It is the SMC of SLC’s pleasure to highlight one of our member agencies, Lava7. Lava7 was founded by four partners: Maile Keone, Jack Hadley, Blake Hadley, and Rob Jensen, who bring years of award-winning experience in traditional marketing, message development, concepting, copywriting, art direction, and graphic design. Focused on social media marketing, Lava7 seeks to help organizations to “expand their relationships in relevant and engaging ways, in more places, and more easily than ever before.”

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SMC: First up, Maile, what’s the story behind naming your new social media marketing agency “Lava7”? Any tie to your Hawaiian roots?

MK: The name comes from the spreading of ideas. Lava spreads explosively, then moves more slowly, and finally settles into cracks and crevices, becoming part of the landscape and creating a foundation upon which other things grow. Lava also needs to be continuously pushed out in order for the landscape to continue to grow. Part of social media marketing is helping, watching, and encouraging stories to spread. That’s how we came up with the name. But I do like the Hawaiian connection.

SMC: Maile and Jack, what motivated you both to pour your hearts, souls, and wallets into the Lava7 partnership – and to focus your agency on social media marketing?

JH: One of my favorite books is Zag, by Marty Neumeier. Marty speaks of the relationships between trends, brands, fads, “waves,” and creating businesses that are essential and truly distinctive. Social media is not a fad. Social networks have always been a big part of doing business, and the Internet isn’t going away. Tools and methods may change, but this wave will continue to create trends that raise all ships. Four years ago I saw the writing on the wall and jumped into the deep end of the pool. I love what I’m doing. I feel like the 20 years I spent working in creative environments were preparation for what we’re now doing at Lava7.

MK: The first time I heard Jack speak, I knew I wanted to work with him. We’ve somehow managed to pull amazingly talented people together and create a fun business that helps people with both traditional and new marketing. My background in traditional tech company marketing is just a platform for the massive changes that are happening in the way we communicate. Being able to talk to companies and people about those concepts gets me up in the morning and keeps me awake at night. I’m just so excited about what each day brings.

SMC: Jack, you wanted to add something to what Maile just said about massive changes?

JH: Yes, if I might. The lines between advertising, branding, marketing, public relations, and customer service have become very blurred. That’s a good thing. Businesses should be engaging with their audiences anywhere they can, everywhere they can, and as often as they can. If you’re thoughtful about the ways in which you engage, it helps tell your story without annoying your audience. People are pulling and consuming information today in very different ways than before. These new strategies for digitally engaging and influencing are not only powerful, but represent a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.

SMC: You’ve branded yourselves as “digital engagement marketers.” Give us the low-down, Jack, on what Lava7 does for clients.

JH: We provide integrated social media marketing solutions that achieve business objectives. We do that by combining three things: strategic mindset, relevant tools, and compelling creative. I agree with SMC of SLC member Erin McBride, who suggested on this blog last month that “…we stop calling this social media marketing. To better encapsulate and explain what we aim to do with social media tools, I propose that we call it Social Media and Engagement Marketing.” I think that’s good thinking.

A problem is that businesses are feeling overwhelmed by it. The space is changing constantly. People don’t know where to start. They struggle figuring out how this fits with their existing efforts. They struggle getting C-level buy in. They’re afraid of wasting time and resources, and they don’t know how to measure effectiveness. We help businesses to first, wrap their minds and hearts around it. Then, we show them how to use the tools in simple, strategic ways. And in many cases, we also help with implementation.

SMC: Such passion, Jack! Is that why at least one client has labeled you a “mad genius”? Think the term fits?

JH: Whenever people say that, I’m not exactly sure what it means! Maybe it’s more like a “nutty professor.” Either way, I think I got that label because of my passion for what I’m doing. I guess it kinda fits. Sorta.

SMC: Maile, reassure Jack! List two strengths he brings to the Lava7 partnership.

