Social Geek (Jack Monson)

Happy New Year, Geeks! Welcome to Season 16 of the Social Geek podcast. It’s our New Year’s Special with an all-star guest list of prominent Franchising professionals sharing trends they are seeing for 2025 along with their plans, goals, and resolutions for the new year. Pour yourself a hot coffee, Mimosa, or Bloody Mary and join in the conversations with Matt Haller, Brandi Kloostra, Kirk Allen, Rebecca Wright, Jerry Akers, Megan Center, Heather McLeod; Amanda Dempsey, Kelli Schroeder, Kristen Pechacek, Scott Greenberg, Ali Kraus, Derrick Ableman, and Danielle Wright joining host Jack Monson These thought leaders cover many ideas including the likely end of economic uncertainty, AI decision-making and practical uses, drones, X-Mail, Elon Musk, aliens, mentorship, IFA’s Franship, private equity investment in smaller brands and suppliers, being intentional, rising costs of acquisition for marketers, 1st party data, personas, short form videos, nano influencer marketing, the growth of franchise coaches, resales, Boomer retirement, sexy businesses, hyper-personalization, and of course IFA 2025 #francon. Whew! Cheers to a BIG 2025 to all our sponsors & partners including Northeast Color, Hughes, Citrin Cooperman, and Franzy. Thanks for your continued support. And thanks to YOU for joining us and staying connect on the Social Geek Radio Network. Special Guests: Ali Kraus, Amanda Dempsey, Brandi Kloostra, Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, Heather McLeod, Jerry Akers, Kelli Schroeder, Kirk Allen, Kristen Pechacek, Matt Haller, Megan Center, Rebecca Wright, and Scott Greenberg.

Jania chats with Trish Kalbas-Schmidt, Senior Director at MOBI (My Own Business Institute). Headquartered at Santa Clara University, MOBI offers free online business education and training courses to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Joe Sieve, Chief Restaurant and Global Development Officer at Papa Johns, joins Social Geek host Jack Monson as part of our series of new one-on-one conversations with the top Thought Leaders in Franchising. Joe was one of the recent winners in the Social Geek Thought Leadership Awards and shares his ideas today on many hot topics in Franchising including:  The explosion of international development and growth with growing interest in great American pizza in 50+ countries including China and India. How franchise growth is currently affected by private capital, a reduction in economic uncertainty, and real estate issues. Multi-Unit & Multi-Brand growth versus developing individual operators. Streaming now on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and more. Thanks to Hughes, Northeast Color, and Franzy. Special Guest: Joe Sieve.

We're ready for IFA 2025! Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, Kristen Pechacek and Scott Greenberg share tips and advice for the biggest franchising event of the year with host Jack Monson If you haven’t registered yet for IFA 2025, please do so at franchise.org Today’s show is brought to by Hughes, Citrin Cooperman, and Northeast Color.  Special Guests: Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, Kristen Pechacek, and Scott Greenberg.

This is the first in our series of new one-on-one conversations with the top Thought Leaders in Franchising. Mary Kennedy Thompson, CEO of BNI and the new Chair of The International Franchise Association, is here! Mary shares her thoughts on: * The importance of meeting face to face * Good storytelling and good Franchising * Why she’s so bullish on Franchising’s growth in 2025 & 2026 * And, to what she is most looking forward at The IFA Convention Thanks to Hughes, Northeast Color, and Franzy. Special Guest: Mary Kennedy Thompson.

IFA 2025 is almost here! Today, a preview of sessions that franchise marketers must attend. We'll speak with Nadia Carta of Google who will leading a session at IFA on AI for Franchises. Next up, it’s author and keynote speaker Nick Westergaard previewing his session about Scrappy Marketing for Franchises. And Global Franchise’s Rachael Wenham shares what it takes to win the Global Franchise Award at IFA. Today’s show is brought to by Hughes and Northeast Color. Special Guests: Nadia Carta, Nick Westergaard, and Rachael Wenham.

Hello Geeks! Extra test episode here today – running some tests as we switch over to a new, more robust platform behind the scenes for the upcoming year. I hope you’re having a great holiday season and thanks for staying connected. We will be back Jan 1, 2025 for Season 16 of Social Geek with a BIG show to kick off a BIG year!

Next up in our series of One On One conversations with Franchise Thought Leaders is Scott Zide! Scott is the CEO of Empower Brands and joins host Jack Monson to discuss: * Long term strategies for multi-brand platforms and multi-unit owners * Licensing territories versus bringing on the right franchisees * Changing customer demographics and how business owners must evolve * What will have the biggest impact on Franchising in 2025-2026. Thanks to Hughes, Northeast Color, and Franzy. Special Guest: Scott Zide.

Jania Bailey welcomes Shannon Wilburn, Co-Founder of Just Between Friends and Franchise Coach with SMB to chat about growing a startup business, surrounding yourself with the best people, and mentorship.

BJ and Deb kick off SGR with introductions, talk about the format of the show and what you can expect from future episodes. Don't miss this first episode which will help you get to know the hosts and what is to come on Social Geek Radio.

BJ and Deb share what they have learned after reading "Everyone Communicates Few Connect" written by John C. Maxwell. Maxwell says that every message must contain a piece of you. If you want to succeed, you must learn how to connect with people. Call the show and share your experiences of connecting and communicating via social technology!

BJ and Deb will spend time with one of the top rated communication professionals on the social networks, Gini Dietrich! Gini is the founder and chief executive officer of Arment Dietrich, Inc., a firm that uses non-traditional marketing in a digital world. The author of Spin Sucks, Gini has delivered numerous keynotes, panel discussions, coaching sessions, and workshops across North America on the subject of using online technology in communication, marketing, sales, and HR. Gini was recently named the number one PR person, according to Klout and TechCrunch, on the channels, and number one on Twitter, according to TweetLevel with 12k followers!

Join BJ and Deb as they discuss their review of Jeffrey Hayzlett's book "The Mirror Test." Hayzlett is the former chief marketing officer for Eastman Kodak. He is a C level executive who discusses marketing and networking in the age of social media. He has appeared on several news and reality tv shows including The Celebrity Apprentice. Hayzlett says there are four social media Es for customer relations: engage, educate, excite, and evangelize. If you are not familiar with Hayzlett search his name on YouTube or visit his Facebook page Jeffrey Hayzlett to learn more before listening to our show or reading The Mirror Test.

