Good afternoon everybody! Sorry for the delay. Today’s #jectv Twitterview is with @CoreyLAnderson of the @MinnPost. Lets go!

Corey:    For a second, I thought I was going to get twood up by

So Corey, share a little about yourself. Where did you grow up and go to school?

Corey:    I grew up on a farm south of Hector, MN (pop.1,110 or so) and moved to Mpls after high school to attend MCAD

What did you focus on learning at MCAD, and how did you get to start using your schooling in the workforce?

Corey:    I studied illustration and graphic design while at MCAD – long enough ago that it involved marker renderings & colored pencils

… as well as some preliminary computer graphic design. Soon after graduating I got a job designing ads for Comedy Gallery…

… show biz! The big time! Laid off after six months. Soon became an intern, then fulll-time at @citypages.

When did you connect with @MinnPost, and how did the redesign of their website go at the early stages?

Corey:    I joined MinnPost in Aug ’07, a few months before launch. Thanks to @bigboxcar, then @Kaeti and @gortonstudios, redesign was

not a very painful experience. We knew how we wanted to improve the site – the look, user experience, etc and took our time.

That’s good! Once the redesign was done, what kind of response has there been to it and has traffic improved?

Corey:    Very positive from most on design and more pages viewed per visit, which was one of our top goals…

Mobile numbers are up as well – the reactive design has enabled better @MinnPost reading on mobile and pads.

That’s great! It’s a nice design for sure. So beyond your work, what other interest/hobbies do you enjoy?

Corey:    I play bocce on Tuesdays at @NomadPubMpls trying to love camping. Any activity where you can also drink beer – I’m in.

I’m also in a book club – current pick is “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.” Very good so far.

Do you get to network with the web design community in MN much? If so, what’s the skill level here?

Corey:    I’d like to more. During the initial growth stage at @MinnPost I was sort of chained to my desk, but more recently…

‘ve been able to attend some breakfasts, ONA meetings, etc. Great MN designers & journalists and I need to know more.

Joel:    Thanks Corey for your time today and sharing some of your thoughts and life on #jectv Twitterviews. Have a great afternoon!

Corey:    Thank you, Joel, it was very fun! Hope to see you in real life over a beer some time.

Christina Sandok is a specialist in authentic design. Her company, Style Architects, helps companies achieve better branding and presentation of themselves to the public.

She presents a very professional and tailored image, and she aims to share her skills, and those of her team,  with her clients so that they are always putting their best foot forward. He company covers a variety of areas, from personal assistance to assisting entire companies.

Her skills have caught the eyes of many, and so she also has had the opportunity to work with magazines for photo shoots and is also used as a source for sharing her ideas with their readers. How though did she get to be so successful and become so recognized for her skills and abilities?

In part 1 of the Christina Sandok interview, Christina talks about how her early years helped her develop her interest and passion for authentic design. She then finishes in talking about what led her to start Style Architects and what it’s focus is.

In part 2 of the Christina Sandok interview, Christina talks about her company, Style Architects, and what kinds of things that they offer to businesses. She answers some style questions and shares some of her personal favorites.

In part 3 of her interview, Christina Sandok talks about staring her business, Style Architects, where you might be surprised to find her shopping and then ends with giving a tour of her new office space.

Welcome to today’s @MNMOmag Twitterview with Susie Peterson, the owner of @Suzetra on 50th & France. Lets get started!

Susie:    Sounds great Joel. I’m looking forward to it!

To start off with, share a little about yourself Susie. Where did you grow up and what did you like to do as a child?

Susie:    I grew up in West St. Paul, MN and although I enjoyed playing sports which included Soccer, Ringette (a girls form of hockey

we didn’t have girls hockey back then I mostly enjoyed shopping with my mom, Grandma and Aunt.They would take me to downtown St Paul

and we would take the bus downtown and I thought that was the coolest thing!

Sounds like fun! When did you first get really interested in clothes and retail?

Susie:    I was always interested in Clothing and dress up. Most kids outgrow dressing up in their moms clothes, but I never did. I was at

the Signal Hills Mall with my Mom at a store called the Stables and I was playing with the accessories and outfits-I was10 years old

I had 2 Great Aunts who were retail buyers at the time. One at Marshal Fields and the other in Duluth MN. My Mom explained to me

to me what it is that buyers do and she thought I was really good at it. So I asked my Grandma what her sister did as a buyer

and I asked my Aunt about the buying trips that she got to go on with my Great Aunt and from the ripe old age of 10 I was hooked!

