Alexis Walsko is a great success story.  She has grown her company, Lola Red PR to be a highly recognized PR firm.  She has helped many businesses get noticed and has been working with the fast growing Smashburger company since they started expanding into Minnesota.

Not only does she help other companies get noticed, but she has done well for herself.  Having been a co-host on the popular “Shop Girls” radio program, featured on MyTalk 107.1 FM on Saturday mornings in the Twin Cities for the past few years. Talking about the latest in shopping trends locally and nationally.

Alexis loves new challenges and also has a heart for helping non-profit companies get attention. So how does she do it all?  Where does she get the time and energy for all of it? Learn more about Alexis by checking out this 3-part interview of her with “Faces of MN” host, Joel Carlson.

In part 1 of her interview with Joel Carlson, Alexis talks about her childhood and her early entrepreneurial spirit. Her college years and how she started Lola Red PR.

In part 2 of Alexis’ interview, she talks about the connection of PR with marketing and social media. Discusses why she is passionate about working with non-profit companies and explains how she got connected with the fast-growing company, Smashburger.

In part 3 of Alexis’ interview, she talks about shopping, her love for chairs and why she feels people pay retail price for some things. Alexis talks about her passion for glitter and how it got started. She ends with talking about Pinterest and her prep for the “Shop Girls” radio show on MyTalk 107.1 FM.

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.

Greetings everyone! Today’s #MNMOtv guest today is @jiwanicki (Jennifer Iwanicki) of the @curationstation. Lets get to know her!

Jennifer:    Hello Everyone! Glad to be here.

Share a little bit about your early years. Where did you grew up, attend school and what job did you want as an adult?

Jennifer:    I’m from Massachusetts. (Go Pats! @patriots) I thought I would be a lawyer when I grew up.

But I even changed that and played music in a rock band for a while before entering a career in management.

You’ll get the hang of it. So what kinds of companies did you first work for? When did you get the entrepreneur bug?

Jennifer:    I began managing a clothing company.Where I began writing code as a developer. I had a side business: Hullabaloo.

Hullabaloo created multimedia events in the city of Boston.

Great name! re: Hullaboloo – What got you to move to MN from the East Coast?

Jennifer:    The cold :)

Seriously, there was an opportunity for my family here, and we moved for that.

When I got here, I was incredibly impressed with the marketing community and went to my first MIMA event @mimatweet

When did you start with @HelloViking, and how did the idea of @CurationStation come to you?

Jennifer:    Ahh, yes! HV was started in 2007

My partner @tbrunelle and I started the company after winning a project with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Curation Station was birthed out of Hello Viking. Through working with marketers, we noticed a need.

So we spent some time doing alpha & beta testing with some key groups and developed Curation Station based on the feedback.

The need we identified was in how to put digital content to work and be more efficient in doing so

What kind of response have your gotten with @curationstation?

Jennifer:    The response for content curation has been huge. We are fulfilling the needs of agencies, CMO’s, etc

We are doing this through engagement, content management, gained efficiencies, etc.

The tool is quite flexible and powerful. We continue to be excited by the possibilities for use.

What did you think when @MNMOmag approached you about being included in their “the Revolutionaries” magazine section?

Jennifer:    So many emotions! Shock, excitement, flattery. The list goes on. And I wondered what it meant, right?

I mean, it’s an honor and someone I have aspired to- to think outside of the box and try new things.

So to be recognized for that within the group of Minnesotans who were also recognized is thrilling.

But there are so many people who have helped and guided me to this place. And I thank them all.

Congrats! So what’s on the radar for you now? More new Biz ideas? Got any professional goals you’re striving to achieve?

Jennifer:    Today, I have my hands full with the current businesses. My focus right now is on growth.

But I am always thinking about ways to become more efficient professionally.

I do have more ideas for projects and products. And suspect I will get to those eventually

Joel:    Sounds like some good plans Jennifer. Thanks for your time today and thanks for being a part of #MNMOtv!

Jennifer:    Thank you Joel. It was my pleasure. And a truly unique experience!

Hello everyone following #jectv! Today’s Twitterview features @kelseycarver as the guest, so lets get started!

Kelsey:    Hi Joel! Excited to be here!

Q – #1    Lets start at the beginning with @kelseycarver. Where did you grow up, go to school and what was your 1st job?

Kelsey:    I grew up in Maplewood, went to the University of St. Thomas for Marketing & business communications (Go Tommies!) and

My first job was working at Marshall Field’s in the women’s Sportswear Dept in high school. Gotta love the discount :)

Q – #2    When did you know that you wanted to get into marketing and communications? Did working at Marshal Fields help?

