don’t care what anyone had for lunch.” We try to address that skepticism.

We have no vested interest in whether or not they do anything with social media, but are passionate about educating.

The point is: it’s fine to reject something if it’s not for you, but at least make sure you know what you’re rejecting.

Q – #5    Good idea! Got a link for people to sign up? On the personal side…any new stores or restaurants that you’ve tried?

A: More info on 11/10 workshop here – http://ow.ly/355MS I should also mention that it’s the first in a series.

Different folks at #clockwork will do workshops on all kinds of stuff both tech-related and not. So watch for those!

As for new stores/restaurants: I am the boringest loser ever. I did finally make it to Haute Dish, which was awesome!

I’m WAY more into movies and books than restaurants or stores!

Q – #6    1 more question, and then I’ll open it up to anyone following on #jectv to ask you a final question. OK?

A: Cool. Hit me.

Q – #7    @irishgirl You’re a BIG advocate of #GTD and speak about it. What would you say is the biggest reason to apply it?

@JoelECarlson – FYI – #GTD (Get Things Done)

A: To reduce stress by being productive about things you really care about instead of busy work and emergencies.

@JoelECarlson – Wonderful! :) Now 1 question from anyone following now on #jectv, directed to @irishgirl? I’ll choose which one she answers? Anyone?

@irishgirl – *crickets*

In case no questions come in, I’m going to spout off about awesome things I think people should know about.

@KDFindley – Favorite book @irishgirl has read recently. Business and/or pleasure.

@irishgirl – Awesome thing 1: Sherlock on @PBS. Completely awesome, stars Martin Freeman from the BBC version of The Office.

@JoelECarlson – Go ahead and answer @KDFindley’s question on books.

@irishgirl – Awesome thing 2: The Passage by Justin Cronin. Long book, but really good. Post-apocalyptic & unusual vampire tale.

I love the one I just mentioned – The Passage. Last night finished book 2 of the Hunger Games trilogy. I’m loving those.

I’ve wanted to check out #booksandbars for a while, and on 11/23 they’re talking Hunger Games. http://booksandbars.com/

@JoelECarlson – Agreed! Sherlock is a VERY good series on Sunday’s on @TPT / @PBS

@JoelECarlson – Thank you so much for your sharing some of your life online today. Have a great weekend @irishgirl.

@irishgirl – Thanks, Joel! And thanks to anyone who listened to me. Enjoy the weekend. Go read a good book!

@JoelECarlson – Got your coffee at your side? Get ready for the Twitterview of @heatherjolee starting right NOW!

Q – #1    So @heatherjolee, where did you grow up, what High School did you attend and what did you do right out of HS?

A: Good morning! I grew up in and attended Apple Valley HS and attended @UofStThomasMN for four years post-high school

Q – #2    Okay. So what kind of coursework did you take in college?

A: I double majored in broadcast and pr with a minor in comm studies. Loved major courses but also ethics classes I took

Q – #3    Wow! What do you think drew you to broadcasting and PR work so much?

A: loved the news as a kid and I talk a lot! thought broadcast would be a good fit and in taking the core major courses, I

ended up finding my real passion in pr–never realized it was more than just event work (not that events aren’t great!)

Q – #4    Nice to find your niche. So what kind of work have you done since finishing college?

A: During college, I was an intern in the admissions office for 3.5 years and enjoyed the work I was doing. A position

opened and I got the offer days before graduation. I’ve been an admissions counselor since June 09, working with

students/families looking at UST and also working behind the scenes on events, publications, division teams + prof org

Q – #5    Lots of variety. Lets shift to Social Media.What platforms do you use, and what kind of benefits have you had using it?

A: I use @foursquare, Twitter and Facebook (much less now). 4sq is good for deals, finding tips (especially if traveling)

and Twitter helps me stay “in the know” any minute about sports, news and connecting w/people. Have met awesome tweeps!

I’ve also won some cool contests via Twitter and it helps me give feedback (good or bad) to places/companies I use.

Q – #6    Fun! Who are a few people/businesses that you follow that you are either entertained or informed by?

A: I really like @PunchPizza and their deals via Twitter/FB–cool ads. I’m a huge @mnwild fan too so I enjoy reading

their tweets or those from @Russostrib to keep up on everything with the team. News sources help me throughout day too

because I’m not able to watch the news every day anymore

Q – #7    Good way to improvise. Now you FAVS: Favorite – restaurant, store (brick/mortar) and online, comfort food and gadget.

A: Tough question! FAVS: restaurant is either @PunchPizza or @Sajiyasushi, store definitely @Target and Nordstrom (brick)

online store is Amazon. Comfort food fave: homestyle macaroni and cheese and gadget is #iPhone4. Will get VZW version.

Q – #8    I think MANY are awaiting the #iPhone VZW version. :) Do you have and 4sq badges that you’re proud of acquiring?

A: I was excited to acquire the 4sq “Barista” badge because I love @Starbucks and am longtime mayor of my fave SBUX

I guess the “gym rat” one was a motivator too. I got into working out in the last 6 mos and the badge made me proud.

Q – #9    Cool for you! What’s the requirement to get the “gym rat” badge on @Foursquare?

A: The “gym rat” badge on @Foursquare is 10 check-ins in a month. I usually go at least 12x/mo but forget my phone often!

Q – #10    I see. So are you a runner or more of a general workout/fitness kind of person?

A: It depends on the day. Lifting is always component of my workout each day. I usually either do stairs, elliptical or

run when I can and am healthy. Cold season is hard! I want to also do a 5k and then progress from there in the future.

I work out @lifetimefitness and they’ve done a great job educating me and their programming is fantastic!