MK: If I must! <grin> Other than his mad genius, Jack has an innate ability to help others understand complex concepts and processes. That ability has led to him to speak all over the state on social media marketing. He has helped many companies, from small start-up businesses to large technology companies, come to a better understand of where to start — which answers one of the questions we get asked all the time. In addition, his background as a branding expert helps companies to further understand that before spreading their story, they must first make sure they have clarity. Jack is a master at helping others to distill.

SMC: I’m disappointed. I was so sure you were going to mention those signature sneakers he wears to business functions. That’s gotta be a strength, too!

MK: Oh my gosh, you’re right. Those sneakers have cemented that Jack thinks outside the box!

SMC: Jack, your turn. Maile is known as one of the best-connected movers and shakers within Utah’s technology industry. But what are the strengths she brings to Lava7?

JH: Maile has great business sense, and her energy is so contagious. She has a proven track record in helping take companies from point A, to point B, to point C. She has a deep understanding of traditional marketing and remarkable insight into the ways in which new media strategies integrate with traditional marketing. Maile is feisty, too. We like that — and so do our clients. It helps move us ahead on a daily basis, meet our commitments, and get the work done. Her favorite word yesterday was “snarky” after we fired a client whom she called “one snarky dude.”

SMC: Yeah, well, “dude” is probably a term she perfected on the beaches of Hawaii, right? Blake, let’s hear from you, dude. The Lava7 website is crisp, clean, and playful. Do you get all the credit for this online coolness? Is it your chief Lava7 hat?

BH: Right now, I’m doing a lot of the design execution, so yes, I guess I get most of the credit. But we also work a lot as a team, and utilize a number of outside design resources. We each wear lots of hat around here. Besides directing design, I spend a lot of my time doing behavior blueprinting.

“Digital Behavior Blueprinting” is the term we’ve coined for the first half of the creative process behind the strategies we create at Lava7. The second half of the creative process is more traditional; it’s about imagery, graphic design, headlines, colors, etc. But the first half is about coming up with ideas that engage. For example, what will draw people in? How can we get people to do the things, or click on the things we’d like them to do? How will people interact with the rollouts or promotions we create?

You can have all the cool social media tools in the world, with beautiful designs, but if there aren’t creative ideas for implementing and utilizing them, achieving the objectives, and driving results, they’re really useless.

SMC: Well said, Blake! Rob, you’re the final partner at Lava7, serving as CTO. But I hear you’re more commonly referred to as the “code guy.” Explain.

RJ: My partners do call me the “code guy.” As Blake said, creativity is no longer ONLY about messaging and visuals. In this space, it’s about applications, utility, interaction, and experience. I view my role as the technology bridge builder between the three parts of the puzzle: mindset, tools, and creative. Obviously, in the end, the execution of web-based, digital engagement is about pixels and code. But this kind of bridge building is much more comprehensive. Our creative team model is similar to the one used by Edward Boches at Mullen. I work a lot on solving the content distribution and development parts of our projects, making sure that the application of technology not only lines up functionally, but lines up strategically as well. Tying the tools together into smooth, integrated campaigns is critical — and a lot of fun.

SMC: Wow, Rob, you almost make me wish I was a techno-geek! Jack, one last question: Lava7 is actively educating the community on the benefits of social media. But you’ve also developed the curriculum for, and teach, an advertising and social media marketing class at Brigham Young University. What has teaching social media within the university environment taught you?

JH: It’s been an interesting enigma. While I’m not a career educator, my sense is that the wheels in academia turn rather slowly — while the corporate, high-tech business world I’m used to is always on the leading edge. Most communications, advertising, and marketing students across the country are getting very little instruction in universities about social media marketing for business. The students are SO tech-savvy; social media is their world! Yet, they end up in the middle, as much of their curriculum is behind the curve.

This social media marketing class has been a lot of fun because BYU (and in particular Jeff Sheets, the advertising lab director) has given these communications students the opportunity to be on the edge. The projects we do in class give them real-world experience. I’ve found the students’ blog posts on our class network to be very thoughtful and insightful. My guess is that these students will be among the very few who can interview after graduation saying that they truly understand how social media is changing the business world. Most other university students will graduate still thinking Facebook, as just an example, is only for planning weekend parties.

