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.

@JoelECarlson: Hello everyone, and welcome to today’s Twitterview of @collodora. Lets get started.

Q – #1    So @collodora, tell everybody where you grew up and where you went to school.

Toby: Thanks, Joel. Spent my elementary years in Iowa and graduated from Wayzata High School

Proud U of M grad — go @gopherathletics!

Q – #2    Okay. So what did you study at the #UofMN and what made you go in that direction?

Toby: studied broadcast journalism. Knew since I was a little kid writing up my own newspaper that I wanted to be in news

Q – #3    I see. So before you were at @wcco, where did you work? Second, what’s involved with your current job as a web editor?

Toby: I’ve only worked in news at @WCCO — started on the assignment desk in college and moved to the Web after I graduated

Current: Lots of writing and producing for @wcco ‘s digital products, planning projects and training too

And … describing my job in less than 140 characters was harder than it sounds :)

Q – #4    How is Social Media having an effect on how news stories are made and broadcast to the public?

Toby: Social media is so fast! Because of Twitter, especially, we find out about breaking news and other stories much faster

I think social media makes it easier for everyone to interact and have input on stories throughout the day, too

Q – #5    Crowdsourcing  is no doubt helpful for the news. When it comes to the web, what kinds of stories do well?

Toby: The great thing about the web is that there’s something for everyone.

Of course that being said, who doesn’t enjoy an odd crime story or a good puppy video now and again, too?

Q – #6    Now more about YOU. :)  FAVORITE(s) – Restaurant, store, comfort food, hobby, Twin Cities neighborhood and genre of music.

Toby: Ah the fun stuff! Restaurant: Annie’s Parlour near the #UofM Comfort food: Warm chocolate chip cookies with ice cream

Hobby: Reading (I read a lot of popular fiction, magazines and blogs) and exercise (to counterbalance the cookies)

I like pop music when I’m working out and when driving — keeps me motivated and awake!

Q – #7    Yes it does! :)  To end, what personal or professional goal are you currently working on to achieve?

Toby: Professional (ongoing): To keep learning and to keep up with all the new technology as much as possible

Personal: @WarriorDash at Afton Alps in July!

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

Toby: Thank you, Joel! Very fun

@JoelECarlson: Hello, and welcome to the 2nd Twitterview of the day. My guest is @liozzi of the @mntimberwolves Interactive department. Go Wolves!

Scott: Hi Joel. Thanks for having me. Let’s do this!

Q – #1    @liozzi you’re from MI and came to MN for schooling. What kind of schooling did you take and how did that lead you to the #Twolves?

Scott: I went to the Art Institutes MN and earned my degree in interactive media design. The #Twolves were looking for some1..

to head-up their interactive services dept at that time. I was lucky enough to land the job after interviewing w/…

…after interviewing with @WolvesCMO & @WolvesPrez.

Q – #2    Nice! So what is you’re role and does the @nba provide any sort of framework or blueprint to follow?

Scott: As #Twolves & #Lynx Mgr of Interactive Services, I am responsible for all of our online content. This includes…

timberwolves.com, lynxbasketball.com, wolvesnation.com and all of our social media sites. I also come up with our…

strategic plan for each season. The @NBA provides us with best practices from around the league which is a great help.

Q – #3    That’s helpful! Is a sports team an “easy” social media topic because of the fan base, or are there some troubles?

Scott: While we do have sort of a “built in” fan base, I wouldn’t say it’s easy. We want to provide our fans with the best…

online and social media experience in all of sports. There’s a ton of expectation that comes along with working…

in pro sports. I have to say that I am VERY proud of my staff, @jonahballow, @hamandpeas & @LaurenWhitneyL. They are…

incredible, and bring it everyday.

Q – #4    With the #Twolves getting the No.2 pick yesterday and the #Lynx’s season starting shortly, what can we see rolling out soon?

Scott: We just launched http:WolvesDraft.com last night after the Lottery. This is a comprehensive draft site where fans…

can get an inside look at prospect workouts, watch videos and even participate in our prospect power rankings module..

On Lynx side, we just launched a redesign of lynxbasketball.com.

Q – #5    Your FAVORITE(S): Restaurant, store, comfort food, hobby and recent book or movie.

