Veronica Sopher: Seattle’s Twitter Queen

Posted by admin

April 29, 2009

Meet Veronica Sopher: unassuming mom/wife/employee at Ben Bridge by day, but by night, one of Seattle social media’s rising stars. Known as “Wei” to her close friends and family, Veronica is a key member of SMC Seattle’s Board, working as it’s Community Director where her role is to get the word out on all things SMC Seattle. Judging by the attendance at SMC Seattle events, I’d say she’s doing an incredible job. Within our community,Veronica has garnered so much respect that she was recently mentioned in Mashable.com’s article Social Media Hub: Seattle, where she was called “Seattle’s Twitter Queen” by Kevin Urie.

Thanks to members of our community like Veronica, the Seattle social media scene is thriving. Her energy and passion benefits us all and is helping to nurture our community. And with that, I’m happy to feature our next profile: Veronica Sopher.

The Basics:

1. What is your name?
Veronica Wei Sopher. My family and best friends call me Wei.

2. E-mail?
vsopher@gmail.com

3. What is your occupation? Company?
Ben Bridge Jeweler and Social Media Club Seattle.

4. Originally from? When and how did you end up in the Greater Seattle area?
Taiwan. I arrived in the Puget Sound area in 1989 to attend school here.

5. How can people find you on the web?

www.twitter.com/Shih_Wei and www.weiwardgirl.wordpress.com

Social Media:

6. Why do you like social media?
I’ve always loved helping people connect. Social media is a great set of tools for that.

7. How do you utilize social media?
I definitely use it for communication and interaction. There are so many different sites and tools, but I mainly use Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

8. What is one thing that mainstream population should know about social media?
The words “social media” seem to turn a lot of people off. Some are intimidated, assuming it’s only for the technically savvy crowd. I wish I could show everyone that’s not the case. Social networking is not a new concept. Lots of people have been on Internet forums or posted reviews on Amazon, and those are all considered social networking. The tools vary, but the basic idea is the same: It’s all about communication and community.

9. If people follow you on Twitter, what can they expect?
I strive for a good mix of information and conversation. My tweets tend to be more business-like on weekdays, but on evenings and weekends, I often talk about food, parenting, gardening, etc. I would encourage new followers to say something to me so that we can start a two-way conversation, and please remember that we’re all human.

10. How would you describe the social media scene in Seattle?
It is definitely thriving! We’re blessed with so many great talents in the area, and there’s no shortage of sharing. The recent Mashable piece on “Social Media Hub: Seattle” only lists a fraction of all the wonderful things going on here.

11. Are there any social media events or conferences in the future that you would like to let people know about?
Social Media Club Seattle holds monthly events. Our new Web site is www.smcseattle.com. We’re working on a collaborative calendar of events for everyone. If you know of a social media-related event, please feel free to send us the info and we’ll get it listed.

Just For Fun:

12. What are your hobbies?
Baking, gardening, reading, and spending time with family and friends (which almost always involves good food).

13. Favorite vacation spot? Thing to do there?
Taiwan. Umm, lots of eating and napping. It’s vacation time, right?

14. Favorite restaurant in Seattle? Favorite food?
My answer to this question changes often. That said, I rarely turn down Taiwanese small eats, good seafood, or Japanese cuisine.

15. Favorite things to do in Seattle in the summer?
I spend quite a bit of my summer at the foot of Tiger Mountain in Issaquah. My husband is a paraglider pilot. It’s a great crowd there. A lot of geeks, so I feel right at home. There’s often BBQ or bonfires on weekends, so come out and join us!

16. Most embarrassing CD you own?
What do you mean? I’m not embarrassed by my Air Supply collection!

17. Any hidden talents?
I play the piano and used to sing competitively.

18. What would you like everyone to know about you?
I’m really fun, laidback, and BS-free.