SMC: Lucky students! To wrap up, I’d like a takeaway from each you, please. Complete this sentence: I dig social media marketing because…

MH: …I am a connector and a maven, and it makes being both easier!

JH: …I never have to go to work. I just play all day (at least it feels that way).

RJ: …its power is accessible to anyone, yet so few have found it or know what to do with it.

BH: …it has allowed me to think beyond traditional media and dive into a fascinating level of communication that has opened a new world of creative solutions.

SMC: Thanks much, all — and Mele Kalikimaka!

***Jack Hadley is also cofounder of the Social Media Club of Utah Valley, and founder of Cowork Utah, a social media community workspace providing a collaborative environment for independent designers, bloggers, and programmers.

Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt is a freelance writer, editor, and social media trainer/marketer. Catch her online at www.Bell-Rehwoldt.com, http://www.facebook.com/SheriBellRehwoldt, and http://www.linkedin.com/in/sbrehwoldt

It is the SMC of SLC’s pleasure to highlight member Janet Meiners Thaeler, recipient of a Utah Social Media Award in the “Best Social Media Content Guru” category.

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SMC: Janet, congrats on your award! What thoughts ran through your mind when you heard your name called? As you mentioned in your acceptance speech, those were indeed some “lucky” boots you were wearing!

JMT: Thank you. I told my husband I didn’t think I was going to win, but I was happy for my friends and colleagues whose names were being called. Then I heard the line about being a new author and knew it was me. It was like being at the academy awards. It really gave me a chance to celebrate this incredible ride I’ve been on and loved with others who share the same passion for social media. You could just feel the buzz in the room. I also got to show off my social media boots and send Sorel the picture.

SMC: Give us the scoop on your blog, newspapergrl.com, including how long it’s been up, your subject matter, and a bit about your followers.

JMT: When I heard about Internet marketing, I fell in love with it. I have a bad memory and I wanted to document my new career. I started blogging in 2005. A blog makes my mind searchable and gives me an outlet so I don’t drive people crazy with my thoughts. But I never thought anyone would read it.

The most surreal part was when someone I’d never met hugged me because she read my blog. I loved that! My blog has brought me a lot of friends and connections. My followers tend to be people who own their own businesses online or run Internet marketing for their company.

I still blog, but now I’m on Twitter more. I’ve switched from learning and exploring to applying what I have learned. My blog doesn’t serve the same purpose for me as it did at first, but it’s still an important part of my personal brand.

SMC: Beyond blogging, you’re a consultant, and social media specialist with OrangeSoda Internet marketing. That’s a lot to juggle — along with your personal life. Tell us how you stay sane!

JMT: I only work at OrangeSoda twice a week right now. But I don’t stay sane! Which is why husband says I need to keep regular business hours. But sometimes I can’t sleep, because I have ideas I need to record.

SMC: Tell us about your new book, I Need a Killer Press Release: Now What??? A Guide to Online PR. Why did you decide to write it, and how did you select your publisher?

JMT: I’ve wanted to write a book for years, but it was really seeing my friend Jason Alba’s (CEO and creator of JibberJobber.com and author of I’m on LinkedIn – Now What???) success that really motivated me. I wanted to share the success I’d found with online press releases. I also wanted to provide a resource for people with small budgets. I’ve had people say my book is worth much more than the cost, as there’s really no other book about online press releases available.

It was Jason who introduced me to his publisher, Happy About. They provided the direction and structure I needed. It was much more work to write a book than I ever imagined – but they got me the ISBN number, helped to design the cover, and got me on Amazon.

SMC: Tell us what you think are the most important tips in the book. And why people should run out and buy a paper or e-book copy.