Join BJ and Deb and special guest Lorri Wyndham @LorriW (on Twitter) as they continue discussions on social networking. There are so many social media channels with excessive noise in all directions! So how do you get heard? • How important is listening before speaking? • What tools should be used? • What social media channels should be the first to implement? • After listening and engaging starts do you sell yourself or your brand first? • How important is it for kids to get involved with social media and at what age? • Should gaming be part of classroom instruction?

BJ and Deb welcome Thomas Scott www.brandjournalists.com as a guest this week. Thomas believes that Brand Journalism is the key to communication today. Brand Journalism involves telling stories about a company that make readers want to know more. It means having conversations with them – not preaching at them. Heavy-handed, hard sells no longer work because people tune them out. People simply don’t trust one-way messages handed down from a corner office. Thomas is an accomplished photojournalist published in most US dailies and many magazines. Twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, published in USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Elle Magazine. He is an expert at blogging and PR campaigns to generate read leads and business!

Deb's weekly co-host BJ Emerson will not be able to join the show this week as he will be in flight to a destination unknown. He has promised to return next week. In the meantime, Lorri Wyndham, COMPUTER EXPLORERS Operations Manager will join Deb as co-host this week. Deb and Lorri will discuss why they have been called "social geeks" and will share their thoughts of who they believe are "social geeks" and why. BJ just may be the hot topic of conversation! Are you a geek due to the number of followers you have on Twitter or friends on Facebook? How many badges do you own on Foursquare and how many locations can you declare to be the Mayor? Does your blog or website have a "Like" button? What is the geek profile of 2010 and will it look different next year? Join the show live and use the chat feature to share your thoughts. Social Geek Radio is not complete without "Geeking It Out" at the end so be prepared to have your computer in position with the internet open.

Join us as we discuss Accidental Billionaires - The Founding of Facebook by author Ben Mezrich. We'll also chat about the upcoming movie based on the book called The Social Network. Don't miss this episode and the always awesome Geek It Out tips at the end of the show.

BJ and Deb will discuss how you keep the entire family busy with technology activities that are fun, educational and entertaining! Treasure hunting (GEO cache), making a vacation summer book, creating movies and cake designs are all part of the discussion.

Special Guest Rochel Roland will join BJ and Deb this week! Rochel is founder of an internet company Joyful Bath Company and just celebrated her first anniversary in business. Joyful Bath Company provides luxurious, therapeutic bath salts and handmade botanical soaps based on the ocean’s natural healing powers and inspired by bathing rituals and remedies from around the world. Rochel will share how she started her business and why the internet and how she uses social media to promote her business. Tune in and find out what bath days are on Wednesdays, her visits to Henderson Hall Marine Corps and the press conference at the Pentegon! (Yes, real men take baths too!)

BJ and Deb traveled to New York City to attend the "How to be Great at Word of Mouth Marketing Conference. They attended 12 How-to classes, heard about 12 real-world case studies and listened to presentations from 6 brilliant authors! They will share interviews with Andy Sernovitz, author of "Word of Mouth Marketing", Jeanne Bliss, author "I Love You More Than My Dog" and presenter Ramon De Leon from Domino's. At the end of the show you will meet Skyler Fox the face behind the Twitter handle @Beefyfunk!

BJ and Deb traveled to New York City to attend the "How to be Great at Word of Mouth Marketing Conference. They attended 12 How-to classes, heard about 12 real-world case studies and listened to presentations from 6 brilliant authors! They will share interviews with Andy Sernovitz, author of "Word of Mouth Marketing", Jeanne Bliss, author "I Love You More Than My Dog" and presenter Ramon De Leon from Domino's. At the end of the show you will meet Skyler Fox the face behind the Twitter handle @Beefyfunk!

Have you seen the videos on Social Geek Radio Facebook page? If not, visit www.facebook.com/socialgeekradio BJ and Deb met several amazing individuals and attended some awesome sessions on word of mouth marketing. Did you know there are 5 Ts to word of mouth marketing (via Andy Sernovitz)? Talkers, Topics, Tools, Taking Part and Tracking? Did you know to make an impact you must: Believe, Have Clarity, Be Real, Be There and Say Sorry (via Jeanne Bliss)? Even Domino's has a (good) story to tell via @Ramon_DeLeon! Have you heard Tony Hsiesh philosphy -"Follow the vision, not the money?" Tune in to hear more of what BJ and Deb learned at the conference and how they are working towards Supergenius status. Meet Skyler Fox aka @beefyfunk for the #GeekItOut segment!

This week BJ and Deb will discuss on social technology plays a role in franchising today. They welcome friend and very special guest the Tech Media Ninja, Ken Colburn. Ken is founder and president of Data Doctors Franchise System based in Arizonia. You can hear Ken every Saturday as Talk Show Host of The Computer Corner on KTAR 92.3 News Radio in AZ. Ken is an active member of IFA (International Franchise Association) Technology Committee and presenter at the annual convention. Ken is a frequent guest on Good Morning AZ and CNN presenting the latest tech toys and discussing the social technology networks.

Social media tools offer franchisees and franchisors so many ways to promote their franchise business today. LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogging and Facebook are used to build brand awareness and drive interested customers to the corporate website. There are also platforms customized to manage and monitor the franchise sales process for the franchisor. Join BJ and Deb with guest Jon Carlston, Vice President of Social Development at Process Peak to discuss the strategies to create and grow business.

BJ and Deb met and interviewed Jeanne Bliss, author "I Love You More Than My Dog" at the Word of Mouth Supergenius conference (see video www.facebook.com/socialgeekradio). Jeanne started her career at Land's End reporting to founder Gary Comer and the company's executive committee, ensuring that in the formative years of the organization, the company stayed focused on its core principles of customer and employee focus. She was the first leader of Land's End Customer Experience. Jeanne now runs CustomerBliss (www.customerbliss.com), an international consulting business where she coaches executive leadership teams and customer leadership executives on how to put profitablity at the center of their business, by getting past lip service; to operationally relevant to operationally executable plans and processes. Her clients include Johnson & Johnson, TD Ameritrade, St. Jude's Hospital and many more. Her best-selling books are "Chief Customer Officer: Getting Past Lip Service to Passionate Action" and "I Love You More Than My Dog; Five Decisions That Drive Extreme Customer Loyality in Good and Bad Times." Jeanne will discuss her books and how you can build a beloved company.

