Mark Estee, 12-months Revisited

“Persistence is probably the single most common quality of high achievers. They simply refuse to give up. No matter how hard it seems, the longer you persist the more likely your success.” — Jack Canfield

I will NEVER get tired of hearing about people overcoming challenges, and stepping into their own.

My life has been a beautiful roller coaster, specifically in the past 12 months. I wanted to take a minute to revisit one of my posts, which really kicked things off for me in 2012. There’s this guy, named Mark Estee, who took the time out of his extremely busy life to give a graduate student (me) an interview late one evening as his newly opened restaurant was locking it’s doors for the night.

I met Mark Estee during his 4^th month in business with Campo, this month marks the 16^th month that Campo has graced Reno with its presence. And oh, what a year it has been. This place is great. Ok… But, in the words of Mark Estee:

“Restaurants are supposed to have great food. That should be expected. There’s so much more to a great restaurant than just the food.”

This place is so much more than the food. I can go on and on about the accolades, the awards, Campo Mammoth, Top 10 this, Best of that… This guy and his restaurant have achieved the unexpected in the past year. BUT, I am not going there. I am going to stray away from the obvious. There are 2 things that inspire me most about Mark: 1. He is the self-made-comeback-kid 2. He LOVES Reno.

Mark says, “No matter what you do, you are bound to make mistakes. That’s the best part.”

I have listened to Mark give a handful of speeches about his journey, and I pick up on something new each time. Rock bottom means different things to each of us. But, I have a feeling that this guy stared rock bottom straight in its ugly face. He climbed out of it. He made the choice one-day to “put on a new self” and has been choosing to put on that new self-everyday since. No one made Mark a successful entrepreneur, no one told him he should be a chef, no one protected him from all the mistakes he has made personally and professionally, no one told him he should create this beautiful concept known today as Campo. No one. He did it- the good, the bad, the ugly, the brilliant, the beautiful, the delicious. On his own.

Mark has put in the hours. But, as much as he is doing it for Campo, he is doing it for Reno. He wants to help define our community and put Reno on the map- and not for our casinos or Reno 911. Mark is so passionate about the Biggest Little City, buying local, and helping people out. He has transformed the look of a section in downtown Reno and he has set the bar for restaurants in this area to a whole new level.

I’ve been on this mission recently trying to figure out what makes Reno. This town doesn’t get as much positive recognition as it deserves, quite frankly I am tired of it and I know I am not alone in making that statement. We have so many cool people doing really cool things, and our town is embracing the small businesses that are popping up all around Reno. You know what’s even better? Mark isn’t from here, he’s from Boston. He came to Reno from California to follow his dream of opening Campo. He left California, to come here.

Small business owners like Mark Estee, in my opinion paint a beautiful picture of the opportunities that this town has to offer. AND I don’t mind making the claim that when I think of the people that make this town so communal and inspiring-people like Mark come to mind. Cause Reno, in a way, is a comeback kid.

Oh, what a year it has been. Thank you Mark for continuing to share your story, and letting Reno be a part of it.

Brian Williams Creates Real Change w/ “Think Kindness”

“It is human nature to make everything complex and more complicated than it really needs to be. It’s a simple act of kindness, done in solidarity, which can create the massive change we seek. A simple hello, a door being held open, or paying for someone’s coffee behind you can mean the world to someone. To date we’ve documented over 250,000 acts of kindness. . . and we’ve just begun!” -Brian Williams

What do you think of when you think of kindness? I think of doing things for others without expecting a return. Brian Williams has taken the idea of kindness to the next level, creating change locally and internationally. I will be honest, after I met with this guy it really made me look in the mirror and think to myself- “What the heck am I doing with my life!?” I’m no couch-potato, but I am talking about real change here. Lives are being touched in so many ways through this organization.

Brian is from Reno, NV where he attended Bishop Manogue High School and earned a black belt in martial arts. In 2003, he moved to LA to intern for Blake Mikosky (TOMS anyone?) at Reality Central. From there, Brian took his talent and opened a martial arts school, where he engaged his students with motivational speaking. His charisma with speaking to the youth eventually placed him in elementary schools across southern California delivering awareness in “Stranger Danger,” anti-bullying, and “Speak-to-Create-Change.” In 2008, Brian moved back to Reno and was eager to keep the kindness ball rolling and create more change.

