Good morning. Hopefully your commute went well for you today in MN! Today’s Twitterview is with @stylebymax owner, Ellen Hertz.

Ellen:    Hi Joel. Speaking of commutes, what IS the deal with the washboard road? I’m looking forward to our “chat” today!

Tell us a little about yourself Ellen. Where are you from and what kinds of things interested you while growing up?

Ellen:    I’m a native Detroiter & a die-hard U of Michigan fan! As a little girl, I had dreams of being a singer and/or dancer.

I also really liked art classes, @ when I was in h.s., spent all of my xtra time in the jewelry & weaving studios.

I was also always into fashion,even as a kid! It started with the hair ribbons/head bands & I moved on from there.

Lots of energy and creativity it sounds like. :) As an adult, what lead you to opening your own store?

Ellen:    I always knew I wanted 2 own a jewelry store. I think it’s in my blood-Max was grandfather & had a store for 54 yrs.

I spent 21 yrs. in corp. America in the consulting industry,&when ppl asked what I would do if I left,I said I would

open a store — so that’s what I did! I had been making “mental” notes about it for probably 15 years.

In 2005, I decided that it was the now or never time & I didn’t want to have a “coulda, woulda, shoulda” moment later.

Good for you to take the “leap” and follow a dream. How did you come to pick the SLP area to open?

Ellen:    Thx! I live in SLP & was following the development of @Excelsior_Grand & really liked what was happening.

I like the whole urban community vibe & realized it would be a gr8 place 4 people to come to “have a day”.

Nice plan. For those new to you and your store, can you explain the concept and what you offer?

Ellen:    Sure-I would 2! Max’s is a fine jewelry/home decor/specialty chocolate boutique. I try really hard 2 bring things into

the store that others in town aren’t carrying. We try 2 have as many exclusives as we can -at any point in time, about

90% of what we carry is exclusive 2 us in the area. It’s really important 2 me that things aren’t manufactured overseas

Ppl often ask about the chocolates in a jewelry store -They’re both passions of mine-I actually had some already 2day!

When it comes to jewelery, what price range do most of your good fall into? As for chocolate, what forms do you carry?

Ellen:    The price range for the jewelry is broad — from around $50 all the way into the 000′s. In terms of chocolate, we have

toffees,caramels,truffles,and LOTS of bars — from all over the world. We even have a chocolate shoe/purse set!

If it doesn’t have chocolate in it though, we don’t carry it! Even our candy canes for Xmas are filled with chocolate.

Are you running any specials or deals right now? What are your hours of operation?

Ellen:    M-F, 10-7; Sat, 10-6; Sun, noon-5. We’re staying open late on 12/21 (until 9) becuz we’ll be in the middle of our

Anne Sportun jewelry trunk show.We are not running any specials right now, but our semi-annual sale begins on Dec. 26

We have a reward program whereby a customer earns 10% of the value of their purchases in points that can then be used

as $s off of a future purchase.We have been known 2 let customers use their points as they earn them at this time

of year! :)

Do you have an online-store, and what’s your physical address so that people can find you?

Ellen:    With the exception of gift cards,we don’t have an online shopping capability. The reason 4 that, and it’s a much-often

discussed/debated topic, is that when it comes to jewelry, I am not buying multiples of most everything we carry.

In other words,we’re not inventorying lots of stock — once it’s gone,it’s gone, Sometimes it’s a piece the artist can

remake and we’ll ask them to do that. Sometimes, it’s a true 1-of-a-kind. So that just makes it hard to do online.

We’re happy to send out anything that we have that someone sees online. We’re at 3826 Grand Way at @Excelsior_Grand

Thank you very much for your time and comments today on #MNMOtv. Have a great week, and keep up the good work!

Ellen:    Thank you so much Joel – this was a lot of fun — and very different. I like it! Have a good one and happy holidays!

[Conducted on Dec 12,2012]

Welcome everybody! Today’s @MNMOmag Twitterview guest is @christinasandok of @StyleArchitects. Expect design & style Tweets!

Christina:    Thanks for having me!

Lets start from the beginning. Where did you grow up, and what were some of your interests early on?

Christina:    I grew up in rural MN…with a pony and your typical small town upbringing.

My grandmother was an entrepreneur – she inspired me daily!

And my grandfather was a jeweler so my love for design started at a young age.

My weekends were spent playing dress up…baking with my Mom…harassing my brother…building forts in our backyard

Neat! So were you creating and designing things when you were young? Like your bedroom and outfits?

Christina:    Absolutely. I love change so there was always a design project in the works…my world was a live Pinterest board! :)

So what was your journey from HS to starting @StyleArchitects. You’ve got 5 Tweets! :)

Christina:    After HS I attended college at UST. My degree was in Mass Comm + Journalism with a minor in Psych.

During my Sr. year I accepted a job @Target in Corp Media Center as a producer producing PR reels.

Post-Target, I launched beauty/apparel/wellness lines for @shopnbc.