Kelsey:    Actually yes it did! I originally wanted to be a buyer for a dept store, and then I joined DECA and really loved it!

Q – #3    When did you 1st get to use your schooling, and how have you kept up with the latest trends and methods?

Kelsey:    I first worked for a liquor distributor after college & I used some skills within developing a social media strategy

And now I use them all the time at @threedeep and volunteering at @finnegans. I try to keep by being active online and

Doing lots of reading! @threedeep is all about learning from each other and staying current, so that helps!

Q – #4    That’s great! Who are some deep-thinkers that you follow, and what are some recent books that you’ve read?

Kelsey:    Well locally, I follow @marketingmama, @Pistachio, @SocialNicole, and @girlmeetsgeek but also a lot of

Hashtags, like #tweetnmeet, #jobhuntchat & webinars from @hubspot. I follow of ton of universities, since they TONS of

Awesome learning materials for new undergrads and MBA potentials.

Q – #5    Do you blog at all? Any blogs that you enjoy reading when you get the time to?

Kelsey:    I do blog :) ! I started my blog when I was in between jobs last winter, so the message is mostly personal growth

I follow a lot of different blogs and sites on my Google Reader, so I kind of bounce around every day to fit my mood

However, I’m big on reading books (no Kindle yet tho!) but I must suggest everyone read “Good to Great” (my latest

blog entry is about Level 5 Leadership!) My blog is here, too: http://kelseycarver.wordpress.com/

Q – #6    Good for you to have a blog! :) FAVORITE(S): Restaurant, store, comfort food, color, TC neighborhood and gadget.

Kelsey:    My fav places to eat: @The_Liffey, @KieransMPLS, @Acapulco_MN & Axel’s Bonfire (I’m not a great cook!), fav stores are

(fav stores) @ExpressLife @primpboutique and @Target (of course, they have EVERYTHING!)

Comfort Food: anything pasta! I can’t live w/o. Color is green, neighborhood Grand Ave is StP, & fav gadget is my iPod.

Q – #7    Nice. What is a goal or two that you’ve set for yourself to achieve in the next year or so?

Kelsey:    Goals: Advance in my career by means of learning new skills & responsibilities, helping @finnegans meet their 2011

(goals) Community Fund goals, and being HAPPY & healthy! (Always have to put on the list :) ha!)

Q – #8    Good. To close, who would you pick to have 1 meal with if it could be anybody dead or alive, and why?

Kelsey:    Toughest question yet! I would pick my grandpa who passed away 2+ years ago, but sans Alzheimer’s Disease

@JoelECarlson:    Nice choice! :) Thanks for spending time on #jectv and for your comments. May the rest of your week be great!

Kelsey:    Thanks!! This was really fun, thank you for having me! Have a relaxing holiday weekend :)

Hello everyone, and welcome to today’s Twitterview with my guest @Sara_G_N_Kerr. Lets get started!

Sara:    Thanks, Joel, I’m delighted to be here.

Q – #1    So @Sara_G_N_Kerr, share with us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up, attend school and what was your 1st adult job?

Sara:    I studied French Lit and Econ at the U of MN which led me to selling wine at Haskell’s the @TheWinePeople

From there I went into Intl Marketing at the former #NWA and now teach @skate and do marketing for @goodgroundpress

Q – #2    So what got you interested in marketing and then using social media?

Sara:    I’ve always loved marketing, so to me, social media is a fun, dynamic tool to add to the mix

Plus social media is fast, creative, and quantifiable.

One of the things I love about social media is that it “evens the playing field” better than other tools when it comes to non-profits

The same applies to small vs large businesses.

Q – #3    Did you have any mentors that helped you, along with your schooling, along the way?

Sara:    Yes and no – I had a brilliant Frech prof in college, but by the time I was in grad school I didn’t.

I wish I had @UofStThomasMN, but my 1st masters (intl mgnt) was before the Opus school. My class didn’t have that #cohort experience.

However, I do now with the Dean of School of Bus. & Leadership @stkate, Paula King and my chair, Mary Henderson.

Q – #4    Since #sm as it’s used today wasn’t taught in school, how have you learned and adapted to use it effectively?

Sara:    I think all marketers / biz people have to stay up to date. It was pretty hard to NOT notice #SM 5 years ago.

HOW is really using #sm (which is how I teach it, too), reading, analyzing and #playing

Philosophically, I think experimentation is incredibly powerful — teaching you how to do something and what the limitations are.