JMT: People should buy my book because it will save them hours of trying to figure out things on their own. I help readers to find newsworthy information to share. I take them through keyword research and how to get higher search results for their news. I talk about online news services and help readers choose the best ones. And I give readers ways to promote news online once it’s live (on social networks, with bloggers, etc.).

Here’s a sampling of the book. Next I’m producing a 120-minute DVD with Jason that uses a screen capture program to actually show viewers a lot of the concepts in my book. It will be a valuable training tool, as it includes a bonus webinar, slides, and transcripts I created exclusively about search engine optimizing a press release. Pre-orders are 25 percent off right now at OnlinePRbook.

SMC: Any success stories so far, even though your book has only been out since September?

JMT: Like press releases, the numbers build up over time. My first sale was from Susan Baida (co-founder of eCareDiary.com, an online community of those caring for elderly family members), whom I’ve since connected with on Facebook and Twitter. She said my book was exactly what she was looking for. I also heard from my publisher that my book was the only one that someone grabbed right out of his hands when he was showing off the new titles. Perhaps the biggest win, though, is that my book will be required reading in four PR classes at a university.

SMC: Congrats, and may many more schools follow! Any words of wisdom for other SMC of SLC members thinking of starting blogs?

JMT: Narrow your focus. If you blog about everything, people won’t know what to expect and you’ll see less success. For example, my intern, Chad, started out blogging about all sorts of topics. He asked me how to get more traffic, and I suggested he narrow the focus. So he converted his general blog into a car blog. He’s had a great time test-driving cars, and even gotten a press pass to a car event.

Another piece of advice: post at regular times. If you say you’ll be there at 8 a.m. each morning, and you always are, you start building trust.

SMC: Any thoughts on bloggers versus traditional media reporters?

JMT: The lines between media and bloggers blurs because most reporters now blog, too. We still need hard news and fact-checking, but for eyewitness accounts, opinion, and commentary on what’s happening right now, there’s nothing like bloggers. I can credit most of what I know and my success to bloggers.

SMC: What have been the chief benefits of membership in the SMC of SLC for you personally?

JMT: Hands down, I go to the meetings to meet other people who are into social media. I feel like they’re my people. I’ve always been drawn to communities. I found mine at the Social Media Club of Salt Lake City.

SMC: Please tell us, in one sentence, why social media blows your mind.

JMT: It’s an always-on source of interacting, learning, and entertainment – it keeps me sharp and makes me feel less alone in the world.

Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt is a freelance writer, editor, and social media trainer/marketer. Catch her online at www.Bell-Rehwoldt.com, http://www.facebook.com/SheriBellRehwoldt, and http://www.linkedin.com/in/sbrehwoldt

It is the SMC of SLC’s pleasure to highlight new member Josh Hanagarne, recipient of a 2009 Utah Social Media Award for his blog, World’s Strongest Librarian. His acceptance speech generated a lot of buzz, so we wanted members to have a chance to get to know him better.

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SMC: Josh, thanks so much for joining us on the SMC of SLC blog. First, tell us about your life – about being, as you say on your blog: “an aspiring strongman, bookish nerd, twitchy guy with Tourette Syndrome, devoted family man, tearer of phonebooks, and humble librarian. A tall, thin paradox wrapped in thick glasses.”

JH: It’s actually not that exciting, but it makes for an intriguing “about” page, doesn’t it? I get up early. I lift something heavy. I eat a lot of eggs and then I go to work. At work I yell and twitch all day in a relatively quiet library. Then I go home, play with my toddler, and spend time with my lovely wife, Janette.

SMC: Tell us more about your workout of choice: kettlebells. On your blog you describe kettlebells as “the greatest, most fun, awesomest, most brutal strength tool of all time” that “becomes a lifestyle.” You’re going to have to explain that passion!

