@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone, and please welcome with me @MCaputo_MPR as my final Twitterview guest of 2010. Lets begin!

@MCaputo_MPR – Hey Joel, it’s a blast doing this. @justplainbob says you should take it easy on me.

Q – #1    So @MCaputo_MPR, please share briefly where you grew up and what kind of training/schooling you’ve received.

A: Grew up outside of NYC. Graduated from liberal arts school in NY – St. Thomas Aquinas.

Worked 20+yrs in journalism – newspaper, radio, TV. PubMedia the last 8 years or so Much of it was in NY (Upstate)

Came to MN for two reasons – The unique job opportunity at MPR and because my wife is from Northern Minnesota.

Q – #2    Between print,radio & TV, which have you learned from the most? What kinds of stories do you enjoy sharing?

A: I feel as though I’ve learned much from all three venues. Print was where I was the most & probably informs my journalism the most.

Used to love breaking stories (my 1.0 version). Then it was investigative (2.0).

Now I like stories that make people say “Now I get it..” — those that put complex issues into perspective.

I remember one lesson – use the small to show the large. Concrete examples that illuminate the full story. Makes it real.

Q – #3    Nice! With you being a seasoned journalist, how has the internet/Social Media/YouTube world effected your work?

A: It’s an enormous shift. It’s an exciting time. But the “wild west” feel of the Internet means a lot of trying & failing.

Just to back up a bit…. The press has long had this problem of being seen as out of touch. There was some truth to this.

There was this sense that there needed to be a better relationship w/ those we were supposed to serve. A collaboration.

Technology opened a door. We have a way to collaborate w/ info. users in new ways… to involve them in story evolution.

I think that’s what MPR has in Public Insight. https://www.publicinsightnetwork.org/source/

Q – #4    How about your personal use of Social Media, what kind of people/businesses do you enjoy following?

A: Well, I’m doing the Twitter-Facebook-LinkedIn mashup. I do like following the folks in #journalism @jayrosen_nyu @jeffjarvis.

But then I have @newscut, @jongordon, @dbrauer. I love the wit of @TBoard. Its really hard to name them, there’s a lot.

I’ve really taken to a bit of advice on Twitter. Try not to give the blow-by-blow of your day. Instead pick a topic and get into that

Q – #5    I understand! :) Lets find out some of your FAVORITES: Restaurant, store, winter activity, hobby and TC’s neighborhood.

A: Whoops. Sorry about stepping over you. Hobbies, huh. I should warn you that I’m a bit of a homebody since I became a dad

But I really like getting out and skating w/ the kids. My wife and I are taking up X-country Skiing again.

I write fiction (when I can) … and, no, nothing published. I play guitar (a hold over from my garage band days)

And, I’m a St. Paul guy, so the Grand Avenue area holds great appeal for me. But, in a way, I feel like I’m still learning the TC’s

Sorry, I wanted to be more exciting than that. But I held back on putting cliff-diving and rock-climbing in there.

Q – #6    Whew! We want to think of @MPR folks as safe & steady. :) As an Easterner, how has the transition to Midwest life been?

A: Well, we’ve been slow to integrate. But that says more about being the parents of two little kids. But we also have family here

It’s amazing to see here the level of civic participation. NY could take a lesson or two from Minnesota when it comes to involvement.

The spirit of trying to work through local problems is clear to me here. So I don’t buy the whole “stoic midwestern” rap.

I guess to summarize …my wife and I plan on growing old here (although I’m quite aways there already).

Q – #7    No problem. To end, what advice would you give to students looking to get into the field of journalism?

A: Fail. What I mean is to try new forms of storytelling, new ways to collaborate with those you serve. And don’t be afraid to fail.

Learn print, radio, video, digital modes of expression. And be bold. It’s a time for that in #journalism.

Finally, tell your stories for the people you are serving… even when there are pressures to do otherwise.

@JoelECarlson – Good points and insights today @MCaputo_MPR! Thank you very much for being a guest, and thank you also for your time.

@MCaputo_MPR – It’s been really fun @JoelECarlson . You’re welcome.

When you’re looking for a job, this can be one of the most emotionally difficult comments to ever hear or read. You’ve gone through the entire interviewing process. You met with the head of HR, had a round-table group interview with 8 executives and then did some analytical testing, all to see if you qualified for a position that you’re interested in.

After going though all of that, maybe spending a month or 2 waiting to see if you were good enough to secure this position, and then you find out that they went with a different candidate, you just hurt inside. Feeling dejected, wondering what your worth is.  Going over and over in your mind “I should have said this instead of that.“  It’s like being one of the final 2 contestants on “American Idol”, and you’re the one that doesn’t get the recording contract.

