April 16, 2013

1. Where are you geographically?

Cincinnati, Ohio – the Queen City of the West and one of the “greenest” cities in the country.

2. Where are you professionally?

I’m a registered architect and a LEED-Accredited Professional through the U.S. Green Building Council. I have a Bachelor of Arts in design from Clemson University and a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington. After years of working on commercial, most notably retail projects, I went on my own. In addition to commercial work, I did residential projects with an emphasis on multi-family housing. Today, I operate Greener Stock, a building products showroom and design resource center specializing in natural, recycled and renewable products for commercial and residential applications. The store is located on the east side of Cincinnati near my home. I still offer design services, and I’m a member of the Sustainability Partnership of Cincinnati, a consortium of locally-owned, community-invested companies with a primary focus on sustainability for residential, institutional and commercial clients.

3. What is your Twitter handle?

@GreenerStock

4. Is there someone you wish would follow you?

William McDonough.

5. Whom do you follow on Twitter?

William McDonough, because he’s a pioneer in the cradle-to-cradle design and materials movement. But mostly I follow local people and companies that have a green or community-based mission.

6. Are you on Facebook?

Yes (http://www.facebook.com/GreenerStock). I do quite a bit of promotion on Facebook, but we also have pages on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenerStock), Houzz (http://www.houzz.com/pro/greenerstock) and Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/greenerstock/). We just did a “Likes” campaign on Facebook aimed at getting 900 people to like us, and we did it! We offered free tickets to the Cincinnati Home & Garden show, which took place last month to the 900^th person who ‘Liked’ us.

7. What do you do on Twitter and Facebook?

On Twitter I re-tweet news items or events that I think our followers would benefit from knowing. On Facebook, I do much of the same. Actually, I recently figured out how to post to both Twitter and Facebook simultaneously, which saves a lot of time. On YouTube, we post videos about products and projects. On Houzz and Pinterest, we post photos of our own projects, as well as “pinning” photos of products and projects that we like. Most times these include products that we sell.

8. How often do you update on both?

It’s an organic thing, but I usually begin posting when I get started working at the store, so that’s about 10 a.m., and I post several times during the day.

9. Do you have a blog and what kinds of topics do you blog about?

Early on I did have a blog, but not now. I’m not against blogs, but for me it’s really a time issue. To get in front of our market, we have an e-newsletter that I send to about 1,000 individuals and that also gets posted to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I use this to promote new products as well as design and sustainability seminars we host at the store, which is really a place for like-minded designers and clients to meet.

10. What are three favorite blogs or websites you read for kicks?

I’m going to give you four. Inhabitat.org, HealthyChild.org and Green Builder and Dwell magazines.

11. What kind of phone do you have?

An iPhone, but I don’t use only Apple products for my office. I have a PC laptop primarily because of AutoCAD.

12. What do you use your phone for?

It’s my lifeline for both business and personal. I do a lot of social networking on my phone, and use it to ensure I make all my appointments and meetings. I also use my camera to document my own projects or ideas that I see as I am traveling around.

13. What work-related apps have you downloaded?

Houzz, for one. Because I am constantly meeting new people and collecting business cards, I use CardMunch to help me track my contacts. If the contact has a LinkedIn account, it will automatically upload their information from their LinkedIn profile. I also use the USPS app a lot because it seems I’m always looking for the nearest post office, since I’m usually trying to mail a check to pay a bill. My husband was kidding me about how retro I am because I’m not taking advantage of all the new, convenient technology. But honestly I like going into the bank and talking with the tellers; that way they know me if I have a problem. It makes me feel connected, and it’s really a green thing because sustainability has roots in using local resources and the idea of connectivity.

14. Do you have an iPad or tablet?

My kids have tablets, but I don’t because I stare at a screen way too much.

15. How much time during the week do you spend on social media?

I’d say about five to 10 hours a week, and that includes the e-newsletter, which I try to send out monthly.

16. Is this problematic?

I think it can be, but if you have a plan and make a schedule, it’s not really a problem. I am still trying to figure out the best time to post so I get the biggest bang for my effort.