Think Kindness was born in 2009. Brian was brought on to several different campuses in N. Nevada, and pitted schools against each other in the “15 Days of Kindness” challenge. Kids across N. Nevada were committing acts of kindness throughout the community in a “Kindness Takeover.” Check this out:

Brian soon began to pit schools against each other in another eager race to raise shoes for children 6,000 miles away in Kenya, Africa. 8,000 pairs of shoes of shoes were delivered and distributed by Brian and a courageous team of 5. To date, over 220,000 pairs of shoes have been sprinkled throughout Reno, Haiti, Japan, Kenya, and Nigeria. After several successful trips to Africa, Brian began to brew more ideas of how he could provide further assistance to the children of Kenya. On August 8th, Brian and a team of 16 will come together to deliver 1,500 life straws and 500 pairs of shoes. What’s a LifeStraw? It’s a small filter that will offer clean water to someone for 1 year…Real change…are you getting my point?

I am only mentioning a few of the major campaigns Think Kindness has launched since 2009, as there have been many more; victims from the Reno Air Races and the Japanese Tsunami have been supported by Think Kindness in the past several years. Think Kindness also sponsors Family Assistance and Educational Assistance for children in Africa.

A little bit closer tohome…. If you are in the Reno/Tahoe/Sparks area, keep your eyes peeled for Kindness Cards. Random acts of kindness will be recorded through these Kindness cards. Think of the “pay it forward” concept, combined with the “Where’s George” bill tracker. Perhaps your next cup of coffee will be paid for by a total stranger; along with your coffee you will receive your Kindness Card- follow the instructions to see where it came from, and pay the act of kindness forward. Why didn’t I think of that? Soon, Kindness Cards will be sprinkled all across N. Nevada with trackable, random acts of kindness that are being performed by total and complete strangers. How are you creating change? Donate here. Follow the change here.

The Biggest Little Relay Race: The Reno-Tahoe Odyssey

“This is kind of like Burning Man, but with running.” – friend/burner/Odyssey teammate, Johanna Bailey

Here’s an event that keeps the Biggest Little City, little…The Reno-Tahoe Odyssey. Now, this is one of those events that I tell my friends about, and they look at me like I am completely nuts. Probably. But, I am not the only one who is nuts. There were almost 3,000 people that participated in this 178-mile relay race throughout the Reno/Tahoe area on Friday/Saturday.

Eric Lerude founded the Odyssey 8 years ago, and he coordinates the event every year with many volunteers. Portion of the proceeds are donated to charities like the Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation and Tahoe Pyramid Bikeway. An incredibly entertaining aspect of the race is all of the team names and yes…costumes. I saw it all this weekend. Men running in speedos, women running dressed as American flags, women and men running in tutu’s. And yes, there is beer. I saw a man dressed as a pink bunny running up Geiger Grade with a Heineken in his hand. God bless him.

How does this work?

Most teams include 12 members (male, female, or coed); some only have 6 (these teams are “ultra” which to me, means unbelievable). Each team of 12 will be broken up into 2 vans (6 and 6). Van #1 will have runners 1-6 run each of their legs, stopping at individual “exchanges” to have each runner pass off The Odyssey wristband. Then van #2 carries runners 7-12. These exchanges go on for 178 miles, a team of 12 will have each runner run 3 times. It took our team 26 hours to complete the race, some teams are faster, and some teams are slower.

Here are some FAQ’s: Is there time to sleep? A little, when your van is off- you can attempt to grab some shut-eye.  I slept for about 3 hours, which is a treat! Where do you change? In the vans…yes it gets stinky. Do you run in the dark? Yes. The race is nonstop; in fact Miss Evven Carrion was climbing 4.2 miles up Kingsbury Grade, exiting Lake Tahoe at 3 am. Where do you go to the bathroom? ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE! Are you following all of this? This may break it down for you:

Where do you run?

The best part about The Odyssey is the scenery. Starting in Downtown Reno along theTruckee River, traveling through the Sierra Nevada Mountains and along the shores of Lake Tahoe. Then, we circle back through the Northern Nevada high desert back to where you began in Reno, at Idlewild Park. Runners get to experience a variety of sceneries. Each of my legs were in completely different areas, I saw Tahoe, Carson City, and Downtown Reno.