Scott: Fav restaurant = Tony’s Italian Restaurant back home in Saginaw, MI – lots of history there. Fav store is Best Buy…

For comfort food, I believe you call it tater tot hotdish – that stuff is good! I’m always renovating something on

my house, so I guess that’s my hobby now? :) Most recent book: Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh (@zappos).

I haven’t watched any movies recently, but I’m liking The Killing on @AMC_TV.

Q – #6    Lets talk about the #TWolves, what was your feeling when you heard the pick No. and who are some players that you like?

Scott: I was just happy we didn’t get the 4th pick! Statistically our odds were best there. As for players, I like…

Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams and Brandon Knight. This is a very interesting year for us, so we’ll have to wait & see.

@JoelECarlson: Yes it is! A lot of how about… going on soon I would imagine! Thanks @liozzi for spending some time on #jectv today. Have a good one!

Scott: You too Joel. Thanks for having me. I had fun!

@JoelECarlson: Welcome everyone! Today’s Twitterview with @SaraBoyd of @wcco starts now! Lets get to Tweeting!

Sara: Wahoo! Thanks for having me! (Sorry in advance for clogging people’s feeds) :)

Q – #1    So @SaraBoyd. Where did yo grow up, go to school and what was your 1st job?

Sara: I grew up in the lovely suburb of Shoreview, went to Mounds View (Go Mustangs!) and then headed to UW-Eau Claire.

My first job was a receptionist for Coldwell Banker Burnet where I answered calls and set up showings. Thrilling stuff.

I got a lot of calls where people would say “I’m at a blue house that’s for sale, how much is it?” #awesome

Q – #2    How did you get interested in the web and social media? What kind of schooling have you had?

Sara: I went to college for print journalism and was right at the turning point where online was becoming the new thing.

So I started taking a few CS classes, which got me really excited for the so-called “new wave” of journalism.

I’ve always loved social media, or should I say, I’ve always been sucked in. It’s just such a great way to connect.

Q – #3    It is fun, but can also be a “time trap”. :) After your Coldwell Banker Burnet job, what led you to @wcco?

Sara: So very true. It’s consumed hours of my life I’ll never get back. :)

I worked at CBB in high school, so once I got to UWEC, I got an internship at the Eau Claire paper.

After the Leader-Telegram, I got a scholarship which included an internship @WashingtonPost, which was incredible.

From there, I had 1 more internship at the Green Bay Press-Gazette before accepting a full time job as a reporter there

After missing my family, TC life and um, culture, I finally moved back home after getting the job at ‘CCO.

That was my first job moving from newspapers to the “dark side” of broadcast TV :)

Q – #4    I think you just lost all of your WI followers. :)  So what is your role with @wcco, and what does that entail?

Sara: Haha, Green Bay is its own unique animal in WI. :)

At ‘CCO, I’m a Web Producer, which entails writing & editing stories for the web, making TV stories “web-friendly” …

posting to WCCO’s The Wire and helping with social media, etc. Plus, anything else that comes along for the web.

Q – #5    I see. In your opinion, does Social Media and the urge to break a story 1st affect the accuracy of stories?

Sara: It can, if you let it. For us, accuracy always needs to be No. 1. We’d rather wait until we have the full story.

We’d rather be correct first than just first. In our tweets, for example, we always try to wait to link to the story.

You can be first every time but be wrong half of those times, and that’s much more damaging than being second.

Q – #6    Good guidelines to have with stories! Now your FAVORITES: Restaurant, store, comfort food and outdoor activity.

Sara: Ooh, that’s tough! For restaurants, I basically have a favorite for every genre of food.

If I had to pick 1, I’m loving Cafe Lurcat right now. Love shopping at Patina. And always love a good mac & cheese!

For outdoor activity — 1st of all, not until it reaches at least 50 — but I enjoy clichéd long walks in the park.

Q – #7    I see. What goal do you have for yourself for the next few months or years to achieve?

Sara: I’d love to own my own island, or find a cure for cancer. But if not that, then to continue expanding wcco.com’s reach

I’d love to do even more in terms of entertainment coverage and capitalizing on our TC offerings.

@JoelECarlson: Thank you Sara for being a Twitterview guest today. All the best with your work at CCO’!

Sara: Thanks Joel! It was fun!

@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone, and welcome to the Twitterview of @Kablog (Kara McGuire). She tries to make sense of dollars and cents. :)

@Kablog – Hey Joel! Happy to be here.

Q – #1    First off, where are you from and what brought you to the Twin Cities?