Our guest will be Nick Powills, founder of No Limit Media Consulting which is a progressive communications firm focused on the franchise industry. By using a fine-tuned blend of Social Media + Traditional Media, No Limit creates campaigns focused on driving more consumers at the local-unit-level and more franchise prospects to the brand. Its staff of experienced publicists challenges old technology used by traditional PR firms by delivering stronger, more strategic, and more in depth buzz for the brands No Limit represents. To learn more before the show visit: http://www.discovernolimit.com

This week we'll be joined by community enthusiast, social media strategist and new media maven Dave Delaney who is social media coordinator for Griffin Technology. Listen in as we cover the latest trends in social technologies with one of the coolest geeks on the web.

BJ and Deb dedicate this week's show to why and how Twitter can be a great channel to engage customers 140 characters at a time.

Still confused by foursquare and how to use mobile social communications for business? Want to learn how foursquare can help drive sales? How do you become Mayor and how do you attract Mayors through loyalty programs? BJ Emerson will be a presenter at the Mobile Social Communications Case Studies & Roundtables in NYC on the 15th. The ½ day event will include some great case studies and roundtable discussions with companies like Foursquare, Yelp, McDonalds and BJ Emerson representing Tasti D-Lite. Join Deb and BJ as they discuss what is new in mobile marketing!

BJ Emerson will not be available for the Sept 23 show but Deb will be joined by Warren Buckleitner, a long time friend of COMPUTER EXPLORERS. Warren Buckleitner is the Editor of Children’s Technology Review. After five years in the classroom and 10 years at the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, he established Children’s Technology Review, earning him SIIA’s First Journalism Codie Award for “Best Software Reviewer.” He has been an advisor to Consumer Reports WebWatch, a judge for AEP’s Golden Lamp awards, and has taught at MSU, NYU’s ITP program and the Rutgers Graduate School of Education. He is a contributor to the New York Times Gadgetwise blog, and writes for Parents, PARADE, Scholastic Parent & Child and others. A former preschool and elementary school teacher, he holds a BS in Elementary Education (cum laude), an MS in human development and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from Michigan State University. Warren is the founder of the Dust or Magic Institute and the Mediatech Foundation. He has two teenage daughters and plays in a Dixieland jazz band. "Warren is a lot of fun. He is a true techie and educator and I look forward to our discussions on Social Geek Radio!" says Deb.

Once again BJ Emerson will be in the air and unavailable for Social Geek Radio. We may start a contest, “Where in the World is BJ!” Deb invited COMPUTER EXPLORERS Curriculum and Program Development Director, Cyndee Perkins to be her co-host on Thursday Sept 30th and together they searched for a “Geek of the Week” special guest. They are delighted that Margaret Johnson, founder of Sabi Games, a Seattle-based start-up company, accepted the invitation to help them Geek It Out! On the show you will learn how in a few short years Margaret took her startup company to a successful business. Margaret’s passion is about providing kids and parents an alternative to current video and PC games and her mission is to take children’s computer gaming to a higher level. Her ItzaBitza and ItzaZoo, computer games combine learning to read with an innovative drawing recognition technology called “Living Link.” Kids are motivated to read so they can draw the objects which come to life! Tune in to find out how Margaret went from a Microsoft employee to business owner! Itza Going to Be Fun!

Listen in as BJ interviews special guest Bill Hanifin of Hanifin Loyalty, LLC. They'll be discussing the the latest trends in technology related to loyalty, social applications and how brands are rewarding customers.

How can a solid social media presence dramatically increase a website's search engine ranking? Do you know how to use correct page titles, metadata, alt-tags for images, anchor text, etc? Join Deb and this week co-host Lorri Wyndham (@LorriW) and guest AK Stout from WebConjunction. AK will share how she has helped many small businesses grow their business by enhancing their online presence and manage their reputation via social media channels.

Robin Raskin will be our guest this week. For nearly 30 years Robin has followed technology. Her company Living in Digital Times creates conferences and exhibitions that showcase products, technologies and ideas about what it means to be digital today! Robin produces a series of conferences and exhibits at CES (Consumer Electronic Show). One of them: Kids@Play is devoted to looking at the digital life of today's kids. Silvers Summit at CES looks at technology through the eyes of the mature adult. Robin's been the editor-in-chief of Family PC Magazine, and columinist for USA Today Online. She's served as a consultant and spokesperson for high tech companies including Nickelodeon, Intel, Microsoft, SONY, Disney Publishing, etc. She has produced her own monthly television tours and has appeared on NBC Early Today, MSNBC, Live with Regis and Kelly, CBS Early Show, and Fox's Good Day New York! Join us as Robin shares what it means raising digital kids today!

Our guest, Jay Steinfeld, Founder of Blinds.com built his company from inception in 1996 to $80 million revenue, including three acquisitions. Ranked #192 of all U.S e-commerce companies, #1 e-commerce company in Houston, and the world's #1 online retailer for blinds, shades, and other window coverings. Jay is also author of "The No Nonsense Boss" http://www.bnet.com/blog/grow-business for BNET. (BNET is a website dedicated to issues of business management. It is owned by CBS Interactive and is marketed alongside TechRepublic and ZDNet as members of the BNET Business Network.) Join us as Jay shares his secrets to on-line business success and leadership!

This week BJ and Deb are joined by Jared Degnan, host of the Marketing Diner. Http://marketingdiner.com/blog. We'll be covering return on investment within social media. Don't miss this important discussion with a real brand geek.

Our first guest for the month of December will be Hollis Thomases. Hollis has built a reputation as online marketing’s “Voice of Reason.” In January 2010, Thomases’s first book, Twitter Marketing: An Hour a Day, a 478-page business text on the application of Twitter in marketing, was published by Wiley/SYBEX. Since 2005, Thomases has bi-weekly authored the “Planning the Buy” column for top Internet marketing resource site, ClickZ(.com). Thomases has appeared on television (local ABC, NBC and PBS stations) and on TechTV’s “Working the Web” and in such print publications as the Business Week, Advertising Age, Baltimore Sun, DM News, and The Examiner. She frequently speaks at industry and trade conferences such as the American Marketing Association, Search Engine Strategies, The Newsletter and Electronic Publishers Association, The Kelsey Group, the Laboratory Product Association, The Direct Marketing Association of Washington DC, and the Vocus Worldwide User Forum.