After a few years in the world of fashion, I decided to leave and work for a children’s non-profit – @CHeartLink

Then a couple years in b2b marketing and 4+ years as a magazine style & beauty editor. I loved that job!

Two years ago I took the plunge and started @StyleArchitects – a creative lifestyle services agency.

So explain what kind of projects that @StyleArchitects does, and how have you gotten into working with magazines?

Christina:    I am lucky to have an amazing team @StyleArchitects: http://style-architects.com/about/  #mnmotv (cc: @FaithBrue @RanoshaC @CarlynMcClure)

We have wardrobe styling & event planning teams. We LOVE photo shoots – lots of creative pow wows @StyleArchitects

Each month we team up with @MNMOstyle on a makeover candidate (cc: @FaithBrue). We love our collaborations!

Sounds like a great place to work at! When you’re not @StyleArchitects, what kinds of things do you enjoy doing?

Christina:    On the weekends @Craigsandok and I head up to our lake cabin. We cook, drink wine and do cannon balls off our dock.

When we stay in the city we LOVE kicking off our Saturdays @Patisserie46 on our way to the farmers market.

Sounds like fun! :) Last point, what’s one bit of style advice you’d give to people looking for help?

Christina:    Be true to yourself – only follow trends that you truly love and that fit your lifestyle.

And follow the @StyleArchitects blog for weekly style inspiration! http://style-architects.com/blog/

Joel:    That’s pretty clear I’d say. Thank you for your time and Tweets today.  Keep up the good work that you do!

Christina:    A huge thanks to you and @MNMOmag for having me! It was fun :)

Hello everyone! Today’s Twitterview is with the #DavannisWithJoel winner, @RubyMadisonLLC. Lets get this going and get on our way!

Latrenda:    Yay I’m excited to start!

So share a little bit about your self Latrenda. Where did you grow up and what kinds of things interested you?

Latrenda:    I grew up in MPLS until 8th grade then I moved to Eagan when I was in High school. I ran track and was a varsity comp

Cheerleader I started modeling in high school as well

I always had to be involved with something I never really liked sitting at home. Sports was my way of staying active.

Did modeling come easy for you, and when did you decide that you wanted to make it a career for yourself?

Latrenda:    Modeling came easily to me because I loved fashion and wearing all the fun clothes; that made me excited to do it!

i decided I wanted to pursue modeling full time after high school I realized how much I loved it and decided to focus..

after college I had time to pursue it more and my love of fashion and modeling grew as I became more involved

What did you focus on in college, and when did you start your own company?

Latrenda:    I studied Marketing Communications at UWRF and I started my company in February 2011

So what kind of work does you company do, and what kinds of companies do you work with/for?

Latrenda:    I do fashion and image consulting which involves closet makeovers, personal shopping with &4clients for everyday &

and special events. I put on fashion shows and do media work. I work with malls such as @EdenPrairieCtr and …

and Ridgedale center I have worked with @twincities_live And @EdenPrairieCtr on a couple of fashion segments.

I pretty much deal with all things fashion!

What are some of your favorite stores to shop at, and who are some of your favorite designers?

Latrenda:    I enjoy online shopping and shopping in store.I love @shopbop it is an online store & has many great designer options.

I also enjoy shopping at Von Maur @EdenPrairieCtr one of my fave designers is Micheal Kors I love the simple chic of…

of his designs and he makes great watches. I also like Tom Ford.

If you could give one tip for dressing for the FALL season, what would it be?

Latrenda:    Don’t be afraid to wear color! Fall clothing will still be rich in color, however the color palette has changed to…

rich jewel tones such as merlot reds and purple popular for this fall is hunter green.Hunter green is a great…

alternative to wearing black and hunter green looks great on just about everyone.

Joel:    Thanks for your time today Latrenda. Keep up the good work of helping people look their best!

Latrenda:    Thank you Joel! This was a blast. Have a great day!

Welcome @SallyMcGraw and everyone following today’s @MNMOmag Twitterview! Lets learn about Sally and what she’s been up to.

Sally:    Delighted to be here!

Share with us a little bit about your background. Where you grew up, what kinds of things were you interested in?

Sally:    I grew up in Chicago suburbs. Back then I was very studious, but also a big performer: Singing, drama, band …

I loved writing from an early age. At 8, I had a teacher tell me I was talented. From then, pro writing was a goal.

So you new early on what you wanted to do. Where did you go to college and what did you major in? Good student?

Sally:    I went to @binghamtonu in upstate NY. Studied creative writing, which was a BLAST. Terrific program. I had a 3.9 GPA!

@binghamtonu I did learn that I suck at fiction. Ended up doing some journalism courses, which were more my speed.

Good for you! So when did you get into writing, and how did you choose to be a style & body-image writer?