The point is, you are good enough that you were considered.  You are at the top of the heap to have gone through that entire process.  You do have the skills to handle the job.   You just weren’t a match for what the company felt they needed and were looking for. Staying positive and upbeat is not easy in these situations. It’s can be tough emotionally.  What you want is a good fit  for the company and for you. You don’t want to be the square peg in the round hole. You want and need to fit and work together the right way.

So say and think to yourself “On to the next“.  Be that “Diamond in the rough” for another company.  You can do it, and your worth it!

@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone, and welcome to the Twitterview of @KirsiDahl. A communications prof at @GoEast in St. Paul MN. Lets go!

@kirsidahl – I’m ready. Bring it on!

Q – #1    So @KirsiDahl, tell us a little bit about your beginning. Where did you grow up, go to school and what jobs have you had?

A: Always hard to answer: Born in St. Paul, lived in CA and KS for a bit before settling in Stillwater.

So, I say Stillwater for “home town”. Graduated high school there, went to @stcloudstate for college

Have worked in Stillwater school district as a teacher, but have been with @goeast for nearly 13 years

Q – #2    I see. So what is your role with @GoEast, and what kind of work does that entail for you?

A: Officially, “account supervisor” but the fun is in what that entails…

I do integrated marketing communication planning for big national and global brands

I work with great teams to do brand strategy and day-to-day tactical projects

For @goeast I do a lot of blogging, mostly on integrated marketing communications. I <3 blogging. :)

I think the @goeast copy/proof team may get tired of reviewing all the stuff I write. http://bit.ly/9MJOIm

I’ve also been clocked at 120 wpm for typing. I tend to get ahead of others when I use iChat, etc. :)

Q – #3    Impressive! In addition to working with @GoEast, what kind of things have you learned about personal branding?

A: Personal branding is a passion of mine, fueled, in part, by a @mimasummit session led by @MyklRoventine a few years ago

Until that point in my life, I had harbored a bit of resentment towards my parents for naming me “Kirsi”

It’s always mispronounced. :(

But, I see now that they were true visionaries! I took the opportunity to maximize my personal SEO.

I used to have 1-2 relevant hits before I cleaned up places/spaces and now I have 5-6 *pages* of relevant hits.

Learning to build my credibility as an IMC professional was easy. Highly recommend everyone take ownership of their personal brand.

Here’s what I did to build my personal brand online: http://bit.ly/ePNet7

Q – #4    Good for you. I also understand you also have an interest in photography. How is that going?

A: My husband gave me a great digital SLR camera last year for Christmas. I’ve taken 100′s of photos. My favorite is of my dog.

Meet Pete: http://yfrog.com/h3xxnksj

But, seriously, after 1 year with the great camera, that’s the best I have. But not for lack of trying.

I really like working with short depth of field, so I practice. Took a class at National Camera. Planning on taking more! <3 them.

Q – #5    Lets now shift to your FAVORITES: Restaurant, store, winter activity, Twin Cities neighborhood and comfort food.

A: @Mansettispizza is a great neighborhood place that we hit quite often. Funny: they tweet me when I don’t show up to make sure I’m ok.

A bunch of my @goeast friends and I regularly hit @bajasol. I worked at @zantigo in high school, always a place for me there.

Winter activity favorite is staying inside and reading a book by the fire, with a blanket. :)

I grew up in Stillwater, so I love it there. White Bear Lake is great too. As long as it’s east of the cities, I’m in!

Currently reading “Art of Racing in the Rain”. Read the 1st few pages and started to tear up. http://amzn.to/efAZ1Z

Q – #6    Comfort food? What are some personal or professional goals that you’ve set for yourself in the future?

A: Spaghetti = comfort food. Or, in a pinch, Kraft Mac&Cheese.

My personal goals revolve around strengthening my relationships with those I care about the most.

I’m a bit geeky. I think about my life the same as I think about a brand: what’s my mission? what’s my strategy?

I check most of my decisions against that “master plan” to make sure I’m staying true to my goals

Some say that’s “OCD.” I say it’s being prepared.

Professionally, I want to stretch my strategic muscles and contribute to strong brand growth with sound strategy.

… And of course, I want to continue blogging on integrated marketing communications and how social media fits.

Q – #7    Hehe! To close today, what advice would you give to people looking to do they type of work that you do?

A: I learned the most by asking a lot of questions. Fortunately, I am surrounded by smart peeps @goeast!

Attending #mimasummit’s and #smbmsp events has been helpful. Also, @LinkedIn has great resources and ways to connect.

@JoelECarlson – Questions & events…good plan! Thank you @KirsiDahl for your comments and your time today! Stay warm & be safe in the new snow.