Q – #5    Are there any Thought Leaders or people in the industry that you’ve benefited from following and connecting with?

Sara:    I suppose you could say that whom I follow here, on Twitter all influence me. #jectv (Vague, I know)

My #ahah moment occurred when I read @dmscott first book. Otherwise, I follow the #usualsuspects for insight.

My favorite blog du jour is @tboard an innovative #StPaul realtor with the most perfect real estate blog

I love to follow new uses of current #SM such as the #unsummit or bar classes.

Q – #6    Lets learn more about YOU. Favorite(s): restaurant, store, comfort food, color, recent book/blog and TC’s neighborhood.

Sara:    I’m #ADHD which means I make mischief, mayhem, messes, and meals.

I LOVE #stpaul and will never live anywhere else. I am a total wine geek, so maybe if I had the chance I’d own a vineyard #Burgundy.

For gifts I love @grandhand and @sciencemuseummn

Our family comfort food is linguine and clam sauce, however I always tweek my mother’s recipe.

Going out, if a restaurant serves #mussels, my husband and I will be there! @meritage_stpaul and W.A. Frost

Oh, and I do love #minneapolis, too. I could not live without @FirstAve (i was a DJ in college, too)

Last one: interestingly I’m not at all into the #momblog phenomenon

Q – #7    You mentioned that you LOVE St. Paul. What are your thoughts on Mpls, and should they both be called Twin Cities?

Sara:    Siblings at the very least, but #twin is more marketable. Bickering children that remind me of my sons.

When I blog http://t.co/Gbhqx4B (+ 5 others) I write more about #stpaul only because I bike everywhere and I have to drive to #mpls

Q – #8    So for your own growth, personal or professional, what do you hope to accomplish in the next year or two?

Sara:    Personally, I’m looking into a PhD program at the U of MN #jectv Either http://cscl.umn.edu/ Cultural Studies / Comp Lit or Comm.

I’m speaking here http://www.mmaglobal.org/ in Sept about teaching #SM in college

Goals: apply to school, publish another paper, teach better and make more messes with my kids

Q – #9    Nice opportunity! So to close today, what advice would you share with students looking to get into your field?

Sara:    To take risks and make mistakes AND always use spell check.

2nd, volunteering with an organization you care deeply about often presents opportunities to learn and apply #SM in IRW.

Thanks Joel, this was really fun!

@JoelECarlson:    Thank you for sharing some of your thoughts and your time today on #jectv. Have a great week! :)

@JoelECarlson: Hello everybody! Today’s guest of this new week is @EricHusband of @collemcvoy near #TargetField. Lets play!

Eric: Ready when you are @JoelECarlson

Q – #1    So @EricHusband, where did you grow up and go to school? What was your 1st job that you every had?

Eric: I grew up in St. Paul, grad of St. Paul Central, hopped across river for school at UofM, then St. Thomas. What can I say, dig the TC

will get this…) First job: St. Paul Women’s College Club. Next to the Guv’s mansion. Set up for weddings.

Q – #2    Interesting. What did you study at the UofM and then at St. Thomas? Did you know what field you wanted to get into?

Eric: I always was interested in mktg. Ran a snowboard/clothing store all through college. Got me interested in advertising.

Then I met a friend from @carmichaellynch in a philosophy class at UST. Got an internship at CL on the account side.

Spent a few years on the account side, put my portfolio together working at now defunct Sietsema Engel. Hopped to creative side.

Q – #3    When did you go to @Collemcvoy, and explain what your role is there?

Eric: I came to @ColleMcVoy about 4 yrs ago. @mikecaguin and I came from @bssp (butler shine, sausalito). We’re both on our third stints.

I’m a group creative director; oversee creative on Caribou, Schwinn, Aveda, Purina, Explore Minnesota and others.

I’m a writer by trade, closet art director. Love working on everything, digital to TV. Don’t believe in walls between disciplines.

Q – #4    What kind of new developments in technology, social media, etc. do you see helping you expand what you do?

Eric: Too many to count! From passive check-ins to RFID to ___________, marketing continues to evolve to be more participatory.

We hear it every day, and it’s true–mobile, mobile, mobile. Oh and QR codes. QR codes will once rule the world (okay, I hate’em).

Q – #5    Lets find out some of your FAVORITES: Restaurant, store, comfort food, recent book, hobby/activity.

Eric: Fave restaurants: Erte, Lurcat. Noodles (we have 3 girls, 4 and under). Store: Hoigaards, Shoebacca.com, CreativeKIdStuff (see above)

Fave book: anything by Nick Hornby. Life: snowboarding (I also work on Mammoth), parenting, hacking up golf courses, just into bikes

Life (cont.): I also follow a lot of politics and stay involved with eco-related stuff.