Great story. When then did you start to get the feeling that you wanted to open up a boutique and decide on the name?

Susie:    Opening up a boutique was always a “Dream” of mine Something that I always strived for, but either it wasn’t the right time location

etc. So life went went about. Recently I was living in another state one that suffered terribly from the economic downturn and

and consequently I was laid off twice in 3 years. Opening a boutique was no longer a dream, but a reality There was no better time

than the present So I moved home and everything fell into place and I found a great location It’s great having support of friends

and family. I love cathching up with old friends when they stop in!

So how did you come up with the name, and what kind of style of clothes do you feature?

Susie:    Long Story short, but I got the nickname Suzetra in French class and thought that would be a perfect name for my boutique, Since I’m

ocated off of 50th and France the name fit perfectly! I have an assortment of cocktail wear to casual wear. I wanted to create

that was different than the rest in the sense of one boutique carries jeans, another one dresses. I wanted a boutique one stop shop.

What’s the price range of your clothes and what are your hours of operation?

Susie:    Suzetra’s hours are Monday- Saturday 10-6 and on Sunday from 12-5 I get a lot of feedback about my customers liking my price points

Many of the styles are priced below $100 with the exception of jackets, Holiday and premium denim. Shirts range from $28-$80 and

non premium denim starts at $80-$100.

Do you have any specials that you’re running right now?

Susie:    Yes I do. 50% off dresses!

Joel:    Thanks Susie very much for sharing your story today on #MNMOtv. All the best with your store in a great retail neighborhood.

Susie:    Thanks Joel!

Jamie Yuccas started working for WCCO-tv in the summer of of 2011, and promptly starting working on the Saturday Morning show, along with co-host Matt Brinkman. Jamie grew up in Minnesota and no doubt jumped at the chance to cover the news in her home state.

In this 3-part interview with her, you’ll learn about her working career and what some of her interests and talents are, as well as some of her likes and dislikes.  Find out if all of the teasing that Matt Brickman does about her cooking is real or not.  What does she like doing with her time off, and who does she enjoy spending time with?

In part 1 of the Jammie Yuccas interview, she talks about why she got interested in journalism and the news in the first place. She then goes on to share some of her stories about other news stations that she worked before coming to WCCO, and what those experiences were like for her.

In part 2 of her interview, Jamie Yuccas talks about her work in Florida and her decision to move back to Minnesota. How she was able to connect with Matt Brickman and create great chemistry for their Saturday Morning television show. She ends by discussing her cooking skills and her exercise regiment.

In part 3 of her interview, Jamie Yuccas talks about her pets, what she’s afraid of, what makes her the happiest, what sound irritates her the most and what time of day is her favorite.

I’ve been able to visit a few of the Blue Plate Restaurant locations over the years. The Edina Grill,  Longfellow Grill and The Lowry. So the Highland Grill would be my 4th location to try and see what I though of their food.  I went at lunchtime, and there was a big banner touting that they had a new menu, so it was good to see what they offered now.

The restaurants space was very crowded, and so that’s generally a good sign of a good place to eat at if it’s hard to find a space to sit. I did find a seat near the windows, and proceeded to look at the menu to figure out what I would like to eat. I first noticed a number of breakfast items on their menu, but it was already past noon, so I didn’t figure that they’d have any of those items available, but I was wrong, breakfast was still available. My stomach, mind and heart were all happy about that! So I looked through the menu, and there were a number of good options to choose from.  After whittling down my options, I decided to go with pancakes and hash browns.  By the description on the menu, I was looking forward to it, and it didn’t disappoint!

To be specific, what I ordered was the 3 oatmeal pancakes with granola, blueberries and sliced banana on top of them with maple syrup.  I am someone that is kind of picky about their pancakes.  I don’t like them too thick and breadish, and I don’t like them doughy or dry.  These were non of them. They had a great consistency and tasted very good and healthy. The hash browns were a little mushy at their core, but not bad.

Overall I had a good experience at the Highland Grill. The waitress was friendly, helpful and very attentive to the wants and needs of the table.  If you’re in the Highland neighborhood in St. Paul and looking for a good place to eat, check out the Highland Grill.