JH: Kettlebells are just a tool, like barbells, bodyweight, dumbbells, sandbags, or whatever else you can think of. But for me, they deliver the greatest benefit in the least amount of time. A lot of it depends on what your goals are, of course. A power lifter who wants to deadlift 700 pounds, is not going to be able to find a heavy enough kettlebell to practice with. But for people who say things like, “I want to be fit,” or “I want to lose fat or weight,” or “It hurts when I lift,” kettlebells are superior, because every ounce of effort you put in has a payoff; every lift involves most of the body. Kettlebell progress is measurable, useful, and constant for people who commit. That makes it fun – and addictive. They also look way cooler than pink dumbbells.

SMC: Hmmm….would kettlebell training be of much help if you met Conan the Barbarian in an alley?

JH: I was Conan’s prize pupil, so we wouldn’t have a problem. But if we were bitter foes, kettlebells would definitely help. I would lure him into the alley. Then, when his shoulders wedged in and he got stuck, I would club him over the head with a 70-pounder.

SMC: Intriguing strategy! Let’s chat about another adversary: Tourette Syndrome. Tell us your history with the disease, including your forced withdrawal from society as you fought to get the symptoms under control.

JH: When I was six, I started blinking my eyes and contorting my face during the first grade Thanksgiving program. The small, involuntary movements concerned my parents, but it didn’t seem serious enough to seek medical help. But when I reached ninth grade, the tics suddenly became vocal as well. I didn’t know I had a condition. I just thought I was crazy. I was diagnosed, but was told treatment was unnecessary.

Fast forward to when I was 19 years old, serving as a missionary in Washington, D.C. One day I punched myself in the face while on a busy street. It surprised the people around me – but me even more so. The punching led to screaming. The screaming led to a hernia. My weight soon dropped to 150 pounds, as I was shaking so badly that food couldn’t settle in my stomach. That wasn’t good, considering I was 6’8”.

Purpose-built kamikaze planes had no landing gear. It was like my brain had become a little kamikaze pilot and my skull was the cockpit. I would circle and circle, searching for a place to touch down, but knowing there weren’t any runways for me. So I withdrew. I couldn’t be in public for long without causing a disturbance. I was just a scared kid who dealt badly with enormous challenges. It was easier to mope than to fight, so I curled up into a ball for a long, long time.

I eventually resorted to receiving Botox injections in my vocal cords every five weeks, so that I could be out in public. The Botox made it so I couldn’t scream – but I couldn’t talk either. During the three years of injections, I fell in love with writing, which let me communicate in ways that my whispering didn’t.

SMC: Wow. On your blog you write, “Someone recently asked me what I would do if I could suddenly choose not to have Tourette’s. Their jaw hit the floor when I said that, given the choice, I would keep it.” Explain how you’ve come to see the positives of your disease—including your view that Tourette Syndrome has made you a better person.

JH: Tourette’s has taught me that I’m not made of glass. That there are worse things in this world than pain. Once I learned that I wasn’t going to shatter every time something went wrong, I figured out how to take the pain and give some back. I’m not saying that people need to hit themselves in the face and bark in the movie theater to learn how to toughen up. But for me, I don’t know how I would have cultivated this level of self-reliance if things had been easier. Very little was required of me growing up. I excelled in school with no effort and was a natural athlete. I made friends easily and was a whiz at every instrument I touched.

Tourette’s takes – and will never stop taking. It preys on confidence and vulnerability. It isn’t a riddle to be solved, but an opponent to be outdistanced.  My only chance is to produce so many good things in my life that it can’t ever take more away than I am creating. I’m winning a fight I shouldn’t be able to, and I’m winning big.

SMC: So tell us how you began blogging. And about your potential book.

JH: I decided to start my World’s Strongest Librarian blog, via Blogger, in early 2009, as a way to keep track of my workout numbers. I was always losing my training notebooks! My early posts included thrilling info such as: “02-18-2009: Deadlift: 5×3x185.” But then I wrote a guest post for a friend’s blog, Straight To The Bar. When he told me that I could “really, really write,” and that I should, I moved World’s Strongest Librarian over to WordPress, launching with a humor video called Enter The Librarian!. As you can see, it shows me using kettlebells and abusing library customers. Classy stuff. But it got the traffic rolling in—and it hasn’t stopped. Lunatics, all of them.