Q – #6    If you could pick any 1 person (dead/alive) to have lunch with, who & why? Any professional goals that you have?

Eric: My mother. She died when I was 21. She suggested I go into advertising long before I did. Would love laugh over lunch with her.

Professionally, keep on keepin’ on. Stay a student of technology and marketing. Would love to see capitalism used for more good.

We’re having a lot of fun here at @ColleMcVoy and to your point earlier, technology is driving that.

@JoelECarlson: Thank you very much @EricHusband for sharing some of your life on #jectv today! Have a great week, and enjoy your kids!

Eric: Thanks @JoelECarlson, My very first Twitterview. It was fun. Thanks for all you do in keeping the social scene more social!

@JoelECarlson: Hello everyone, and welcome to today’s Twitterview of @DavidAlston, the CMO of @Radian6. Lets get started!

David: Sounds like a plan Joel – happy to participate

Q – #1    So @davidalston, lets get to know you a bit. Where did you grow up, what kind of schooling did you get and what was your 1st job?

David: I grew up in New Brunswick (Canada), I went to @Acadiau for my BBA and started first job at NBTel as a Product Mgr.

NBTel was the local provincial phone company with a great entrepreneurial spirit. Great basis for my thinking today

Q – #2    What steps/jumps did you take from NBTel to get to be the CMO of @Radian6?

David: My roles at NBTel were a mix of marketing/product/tech and customers which are all my fave things

NBTel also incubated some start ups and I gravitated to them working in two of them, one which eventually IPO’d

It was during this startup experience that I met a number of the team I work with today at @radian6 -

Q – #3    I see. Could you explain what your role is with @Radian6 as the CMO? What kinds of projects are you involved with?

David: Sure, in the beginning I was a department of one but over the last 3.5 years many rockstars have joined the team

We took the approach of using listening to our community and creating content they wanted as a way to build our brand

With an extended marketing/community team of around 15 my role is really one of collaborating on directions to take.

I spend a lot time with customers, members of the community, bloggers etc.. Its relationships that underpin our brand

Q – #4    Now for the “elephant in the room”. It was announced in March that @salesforce is buying @Radian6. How are you affected?

David: Affected only in a great way.Radian6 will be operating as an independent unit. They recognize what a great team we have

They have a tremendous entrepreneurial culture & people I’ve met r great. We are looking forward to gr8 things together

Q – #5    Super! Many people talk about @Radian6 as a very good analytical tool. How is it going to continue to grow?

David: Our recent announcements at #social2011 can give u a flavor. More mobile. More Insights from the data. More integration

Around our Insights platform alone you can now uncover “meaning” in the data gathered, semantic web style

And on integrations social connects to all parts of the enterprise, using the voice of the customer to drive strategy

Q – #6    Good to know! I see that you have a blog – http://communityinstinct.com/, how long have you had it?

David: Ah my blog, kinda embarrassed that it’s so neglected. I generally spend time on Twitter, Linkedin & Facebook

I know to really blog you need to dedicate time to it & the readers there. Someday I keep telling myself :)

I’ve had it/and predecessor Tweetpr for about 3.5 years. I use it mostly for long form thoughts & ideas

Q – #7    Only so many hours in a day right? :) More about you. FAVORITE(S): Restaurant, store, comfort food, recent book & hobby.

David: Indeed :) Hmm, fave store/flyer is @futureshop (Canada’s BestBuy) because of all the electronic toys :)

Fave book of all time is probably The Cluetrain Manifesto for bus books and I like the Dan Brown genre for pleasure

My last remaining hobby is amateur photography http://rad6.ly/hLxBP5 I love to shoot while on the road

Comfort food would be anything my doctor would probably tell me to avoid :)

Q – #8    Fun! I see pics of @MarketingProfs. I have a Twitterview with her in the near future! Any goals for you for this year?

David: @MarketingProfs (Ann) is a great person – you’ll enjoy the Twitterview with her

I’m definitely looking forward to the adventure ahead this year and onward. The acquisition has added fuel to the fire

The social space is still in it’s early days and their is so much as a community we’ll continue to learn together

These are exciting times we all live in. Social is going to have a bigger impact on biz that mass media did.

@JoelECarlson: It certainly seems to be! Thanks for your time and sharing some great comments today @davidalston. Have a great day doing fun work!

David: It’s been fun. Thanks for all the questions. Have a great one as well