I was invited by the Mayberry Athletic Center to run with them this year. I was runner #12, which means I was the runner to cross the finish line for my team. My first leg was the beginning of North Lake Tahoe, it was about 9pm. The moon was fairly full that night and the whole lake was lit, it was gorgeous. Once again, I am from Southern California- and running through Truckee and Lake Tahoe is still a dream to me. I am still a tourist, and I may always be. If you check out my Facebook, I was keeping everyone posted throughout the 26-hour race. I was also tweeting. The Odyssey hash tag this year was #RTO12 if you want to check out tweets from the race this year- many of them are quite comical.

Despite the beer and costumes, this race is nothing to take lightly! It was intense and it was hot. Running in and out of the mountains has many elements: altitude, total darkness, animals, bugs, major inclines, and major declines. All of that aside, it is an amazing experience and I had a blast competing with my team. It was cool to see so many runners come together to enjoy this event. Everyone is supportive of one another. Complete strangers will offer you water, food, cold towels, or toilet paper. I can’t wait to do it again.

Burger Who? Burger Me!!

Finally, the burger-goodness of Truckee, Calif. has been introduced to Reno. Burger Me is now located in the Northwest, in a facility that was once occupied by Tahoe Burger. Owners Mark Estee, The Spenella Family (Jim, Debra and son, Jordan), and Tom Farina proudly introduced their burger restaurant to Truckee, Calif during the summer of 2008. The all-natural, all-organic, and locally sourced burger joint was placed in an old garage-style building, which was formerly an organic supermarket. This community-minded restaurant will not compromise on ingredients. Receiving their produce from Habeger Produce, bread from Truckee Sourdough, and meats from Sierra Meat and Seafood, you can taste the freshness of their burgers and fries. It truly makes a difference.

Mark Estee was once the owner of Moody’s in Truckee, Calif and is now the owner of Campo Reno and Burger Me. Mark’s biggest influence with Burger Me is being the “food guru” and managing any major menu and product decisions. The Spenella Family consists of Debra, Jim and son Jordan Spenella. Debra is a real estate agent, Jim has been a general contractor for 35 years, and Jordan is the General Manager of Burger Me, Reno. Jordan was once a prep cook for Mark back in the day at Lone Eagle Grill. Tom Farina was the last partner to join the team and complete the puzzle. Tom is from Chicago, and was formerly the Food and Beverage Director at the South Lake Tahoe Hilton. Tom was excited to escape the corporate world and is now the General Manager of Burger Me, Truckee. This great team’s restaurant was featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, hosted by Guy Fieri in June of 2010.

On September 15, 2011, the doors of Burger Me, Reno opened. Burger Me prides itself on three things: the freshest food possible, being part of the community, and customer service. Burger Me is also assisted by The Abbi Agency for their marketing, public relations and social media. The Abbi Agency has been an integral part of Burger Me’s involvement with the community when it comes to reaching out through social media. For

example, Jim Spenella is assisting Lion and

the Lamb preschool in building a garden for the youngsters to enjoy- the build can be experienced via Facebook.  Pictures of families enjoying a meal together, kids chomping on chicken tenders, and businessmen on their lunch breaks biting into a bison burger is all shared through Facebook and Twitter.

The assistance of The Abbi Agency has allowed Mark, The Spenella’s, and Tom to focus on what they are really good at-running one of the best burger joints in town. Check out their Facebook page for insane pictures of their awesome burgers, and follow them on Twitter to get updated on the latest and greatest of the burger-goodness!

Grand Sierra Resort Excels in Customer Service via Twitter

One night one of my friends tweeted to me and said “Hey Kristin, you should interview the @grandsierra because they do an excellent job with their social media.” Before I could even respond, Ian and I already had a response from Grand Sierra thanking us for the compliment! So of course, I headed to Grand Sierra Resort to meet the face behind GSR’s social media.

The Grand Sierra Resort towers 26 stories and 1,990 rooms over Reno, just 3 miles east of Downtown. You may have once known this property as The Hilton, prior to that as Bally’s Reno, or even before that as the MGM Grand Reno (Hello Hollywood Hello, anyone?). The GSR still has a preserved chandelier from the MGM. The Meruelo Group saw the great potential in GSR and bought it in February of 2011.