Q – #11    Good for you! :) So to end today, what life advice or mantra would you like to share with everyone?

A: Make time for yourself. We all get too caught up in things sometimes (myself included) to remember that you need to

take care of your needs and ensure you’re happy and healthy!

@JoelECarlson – Good advice and reminder! Thanks @heatherjolee for your time and for sharing today. Have a good Wedensday!

@heatherjolee – Thanks for the opportunity–enjoy the sunny day!

Having tested the Droid X, I was more than willing to test another Droid phone from Motorola.  One of the first features of the phone that I really enjoyed using was the sliding qwerty keypad, which the Droid X phone does not have as an option.  I really enjoyed having physical keys to use as opposed to the touchpad of the Droid X. You can use the touchscreen of the Droid 2, but I preferred the Qwerty keypad.  That’s a choice out of convenience and not due to poor functionality of the touchscreen. It worked just fine.

Another difference that people who’ve had the original Droid phone may notice is that the Droid 2 has 7 panels to scroll through as opposed to only 4 that the original Droid had. The camera on the Droid 2 is 5 megapixels, as opposed to the Droid X which has an 8 megapixel camera. I found the pictures to be quite sharp even with the pixel difference.

Thought most people get smartphones for the touchscreen capabilities, there are some physical keys on the Droid 2, they are menu, home, back and search keys which are at the bottom of the smartphone.

On functionality, the software did seem to freeze on occasion, but it wasn’t constant.  Using the various social media tools on the Droid 2 went well and added to the experience of having and using a smartphone.  No wonder more and more people are lured to using them.

Overall, I found the Droid 2 to be a great smarthphone to use with it’s functionality and also with it having the qwerty keypad.  I’ve heard some say that the Droid line of smartphones are more for men then women, and from the advertising and design/functionality of them, I can understand why some might say that. For use, I would still prefer the Droid X because of the real estate (screen size) that you get with it.  If thought you choose the Droid 2 over the Droid X, you won’t have made a bad choice.

@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone, and welcome to the Twitterview of @WhereItBlooms. No potting soil or roof-top garden talk here. :)

@WhereItBlooms – Thanks for having me here today!

Q – #1    So @whereitblooms, where did you grow up, what HS did you attend and what did you do out of HS for work?

A: I grew up in NW suburb in the Twin Cities, went to Armstrong High School and then attended college at Bradley University in IL.

My first job out of college was in desktop publishing at a financial institution in Chicago…love the city!

After that I was a marketing director for a real estate/property management firm #jectv Saw lots of fancy expensive Chicago homes then.

Q – #2    So how did you end up back in MN, and what kind of jobs did you have up until now that lead you to start @whereitblooms?

A: I moved back to MN to be close to family. I started @whereitblooms 8 yrs ago and love working with small businesses.

My clients have included business owners, nonprofit organizations, retail, realtors, and projects for fam/friends too!

Lately I’ve worked with clients who need logo development and branding. Also have a new client needing product design work …fun!

Q – #3    Fun! Having work that involves creativity, do you find it difficult to “turn off” your mind at the end of the day?

A: Yes, I am always in creative mode! The mind does not shut off ;) I am inspired by so many things …visual photos, conversations, etc

Magazines are the most inspiring to me…I’ll sit with a stack and just tear tear tear. Great to get design ideas.

For business branding I really want to get to know my client and their business. That is key in being successful with marketing.

Anyone that is creative can relate to the mind not shutting down :)

Q – #4    What types/fields of business have you worked with?

A: I work with mainly small businesses and consultants in retail, real estate, fashion, coaching, non-profit…

Anyone who needs design, branding, marketing materials, promotional items are typically my niche.

Lately I’ve also been training and educating them in the social media arena. #jectv I love doing that since I’m passionate …

about the direction social media is taking small businesses. There are great opportunities to create awareness

Q – #5    Good for you! :) Lets shift to your FAVS: Favorite – restaurant, store, color, tech gadget and TC’s neighborhood.

A: Fav restaurants: Oragami, Wok in the Park. Stores: Nordstroms, Len Druskin Outlet. Neighborhoods: Linden Hills

Tech Gadget: my iTouch and my kids DS (for them not me), my drawing pad that hooks to Adobe

My favorite colors are green …goes with my logo :) and red although I don’t wear that much

I also love the new West End restaurants and shops! Sauce is delish and I love Hot Mama for clothes too.

Q – #6    Interesting choices. So @whereitblooms, are you affiliated with any design/mrktg groups in the TC’s?

A: Right now I am affiliated with more networking groups WIN (Women in Networking) and exploring TC Chamber.

However, looking to expand more and continue to make creative connections :)

Q – #7    That would be a good idea. With winter coming soon, any winter travel plans that you are looking forward to?

A: We usually go to Chicago during the winter to visit family. We have a big trip to Israel planned for spring!

I’ve been to Israel twice but not in over 20 years. This time we’ll bring our whole family.

Q – #8    That will be quite a trip. If you could pick 1 person, dead/alive to have dinner with, who would you pick and why?

A: oh…tough question but I would say Bette Midler. She has it all, personality, drive, talent. Would be interesting.

I am also a huge James Taylor fan so if Bette couldn’t make dinner he’d be my next pick!

Q – #9    I enjoy Taylor too. So to end today, what general advice or mantra would you share with others today?

A: I think the best advice I’d give is one I follow myself. Be AUTHENTIC in who you are and what you do.

@JoelECarlson – Very good! Thank you @whereitblooms (Beth) for your time today and sharing some of your life. Have a great afternoon!

@WhereItBlooms – Thanks Joel for the opportunity! Have a great day too.