Good afternoon everybody! :) Welcome to the #jectv Twitterview of actress/singer/host @THunnewell (Tara Hunnewell). On with the show!

Tara:    Thanks Joel!! Great to be here.

To start off with Tara. Tell us a little bit about where you grew and what what you’re interests were as a kid/teenager.

Tara:    Grew up in Cape Cod. My first love.. believe it or not was playing the trumpet! I was always a dancer from the age of 2

Also always singing/performing for my family, making costumes from a box of old dresses and jewelry my mother gave me.

After you got out of HS, what course did you take in your life?

Tara:    I started training to be classical a singer in highschool, attended the prestigious Tanglewood Institute Opera Program

After HS I decided to move to the big city to continue my training as an actress and a singer. #NYC was calling me!

I received my BFA in acting with a minor in business and philosophy at Marymount Manhattan College.

Singer AND actress. How long did you get training, and were there times that you just wanted to quit?

Tara:    I have been training my whole life and continue to train. I think it is important to always continue to grow and learn.

Yes, there are times when you want to throw the towel in.. we all encounter road blocks along the way. This is life.

Quitting was never an option. I was driven to learn about the business of show business.

Good attitude! So when did you get you’re first “break” in being able to use your talents?

Tara:    Hard to determine my first big ‘break’.. As an artist, we are so funny.. the big ‘break’ is always around the corner

There have been many landmarks in my life that have given me opportunities to grow, as an artist and as a person.

Example, my first audition after I graduated was for ‘The Ohmies’ a musical I spent several years traveling with.

When I moved to LA, the first film I acted in, ‘Wonderland Park’, led to many amazing creative collaborations

I wrote a song ‘I Believe in Love’ which led me to Airline Ambassadors, an amazing charity org I continue to support.

I see. Who are some people that you’ve been able to work with that some following us might know?

Tara:    I have been very fortunate to have worked with many incredible people, in my humanitarian work as well as creative.

I want to ask this about you, how have you been able to use Social Media for good purposes?

Tara:    Hugely important! We are now able to create awareness and start conversations about important issues.

I am working right now on a startup called #TradeUp which is the first real time game with real goods.

We are incorporating a charity angle with this, utilizing social media, gaming, trading and giving back.

Did we lose you Tara? What are some events/shows that you’ve been able to host in your career?

Tara:    I often host w @realtvfilms Toyota Grand Prix, LA Comedy Shorts Film Fest, and will be at Cannes next month

Tara, #TradeUp sounds like a GREAT idea! Anytime soon that a prototype might be seen?

Tara:    Yes! Stay tuned. We will be in Beta soon. People can apply to be part of our premiere round of trading.

Imagine.. You can trade a paper clip to a car in almost no time!

Joel:    Thank you very much Tara for sharing some of your life and your #TradeUp idea. I hope that it works out for you!

Tara:    Thank You!! It’s been a pleasure. :)

Good morning everyone on this #WetSnowWednesday in MN! Today’s #MNMOtv guest is Lori of @LoriJulia. Lets find out more about her!

Welcome @LoriJulia! Thanks for joining #MNMOtv today. To start off with Lori, where did you grow up and go to school?

Lori:    Air Force brat but Bk to Duluth East (go greyhounds) & UMD (go bulldogs) for college! Japan phillipines, Michigan other places

I forgot hastag. I’m used to talking rather than two way tests. I have been a one way tweeter only!

You’ll get the hang of it. :) What did you major in when you were in college, and what was your first job out of school?

Lori:    Majored in communications!! Minored journalism & psychology …spring break trip director daytona beach 1st job after college

That sounds about right! :) When then did you first meet and connect with Julia? When did you both have a radio show?

Lori:   Met Julia in ’92 at carlson con’s (co-workers) so 20 yrs of friendship. This yr “)…married her brother 7 yrs later.

In June we are celebrating 10yrs on air! We are smart & lucky.

Is it easier when you know your co-host so well?

Lori:    We became fast friends at work (ski “work” trip!, marry her brother) so after 20 yrs of amazing friendship we’re sister’s!

You and Julia cover a lot of celebrity gossip, fashion and award show news. Has the quality of the shows dropped to you?

Lori:    There are so many shows but we have fav.’s….Wish morning Tv wasn’t getting more into that arena tho!