Sally:    I worked as a copy editor and web producer right out of college. But I did some album reviews for http://Amazon.com

It wasn’t until I moved to MN that I wrote seriously. For local free papers. It was frustrating, tho, and I stopped

Around 2005 I kinda gave up. Then a friend suggested I blog about style in 2007, and I launched http://www.alreadypretty.com/

For me, style & body image are married. When I dress in ways that make me feel good, my body image soars. I love that.

And I wanted to share my ideas about the overlap with other women. Many of whom struggle with body image.

Share what you know or have experienced. Awesome! Who do you write for now, and any book news?

Sally:    I contribute fashion features to @StarTribune & posts to @TheFrisky, & continue my work on http://www.alreadypretty.com/

And yes! My first book is now available! Via Amazon: Book

It’s structured as a fun and accessible self-guided makeover. Non-judgmental, reader-friendly, and body-positive!

Is it new content, points from your blog or a combination of both? Were you overwhelmed by working on a book?

Sally:    I’d say that 10% is drawn from the blog, 15% from my work with individual style consult clients, & the rest original.

Working on the book while juggling writing, consulting, and various other work duties was overwhelming. But worth it!

I’ve wanted to publish a book since I was just a kid, and it’s amazing to have achieved that goal.

Oh! We’ll be having a launch party for the book @ArcValueVillage on August 17! More details on the blog soon.

Congratulations! Who would you say is the target audience for your book?

Sally:    Target audience for the book is anyone who feels excluded from traditional style guides.

Or hates being told that there are “right” and “wrong” ways to do style and fashion. The book is customizable.

I hope the book will help women see that they CAN be stylish in unique ways, and no matter their size/shape.

What are 2 simple tips you’d suggest women could apply to gain more confidence in their look?

Sally:    Find out if your body works better with skirts or pants. If you’ve been wearing one, try the other. See how you feel.

Some bodies work naturally with pants, others with skirts. Knowing which flatters your figure is key.

Tip #2 would be learn to accessorize. It takes time and practice, but it’s SO worth it! Accessories add polish.

Nearly all of my style consult clients omit accessories entirely. Until I show them how transformative they can be!

Good suggestions! To close, what can your blog readers expect from the next few posts?

Sally:    Later this week I’ll be talking about wardrobe multi-taskers – ways to use garments and accessories in unexpected ways.

And also the double-edged sword of non-conformism. Benefits to standing our and blending in, sartorially speaking.

Joel:    Good. Well thanks for your time and sharing your book release news! I hope that your launch party goes well.

Sally:    Thanks for a great Twitterview!

Welcome! Today’s guest for the @MNMOmag Twitterview is #TCStyle blogger @JustineHornick. Lets go!

Thanks for having me!

To start off with, when did you know that hair and beauty was a field that you wanted to get involved with?

Justine:    I was very young, buying box color with my allowance and stealing my mom’s Reynold’s Wrap to color my sisters’ hair!

When did you start to get schooling in that industry, and was that an easy decision for you?

Justine:    I moved to Mpls from Green Bay at 18 for the Aveda Institute, and felt at home the min I walked through the door!

It was a very easy decision, there was nothing at a University that peaked my interest! I went with what felt natural.

How long was your was your schooling, and what aspects of it were you drawn to? Color, cuts, makeovers?

Justine:    Aveda’s program is just under 1yr, but went on to do a 1yr. apprenticeship at @rootsalons under owner Jim Koktavy.

I have since done extensive ongoing training where i’ve found the passion for full makeovers! Color/Cut/Styling

It is all-inclusive, each component plays a big role!

So how long have you been doing that kind of work? How did you end up connecting with @MNMOstyle?

Justine:    It’s been about 7 years of makeovers at @rootsalons on a regular basis!

I connected with @MNMOstyle when she agreed to let me transform her girl-next-door blonde into shades of sherbet!

And now @MNMOstyle is a red head. Your doing? So what are you going to cover for #TCStyle in @MNMOmag?

Justine:    My BFF @MarkatHAUS has taken her full blown red! We share the @MNMOstyle love between us!

This month I’m talking about the best Father’s Day (lack of hair) Gift, Beachy Waves, Hair Sunscreen & Wedding styles!

Okay. We have a little time left. What’s hot for summer, and is @Pinterest affecting what people want done?

Justine:    Texture (think sea salt sprays, messy beach hair, curling irons), lots of braids (waterfall, rope, small fishtails)

For color: evolution of Ombre= more blended, think soft dark root, light mid-strand of the hair and medium brown ends

Hair accessories are huge! Headbands, Turbans, head chains, colored barrettes and bobby pins for DIY updos!

Everything I just listed can be found on @Pinterest. Clients are SO smart thanks to it! They come w/ inspiration,

And I have to either say, “yes this works for you” or “nope, but try this… for your face shape or hair type”

If my clients aren’t already using @Pinterest, we download it together and get them up and running!

Joel:    Thanks Justine for your time and tips today. Be sure catch her with @MNMOmag and the #TCStyle blogger crew.

Justine:    Thank you @JoelECarlson!

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!