Specific to book news, I am currently revising a book proposal for the memoir of The World’s Strongest Librarian. I have a fancy agent, but I haven’t signed a book deal yet. But I’ve got my fingers crossed.

SMC: We’ll keep our fingers crossed, too. That video, by the way, is a far cry from your daily goal of not making anyone’s day worse! How close are you to hitting that goal 90 percent of the time?

JH: Life is difficult. There’s no shame in saying so. To quote from The Wire, “Sometimes things just got to play hard.” Why would you want to be the dark spot in someone else’s day? How do you feel when your otherwise perfect day gets screwed up because of someone being inconsiderate? The writer Kurt Vonnegut saw some horrific things in his life, but he traced many of the world’s evils back to a simple lack of courtesy. He said, “Love may fail, courtesy will prevail.” I value love more than good manners, but I think I see what he meant. My life revolves around the pursuit of bettering myself on behalf of bettering others. I probably hit my goal about half of the time. But usually the only day I make worse is my own.

SMC: When your journey is over, what do you want to have accomplished with your life?

JH: At my funeral, I want everyone to know that I was a kind, gentle, honest man who did right by his family and friends. In the past, I have failed at most of those. Now, nothing matters more.

SMC: You’re certainly making an impact on others rights now – as evidenced by your Utah Social Media Award. By the way, what ran through your mind when you heard your name called for the Best Blog category?

JH: The first thing I thought as I walked up to the dais was “I think Angie [Larsen, co-host, Good Things Utah] is taller than I am.” Then I thought “How shiny is my face?” I was sweating in my suit. My tics were starting to get the best of me and I was hot.

SMC: And yet your acceptance speech was so inspiring! Last question: Please tell us, in one sentence, why social media blows your mind.

JH: People harbor barriers and prejudices, which are often insurmountable in person. But they may be able to overlook them in the online world. If you couldn’t sit down and have a conversation with me because I’m white, male, tall, thin, ugly, handsome, gay, or straight, we might still be able to get along fine online. That’s innovation I care about a lot more than the latest application.

SMC: Hmmm….that was actually four sentences, but we’ll take it! Thanks, Josh! We’ll look forward to seeing you at lots of SMC of SLC events in 2010.

Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt is a freelance writer, editor, and social media trainer/marketer. Catch her online at www.Bell-Rehwoldt.com, http://www.facebook.com/SheriBellRehwoldt, and http://www.linkedin.com/in/sbrehwoldt

It is the SMC of SLC’s pleasure to highlight new member Kevin Young: biologist, environmentalist, entrepreneur, and enthusiastic student of social media.

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SMC: Welcome, Kevin, to the SMC of SLC blog! You’re fairly new to the Social Media Club of Salt Lake City, right? How did you hear about us? What do you hope to gain from club membership?

KY: I am quite new to the club. In fact, I’m not sure I’m really a member – does going to a Tweetup count for enrollment?! Basically I decided to look into Twitter for business purposes, having never used it prior to summer 2009, and started looking around for other Utahns. Eventually I stumbled upon #SMCSLC and found the tweets useful and interesting. Through my association with the club I am hoping to gain insights into how I can be a community builder and a contributor of interesting information rather than simply an advertiser. I also want to facilitate “word of mouth” communication about my business and use social media to introduce Utah eBikes to influential Utah bloggers, tweeters, and Facebook users.

SMC: Tell us a bit about your getting into the scooter-style ebike biz. You were a biologist…and decided to bring electric bikes to Utah after attending a sustainability conference, right?