Adore adore fashion police on E! It’s must watch. Joan rivers is having the last red carpet laugh! Love that!

If you could be ANY celebrity for a day, who would you like to be and why? Be nice! :)

Lori:    I would be angelina (brad,beauty,6 kids only 1 day). Julia would be aniston,Sandra bullock or jlo (dep on mood!)

Joel:    Thanks Lori for your time and comments today on #MNMOtv! You’ve learned something NEW today too. 2-way Tweeting! :)

If a person only ever ate food with jalapeno or ghost peppers, would anything stand out? It would all be hot to the taste and touch, but isn’t it true that “variety is the spice of life” as the saying goes? Does everything need to be hot?

In today’s tech/social hungry world, people are constantly wondering, “what’s the latest…” this or that, “what’s the hottest in. . .” to make sure that they are on top of it all and aren’t missing out. While I’ll agree that it’s good to stay on top of things like trends, does everything that we do have to be the best or latest?  I still chuckle when I ask someone about their smartphone, and they feel bad about having the previous model, when that model that they have is a year or less old. Your smartphone didn’t even exist 2 years ago! It’s okay to have the one that’s in your hands right now!

While it’s good to stay caught up on reading what the latest social media platform is that’s taking off, or find out which App can save you the most time with a particular task, it’s also good to once an awhile take a breath, and be happy with the place that you’re at currently. It’s okay to be a trend watcher, but you don’t have to live as a trend. It’s good to know what lies ahead, but we also need to enjoy the now in life.

Zoe Francois is a very accomplished and successful pastry chef and author. Not only has she done well locally in the Twin Cities with her work at a variety of restaurants, but she has also done well globally in launching 3 very successful cookbooks dealing with baking, and baking that’s done in only 5 minutes as all of her book titles will tell you.

So how did she get to be so accomplished in her work? What future plans does she have? In her video interview, Zoe Francois talks about the origins for her passion for baking. She then talks about how she became a cookbook author and why her books encourage speed and simplicity. She ends this segment by talking about future books and writings that she’s currently working on.

Good morning everyone! Are you ready to follow the Twitterview of @elizabethries? Lets see how she’s doing today!

Elizabeth:    Hi @JoelECarlson and everyone! Thanks for taking the time to check out my Twitterview!

Good morning @elizabethries! :) How’s the morning going for you so far? Working on prep for today’s show?

Elizabeth:    Morning is great so far…taking my dog Henry on a shoot today for @twincities_live. @JoelECarlson

Sounds like fun! I’m guessing you’ve brought dog treats just in case? :) To start off then, where did you grow up?

Elizabeth:    haha, always have a stash. I grew up in Apple Valley. Go Eagles! :)

So you know MN well. :) When did the desire to do TV hit you, and how did you progress to get to @TwinCities_Live?

Elizabeth:    I knew I wanted to work in TV from a young age..about 13. I went through a mentorship program at AVHS. My mentor was…

Amelia Santaniello at @WCCOBreaking. She was a great teacher & influence! Went to UW-Madison and did internships.

I had anchor/reporter jobs in Duluth, Green Bay and Minneapolis before getting the job at @TwinCities_Live.

Mentors are so helpful in life! You also do “Dirt Alerts” for @MyTalk1071. Had you done radio work before?

Elizabeth:    I filled in on mornings at an oldies radio station in Green Bay for a while, but that’s all. Radio is a blast!

Beyond video vs audio, how do you see TV and radio work being different from each other? Why do you enjoy radio?

Elizabeth:    Radio is more free-flowing and laid back…and on @mytalk1071 there’s lots of time to chat! plus, no makeup needed! :)

I’m lucky to get to do both for locally owned stations

A nice balance of fun! How long have you been on @TwinCities_Live, and do you miss reporting on hard news much?

Elizabeth:    I’ve been on @TwinCities_Live almost 3 years. I don’t miss hard news…although I appreciate what I learned thru it.

Besides working together, do you and @EmilyEngberg and @Johntcl of @TwinCities_Live do much after-hours together?

Elizabeth:    Definitely! @EmilyEngberg and @Johntcl are my great friends. We love going to see Em’s husband @Dustin_Lee perform.