Today, the GSR is undergoing a $25 million renovation. Many customers expressed concern with the lighting in the building as well as a need for more nightlife, and GSR is responding. Changes being made consist of: brighter carpet, more lighting, vibrant colors, Wet Ultra Lounge, the casino floor, an enclosed VIP Lounge, and much more. The GSR is thrilled to unveil the changes, which have all been requested by their guests. The GSR staff prides themselves in their ability to respond to customer demand. GSR has even given each individual the power to receive virtually instant answers via Facebook, Twitter and Miss Sara Robbins.

Sara Robbins, Las Vegas native, UNR graduate and GSR’s Social Media Manager- is the bubbly voice behind the 23,098 fan-based Facebook and 2,853 following on Twitter.  Being a social media manager isn’t just any position at the GSR, it’s an around-the-clock voice for the cusomers. Just last week, Sara attended the Florence and The Machine concert at GSR. While she was enjoying her evening rocking out to one of her favorite bands- her IPhone never left her hands as she instantly responded to the over 50 tweets from guests at the concert. Always within reach for Sara: IPhone, IPad and laptop.

“If our guests have questions, we have to give them answers. We don’t have a Facebook and Twitter just to have one. We utilize these tools to engage with our fans and customers. It’s also a way to monitor what people are saying about us- good or bad, so we can respond accordingly. It’s part of our success!”

The importance of having someone monitor all of a company’s social media sites is so crucial- and often overlooked. The GSR monitors Mapquest, Yelp!, Travelocity, any and all review websites, Google, Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter and blog…just to name a few! Sara has been designated the responsibility of assuring that each and every channel of info for the GSR is accurate, providing their guests with answers. Got a question or a comment? Tweet @grandsierra or post on their Facebook and you will hear back soon with an accurate answer.

As GSR’s Social Media Manager, Sara takes pride in her work. She can remember occasions when she would tweet to her favorite bands or Verizon- and they would reply instantly to her.

“It’s a great feeling when you get an instant response from an organization or business, it makes you feel so connected to that brand. I want to offer that to our guests. If I receive a question that I can’t answer, I will go find someone who can.”

The Grand Sierra resort is leading by example in the world of social media customer service. Hats off to GSR and Sara Robbins for providing a means for their fans and customers to get instantly connected with this resort and casino.

Dolan Auto Group Gives Back via Facebook

Dolan Auto Group has donated $80,000 to schools in the Washoe County School District by way of Facebook. A commercial was launched in March of 2011, calling all locals to go on Dolan Auto Group’s Facebook page and vote for their favorite school project. 20 classrooms were awarded $2,500 and 3 schools were rewarded $10,000. Word spread like wildfire amongst the community, and the race was on. The Dolan family didn’t have a say in which schools received the generous donations; it was strictly the fans that voted. Over 20,000 people from all across the country participated by visiting Dolan’s Facebook page, and each of the winners received a check personally delivered by Tom or Ryan Dolan. If you ask me, this is social media at its best.

Tom Dolan moved to Reno from Redlands, Calif. in 1969 with his brother Mike to attend the University of Nevada. During his time at UNR, Tom befriended and became roommates with Don Weir. Tom earned his degree in social psychology and entered the real world. Selling insurance wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. Soon enough Tom joined his buddy Don Weir at Reno Dodge selling cars for Don Weir Sr. Years later, Tom Dolan became General Manager at Reno Toyota on April 1, 1982. Tom’s successes lead to ownership of Reno Toyota, then in 1990 Lexus of Reno, then most recently Reno Mazda Kia in 2011.

Ryan, Danielle and Brady Dolan spent many days running around their Dad’s dealerships.  If Ryan and Brady weren’t on the baseball field or in the classroom, they were washing cars or picking up cigarette butts in the parking lot.

“If the words ‘I’m bored’ came out of our mouths, you bet the next day we would be at the dealership picking and pulling weeds.”