Highland Grill – 771 South Cleveland Avenue  Saint Paul, MN 55116

(651) 690-1173

Welcome everyone to the #MNMOtv Twitterview with @dylandhicks. A classmate of mine from Jr. High. :) Lets get started!

Dylan:    Okay, I’m here.

So to get things started @dylandhicks, share a little about where you grew up and what interests you had.

Dylan:    I was born in Austin, Texas, and spent my early boyhood in North Dakota, Idaho, and Illinois. My family came to Mpls. in ’83

As a boy and a teenager, I was almost single-mindedly interested in music.

So from being a teenager up until today, how did you go about pursuing your interest in music?

Dylan:    Sorry, I got distracted. Anyway, as a teen I collected records, read a lot about music. My ambition was to become a pop critic.

I wrote a bit about music as kid, and, I suppose, studied it. I was given piano lessons (I wasn’t an prodigious student).

My stepfather plays guitar, so he taught me some of the basic chords, and I learned some other things out of instruction books.

But I was a rather inept instrumentalist. I wrote some mostly satirical songs, and got some nice responses to those.

Eventually, I made a cassette of my own songs, sent it to local critics. I started playing in clubs in early ’91.

Then made singles and CDs during the ’90s, had some regional and scattered national success.

Oh, I also served as a teenage volunteer DJ on KFAI, which is where I met my wife. I did jazz, hip hop, and rock shows there.

So really a self-taught musician! You’re also an author, as brought out in the MAY @MNMOmag. How did that start?

Dylan:    Well, I had those piano lessons and my friends and family, but largely self-taught.

I wrote infrequently in my twenties, then starting writing freelance journalism in 2002. I worked an an editor and City Pages.

During the ’00s I started to miss making stuff up, and drifted into writing fiction in ’06.

I started working on my novel in late ’07. I wrote some songs to accompany the book, and have released a companion album to it.

I still write freelance journalism, but I’m mainly focused on writing fiction now. And essays that I never finish, or start.

I see. What is the title of your book and the album that accompanies it? Have you done a “set” like this before?

Dylan:    The novel is called “Boarded Windows,” it companion album “Dylan Hicks Sings Bolling Greene.”

It’s my first book, and the first time I’ve tried to combine music and writing in this way.

The premise of the album is that one of the book’s characters has written the songs, or most of them.

And when earlier I wrote “it companion album,” I meant “its companion album.”

At readings, then, I’ll sometimes be playing a few songs as well. But at concerts, I’ll rarely read.

n fact, for concerts I rarely even read the contract or the set list.

Can you provide some dates for your book/album tour?

Dylan:    Sure. We happen to be playing tonight the Amsterdam. And I’m performing and talking with James Everest tomorrow at the Whole.

Then the book launch is on May 10 at Open Book, followed on May 12 by two music sets at the Bryant-Lake Bowl.

And there are many others, here and out of town, and a few more in the works. Most are listed on http://dylanhicks.com.

Since you wanted to be pop critic, what’s your view of #AmericanIdol and #TheVoice when it comes to talent?

Dylan:    I fear this will make me look snobby, but I’ve never seen those programs.

I have liked one or two songs by Kelly Clarkson and Fantasia, both winners, I think.

Do you feel show like those 2, YouTube and MySpace have helped “unknowns” have a better chance at “making it”?

Dylan:    I guess there are some talent-show-hatched celebs who might have had trouble getting attention in other ways.

And yeah, user-fueled sites have certainly helped many unaffiliated acts with catchy songs and self-promotional acumen.

Since you’ve been in the music business, what was your take on the special Album Day last Saturday. Good idea?

Dylan:    Record Store Day has been a real boon for my friends who run or work at record stores, whose survival I’m very much rooting for.

When I was a young, I spent an improvident amount of money on records, but I’ve cut back considerably.

Joel:    Thanks for your time today with #MNMOtv! All the best for you with your new book and album. Good to catch up with you. :)

Dylan:    Thanks much, Joel. We should close with the Folwell Jr. High song, but I’m not sure there was one.

Good morning everybody! Welcome to the Twitterview of @simasays (Sima Dahl)! How are things in Chicago today Sima?

Sima:    Today is classic early summer Chicago… sunny, mild breeze off the lake, just stunning!

We’re supposed to see high’s in the 90′s this weekend. As we always say in Chi-town, “it’s cooler by the lake.”

Glad to hear it! So to start off with, where did you grow up and attend school? What interests did you have growing up?

