Jeff Shuey: SMC Seattle Board Member & Biz Dev Consultant

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June 19, 2009

Jeff Shuey was one of the first people I met at any meetup of any type. It was at one of Chris Pirillo’s tweetups at the Issaquah Brewhouse in November of last year and I happened to be seated right across from him. I remember thinking to myself, “What have I gotten myself into?” At the time, I had little idea of what a Twitter was, so how I ended up at a tweetup was completely beyond me. I had no idea what I was doing there.

Over the next few hours of sitting across from him, I learned a lot about Jeff: he’s an ex-Microsoftie and a devoted father, had a new puppy, and is really passionate about social media. But beyond that, and during that same time, I found him to be friendly, open, interested, and in general, a really great guy.

Since that tweetup, I’ve attended several more and am always looking forward to the next one because they’re a great time. I enjoy the great conversation, the amazing and passionate people I meet, and of course, there’s always a tasty brew to be had. But the reason I bring up Jeff is because, for me, he’s the guy who made my first tweetup experience great and it’s that which keeps me coming back.

Many of us who are involved in the social media community in Seattle are what you can call “savvy tweetup veterans.” We go to them regularly, see a lot of the usual suspects, and throughout the evening, we may not move away from those folks. We can get in a groove without even thinking about it.

At these times, it’s easy to forget what it can be like for a “first timer” at one of these tweetups. This is a person who may or may not know anyone, might not be as outgoing as the rest of us, and there’s a possibility that they might be intimidated by the groups of folks who look like they all know each other. But as this community in Seattle continues to grow (and it will), it’s good to remember that the next tweetup might be there first for many and their initial interactions will set their expectations for the next.

How will they remember their first tweetup?

I guess what I’m getting at is, whenever you feel like you’re getting in a rut, be like Jeff; don’t be afraid to say “Hi” and engage new people. It may not be a big deal to you, but it might make or break someone’s feelings towards tweetups. In being like Jeff, you will be helping to nurture our social media community here in Seattle and ensure it’s continued growth.

Happy Friday.

The Basics:

1. What is your name?
Jeff Shuey

2. E-mail?
jeff.shuey@gmail.com

3. What is your occupation/company?
Business Development Consultant

4. What is the best part of your job?
Helping companies grow and exceed their goals. Meeting a lot of very passionate, talented and intelligent people from all walks of life.

5. Originally from? When and how did you end up in the Greater Seattle area?
I was born and raised in beautiful Southern California. In 1999, I took a job with Microsoft and moved my family to Seattle.

6. How can people find you on the web?

People can find me via e-mail – jeff.shuey@hotmail.com
My blog – jshueywa.blogspot.com
Twitter – @jshuey
Facebook – www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Shuey/559053464
LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/jeffshuey

Social Media:

7. What is it about social media that attracts you?
It’s easy to engage. Especially with tools like Twitter—it’s easy to ask a question, respond to a question, and to just generally get involved. It’s also a great way to casually keep friends, family, and colleagues up-to-date on what you are doing. Social media serves as a continuously running string to stay connected. Of course, the other benefit of social media is that people can turn it off and check out when they need to. Then when they are ready, they can check back in and catch up.

8. How do you utilize social media?
I spend a fair amount of time with social media tools and apps. I have met some great people and have learned things I would have never had the privilege or the time to find or research. So, for me, social media is a great equalizer and a way to connect with great minds. The information is out there. It’s up to me to determine what information is valuable.

9. What is one thing that mainstream population should know about social media?
The primary thing everyone should know about social media is something they have heard probably a thousand times in their life: “You get out of it what you put into it.”

10. If people follow you on Twitter, what can they expect?
People that follow me on Twitter can expect commentary on cloud computing and the enterprise content management (ECM) community. Also, I tweet a lot of local content for the greater Seattle area. And, I retweet content that I find interesting and that I think people will also be interested in reading or seeing.

11. How would you describe the social media scene in Seattle?
Vibrant. The social media scene in Seattle is dynamic and spans everything from small businesses to large corporations; from local government, including a lot of our elected officials to grass-roots organizations; and students, artists, and even a few street vendors.

12. Do you remember your social media “wow” moment? What was it?
I think my “wow” moment came when I asked a question and had several responses within minutes. That was impressive to me. So, the “real-time” nature of social media combined with the generosity of the social media community was my “wow” moment.

13. What is one piece of advice you give to new users of social media?
My one piece of advice would be… get started! Take the time to get started by thinking about what you want to do with social media. Make a commitment to spend at least two weeks getting up-to-speed and then get involved—lurk for a while if you are more comfortable with that, then jump in, get engaged, and become part of the conversation. As you build your skills and comfort level, tell your friends, family, and colleagues. It can be daunting at first, but keep this in mind… everyone had to start at some point. Why don’t you start today!

14. Are you currently working on any projects which involve the use of social media? If so, what are they?
Yes, I am working on several projects that involve the use of a broad spectrum of social media, including blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. There are a few other technology components that I categorize as being tied to the social media computing scene and they include webcast and conference call tools, ECM, and advanced search technologies. The projects I am working on span what are traditionally seen as social media tools and apps and combines them with the other technologies to help companies achieve their goals faster and more cost effectively. The result is focused on an integrated solution that will become part of the overall infrastructure and can be maintained in a predictable and repeatable manner.

15. Are there any social media events or conferences in the future you would like to let people know about?
Depending upon the interests of the individual there are countless events involving social media. There are groups focused on specific horizontal segments, such as marketing, sales, customer service, etc.; others focused on vertical segments, such as legal, sports, medical, etc.; and many that combine these two aspects.

For a great place to start, I recommend looking at the Social Media Club – Seattle chapter website: www.smcseattle.com. There is a running calendar of events posted at www.smcseattle.com/calendar.

Just For Fun:

16. What are your hobbies?
Mountain biking, wakesurfing, umpiring and coaching baseball, and lacrosse.

17. Favorite vacation spot? Thing to do there?
Maui: windsurfing and hanging out with family and friends. Closer to home: Lake Sammamish for wakesurfing and boating.

18. Favorite restaurant in Seattle?
This is a tough one. There are so many great restaurants in Seattle. If I have to pick one, I think it’s got to be Palisade. Great view, food, and ambience.

19. Favorite things to do in Seattle in the summer?
Seattle is a great place to live because no matter what direction you go on the compass, there is something to do. Summer in Seattle is a special time of year. I like to get up early and ride my mountain bike in the solitude of the forests. Then I’ll get out on one of the local lakes for a wakesurfing session followed up with a BBQ for family and friends. Since it doesn’t get dark until around 10pm,a lot can happen in a single day.

20. Favorite quote?
“Take responsibility for your own actions.”

21. Movie you’re embarrassed to say you like?
Dan in Real Life. Actually, I highly recommend this movie. It’s got a lot of “teaching moments.” I guess I should be embarrassed to say that I have seen it at least five times.

22. Last song you listened to?
Morrissey – “Every Day Is Like Sunday”

23. I really like it when…
I see people have their “aha” or “wow” moment when using social media. As a parent, I also like it when I see my kids succeed, especially when they had to work hard to discover their “aha” moment.

24. One day, I would love to…
Be able to spend my days on Maui or the Big Island while writing, thinking, and relaxing with a never-ending flow of friends and family coming by to visit and play.

25. What would you like everyone to know about you?
I like to collaborate and share ideas.