Our guest this week is Tracey E. Diamond, Esq from Hyland Levin Attorneys At Law. Tracey practices in the areas of employment law, human resources counseling and employment litigation. As franchisors continue to use social media to expand brand presence and maintain consistency across all media, it is important to adopt a comprehensive social media policy to ensure that company employees, franchisees and employees of franchisees are on board - while at the same time avoiding exercising too much control over the franchisee's employment practices to limit vicarious liability claims. Tracey will share her list of best practices that should be addressed in all social media policies. Tracey's contact information is: diamond@hylandlevin.com http://www.hylandlevin.com/

We are coming to the end of 2010 and time to plan for 2011. What will you Social Technology Strategic Plan look like? Do you have a social media road map? Are you getting the most out of LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook? Join us and guest AK Stout as we discuss planning strategies for 2011! Follow AK on Twitter @SayingItSocial and visit her Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/sayingitsocial

Deb Evans welcomes new co-host AK Stout, founder/owner of Saying It Social, LLC. With a degree in Marketing, AK prides herself in finding ways to utilize her knowledge in conjunction with the ever expanding mix and advantages of online tools to increase a brand's exposure while establishing trust and cultivating meaningful business-consumer relationships. Our guest this week is Jack Monson, Vice President Engage121. Engage121 provides marketing and communications professionals with social media and public relations software solutions. Join us as Jack discusses why monitoring social media will help your business respond to relevant conversations. Learn more about Jack and Engage121 http://engage121.com

This week AK Stout and Deb Evans welcome Justin Brackett as special guest. Who is Justin Brackett you ask. He is: A Social Media Evangelist. Entrepreneur. Blogger. Lover of the RedSox. Champion of Non-Profits. Justin recently attended CES (Consumer Electronic Show) in Las Vegas! As Vice President of Digital Management at Kioky (www.kioky.com) (KEY-oak-E) he says, "The greatest problem plaguing our modern world? Poorly applied iPhone screen protectors, of course. Thankfully, New Jersey-based startup Kioky has a solution--its Screen Care Pro back. The company's "perfect fit technology" ships with the above plastic applicator, which centers the screen guard perfectly on your iPhone. - http://www.gearlog.com Justin will share with us the challenges of being a social media evangelist and entrepreneur introducing a new product at the one of the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshows that featured 2700 exhibitors!

Join AK Stout and Deb Evans as they chat with Michelle Rowan, COO of Franchise Business Review. Franchise Business Review (FBR) is a market research company in the franchise space. They specialize in franchisee satisfaction, validation and customer validation. FBR helps franchisors benchmark and strengthen their brands, and help interested franchise buyers identify quality franchises to invest in, and make the process easier to connect with franchisees and find reliable satisfaction information.

Chris Anderson joins AK Stout and Deb Evans to discuss how independent business owners can attract and convert customers online through their own blogs, websites, and in social media. Chris will discuss how Empowerkit, can meet the needs of business owners with their own personalized websites – without risking harm to the brand, loss of corporate control, or legal compliance liabilities in the process. http://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisanderson215 http://empowerkit.com

AK Stout will be traveling to a speaking engagement on Feb 3rd and not available for Social Geek Radio. She will be missed but Deb welcomes BJ Emerson as co-host! Together they will speak with Ron Stack, Founder/COO of Zavee, an innovative community-based social shopping program that rewards loyal consumers, empowers local businesses and provides support for local civic and charitable organizations. Look for Zavee on the Web at zavee.com, check them out on Facebook and follow on Twitter @zavee. Have your computers fired up and ready as BJ returns as the first Geek of the favorite segment, GeekItOut!

On February 10th AK and Deb welcome guest, Greg Pitkoff, Managing Director of GRiP Communications. Greg has been working in the franchise community for nearly 15 years, during which he has helped startups with just a few locations, multi-national companies with thousands of sites and a broad range of companies in between attract prospective franchisees, gain more customers, build and broadcast their brand, recruit, retain and reward employees, and much more. He spent a decade heading up franchise account teams at several New York PR agencies before branching out on his own in 2007 with GRiP Communications. Today the list of franchise companies he has represented tops two dozen, and he continues to add new franchise clients year after year. Greg has been a co-moderator on the former weekly AOL Franchise Chat and on several IFA Convention Roundtables. He has contributed columns on marketing and communications to the IFA's Franchising World magazine, and has consulted with several franchise organizations on taking the plunge into social media both as a means of communicating internally and reaching consumers and other key audiences externally. Tune in to hear how Greg plans to attend IFA this year virtually! Connect with Greg via Twitter @gripcommpr or www.linkedin.com/in/gripcommunicationsllc

On Thursday, February 17th while Deb is traveling back from the International Franchise Association Convention, AK will be joined by guest co-host Dana Lopez of Graphic Management. AK & Dana will be speaking with Shelley Roth, Founder & President, Springboard Works. http://www.springboardworks.com. Since 1999, Springboard has been helping businesses create and implement ways to grow sales. As a social media trainer | speaker | consultant, Shelley has been working with companies and business owners with a focus on using social media marketing for business growth and brand recognition. At Springboard, they are passionate about teaching how to use social media tools to get the party started! The biz party that is!

Ken Walker, CEO of Driven Brands declared "Franchising Is Back!" to IFA attendees at the 51st annual convention held in Las Vegas. Deb Evans attended the convention with 2800 other franchise industry leaders and suppliers. This week AK Stout will discuss the convention with Deb. What did attending a convention of that size offer? Was the new IFA Convention Mobile App a success? Was there anything new presented in the Technology Summit? What was presented in the Leadership Conference as the "new normal?" What new technology was used by attendees or presented? Next week AK Stout will be a presenter at the COMPUTER EXPLORERS conference. She will share some of her strategies on using Google Places and Merchant Circle in business and will give a sneak peak of her presentation.

Watch this YouTube video of AK as she describes the importance of using Google Places and Merchant Circle and why it should be part of your online presence as a business owner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h9K96xVXXg She will walk us through her checklist and tell us more about The Get Social Bootcamp. Do you have the answer to "How many social platforms does AK have a profile listed?" The winner will receive a copy of "Poke the Box." Join us in the chat or via the telephone to list your answer!

The Domino Project created a worldwide street team. AK Stout is one of the members of the team and Domino Project. The team consists of individuals who are on a mission to spread ideas to people who care. They are digital natives who blog, tweet, take risks, and care about reinventing outdated systems. They are part of the digital revolution in publishing and want to share their thoughts on Seth Godin's latest book "Poke The Box". Join Deb, AK and possibly a guest or two from the Domino Project as they discuss what does it really mean to "poke the box" and why does Godin say "the person who fails the most wins"? Share your thoughts on the Social Geek Radio Facebook page. Join us live by calling into the show Thursday 8pm CT/9pm ET or via the chat feature. Come "Poke the Box" with us.