Sima:    I grew up in the NW suburbs of Chicago. We moved to a town called Barrington when I was 10 and I went to HS there.

Growing up I loved to read, watch movies (sci-fi, fantasy, suspense) & ride my bike. I still do all those things now!

I also loved going to see live music and musicals. My very first concert was the Jackson 5 feat. Michael himself.

My parents were divorced and my dad would have me on weekends. Saw a ton of theatre, sports and more.

Growing up near a world class city like Chicago has its advantages to be sure. And we haven’t even talked about food!

Alright then. What kinds of places did you enjoy eating at when you were growing up? Deep dish or thin crust?

Sima:    Oh the classic pizza debate! I myself prefer thin but every blue moon a deep dish pizza hits the spot.

Chicago is really a melting pot of ethnicities and you can find any kind of food in the world here.

Growing up I was a picky eater, now I’ll try anything. My husband and I, along with 2 couples, have “Ethnic Night.”

We take turns picking different ethnic experiences – here’s where we’ve been: http://simasays.com/dining/

So how did you get interested and involved with social media, marketing and networking? What kind of schooling helped you?

Sima:    I did my undergrad at U of I in Champaign, and my MBA part-time evenings at DePaul.

At U of I, I studied marketing and communications and I fell in love with all things “messaging.” I am a word-geek.

I did my MBA in Management to round out my liberal arts undergrad. Helped me gain perspective beyond the marcom role.

I have always been in marketing but my career took lots of twists and turns. I used social networking to market myself

I am a B2B and professional services marketer – it’s all about relationships… slow and complex. #SM amplifies that.

None of us is an expert. The smartest #SM marketers still think of themselves as students – we are all still learning

Agreed! Many people and companies find B2B Social Media more challenging than say B2C. Do you feel that way?

Sima:    The #B2B #SM marketer has to know their audience well, find them, and then edu-tain them. No easy feat

What I find is that just because the #b2b buyer is less vocal doesn’t mean they’re not social. Content is king.

Much of the work we do is identifying the greatest #SM opportunity, packaging the content, and training the team

Good points! How did you get to be a columnist, author and keynote speaker? Did they come easy to you?

Sima:    When I set out to reinvent my career and rebrand myself 4 years ago, I met a woman who gave me some sage advice.

She simply said, “You have to name it to claim it.” And so I started telling the universe exactly what I wanted…

I rebranded myself as a consultant, speaker, trainer, author… like advertising, consistent messaging is key.

I’ve always loved writing & have no fear of public speaking. I had raw talent but had much to learn and still do.

My earliest opportunities all came from my network. A friend invited me to blog, another to speak… so grateful!

Good planning! With today’s economy, MANY people are having to re-brand themselves. What are some hurdles to overcome?

Sima:    Rebranding takes consistency, repetition, patience. Also clarity of message. And passion.

I tell ppl, “If you’re not excited about what you do, how can you expect me to be?”

Everyone needs a personal positioning statement… be able to articulate who you are, what you do, why you’re special

I wrote a column about positioning statements for @SMMmagazine that #JECTV followers might enjoy. http://ow.ly/bs9lR

The good news is, you can always change your mind. Personal brands evolve, just like people :)

Excellent advice! So put your “in the future” Google goggles on! :) What do you see happening with #SM in the future?

Sima:    I don’t have a crystal ball by any means but I see “integration” becoming sexy again. #SM can’t stand alone for long

Also tighter partnerships between client and agency – you can’t outsource #SM entirely, but most do need help!

I see we’re almost out of time, how’d I do? Any last questions for me? If not, I’ve got one for you :)

What’s that?

Sima:    It’s Jan 1st, 2013. What happened in the last 6 months that you are most proud of? Tell the universe, make it happen!

That’s a great way to make a goal! To close Sima, where will you be speaking in the next few months?

Sima:    You’re not going to answer? Darn :(

Upcoming engagements at @LFGSM, Fed. Reserve Bank Chg, USG, HTSA, UBA, JAMA and loads of training.

I plan to pilot a web-based training program for sales pro’s and biz owners later this summer.

This has been a real pleasure Joel! A very happy #FF to you. And thanks for not asking me to do math :)

Joel:    I plan to do more writing about social media, hopefully for some publications. More involved with food writing too.

Thanks for your time and helpful tips today. Have a great weekend!

Sima:    Awesome – now that it’s out there – it’ll be far easier to achieve, and I look forward to reading your work!