KY: I still am a biologist, as a matter of fact. Part of my trouble has been figuring out how to do two full-time jobs! My wife and I have studied black bears and horned lizards for years. Now I mainly teach things like anatomy, physiology, and microbiology. And yes, I have an abiding interest in sustainability, green technologies, and ethical business practices. When I attended a sustainability conference about a year ago, I was introduced to scooter-style ebikes. There were a number of intriguing booths within the vendor area, but the ebikes really grabbed my attention. I chatted with the owner off and on throughout the week. I then decided to buy an ebike for my own use, but nobody was selling this style of ebike in Utah. This made my entrepreneurial antennae start to vibrate! I ended up jumping head-first into business just a few months later.

SMC: What are some of the perks of going “ebike”? I can guess a few, based on your slogan “No noise, no fumes, no fuss.”

KY: The first surprise, upon sitting on a scooter-style ebike, is that it is so quiet. It’s nearly silent, so it seems like you’re gliding magically. Second, there are no emissions, so there is no smell. This is a huge plus for me. Third, the system is simple – no messy fluids, cooling system, or carburetor – so you just turn the key, twist the throttle, and away you go. It is so reliable that I am able to confidently offer a full two-year warranty. Another little feature I love, which you can’t find on a gas scooter, is cruise control. After holding the throttle in position for a few seconds, you can relax your wrist and the ebike will continue cruising along until you tap either brake. I tell people that an ebike is far cheaper than a car, safer than a motorcycle, less work than pedaling a bike, and leaves a lower carbon footprint than if they rode the bus!

SMC: Love all the “green” talk! What social media tools have you tapped into so far to market Utah ebikes? Any lessons learned?

KY: Yes! My first big lesson was discovering that I had more ideas and ambitions than skills. I learned this when trying to build my own website. It was terribly boring! But I’m very pleased with the look and feel of our website now, after finding a good designer. I still want to add a wiki component, to make it more interactive. I also made a page on Facebook, but frankly I don’t really “get” how to use Facebook yet for business. My third tool, Twitter, has been a great learning environment for me – and my favorite way to connect to businesses and people. I would spend more time on Twitter, if I could. I have even incorporated it into my classes this semester.

I am learning that social media facilitates relationships. But like any relationship, it takes time and consistency to maintain the connections. I feel very privileged to be rubbing shoulders with the great thinkers of the Social Media Club of Salt Lake City, and to be part of the wave of Utah businesses participating in social media. As I am a new business, I have the opportunity to really build my business with social media tools – rather than tacking them on as an afterthought. I look forward to discovering the ways that social media shapes my business culture!

SMC: Sounds like you’re well on your way, Kevin! Please tell us, in one sentence, why social media blows your mind.

KY: Social Media blows my mind because it is a global phenomenon – expanding exponentially – that also serves as an increasingly relevant tool at the local level. I have my finger on the pulse of breaking ebike news across the world, but am also aware of the experiences and questions of my newest customers.

SMC: Thanks, Kevin! Happy ebiking! Hmm…what kinda deal can we get for club members? HA!

Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt is a freelance writer, editor, and social media trainer/marketer. Catch her online at www.Bell-Rehwoldt.com, http://www.facebook.com/SheriBellRehwoldt, and http://www.linkedin.com/in/sbrehwoldt

It is the SMC of SLC’s pleasure to highlight member Josh “Shua” Peters: social media strategist, amateur artist, and  *major* horror movie fan. Josh is also the brand new co-author of the book Twittfaced. Josh describes himself as a “very analytical, strategic, and detail-oriented person.” Read on to learn even more about Josh. (Oh, and the next time you see him at a SMC of SLC meeting, feel free to ask about his numerous tattoos! He’s happy to spill the goods.)

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SMC: First up: please explain the quotes in your name: Josh “Shua” Peters. Inquiring minds wanna know!

JSP: “Shua” is the nickname I’ve gone by for a long, long time. It’s pronounced SH-WA (like the upside down E).

SMC: Cool. Give us the skinny on you as an interesting individual and Utahn.
What were you like as a teen versus five years ago versus today?