This week our guest is David Murray, Director of Social Web Communications for re:group. re:group, inc., is a privately held, national brand marketing firm located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that provides integrated brand management, including branding, marketing, design, internet marketing, advertising, SEO, social media, communications and digital and traditional media services as part of an integrated strategy. David will share what it means to be a social web communications director, how re:group implemented a QR campaign at IFA (International Franchise Association) and the need for social media education. Twitter: @DaveMurr Web: http://regroup.us

Our guest, Thomas Scott from Brand Journalists attended Podcamp Nashville last week. His blog post describes the Podcamp as a free and interactive forum for bloggers, marketers, content creators, social media experts, educators and podcasters to gather. Podcamp Nashville marked its fourth year held in the music city where attendees could network and learn about the latest trends, tricks and technologies in the interactive world. Join us as Thomas shares who he met and what he learned in the interactive sessions. Twitter: @brandjournalist Web: http://www.brandjournalists.com Blog: http://brandjournalists.tumblr.com

Blogging is all about communication. Anyone can become an online publisher and build an online community. Join us as we discuss what is newsworthy in blogging with Susan Young, President, Get In Front Communication. Susan has 25 years in news, communication, and PR. She is award-winning radio news director, reporter, and on-air anchor. Susan is also Managing Editor/Producer, HR Communicator at Ragan Communications. Twitter: @sueyoungmedia Blog: http://www.getinfrontcommunications.com/blogging

This week on Social Geek Radio, Deb Evans and AK Stout will be joined by special guest, Melissa Giovagnoli, CEO and Founder of Networlding. Networlding teaches the science of social networking. It is based on the best-selling book, Networlding: Building Relationships and Opportunities for Success which was written by Melissa. In 2005, Networlding was licensed as one of five business-leadership programs by Yale University's Graduate School of Business. You can follow Networlding on Twitter at @Networlding and read the blog http://www.networldingblog.com/.

Deb joined several others for the last four weeks on Monday and Wednesday as they attended Social Media Boot Camp. Their instructor, AK Stout conducted two hour sessions. The sessions were designed for individuals new to social media and those that have been "using" social media.  Sessions covered: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogging and Local Search. Join AK and Deb as they discuss some of the key takeaways of the Boot Camp.

 Join AK, Deb and guest Steve Cunningham, President & CEO for Polar Unlimited based in Ontario as they uncover what is needed for a digital health check! Polar Unlimited is a digital relationship agency that helps you create meaningful relationships with your customers and prospects. They believe that with the web as a hub, digital brand strategies and tools can engage a larger audience more efficiently and effectively than traditional media. Steve also produces a video podcast at www.readitfor.me, where he summarizes the latest and greatest of the billion (or so) business books that bombard us every year. Tangled somewhere in that forest of pages are at least a few business-changing ideas that Steve distills down to their essence. Proving that innovative content trumps catchy slogans, hundreds of people from every corner of the globe tune in every week. Twitter: @stevecunningham

Join AK and Deb and their special guest Dave Kerpen, co-founder and CEO of Likeable Media, an award-winning social media and word-of-mouth marketing firm. Dave has been featured on CNBC's "On the Money", ABC World News Tonight, the CBS Early Show, the New York Times, and countless blogs. Likeable's mission is to help build more transparent, responsive, & likeable companies, nonprofit organizations, and governments. If you buy his new book, "likeable social media" you will receive a pre-release e-copy! Dave will also share information about the upcoming Likeable U conference to be held in New York City June 8th and . Twitter: @davekerpen

      Our guest this week is Brooke Howell, SmartBrief's editor and resident expert on news for small businesses and entrepreneurs. She tweets from @SBStartup and writes for SmartBrief's SmartBlogs. The premise behind SmartBrief is simple: there’s too much information out there and too little time in the day to read it all. Their editors hand-pick the most relevant and important news from all over, summarize it, link to the original sources and deliver it -- for FREE -- in one-stop-shop e-newsletters. Nearly 3 million business decision makers count on SmartBrief each day to provide “must-read” news in 25 key industries. Subscriptions are free of charge, offered in partnership with more than 100 leading trade associations. professional societies, non-profits and corporations.

BJ Emerson, VP of Technology for Tasti D-Lite is back! At least as our special guest this week! As you can see from BJ's speaking calendar by clicking here, he has traveled around the world sharing his thoughts on how to use social technologies to reward brand loyalty. There is a great article by Hospitality Technology on "Reward Point Revolution" where BJ talks about Tasti's social media road map. Join us as he shares his secrets and what he has learned during his world wide tour. Since BJ is founder of "GeekItOut" we are sure he will share some very cool geek sites with us! Twitter: @BJ_Emerson or @Tastidlite Blog: Social Tech

Join us with our guest Cyndee Perkins, Director Curriculum and Program Development at COMPUTER EXPLORERS as we discuss technology options for kids over the summer. Kids today are natively fluent in both mobile and social platforms. Cyndee will share how to harness their interests and make the best use of their time over the long summer months.  Follow Cyndee Twitter: @CyndeePerkins Blog: COMPUTER EXPLORERS Read her Blog: 

Our guest this week is Deb Dobson who is a social media/marketing strategist.  She brings years of experience in business consulting, IT, marketing and social media.  She believes the technology should fit the person and their business goals, not the person trying to fit into the technology.  She has helped startups, small businesses and professionals  learn how to leverage the Web 2.0 world to reach their goals.  Currently, her day work is marketing for a large law firm, and off hours working with a new startup AboutOurWork which is a .com being developed by small business owners for small business owners, and will be launching soon.  Twitter: @DebDobson

Join us as we continue our discussion of summer technology fun for kids! Meet Lisa Johnson, Instructional Technology Specialist for NEISD, App Enthusiast, Apptivity Author, Social Geek, Wordpress Addict, and Lifelong Learner. Lisa told us, “I am blessed to be working as an Instructional Technology Specialist for NEISD. I love my job and never truly see it as "work". The Mumford & Sons song, Awake Your Soul, says it best “Where you invest your love, you invest your life.”   Lisa received her Master Technology Teacher certification from OLLUSA in 2008, taught 4 years of 7th Math/Pre-Algebra, and has certifications in elementary education, middle school mathematics, and all-level English/Language Arts. Her love for “cooking up” technology integrated lessons and the need for a creative outlet and a global audience led to the creation of  techchef4u wordpress blog.  Throughout the years she has served in various leadership and mentoring roles and is very involved in curriculum planning, vertical alignment, developing assessments, and disaggregating data. She has designed and presented technology training at district, regional, and state conventions and conferences. Blog, LinkedIn profile & Twitter feed for more info on Lisa, resources, and updates

Filling in for Deb Evans and AK Stout for this episode of Social Geek Radio is former SGR co-host BJ Emerson, VP of Technology for Tasti D-Lite.  Joining him will be Jack Monson, Vice President of Engage121, a social CRM platform.  If you've ever wanted listen more effectively and have better connections with your customers online, you'll want to hear about Social CRM. This episode will cover the basics as well as get into some details of Customer Relationship Management and social media. 

