Steven Matsumoto of Stigmare & Emerald City Fashion Week

Posted by admin

June 5, 2009

Steven Matsumoto dresses well. VERY well. He dresses like he knows what he’s doing when he puts things on and goes out in public with them. I, on the other hand, am more than happy to wear the one piece of clean clothing that I can find available, which is more often than not from my mid-90’s grunge phase (Thank you, Nirvana). Honestly, I think I could learn a lot about fashion from a guy like Steven and I guess it’s really no surprise then that he is the man behind Emerald City Fashion Week, which will be debuting sometime in the near future. When Steven’s not occupied with this project, he can be found working as the CEO of Stigmare (an advertising consultancy) or planning Bellevue tweetups with Mr. Jean-Luc David.

Get to know Steven, wouldja? He’s a great guy and is someone who adds a lot of value to the vibrant group that makes up Seattle’s social media community.

The Basics:

1. What is your name?
Steven Paul Matsumoto

2. E-mail?
Steven@Stigmare.com

3. What is your occupation/company?
Marketing & Branding Consultant, CEO @ Stigmare.

4. Originally from? When and how did you end up in the Greater Seattle area? (if applicable)
Born in El Paso, TX, as an Army brat, my mother’s family is in Tacoma, so we settled here when my father got out of the Army and as I entered elementary school.

5. How can people find you on the web?
Google “Steven Paul Matsumoto,” @StevenMatsumoto on Twitter, Biznik, Eastside Entrepreneurs Network, LinkedIn, and Facebook. I’m pretty dialed in.

Social Media:

6. Why do you like social media?
The collaboration and real-time feedback from global sources.

7. How do you utilize social media?
I use Twitter as a means of branding my company and myself to establish our credibility and give potential clients a taste of what they can expect by working with us.

8. What is one thing that mainstream population should know about social media?
It’s not a fad and its not just for narcissists and tech geeks.

9. If people follow you on Twitter, what can they expect?
Me unfiltered and outspoken. I’m very Socratic in my learning style, so expect to be challenged if I am intrigued by a post or point of view. It’s just how I learn. If you aren’t willing to challenge your own paradigms you are doomed. I can also be lighthearted and I enjoy sharing my passion for marketing and branding.

10. How would you describe the social media scene in Seattle?
Evolving. There are some good folks trying to bring some legitimacy to a field that has a lot of armatures due to its own infancy. That said, there are some incredible professionals here locally.

11. Do you have a good social media success story or “wow” moment?
I recently wrote an article for www.fashionmarketingcoach.com, out of the Denver area. I, of course, promoted it via Twitter and saw that a gentleman in New Zealand must have been following someone that re-tweeted it because he re-tweeted it as well. That was pretty cool.

12. Are there any social media events or conferences in the future you would like to let people know about?
I help organize tweetups in Bellevue; the next one will be at Lucky Strike. We haven’t set a date yet. We’re trying to make it a monthly thing.

Just For Fun:

13. What are your hobbies?
I enjoy cooking and scuba diving, but I don’t get a chance to do them much lately.

14. Favorite vacation spot? Thing to do there?
What’s a vacation? Been to Mazatlan, which was nice. I spent a few months in Denver and really enjoyed that too.

15. Favorite restaurant in Seattle? Favorite food?
The Columbia Tower Club. They have a very diverse menu and everything is exceptional. Italian would have to be my favorite.

16. Favorite things to do in Seattle in the summer?
Sitting outside a coffee shop, observing people passing by downtown.

17. Most embarrassing CD you own?
The Little Mermaid Soundtrack. I like “Kiss the Girl.” Sue me.

18. Any hidden talents?
I’m fairly proficient at camp craft and wilderness survival skills.

19. What would you like everyone to know about you?
That’s a tough one. I like to think that I’m a good man. I enjoy working with different charity events, soliciting sponsorships for them. I’m a graduate of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business, so I am a big proponent of corporate responsibility. My goal is to be able to start a scholarship program for the school and provide 250 full-ride scholarships a year.