@KirsiDahl - Thanks! I enjoyed our time together this morning. Time to refill my tea and think about how to drive home.

We probably all do it to some degree, leave emails that we want to keep as a record of an important point or document on our email account. We want to be able to use the SEARCH function on our email account to be able to find something easily. Maybe we’ve even set up a file system within our email account to categorize the various saved emails that we have.

In principle, that’s a great idea and can prove very helpful and useful. But what if that email account provider goes away?  What if it’s not that they’re purchased by another company, but instead, fold due financial reasons and competition. Then what?

This thought came to me when there were layoffs this past week at Yahoo! and also because they’ve acknowledging that they’re having some financial problems due to competition.  What if Yahoo! were just to completely go away and all of the SAVED emails that we have, were just to *poof*, go away.  Where would that leave us?

While not EVERY email that we’ve saved is critical/crucial/private/confidential, some no doubt are though.  It’s true that computers were introduced and developed to help the world to become a “paperless society”, sometimes though you HAVE TO have a hard copy to keep a record of something. So what to do?

For all of the critical/crucial/private/confidential emails that you may have, it would be a good idea to, dare I say it, PRINT a copy of them for your records. Put them in a REAL file folder and mark it as to the category that it fits into.  Then you can be MORE certain that when you need to refer to it and look at it, that there will be a copy that you can actual have in your hands.  This isn’t a “The Sky is Falling” post. Just a reminder to make sure that you protect and have access to what’s important to you. YOU have the control and the power. Don’t always leave it to others to be responsible for what’s important to you.

Have you ever thought about this?

@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone, and welcome to the Food-Friday Twitterview of @StephMarch. Set your timers to 1hr and lets get cooking!

Q – #1    So @stephmarch, where did you grow up and what led you to doing the work that you do today?

A: I am a Minny girl, from the Orono area, and I guess I am just always hungry.

Q – #2    Obviously by your Twitter Avatar image, you are in the food business. What kind of work specifically do you do?

A: I am currently the food editor for MSP Magazine and I have a radio show on MyTalk 107.1 called Weekly Dish.

Q – #3    So for the @MSPmag, are you given assignments as to places to check out, or do you do your own “hunting”?

A: I am the one who doles out the assignments, which means that I am rabidly watching all media for mentions of new places.

Q – #4    Ah! So do you work then with @DeRushaEats & @FreshTartSteph? Any new trends in restaurants in MSP right now?

A: wow. Nice gaffe :) While I love and appreciate those cats, they write for “the competition”. I’m at @MSPMag.

As for trends, it seems to be all about cassoulet, agnolotti and octopus right now. And you can bet the small plate revolution

going to keep on keeping on. Plus I think you’ll see other cities grasping more in the way we do. And bourbon, It’s all about bourbon

Q – #5    OOOPS! My sincere apologies to you and @MSPmag. :)  Any trends that you’ve seen locally that will continue?

A: Hakuna matata! I also think you’ll see a lot more cross-collaboration between restos. Like when @ScottPampuch cooked at

The Local the other night. This generation of chef buddies that’s currently at the stoves all like to hang and travel together,

despite the different employers. It’s going to be a fun ride over the next couple of years.

Q – #6    What do you see or envision with the coffee shop & cupcake scenes? Will they continue to grow?

A: I think the coffee scene is blooming right now, what with all the fiends doing one-cup brewing. I’m a fan. So I think

we’ll still see growth there, but not hugely like Starbux, because it’s anti-commodity. Cupcakes aren’t dead, but might

have a little while longer. They’re fun, but places like @patisserie46 and Solveig’s new Sun Street breads will lead a new level of

baking in town. Also, donuts are the next cupcakes.

Q – #7    I’ve tried @YoYoDonuts and they are fabulous! Now your Favorite: casual restaurant, store, winter activity & grocery.

A: Picking a fave resto is like choosing a fave kid (of which I have 4), but I will say that I like burgers at Lion’s Tap

and I’m enamored with the pizza @PizzeriaLola and I can’t stop thinking about the dry rub wings @ PsychoSuzis. Winter is for braising

and dark beer drinking. Although I am known to road run in the snow to keep the size of my butt manageable. Grocery is a toughie, I

stop at a lot of places to get what I want, and yes I buy giant pork shoulders at costco so that I can have pulled pork for days, but

I’m a Kowalski’s fan, but more often frequent Lunds.

Q – #8    How have you found the use of Social Media for getting your thoughts, ideas and views out to your audience to be?