JSP: I don’t know if I’m interesting, but I definitely have a story. As a teen I was your average, awkward Wyoming kid in who didn’t know how to talk to girls (Still struggle with that at times!). I was trying to be a good son, but also had a mad desire to be a punk rocker. In college, I transformed into said punk rocker. But I had no musical talent, so I became friends with all the punk bands, dancing on stage and helping with security.

Yet even with sporting a 9-inch Mohawk, I was able to impress my professors with my grades and work ethic enough to nab departmental scholarships every semester.

I moved back to Utah about eight years ago. (I was born and raised here until ninth grade, then my family moved to Wyoming.) Once back, I calmed down the crazy hair somewhat – but then later had no choice because it started falling out. At least I had some good times with it while it was there!

I found myself doing menial jobs, which I hated. One day I decided that complaining wasn’t going to get me anywhere. So I started reading, learning, and returned to school, to create a future for myself. I’m not yet where I’d like to be, but I’m steadily working on getting there. Earlier this year I finished the University of San Francisco’s Master Certificate in Internet Marketing. A future goal: to own a house with a yard!

SMC: You’re obviously a creative guy. How/why did you channel your energy into social media?

JSP: I got started in social media back about three years ago when I was working on a startup called RoyalAnts (a social events calendar platform that isn’t dead; it’s just on the back burner for the moment). I began looking at how we could market the site with a very limited ($0.00) budget. To get up to speed, I started doing a minimum of two hours of research a day. I read everything I could get my hands on, attended webinars, and created guidelines around each platform I encountered.

At one point, about two years ago, I spent over 16 hours a day – for several weeks straight – immersing myself in social media. I blew through all the vacation time at my day job just so I could grasp the concepts I was seeing. Soon I began offering advice to friends, and advising on and auditing company plans. I nabbed my first big client earlier this year.

SMC: On your “shuaism” blog (pronounced SH-WA-ISM), you label yourself as a “social media strategist.” How did you earn that title — beyond setting up Facebook and Twitter accounts?

JSP: Well, that’s really all I did … that’s all it takes to be strategist, don’t you know? Just kidding! I now have extensive experience working on social media plans and strategies for companies – from single-owner startups to huge companies such as Symantec.

SMC: So, social media strategist…and now new co-author of the book Twittfaced. Word on the street is that there’s a cool (ironic?) story about how Twitter helped you to get Twittfaced published. Spill!

JSP: Well, my co-author Jacob Morgan and I wrote an e-book about social media, which we released for free on Twitter. Knowledge of the book spread, thanks to some awesome Twitter friends. One day I got an email from a publisher asking if it was ok to share the book with their new authors. I said yes. About an hour later, I got another email saying that the owner of the company loved the e-book and wanted to know if we were interested in writing a full book for publication. That’s the inside scoop on Twittfaced.

SMC: Interesting! But why write a book focused solely on Twitter? Is it your favorite social media tool?

JSP: Actually, only one chapter deals with Twitter. Twittfaced is a guidebook for understanding and maximizing social media in general. But Twitter is pretty much my favorite social media tool.

SMC: Josh, you just ponied up for the SMC of SLC’s 2010 Board – serving as the club’s membership director. What do you see as the club’s chief benefit to members? How do you plan to help grow the membership and the club’s reputation within the greater Salt Lake City business community?

JSP: I think the networking aspect is the biggest benefit of being a part of the Social Media Club of Salt Lake City. It’s a great place to meet people and exchange ideas. I hope to help grow the membership by helping to create and put on killer events.

SMC: That’s inspiring, Josh! Please leave us with a take-away, if you would: Sum up, in just one sentence, why social media blows your mind.

JSP: Social media blows my mind because of how powerful and flexible it is; you can accomplish just about anything online with it.

**Find Josh here:
Shuaism
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn

Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt is a freelance writer, editor, and social media trainer/marketer. Catch her online at www.Bell-Rehwoldt.com, http://www.facebook.com/SheriBellRehwoldt, and http://www.linkedin.com/in/sbrehwoldt