Tom always emphasized hard work with his kids. Ryan, Danielle, and Brady’s mother Pamela Dolan was a special education teacher; education was also heavily emphasized in the Dolan household. Ryan graduated from ASU in 2000 with a degree in business marketing, Danielle also graduated from ASU in 2002 with a degree in travel and tourism, and Brady graduated from UCLA in 2007 with a degree in sociology. All three also graduated from NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) in Washington, D.C.

“The business was never forced on us, it was our decision. The only pressure that was put on us was school. We had to go to college.”

All three of Tom’s kids joined the business once they graduated. Ryan and Brady have been put through an extensive training program, cycling them through every department of a dealership. Ryan Dolan became General Manager of Reno Toyota in 2011.

In 2011, Dolan Automotive Group was created as a means to encompass all of Dolan’s dealerships under the same brand, and the slogan “Get in. And join the family.” was coined. Pamela Dolan’s heavy involvement within Washoe’s school district was a big influence in the school project fundraisers. Everyone apart of Dolan Auto Group couldn’t be happier with the successes of the fundraisers. The Facebook campaign not only helped many schools in need, but it also launched Dolan Auto Group’s brand into a household name. Want to witness an incredible display of the N. Nevada community coming together through social media for the greater good? Check out what this business is doing on Facebook as they continue to give back to the community. Hats off to Dolan Auto Group.

Mark Trujillo and The Hub Coffee Co. Do Coffee and Social Media Right

“It’s always just been about bikes. It’s always just been about coffee.” -Mark Trujillo

I was wandering down Cheney St. in MidTown Reno looking for The Hub. Owner Mark Trujillo saw me aimlessly looking around before pointing me to a small opening, a former 2-car garage, where I found Reno’s beloved coffee shop. Beginning from the small and discrete location, to the old bikes hanging on the wall and roll-up door on the outside, to the raw brick walls, modern art, and tiny service station on the inside; this place is one of Reno’s best kept secrets. A REAL and authentic coffee shop, The Hub offers the best cappuccinos and coffee in town. If you are looking for a quiet place to study, a low-key place to have private conversation, get a meal, or a sugary flavored non-fat-latte-macchi-frapp-a-what? Then do not come to The Hub. This place is busy, has a “Cheers” like atmosphere, it’s small, gimmick-free, and they are serious about coffee.

Reno native and avid cyclist, Mark Trujillo sold Walden’s Coffee House in 2009 to search for something different; a place, which solely focused on providing the best coffee around. In June of 2009, Mark opened The Hub Coffee Co. in Reno’s MidTown District. Businesses (Sup, Crème Café, Sushi Pier 2, Midtown Eats, etc.) in this district, often unknown to all the tourists, are tiny gems nestled right below the big buildings of Downtown. Mark and his son Joey, 22 and Jessica 20 have created an atmosphere, which depicts the personality of their coffee- raw.

“If I am going to provide a product, I want it to be the best and I want it to be as raw as possible. We do not manipulate our coffee.”

You will not find any blue, yellow, white or pink sugar packets in the building. Non-fat milk doesn’t exist. The only additive they offer is a homemade chocolate sauce for their mochas. Best chocolate I have ever had. Mark gets his coffee from small, intimate, culturally-sound farms that have processes which have been handed down from generation to generation. He receives the coffee bean raw, roasts the beans in-house, and serves his drinks with no fuss or over processing.  Watch Mark make yours truly a cup of coffee:

Mark and his son Joey are responsible for creating the buzz around town about their coffee on the expanding world of social media. With their location being so small and discrete, they rely on social media to help spread the word. Did you know that coffee has 300 more properties than wine, and that it’s the 2^nd highest traded product in the world next to petroleum? Facts like these can be found on their Twitter. Want to see a never-ending review list with pictures from all of their fans? Check out their Facebook. Want to know about the various coffee beans produced worldwide? We have bloggers on our hands, people! Check out their blog.

“It’s not about specials or sales. It’s about our customers, coffee, how it’s served, or our process. We use social media to excite our customers and depict what we are all about. We are a hidden, local hot-spot and we leverage that mystery and build it up with our social media marketing. I respond to every single comment or complaint, I am building relationships with my fans.”

Mark and his kids are running a business that profits pennies at a time from their coffee, and it has taken time for him to figure out what works best for him. He never makes the same mistake twice, and that he will not lose to competitors. Mark and Joey Trujillo are leading by example on the social media-marketing front; follow these guys to see what’s going on in that 2-car garage on Cheney St., and at their new location in The Discovery Museum.