That’s great! When you have down time, what kinds of things do you enjoy doing? Do you explore Mpls/St.Paul much?

Elizabeth:    Absolutely! Mostly through food. Then I work out :) And @twincities_live is the best way to find out what’s happening!

When viewers tell me they did something they saw on @twincities_live it’s the most rewarding thing.

So are you more of a baker or a cook? What’s on your menu for this week?

Elizabeth:    Love both! The @twincities_live ate brownies I made yesterday. I’m obsessed with poaching eggs right now…

My sister @JennyMRies makes quinoa, veggies and tops with a poached egg all the time. I need to make that this week!

Joel:    Great idea! I’ve had quinoa, but not like that. :) Thanks for your time today Elizabeth, and have a great show!

Elizabeth:    Thanks @JoelECarlson! It was great to Tweet with you! And for the record…I’m fully Pinterest obsessed now!

Good Friday afternoon to everybody following #jectv! Lets get rolling with Dustee Tucker Jenkins @ABullsEyeView of @Target.

Dustee:    Ready to go!

Lets get started. Please explain what this Twitter account represents in connection with @Target Dustee.

Dustee:    We’re @Target’s behind-the-scenes online magazine, sharing news, insights & our brand’s best stories.

Okay. What was the strategy/reasoning behind developing a magazine for a retail store like @Target?

Dustee:    People are always asking: What’s it like inside Target? This platform allows us to creatively tell our brand story. (DTJ)

It’s focused on three things: storytelling, sharing news & building brand affinity. (DTJ)

I see. Who then will be the voices/writers of the information? Will Ads/deals appear online as well?

Dustee:    The site is managed by our Comm team, and the voice of the site is centered around storytelling. (DTJ)

Our focus isn’t on selling you a pair of yellow shoes, it’s to tell you why yellow is great for spring. (DTJ)

When did it it launch, and what are a few examples of topics that are currently being covered?

Dustee:    We launched Sept. 2011 during #NYFW to tell the Missoni for Target story. (DTJ)

Recent story highlights include an interview w/our new CMO @JJJ_Mpls & a series about #EarthMonth @Target. (DTJ)

The Missoni line was definitely “hot” for @Target! Will announcements about other lines come from the magazine?

Dustee:    Absolutely! We’ve got some really exciting news we’ll be breaking on the site in the coming weeks. Stay tuned! (DTJ)

Super! In addition to the online magazine, how has using Social Media helped @Target connect with their customers?

Dustee:    We’re proud of our relationship w/our guests & social media is a great way for them to share feedback w/us. (DTJ)

@Target wants to be where our guests are & that’s increasingly engaged on social channels. (DTJ)

What are the main @Target channels that customers should be aware of so that they’re heard and connect properly?

Dustee:    We make it easy for guests to connect w/us via social! On Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and now w/our online mag, ABV. (DTJ)

I’m glad you mentioned @Pinterest. Any issues with people pinning images from any of the @Target websites?

Dustee:    We love seeing @Target images shared on Pinterest! I recently joined & enjoy getting lost in the inspiration. (DTJ

Joel:    Good to know! Well thank you for being a guest on #jectv and sharing info about www.abullseyeview.com. Take care Dustee!

Dustee:    Thanks for having me @JoelECarlson! Please keep following ABV & hope to see you around town soon. (DTJ)

Mike Rynchek is an entrepreneur and the company that he started, Spyder Trap, has continued to grow year after year. Mike is the President and CEO of his company that offers online marketing to a growing number of companies. Though his company had primarily focused on the the healthcare industry in the beginning, it has since expanded into other fields. Get to know what makes Mike tick and what he hopes to do, along with his company, in the near future. In Part 1 of Mike interview, he shares why he decided to create Spyder Trap and what it’s niche is. He talks about how Social Media has changed things for Spyder Trap and his strong interest in Foursquare.  (Come back to see Part 2 on WED and Part 3 on THU.)

In Part 2 of Mike Rynchek’s interview, he talks about his vision for the future of his company, Spyder Trap. Mike shares his view of the marketing industry in Minnesota and answers some questions from Twitter and Facebook. He ends with talking about what he does in his spare time and his view of how rural areas are using technology.

In Part 3 of Mike’s interview. Get a guided tour of the expanded Spyder Trap headquarters, located in Minneapolis.