A: I luff it. I am ridiculously addicted to the twitter and I think it brings foodies, especially, close together. I love

when people tweet about what they’ve eaten, it helps give a good understanding of what restos are doing from the eaters perspective

My fam gets a little annoyed when I tweet during dinner, but whatevs. I think the conversations about food are fresh and driven by

hunger and passion and heart. You don’t find that in a lot of industries. Nobody in carpentry is tweeting about carving, are they?

Q – #9    Ah, I don’t think so. The foodies literally talk from their gut right? :) Any advice for future food writer/reviewers?

A: Food writers/reviewers need some credibility, I think, so I’d say get your butt in a resto job at least once. You can’t

really measure a place unless you’ve been in their shoes in some way shape or form. Also, eat everything. If you don’t think you like

shrimp or bleu cheese, eat it at least 10 times. And then keep trying it. Breaking into the paid world of food writing is super hard

you have to make connections and be out there with a real and unique voice. So keep tweeting and meeting and eating. Sorry :)

@JoelECarlson – Good advice from someone that knows! Thank you very much @stephmarch for your time and insights today. Have a great evening!

@StephMarch – Cheers! Off to Happy Hour!!! With Bourbon!

@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone following, and welcome to the Twitterview of local Twin Cities PR-guy @cbetancourtPR. Lets get our Tweet on!

Q – #1    So @cbetancourtPR, where did you grow up, and what kind of schooling/training did you receive to do the work that you do now?

A: I grew up near downtown in NE Mpls and attended the University of Minnesota, where I studied PR (@umn_sjmc) and policial science.

Interestingly, I started as a poly sci major and fell into PR while working on a US Senate campaign.

While working on the campaign, I produced a love for PR and declared PR as my second major. I had an amazing experience at @umn_sjmc!

Q – #2    @cbetancourtPR So what kind of PR work do you do now, and is blogging involved?

A: Currently, I my job is charged with creating online content (blogs) for our legal clients, who are mostly law firms.

On any given week, I write 30+ blog posts on topics ranging from DUI to car accidents and drug trafficking to medical malpractice.

Additionally, my group is also exploring new ways to support law firms in other social media capacities. Never a dull moment :)

What’s great about my position is that I get to research and develop stories on various topics, like a journalist would.

Q – #3    I see. Now when you blog, are Key Words or SEO important in the making of your posts?

A: Absolutely, when blogging, this is a key consideration. Clients want interesting, original content that drives traffic to their site.

SEO is critical to my position. Being about to write creatively while mixing in SEO keywords and making them flow is key.

Im thankful for the SEO training I obtained in college, other positions and at my current job. Its an invaluable skill to have in PR.

As PR continues to be charged with online content creation and SM, SEO skills will continue to be important to the profession!

Q – #4    @cbetancourtPR Now what kind of work did you do in the past with @lulugrimm & @kmskala regarding PR locally?

A: I currently work with @lulugrimm & @kmskala on the Comm Committee for @MinnesotaPRSA.

Currently, I serve as the social media lead for @MinnesotaPRSA and I manage all the social sites for the org.

@Lulugrimm and @kmskala lead our awesome committee of bright minds and we continue to push the envelope when it comes to Social

@MinnesotaPRSA has been a great playground for us to experiment with social media.

Q – #5    Good to hear from @lulugrimm & @kmskala on your work @cbetancourtPR! What are some other groups/orgs that you are a part of?

A: In addition to @minnesotaPRSA, I serve on the marketing board for a nonprofit, ARC Greater Twin Cities.

Currently, I’m assisting ARC to create an online presence and assist in other mktg activities. They own Value Village, so its fun too

For the most part, @MinnesotaPRSA keeps me busy the most, which I love.

Q – #6    Let move you your FAVORITES: Restaurant, store, sport(s), Mpls Neighborhood & gadget.

A: Fave Restaurants: Chino Latino, Stella’s, Fogo de Chao, Cafeteria, anything Mexican :), True Thai, Pizza Luce. I know Im missing some

Fave Stores: Macys, @mallofamerica, Best Buy, Apple and any other store where I can fiddle with things :)

I live in NE Mpls and I love the stores/pubs around my neighborhood: Surdyks, Bulldog, Whiteys, Gastofs, etc.

Fav Gadgets: my blackberry, blu-ray player, Wii. Others I wish I owned: ipad, Macbook Air, Flip Cam.

Q – #7    For high school/college students interested in PR, what would you encourage them to do to learn/experience?

A: HS: I encourage them to shadow PR pros and really learn what we do. Its not for everyone and not everyone can do it.

College: I encourage them to be involved in #PRSSA and do as many internships you can. Invaluable experience.

Also, take some business classes. Company’s want PR pros that speak the language of business. Probably my most important advice!

