Tac Anderson of Waggener Edstrom

Posted by admin

September 21, 2009

If you’re like me, you’re constantly amazed by the flow of amazingly bright people within Seattle’s social media scene. It seems every week, there are more and more just truly brilliant people to meet and a perfect example of that is Tac Anderson.

It was just about two months I first met Tac Anderson in Bellevue. After having talked on Twitter (have you heard of it?), we decided to meet one day for lunch and it was over that chat I learned a lot about him; he’s a recent transplant to the Seattle area, works as a Social Media Director at WagEd, and he’s a devoted family man, just to name a few things.

Since then, I’ve seen Tac at what seems like a thousand different events and each time I do, I walk away having had spent the time chating with him. He’s a great guy who’s brilliant when it comes to social media. In fact, Tac’s NewCommBiz blog is a regular in my rotation and one of my favorite blogs to recommend.

As a guy who’s very active and adds a lot to our community, I think everyone should take a second to get to know Tac Anderson. You won’t regret getting to know him.

Thanks again, Tac!

The Basics:

1. What is your name?
Tac Anderson

2. Email?
tac@newcommbiz.com

3. What is your occupation/company?
Social Media Director at Waggener Edstrom

4. What is the best part of your job?
Helping our clients use social media to achieve their business goals.

5. Originally from? When and how did you end up in the Greater Seattle area?
I am most recently from Boise, Idaho where I was working for Hewlett-Packard. I was recruited by Waggener Edstrom for this position and they moved me out here 3 ½ months ago.

6. How can people find you on the web?
Search for Tac Anderson on any search engine and I’m at least the first 5 SERPs. Or you can just go to my blog www.newcommbiz.com or on Twitter @tacanderson.

Social Media:

7. What is it about social media that attracts you?
I’m a people watcher. I love communication. I love the Internet. It’s a perfect match. Back in the mid 90’s I started studying Computer Mediated Communications and have always been fascinated by the space.

8. How do you utilize social media?
It’s pretty much everything I do. It’s how I communicate, how I learn, what I do for a living. It’s a bit all encompassing.

9. What is one thing the main stream population should know about social media?
It’s not that hard or scary.

10. If people follow you on Twitter, what can they expect?
Lots of links. I share things I find interesting.

11. How would you describe the social media scene in Seattle?
Very friendly and active. I’ve only been here 3 ½ months but everyone’s been great.

12. Do you remember your social media “wow” moment? What was it?
I’ve had a lot of them but the one that put me on the path I am today happened a little over 5 years ago. I heard a webinar with Steve Rubel and the founder of the now dead-pooled PubSub and they were talking about how in *theory* companies could use things like RSS and blogs to reach their customers directly. Everything clicked and that’s when I decided this is what I was going to do.

13. What is one piece of advice you give to new users of social media? Could be specific or broad.
New users should get comfortable using the tools. RSS, social bookmarking, blogging and microblogging should be worked into your workflow.

14. Are you currently working on any projects which involve the use of social media?
LOL! All of them. That’s literally all I do.

15. Are there any social media events or conferences in the future you would like to let people know about?
BlogWorld is going to be a blast everyone should go to that. It’s in Vegas, in October and I’ll be speaking. http://www.blogworldexpo.com/

Just For Fun:

16. What are your hobbies?
Hanging out with my wife and 3 kids. Music and Mountain Biking.

17. Favorite vacation spot? Thing to do there?
The mountains. Mountain bike

18. Favorite restaurant in Seattle?
Right now it’s probably The Flying Pie Pizza in Issaquah.

19. Favorite things to do in Seattle in the summer?
The coast is amazingly beautiful. My kids love the Pacific Science Center and the Seattle Aquarium. It’s also a goal of mine to make it to a Sounders FC game.

20. Favorite quote?
I have 3

Benjamin Franklin
I have always thought that one man of even moderate abilities can create great change and leave a powerful legacy if he has a good plan, stays focused on it and dedicates his life to making that plan a reality.

Theodore Roosevelt
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Alexander Graham Bell
When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.

21. Guilty pleasure?
Post-apocalyptic, Steam Punk and Cyberpunk Science Fiction.

22. Favorite actor/actress?
Don’t have a favorite.

23. I really like it when…
I learn something new.

24. One day I would love to…
Meet everyone and know everything.

25. If I could meet anyone, alive or dead, I would want to meet…
Anyone reading this.

26. What would you like everyone to know about you?
I have many leather bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany. (j/k) I think this interview covers it.