  You are probably engaging customers on social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to grow your business. Are you using social media marketing by connecting your social networks with Email Marketing? Our guest Julie Niehoff, Sr. Regional Development Director of Constant Contact will share how Event Marketing and Online Surveys will get your business noticed and deepen the relationship with your customers.   http://www.linkedin.com/in/julieniehoff http://twitter.com/julieniehoff

Dana Lopez aka "On-Line Director" for Social Geek Radio will sit in as co-host for AK Stout this week. Joining Dana and Deb is Abbie S. Fink, Vice President/General Manager at HMA Public Relations.  Abbie has both a master's degree in mass communications and a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism/public relations from Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunication of Arizonia State University. Abbie will share social media strategies on how to create a great marketing plan for any event! http://www.linkedin.com/in/abbiesfink @AbbieF http://www.facebook.com/HMAPublicRelations

Kirsten Knipp, Director of Product Marketing at HubSpot will walk Deb and AK through strategies of inbound marketing - getting found, converting leads to customers, and analytics the HubSpot way! Check out HubSpot's weekly marketing update videos on HubSpot.TV which is filmed live on Fridays.Kirsten will share a little about HubSpot's very unique culture and you can find their "Living Guidebook for Potential and Current Employees" here http://www.hubspot.com/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstenpetra 

How do you market to your customers in a world gone mobile? Chuck Martin, author of The Third Screen and New York Times Business Best Seller The Digital Estate will join Deb and AK to share how to harness mobile technology to better serve your customers more effectively. Connect with Chuck Martin: Twitter Google+ LinkedIn

FranCamp 2011: Franchising Goes Social will be the first social media un-conference for the franchise industry. Social media and social media related topics are the most talked about in franchising and even at huge events like the annual IFA conference, helpful information is sometimes hard to come by. Our guest Thomas Scott, CEO at Brand Journalists will share why he Deb, AK and Jack Monson are part of FranCamp and why anyone in the franchising industry should attend. The event is also open to non-franchise industry leaders and will interest those involved in the consumer side of marketing. For more information: http://fransocialcamp.com/

It's that time of year when parents are preparing to send their students back to school! What technology should they carry in their pocket? What type of digital cameras, computers, smartphones should be on the shopping list for school, home or business use? To make sense of it all, Ken Colburn, CEO and founder of Data Doctors franchise and radio host will join us as we discuss what every student and business owner should have as part of their tech survival guide!

Finding it hard to keep up with the social media updates to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and now Google+? AK and Deb will layout the changes and updates that took place this week so you are on top of things as a marketer and/or business owner! Feel free to call in and share what you have learned and how it has applied to you.

Join us as we talk about the new book Location Based Marketing for Dummies with co-author Aaron Strout.  Learn about how this growing concept and new technologies are making an impact on business and commerce.  Want to learn how you can use location based services to attract and retain customers? Listen in as BJ Emerson joins Deb Evans as AK is away this week.  

  Our guest, Todd Leiser is an experienced Digital Media professional and Franchise Sales/Management leader at Valpak. Valpak is America's Leader in local cooperative Direct Mail for over 40 years and reaches nearly 45 million households in more than 120 markets in North America every month.Todd will share a little history about QR codes and valuable tips on how to use in business today! http://twitter.com/valpaktodd http://www.toddleiser.net/ http://www.valpakfranchising.com

Our guest, Gloria Bell is currently the Co-Chair of the SocialMediaPlus conference and Director of Social Media for Human Capital Solutions.  Between her corporate career and joining Human Capital Solutions, Gloria founded Red Stapler Consulting where she worked with businesses and technology startups providing them with business process and operations consulting and social media strategy and implementation. Truly believing in the business benefits of both on and off line communities, Gloria regularly speaks on networking and the use of social media in business. AK and Deb will also share what they learned in Chicago while attending the Networlding Book Writing Seminar!  

Richard Brasser, CEO, The Targeted Group will be our guest this week. Since founding the company in 1999, Richard has helped some of the nation’s leading brands create their social networking strategies and successful interactive media initiatives. Aiding in strategic marketing programs for companies such as Siemens, Citibank Smith Barney, Pepsi and RSM McGladrey, Richard has honed his understanding of how to create real engagement both in person and online. Join us as we discuss strategies to create online communities for business. Twitter: @RichardBrasser LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/brasser

Jennifer MacDonald, Online Community Manager for WIN Home Inspection says using video for business should not be frightening! She will share what you need to know in order to get started with online video as part of your marketing strategies. Jennifer is one of the presenters at the first social media unconference for the franchise industry, FranCamp, to be held in Nashville October 22nd. She will give us a sneak peak to her conference presentation providing helpful tips and tricks to using video! Twitter: @jennimacdonald YouTube

In three short weeks FranCamp,  the first social media un-conference for the franchise industry will take place in Nashville, TN. Anyone who works in franchising should attend. Franchisors, CEOs, COOs, VPs of Marketing and VPs of Franchise Development.  We will continue our sneak peak of the sessions as we talk with our guest this week,  Paul Litterer of HubSpot! Paul will moderate a session on converting leads from social media. http://www.hubspot.com/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/paullitterer Twitter: @plitty

The most frequently asked question AK Stout receives from Franchisors is whether or not their individual Franchise locations should have their own Facebook Business Page or whether content from the national Facebook Page can suffice for the entire system. Depending upon your role, you may have an immediate, gut feeling about that idea. AK is not only a firm believer that individual Franchise locations can benefit dramatically from having their own Facebook presence, but she has witnessed the success that can be garnered when a Franchise location builds a community on Facebook. AK will present "Facebook Strategies - Local vs National Pages, Facebook Places and Tips to Engage Your Fans" during FranCamp. Join us as she  shares some of her presentation on Social Geek Radio and of course "Geek It Out" at the end of the show! http://fransocialcamp.com/agenda/