A: I’m from Plymouth, MI, a suburb of Detroit. Went to college at Macalester and next thing you know I’m a Minnesotan.

Q – #2    What did you major in at Macalester, and how did you get from there to the @StarTribune? What were your “steps”?

A: I was a history major @Macalester . Hired as intern @MPRnews, which turned into a producing gigs on Morning Ed & Midday

Worked on Marketplace Money w/@kairyssdal. Realized loved personal finance & started column for @Startribune @StribBiz

Q – #3    I see. So what are some of the “hot topics” that you cover in personal finance at the @StarTribune?

A: All over the map. Credit cards. Foreclosures. Retirement. Saving for college. Coupons. The dreaded “B” word (budget)

Q – #4    Regarding coupons, what’s your take on the Groupon/LivingSocial explosion that has been going on? Longevity?

A: There are so many of these deal-a-day sites now that it’s hard to keep up! They annoy me, but I keep finding deals.

I’ve learned to be v. careful about which deals I buy, ones close to home, businesses I already use & v. special treats.

Despite frugal fatigue, I think deal-a-day sites will survive if businesses keep signing up & offer decent deals

Q – #5    Good idea! Lets now go more into your role with the @StarTribune. What do your responsibilities cover?

A: I write a Sunday personal finance column, blog and Tweet about money matters. And write stories about money topics.

I’ve recently started as half-time digital producer for @StribBiz, helping reporters w/online & social media efforts.

Q – #6    Congrats! In addition to all of that, you are also a Full-Time mom. How do you manage all of that?

A: Time is like money. You have to budget it, set your priorities, and accept that you can’t do it all.

Q – #7    True! Now for your FAVORITES: restaurant, store, winter activity, comfort food and place for kids.

A: Tough questions! The Strip Club Restaurant in St. Paul. Does traveling to warmer climate count as a “winter activity?

Comfort food? OK I admit that it is a McDonald’s McDouble, no onions (it’s on $1 menu).

Love @MNChildMuseum on Fri or Sat. PM. @Salutgrand for fancy dinner w/kids. Como park. Anywhere our bikes will take us

Q – #8    Good choices! To close, what is 1 piece of advice you would like to share with people regarding personal finances?

A: Live withing your means. Period. Figure out what matters most to you and try to align those values with your finances.

Pick up that Sun. business section to read my @StarTribune column. And read my blog: http://bit.ly/fgtQH7.

@JoelECarlson – Good advice! Thank you for your time and thoughts today @Kablog (Kara). Enjoy your afternoon and stay warm!

@kablog – Thanks Joel. Fun being on the other side of the interview for a change.

@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone, and welcome to the Twitterview of creative-brained-groundhog-loving @gregswan. Lets get this thing started!

Q – #1    So @gregswan, where did yo grow up? Where did you go to HS and where did you go for schooling after HS?

A: I grew up in Iowa. Attended @drakeuniversity where I studied public relations and the changing nature of journalism.

Q – #2    So after Drake U, what was your first job, and how did you end up at @WeberShandwick?

A: I’m really glad I grew up in a small rural community. Good grounding. And married my h.s. sweetheart @feebusfeet :)

While I was still in h.s. I started working at an ad agency. Was there 4 yrs. Learned a lot about branding, paid media.

It was an unrivaled experience to learn about a marketing concept at school in am then go to it in “real life” in pm

Later I wrote for what become @dmcityview then co-founded an arts mag where I was editor in chief http://bit.ly/i8cbek

My wife and I chose to move to Minneapolis, largely because of the opportunities, entertainment, music scene here

When I graduated, I sent out two resumes and got two jobs. I chose @kohnstamm, which was a fantastic experience.

Then I came over to @wsmpls / @webershandwick, and the rest is history. Almost 12 years working at agencies now.

Q – #3    Many may know about your music blog. What is it called, and when did you start it?

A: I started @perfectporridge, my music blog, about 6 years ago. It’s grown into a BEAST that demands to be fed every day.

Here’s the most recent review from this morning: “Loch Lomond get into the skin around my eyes” http://bit.ly/efJjhF

Q – #4    How has Social Media effected the “PR world” and how it helps companies?

A: Social marketing is a natural extension of the philosophy behind Public Relations as a discipline.

But in the words of Spiderman, w/ great power comes great responsibility. I wrote a post about it http://bit.ly/flOhvg

Because practically everything today is social, we must be operating in a post-social media mindset to stay relevant.

