Hello, and welcome to today’s Twitterview with my guest @rohnjaymiller. He’s a Minnesota smarty, so we can’t keep him waiting. :)
Q – #1 To start with @rohnjaymiller, where did you grow up, go to school and where have you lived?
Rohn: I’m from MSP, have a J degree from U of M, earned MFA in film directing at USC in LA + lived mostly in SFO. Back to MSP in 2003.
started an interactive agency in SF in 1993 called Ikonic. We sold to USWeb and I worked at Knight Ridder newspapers as SVP Tech+Product
Q – #2 What’s your #UofM degree in, and what got you interested in film directing?
Rohn: My degree is in Journalism, and I just had a dream about working in film. USC was a fantastic experience. Lots of friends there
I graduated from film school on a Friday, following Monday started 8 week CD-ROM project and I’ve been in itneractive ever since
Q – #3 After working at Knight Ridder, where did you work next? How did you end up eventually back in Minnesota?
Rohn: KnightRidder was downsizing and execs were offered great packages. I wanted to start a biz and my wife got a great job at Target
My wife is a fashionista, so we’ve always been in different businesses. But her job allowed me to be more entreprenural.
She’s at Gander Mountain now and I’m sitting in a campsite at the new CoCo in Mpls, building an office here.
Now we have two smart, confident daughters who are growing up in one of the greatest places to be a kid on planet Earth–MSP
Q – #3 Nice situation! Now that you’re with Native Instinct, based in SFO, what kind of projects do you work on? What’s the Flip Cam story?
Rohn: My partners met the Flip camera people when they were still in the garage start-up. Worked with them for 4 years. Build e-commerce
Native Instinct works with a kind of agile marketing philosophy, which I’m a huge advocate of. Build, meansure, evolve. Don’t assume
I’m currently working with Dell, Wells Fargo and a stealth start-up in Las Vegas. Just wish I had clients in the TC. Great community
My practice is content and social strategy. It’s what Native Instinct didn’t have. Now I spend a lot of time writing and wrangling
Social strategy projects tend to be small, consultative. You’re really there to help the client own social media
Q – #4 Do you feel that your line of work is in a transition period, growth or how would you describe it?
Rohn: Our biz generally is in steady growth mode, but you have to be changing personally. Social, mobile, fast tech dev are huge changes
And you have to have a POV. Clients won’t hire just expertize. We’re very big on Lean Strategy with agile philosophy
Lean planning will become much better known in the next few years. Don’t spend millions on media with one big campaign. It’s insane
Q – #5 More bang with less bucks? :) @rohnjaymiller Who are some New Media Smarties that you’ve been able to benefit from connecting with?
Rohn: @farrahbostic @madebymany @neilperkin @paulisakson @adrianho @danielincandela @kipbot All brilliant, decent people who give much
There are many more I could name. I do think the UK agency @madebymany is very, very much worth looking at. Make a note of them
Q – #6 To build ideas and stimulate creativity, blog and book reading is helpful. What have you read lately that you enjoyed?
Rohn: I vowed to read a book a week this year. So far fairly good. Right now “Making Things Happen” by Scott Belsky.
“Elements of Content Strategy” by @kissane is the Strunk and Whites of content strategy
Also mention Neil Perkins blog “Only Dead Fish” a great weekly compendium of stuff he finds and his posts: http://bit.ly/BfMB3
@Rick_Now and @arainert @leeodden @halvorson all bring a lot to their blogs and posts
And @JoelECarlson :)
Q – #7 More about you: Favorite(s) – Restaurant, store, comfort food, non-tech activity, MSP neighborhood.
Rohn: I do all the cooking at home! Restaurant Alma run by Alex Roberts is brilliant. Comfort food: I make risotto once a wk. Grilling
Food Network is my daughter’s favorite station. We’re over the moon about “Next Network Food Star!”
Non-tech: I’m nuts about X-country skiing in the deep woods. Great for body and soul, and makes you love the winter.
We live near Kenwood Park, where I go roller skiing in summer. I do fine, but I nearly kill a pedestrian every time I go out!
Q – #8 Warning, @rohnjaymiller crossing signs needed. :) If you could share a meal with any 1 person (dead/alive) who would you pick?
Rohn: One dinner: Well Jesus would have to top list, Christian or not, just to see what’s true. My hero is Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-NY
Daniel Moynihan was a giant of domestic and foreign policy + many, many “deals” in the US Senate. We miss him now, esp.
Q – #9 Final question, what would you recommend for college students looking to get into your field to learn?
Rohn: My 15 year old daughter is starting a blog on food in the TC this Fall. I couldn’t be prouder :)
Advice: start blogging now, preferably as part of existing blog. Learn tech and copy editing, but really dive into design strategy
Don’t be afraid of “business strategy” from MBAs. the best business minds go into business and build that brain muscle themselves
Thanks for the interview, @JoelECarlson It’s an honor to be part of a great series.
@JoelECarlson: No thank YOU! You were LONG overdue as a guest on #jectv! Have your daughter follow the #MNFoodBloggers group too.