Please note the time for the show this week (6:30 PT/8:30 CT/9:30 ET). This week AK and Deb will host Social Geek Radio from Nashville, TN as they are setting up for FranCamp! If technology is their friend they will also broadcast live via UStream http://www.ustream.tv/channel/francamp Their guest is Ashley Betzendal, Social Web Communications Manager for The Goddard School. Goddard is reported as the nation's No. 1 childcare franchise and was recently honored for the production of it's "Introduction to Goddard" video and "Virtual Tour" video. Ashley is one of the franchisor panel members for FranCamp and will share her insights to the importance of social media and how she monitors and manages social media for Goddard. Twitter: @AshGoesSocial The Goddard School

FranCamp Nashville was just the first stop! It followed the PodCamp format with a fast paced aggressive agenda filled with rich content on the use of social media. Dynamic speakers from the industry shared their expertise and each session was streamed LIVE using UStream. What happened? What was shared? What's the new #FlatLorri Project? Join AK and Deb as they speak to a few attendees that either attended personally in Nashville or via UStream. The Tweets: http://tweetchat.com/room/francamp Recording: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/francamp Where is the Next FranCamp? http://jackmonson.com/2011/10/24/where-is-the-next-francamp/

Last week was a record of 7 guests discussing FranCamp! The conversation will continue with Jack Monson who will share upcoming plans for the next FranCamp. Deb and AK will also be joined by BJ Emerson to discuss The #FlatLorri Project,a community case study in customer engagement. A laminated cut-out image of @LorriW travels the world and publicly shares her exciting adventures while interacting with different brands and businesses as she goes. Each fun post is identified by the hashtag #FlatLorri and includes a brand mention intended to provoke a response from those managing the online presence of the company or business. This site will document the responses of the various brands within and potentially across social networks. This is not meant to be a scientific study but a conversation starter and challenge for brands to demonstrate their humanity and passion for customer service. http://theflatlorriproject.posterous.com/

Does attening a conference ignite the passion and enthusiasm you have for social media? Do you wonder what the digital space looks like for kids today? Are you amazed by those that consider themselves "social media experts" but lack a social presence? Have you posted your Google+ business page yet? What type of tools should be in your geek toolbox? How important are analytics? Join AK and Deb as they answer the questions above! Call in and share or join them in the chat.

Our guest this week is Esther Steinfeld Freedman. Esther founded NotAllCEOsAreJerks.com a site dedicated to highlighting C level executives who give back to their communitities and participate in interesting or extraordinary activities. Esther is the Public Releations Manager for Blinds.com, the largest provider of window treatments on the Internet. Esther's love of Interior Design and "Do-It-Yourself," paired with her knowledge of Public Relations and Social Media have led to the successful conversion of many new customers to customers for life! @esthersteinfeld http://www.linkedin.com/in/esthersteinfeld 

Happy Thanksgiving! Rerun of a popular show! FranCamp Nashville was just the first stop! It followed the PodCamp format with a fast paced aggressive agenda filled with rich content on the use of social media. Dynamic speakers from the industry shared their expertise and each session was streamed LIVE using UStream. What happened? What was shared?   

  Our guest Joe Libava is the author of "Become a Franchise Owner!" He informs would-be franchise owners of the joys and perils of purchasing a franchise providing a straightforward, step-by-step tips and advice on how to properly ("and carefully") research and select a franchise business. Joel will share how to locate information about franchises, current industry trends, and hot franchise opportunities.  Joel on Fox News: here

Our guest this week is Kelly McNeer, Social/ New Media Specialist/Strategy and Planning Independent Consultant in Chicago, IL. Kelly has seven years of online advertising and social media marketing experience. Kelly will join AK and Deb and discuss what social media tools can be used for job seekers and employers. www.twitter.com/kellykelmc www.linkedin.com/in/kellymcneer

  Join AK and Deb as they recap what happened in social media in 2011. What will the trends be for 2012? What conference should you be aware of? What platforms are still active and where should you be connected? What tools should be in your toolkit. This will be the last show of the year and the last time AK can “Geek It Out”, She has some really cool sites to share! The World of Social Media 2011 video link here Conferences for 2012:  http://jackmonson.com/pr-social-media-conferences-calendar/

Our first guest for 2012 comes from Australia! Diane Leonard is an online marketer and social media enthusiast. She has 15 years experience in marketing having worked in a wide variety of industries including franchising. In late 2010, she started Social Franchising, a networking group to encourage people in franchising to get started and get better at using social media. The group meets monthly at a local pub in Sydney to celebrate social media success stories, learn from guest speakers and get inspired by their franchising peers. http://linkedin.com/DianeLeonard http://twitter.com/SMinFranchising http://www.facebook.com/SMinFranchising

Part 2!

This week we welcome Allison Shaw, Social Media Specialist for Qdoba Restaurants. Qdoba offers fresh, made-to-order Mexican food. The company operates Qdoba Mexican Grill, the #2 quick-casual Mexican chain behind market leader Chipotle Mexican Grill, with about 500 locations in 40 states. The eateries offer a selection of signature burritos, along with tacos, salads, nachos, and breakfast items. More than 150 of the restaurants are company-owned, while the rest are franchised. Allison will share how she manages 107k likes on Facebook and 5k followers on Twitter and the social marketing strategies of local Qdoba Restaurants. http://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonshaw http://www.facebook.com/QdobaMexicanGrill Twitter: @qdobamexgrill

Our guest this week is Anita Wehnert from ReadyTalk.ReadyTalk provides audio and web conferencing services that are highly reliable. affordable and best of all, easy to use!  As Director of Product Marketing, Anita is focused on talking to customers about their needs and translating these into priorities for the ReadyTalk product roadmap. Before joining ReadyTalk, she gained first-hand experience with the challenges of running a webinar program while serving as director of marketing at an IT analyst firm. When she's not thinking about conferencing, she likes to do yoga and spend time with her dogs. Twitter:  @AnitaWehnert. ReadyTalk: http://www.readytalk.com/about      

We have the pleasure speaking with Liberty Harper, Director of Business Development at Aviatech. Aviatech is an interactive and digital marketing agency to direct new business development in the franchise industry. Liberty is experienced as both a franchisee as well as a franchisor, and understands all aspects of the franchise industry. Previous to founding and managing the 65 unit Liberty Fitness franchise until 2007, Liberty served as a double franchise co-owner with Curves International alongside her parents beginning in 1998, receiving the prestigious Franchisee of Year Award in 1999. In today's modern marketplace, it takes exceptional creativity, uncompromising passion & infallible instincts to get noticed. Liberty will share tips on how to rise above the clutter.  Liberty will also share her tips on how to maximize attendance to conferences and conventions. http://www.aviatech.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/libertyharper https://twitter.com/libertyharper