@JoelECarlson – Thank you @cbetancourtPR for your time and your in depth comments today. Have a great weekend & enjoy the winter!

@cbetancourtPR – Thx!

@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone, and welcome to the Twitterview of @stremcha, a self proclaimed Geek of the Twin Cities. Lets get started!

Q – #1    To start @stremcha, please share where you grew up and what kind of schooling/training you received that led you to what you do now.

A: I physically grew-up in Northfield, MN – about 45 mi straight south of the city on I-35.

Professionally, I grew-up @concordiastpaul working in alumni relations.

I’ve earned a BA from @csbsju and an MA from @concordiastpaul

Q – #2    Smarty pants! :) So what kind of work do you do?

A: Nah. I just like to learn.

I work for @childrensmn in the foundation raising money to advance children’s health in MN and the upper-Midwest.

My focus is online fundraising, so I use web content, social media, email and mobile technology to raise money.

I also work closely with @randyran and @cavan to engage patients and families online to support the hospital.

Practically, I do work support all of our fundraising teams: events, cause-marketing/corporate relations…

…and our major and planned giving teams.

Functionally, I’m part of the ‘annual’ team, so I also work to connect our direct mail fundraising online.

Q – #3    Lots of work I can imagine. Have you seen the economy make a hit on your efforts?

A: We’ve been fortunate and seen our fundraising results run counter to the larger national trends.

We had a record fundraising year last year, and I think will have another strong year this year.

There’s a couple reasons for that, IMHO.

1) Historically, the foundation raised money with a relatively small staff focused on direct mail and events.

We’ve grown the team and diversified our efforts to include corporate relationships and more emphasis on major giving.

We’ve also seen substantial growth by focusing on online gifts.

2) Unlike some, we were never dependent on grant funding from fdtns(which reduced giving as a result of reduced assets)

Q – #4    What kind of departments or functions have been helped by your efforts?

A: We raise money online for a wide variety of areas in the hospital.

On the events side, the Cancer Kids fund and Cardiovascular Care are big beneficiaries.

In general, we provide support for Clinical Excellence, Family-Centered Care and Community Care.

Check-out http://tearstotriumph.org

As a hospital caring for kids, we focus a lot on experience: helping kids understand whats going on and be comfortable.

We believe @ChildrensMN that experience results in better clinical outcomes/healing.

…but insurance doesn’t cover it, so philanthropy/generosity/donors/giving play a big role.

Giving helps provide care to those who can’t afford it.

Q – #5    Lets now focus attention on you. Why do you consider yourself a geek? What elements of proof can you provide?

A: 4% of the population/6% uses Twitter. Those are daily activites for me. Clearly that puts me in a minority

I also like spreadsheets and data visualization a lot. I read. I cook. I don’t watch much TV.

In short, I do a lot of stuff the world doesn’t think of as ‘cool.’ I guess that’s why I think I’m a geek.

That and my co-workers tell me so! :-)

Q – #6    Geeks are the “New Black”, so you’re cool! Now to favorites: restaurant, store, MSP neighborhood & tech gadget.

A: I’m not much for favorites, so how about lists?

@JoelECarlson – Sure, like Top 5 would be fine.

Restuarants: I like the Highland and Longfellow Grills a lot; Supatra’s Thai; Cheeky Monkey; Brasa; and Pizza Luce.

I like the beer selection at the Happy Gnome a bunch.

Store: far and away – Costco! (more evidence of geekiness)

Neighborhood: I’m squarely a St. Paul guy: Highland Park, Mac/Groveland, Summit/Grand, Selby/Dale/Cathedral hill, Dwtn.

TechGadget: my iPhone, although I’m not really a gadget guy.

Apps: Angry Birds Seasons, Pulse News, NYT, iMapMyRun

Coffeeshop: @kopplins

Q – #7    If you could have any 1 guest (dead/alive) eat dinner with you, who would you pick and why?

A: I had in school suspension once in my life. This was the ? on which I had to write an essay, so I don’t like it much.

I’m going to say Mary Meeker.

She’s been on the right side of a lot IPOs; I’m fascinated with mobile; and, now she’s a VC.

Q – #8    I understand. What goal(s) do you have for yourself either professionally or personally for the near future?

A: Professionally, in December; it’s important to kid’s health we raise $ for @ChildrensMN (& online is my part of that)

Pro. more broadly, I’m working to help nonprofits, hospitals and fundraisers understand the value of online tools.

Personally, I try to be a good, healthy dad and husband.

@JoelECarlson – Thank you so much for your time and comments today @stremcha. You are doing a good work for children in need!

@stremcha – Thanks for including me – it’s been fun!