Q – #5    As part of your work, you get to do some traveling. What cities have you been to, and does SM help in your visits?

A: I travel all over for work in the 48 and as far away as Spain and Alaska. SM is great for staying in touch w/ my family

If you travel often, I recommend checking out @uppward, a new socnet for frequent flyers.

Q – #6    Great! Let now get some of your FAVORITES: Restaurant, store, winter activity, comfort food & TC’s neighborhood.

A: I live in historic downtown Chaska, which not many people know exists. It’s a century old community akin to Stillwater.

So my favorite restaurants would have to be locally owned Tommy’s Malt Shop, @puremarket and the new La Quebrada.

Since I have 3 kids four and under most of my free time is dedicated to wrestling, coloring, wrestling, and wrestling.

And @doughamlin wants me to share that I have a “You’ve Got Mail” ringtone for text messages that makes me extra cool.

Q – #7    You get “Geek Cred” for that! To end, what would you encourage people interested in getting into PR to learn about?

A: Advice to those interested in PR: get an education beyond reading books/blogs then balance with “real” experience.

And I’m off to a meeting. Someone else can spam your Twitter feed for the next hour or so. Thanks

@JoelECarlson – Thank you @gregswan for your insight and time today. I enjoyed your “Batman in Seattle” photo blog entries! Take care.

@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone! Welcome to Twitterview 2.0 of @JLBraaten. He was Twitterview #12 when I first started in March of 10′. Lets start!

@JLBraaten – Has it been that long already? It seems like just yesterday Twitterviews were getting off the ground

Q – #1    Yep. Time flies! So @JLBraaten, since the last Twitterview, you’ve changed jobs. What had you been doing, and what do you do now?

A: I was an IT/web project manager up until June, @JoelECarlson. Now I do SEO as an online marketing manager. Loving it!

Q – #2    I see. So can you explain how Social Media helped you with your new job? (Feel free to use up to 5 Tweets)

A: Crazy story about how social media helped me get a new job. I was found on LinkedIn!

As an SEO practitioner, I optimized my LinkedIn profile for “SEO” and “project management.”

One day I got an email out-of-the-blue from my new boss asking if I’d be interested in my current position.

He said he searched for “SEO project manager” in LinkedIn and found me on the first page. Talk about luck!

Lesson: if you want to be found on LinkedIn, make sure the job you want is somehow included in your profile title.

Q – #3    Good points from an SEO pro! :) Now you are also a blogger as well. Any new things have you’ve done with that lately?

A: A lot of things are happening on my humble blog, BigPictureWeb.com, recently. A new logo, design, eBook AND tutorials.

I started off blogging generally about online marketing but have started to focus on what people seem to like.

Mostly I blog about SEO, web analytics, or the awesome, yet lesser-known blogging platform, Squarespace.com.

Q – #4    Can you explain a little more about www.squarespaces.com? How it works? What makes it different?

A: Sure, I could talk all day long about @Squarespace, the easiest way to create a high-quality blog or website.

Squarespace is different because there are no servers or widgets or plug-ins to install. No upgrades either.

You get a fully hosted, fully functional website with all the features built into the powerful WYSIWYG editing software

Q – #5    Another topic to bring up is the use of the Paper.li updates. What’s your thought on them?

A: I just can’t get behind Paper.li. I know others (like @timbursch, @jakrose) feel the same: http://ow.ly/3ngCy

To me, if you’re going to curate content, do it one link at a time or put it on your blog. In between is a waste.

There’s enough to click on and read on the web today as it is. I don’t need another layer. Paper.li creates noise.

Last Paper.li thought: It’s oft lamented the “echo chamber” feel Twitter is taking on. Thanks, Paper.li.

Q – #6    Interesting. To close, what kind of personal/professional goals do you have for yourself for the near future?

A: Near-term professional goals: Support @rasmussen’s mission of education with the power of SEO and web analytics.

Near-term personal goals: Keep plugging away at my blog. Perhaps dabble in some public speaking.

And of course, finding balance is critical. Being a good friend, family member and boy friend are always goals of mine.

@JoelECarlson – Great! Thanks so much @JLBraaten for your comments and views today. All the best to you, and enjoy the MN Storm that’s coming!

@JLBraaten – Thank you, @JoelECarlson for having me and congratulations on nearly 200 Twitterviews in 2010!