  Joining us this week is Brent Alvord, President of Lenny’s Sub Shop Brent will share how social media continues to be such an integral part of their company strategy for 2012. If fact, Lenny’s constantly hosts unique contests and giveaways via its social media channels, which is why they have grown to more than 62,000 fans on Facebook.   Lenny’s continually reaches out to their networks to show worth in remaining a fan of the brand by launching referral programs, such as its new Cash Rewards Program that will pay its Substantial Rewards members, Facebook fans, or anyone else for that matter, $10,000 for each referral that decides to open a new shop.     ABOUT LENNY’S SUB SHOPS Lenny’s Sub Shop features AWESOME half pound subs with premium meats sliced to order and Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks served hot off the grill.  Lenny's commitment to quality and fast, friendly service has helped Lenny's to become one of the most admired sub sandwich chains.  Lenny's Sub Shop continues expanding with great franchise opportunities still available.  Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks & The Deli Fresh Experience™ are why our loyal guests say they prefer a Lenny’s sub hands down to our competition. Why? Lenny's puts back what has been missing in the sub sandwich business - More Food, More Taste, More Personality!® For more information, visitwww.lennys.com.

We are excited to have a self-described "Gagetista", Bonnie Sharon as the guest of Social Geek Radio this week! Bonnie also known as "Cellular Chloe" provides straightforward reviews of wireless devices and "how to" videos which have made her a favorite on the Web. Her popularity is simple to understand: she knows her stuff, respects the audience, listens to them and tells the truth. Bonnie is the Director of Social Media for Wireless Zone. Wireless Zone has become the nation's largest wireless retail franchisor and was ranked #1 in its category by Entrepreneur magazine. Every store is independently owned and operated, exclusively offering Verizon Wireless products and services. Many computer and cell phone operating systems are using cloud computing now, making it easier to access your data anywhere, anytime. Bonnie will talk about the benefits of using the cloud, the dangers involved, and what users should keep in mind. http://www.linkedin.com/in/bonniesharon http://blog.wirelesszone.com/http://www.cellularchloe.com/

The IFA (International Franchise Association) convention was a huge success  in Orlando FL. Deb was joined by 3k other franchise industry attendees and returned home with a renewed passion for the use of social media in franchising.  Join AK as she speaks with Deb and guests Al Lautenslager and Lorri Wyndham.  Find out what they enjoyed most from Guy Kawasaki, who was the closing speaker for the convention. What will it mean to have Facebook and Google as the newest IFA members? Al Lautenslager: Speaker, Best-Selling Author and Consultant at Guerilla Marketing. Lorri  Wyndham: Operations Manager for Computer Explorers.

Nicole Plescher, Digital Catalyst for 919 Marketing will join AK and Deb this week to discuss building a socal strategy that's right for your franchise. How to manage and encourage franchisee adoption, control/influence, franchisee engagement and how to measure success/return on the social engagement. Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicoleanne

We are thrilled to have special guest, Kate Groom, Partner at Smart Franchise and Owner of Starfish Consulting, joining us this week all the way from Australia! Kate is an experienced and insightful business consultant, faciliator, and speaker with over 20 years of leadership, business and coaching experience. Her experience includes benchmarking, franchise operations, marketing and business strategy and she knows what it takes to get things done in the real world! Kate has established benchmarking and performance improvement programs in franchises, helping lead through periods of growth and change. During this week's show, we will tackle topics such as how to manage time, money, distractions and all of the obstacles that may stand in the way of effective social media use.

Join us as we discuss how to prepare for what is to come in social media! Social networks, blogs, email, portals, instant messaging, crowd sourcing...oh my! Follow along by opening AK's slideshare presentation via this link as we discuss social media developments in the real-time economy. Call us and share how you manage all the platforms and what you believe is next!  

Our guest this week is Michele Price, aka @ProsperityGal. Since 1982 Michele has looked for creative and innovative answers giving her businesses the edge over competitors. Having gone toe to toe in multiple male oriented industries in 2008, she started an online-internet radio show Breakthrough Business Strategies radio which grew into the media company Breakthrough Business Strategies bringing straight forward advice for business today.  She was recognized as one of the top ten influencers at Blogworld LA and advises her clients how to get that kind of media coverage. Michele will share what she believes are missed opportunities to leverage social media in business. How do businesses think and miss opportunities to leverage their media coverage whether it is traditional or social media. What are untraditional solutions in these untraditional business times?   Social links: http://www.twitter.com/prosperitygal http://www.linkedin.com/in/micheleprice https://www.facebook.com/#!/SocialMediaForSmartPeople http://www.whoismicheleprice.com http://socialmediaforsmartpeople.com/speaking-michele-price/

What's it all about? How many social platforms does one person need? What platforms are best for business purposes? Which ones relieve the stress after a long day? How can you be business social or is it all fun and games? Join us as we "Decode Pinterest" , discuss OMGPOP Draw Something craze and why the movement of Words With Friends has replaced Farmville! Still need an invite to Pinterest? Contact AK or Deb and they will be delighted to invite you! If you are a Pinterest user, check out their boards! http://pinterest.com/debce/ http://pinterest.com/akstout18/

  Our guests this week are Joseph Pascual, co-founder and head of product development at Dotstudioz and Phoenix Gonzales, co-founder, owner, and head of brand integration at Dotstudioz. Joseph has led development teams around the world and is fluent in 5 languages. He has spent the last few years developing a video management solution for the entertainment industry. Phoenix has led the company’s efforts to further relationships with the entertainment and investment worlds. Having managed multiple aspects of the company operations, she has been able to put the company in front of the likes of Sony, UTA, NMA Group, Warner Brothers, etc.   DOTSTUDIOZ is an entertainment technology company based in Los Angeles, CA and Vancouver, British Columbia, servicing the needs of brands and entertainment professionals seeking ways to monetize online. Through its software as a service (SaaS) Dotstudio Pro and (Fan Incentive Engine) Viral Swagger, Dotstudioz introduces an intuitive workflow that integrates the latest breakthroughs in video and social media, addressing most of the technical roadblocks that stand in the way of telling your Brand’s story across multiple online platforms as a way to create and engage a community organically. http://www.facebook.com/dotstudioz http://dotstudioz.com/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalpostpros http://www.linkedin.com/in/phoenixg11  

Have you always wanted to join Twitter but not sure how to get started? Do you know how to join the conversation? Do you have a Twitter profile but not making connections? Ever wonder what a hashtag (#) is and how it should be used? Then join  AK and Deb as they share their Twitter tricks and tips. Even if you are currently using Twitter they have a few things to share. Call the show and share your tips or ask your questions!