The Abbi Agency’s Abbi Whitaker is Transparent on Facebook

Abbi Holtom Whitaker is from a town in south Warwickshire, England and she is the oldest of 8 kids. When she was 13, she moved to Fallon, NV. Abbi attended University of Nevada, Reno where she pursued her degree in Journalism, and met her husband Ty Whitaker. What does she think of Reno?

“I love Reno, it is such a rad town! It is so cheap to live here, the weather is beautiful and there is so much to do, especially outdoors. This town does get a bit of negative attention from outsiders, but I personally don’t know why you would ever want to leave here.”

Being somewhat new to Reno once again- I have heard this woman’s name float around quite a bit since I have been researching social media marketing, and I knew I had to meet her. After getting the opportunity to have lunch with her for only 2 hours, I felt cheated! Abbi Whitaker is a Public Relations maven, and myself being a student of social media marketing- could hardly keep up with the information I was being dealt.

4 years ago, Abbi was in San Francisco working for Lyman Public Relations. When they offered her the opportunity to become a partner, Abbi turned down the offer to open her own business. In 2008*, Abbi and her husband Ty created The Abbi Agency in Reno.

The Abbi Agency specializes in public relations, social media and marketing. Abbi Agency works with nationally recognized brand names, but to name a few local businesses: ShortStack, Legacy Sports, Legends Outlet , Oxygenics, Burger Me, and Campo. Abbi is one of the few PR specialists who has a personal social media presence. When it comes to social media, Abbi preaches transparency for businesses.

“If you want to know about my kids, my marriage, my cancer, and my life then go to my personal Facebook page. If you want to know about my business, trends, social media, public relations, what we are doing on a daily basis then go check out my business Facebook page. I practice what I preach.”

Abbi emphasizes the importance of being able to answer every question her clients and team asks her, which is why it is so important for her to lead by example. She utilizes social media to tell her story. Businesses must tell the story of what’s going on, and not try to sell.

“You can try to buy as many fans as you want, there are tools out there to help you do that. But businesses have to earn media in order for these social media platforms to be effective.”

Here are some tips from Abbi on social media:

1. Know the rules on social media, and know when things change. Abbi likes to follow PR Daily, Mashable, CMO IBM, Smartbrief, Social Media Today, Emarketer, Chris Brogan and Jason Falls to name a few.
2. Watch what big brands like Red Bull and Victoria’s Secret are doing. What is working for them?
3. Don’t worry about your fan #, focus on engaging with who is following you now. It’s about the quality of interaction, not large numbers.
4. Blog, build credibility.
5. Be transparent.

Abbi will meet with anyone who asks her for a meeting in an attempt to share what she has learned in her journey. She is an open book with a wealth of knowledge.

“I’m me. I take it all in and then I roll with it. I will never try to be someone else to get a client, because I know I am not a perfect fit for everyone. You will never see me wearing a business suit- that’s just not who I am.”

On top of being a PR maven, business owner, wife, and mother of 2 (Ever, 5 and Eden, 2) Abbi is also winning her battle against cancer. Abbi learned of her illness in 2011, and just weeks ago received the free and clear results of her PET scan. How did I first find out this news? Facebook. Abbi attributes the continued success of The Abbi Agency to her amazing team and the support from her husband and business partner Ty Whitaker.

“I love my husband and I love my team. I couldn’t have done it without them. They are all so real, and I tell them that if we are real our voices will be real.”

The Abbi Agency is planning to open another location in San Francisco as they continue to grow! I look forward to following this group as they lead by example in the world of social media marketing.

Trainer Goes Viral: Camie Cragg Fitness meets Facebook

2 weeks ago these words came out of my mouth “Camie Cragg is a Facebook beast.” I mean that in the utmost respectful way possible…really.

Camie is preparing for her Grand Opening of Camie Cragg Fitness on February 25^th. Her business is brand spankin’ new. But what isn’t new is her reputation as a personal trainer throughout the greater Reno community. How you ask? One word= Facebook. Here is her Facebook story:

Personal Facebook Page

Joined: 2008

Friends: 4,814 (192 friend requests pending as of today, she will get to you guys.)

Business Facebook Fan Page

Likes: 2,374

Views per Day: 1,500

In 2005 Camie was utilizing Myspace to reach out to her friends and family, she was also beginning her career as a personal trainer. Camie used Myspace, Big Nickel (newspaper ad), email and Craigslist to gain her whopping 10 clients in Reno. As any entrepreneur understands, building the clientele in the early stages of business development is extremely frustrating. She admits that she didn’t really get it, she didn’t quite understand how to reach out to people and get their attention. She posted constantly under the “Health/Beauty” section on Craigslist and she did get a lot of leads, but it wasn’t enough. It was in 2008 that a close friend of Camie introduced her to Facebook.

When Camie first started her Facebook journey she made it a priority to never “add” people; she would only manage her traffic by accepting or declining friend requests. She never wanted to push what she was doing on others, but if they wanted in- she would accept. In the early stages of her Facebook presence, Camie received a lot of grief from friends and family because of her frequent posts and status updates.

“People would make fun of me, they thought it was just too much. They would ask me if I had a life! A lot of people thought I was being too exploitive with my personal life and of my feelings. They also thought I was providing way too much “free” information in regards to my training and nutritional information. ”

Today Camie claims that word-of-mouth is her #1 source of referrals, #2 is Facebook and Twitter.

“Anything that inspires me, I put it on Facebook. At 4:55 am today I posted an article on low-glycemic carbs! When I am in the car and I hear something I like, I write about it. When one of my clients does something that inspires me, I write about it.”

The strategy: Camie started out by “checking-in” everywhere she went. Going to the grocery store to buy fruits and veggies? Check-in. Dining at a local restaurant to try out their new salad? Check-in. Coffee? Check-in. Going to work-out? You betcha’, check-in! She said it was exhausting, but it has been worth it. This is how the ball really got rolling. Locals were seeing all the places she was visiting, and soon she was creating a small buzz within her community of friends.

People are attracted to optimism, hope, and success. Camie’s Facebook page exudes this.  Camie tells a story of an incident where she wanted to get her son (Bodie) a skateboard. Camie turned to a skateboarding professional and asked him on his Facebook what was the best kind of skateboard to get for a 3-year-old. No response.

“I didn’t like it. I knew that I never wanted to be like that. I have made it a goal to respond to everyone, and to interact with as many people as I can on a daily basis on Facebook.”

Bingo! The attention Camie is giving to her consumers is continuously bringing them back, as well as attracting others. When you add Camie on Facebook, she sends every single one of her new “friends” an invitation to “like” her Camie Cragg Fitness Fan Page, and to visit her main website to check out all of the various products she has for sale. Her Facebook is FILLED with success stories. Before and after pictures of past and current clients, pictures of individuals training, testimonials fill up her wall, and YouTube videos of her boot camps are how Camie is utilizing Facebook to tell a story of what kind of shop she is running.

“I use Facebook and Twitter to show the “now.” I have an instant connection to show my community what I am doing right now, how I feel, or what I think is really cool and inspiring- at my finger tips (she picked up her phone).”

Camie also utilizes Facebook to literally run a part of her business, called Online Challenge. She forms Facebook groups and provides them with workouts, a meal plan, and support all via Facebook. The group members are able to interact with each other through discussion forums so they can turn to each other for support. This is a great option for people who are not in the Reno area or don’t have the financial means or time to completely commit to her boot camps. Recently, Camie leveraged the capacity of Facebook to raise $7,050 in 6 DAYS for local mother, Amada Curtis, 31 who is fighting brain cancer.

There are 2 huge points to be made with how Camie is using social media marketing: 1. Be you, be real. People don’t want to talk to robots; they want to interact with someone who cares about them. You can’t do that with commercials, radio, or emails. 2. Pull these people in and get them to buy into your product or service. Remember that bit about Camie offering free health and fitness tips on her Facebook? This is an example of a tool she is using to convert consumers into clients on Facebook.

Camie made it loud and clear to me, that it is her sheer desire and drive that has motivated her to stay involved with the social networking. It’s a lot of work to constantly stay connected. But she loves what she has created, and loves every single person who is apart of what she has built.

Facebook beast? I think so.