Wild Web Woman Nina Bargiel, aka the Slackmistress. Photo taken by Dan Spisak

As promised, we are continuing with the second part with our Wild Web Woman Wednesday Interview with Nina Bargiel, aka the @slackmistress, TV and Web series writer for MTV’s Valemont and Sony/Crackle’s Woke Up Dead. Enjoy!

Missed the first part? Read it here!

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9. How do you indulge yourself (every once in a while!) to stay healthy and balanced?

I was going to say “bourbon” but you said healthy and balanced. (But I do like bourbon.)

10. What is the one vital marketing ingredient that has helped you become the professional you are today?

I’m of the belief that EVERYONE should have a Twitter account. Because the way to learn how to use Twitter is to…use Twitter. Outside of that, let people know what you do by doing it.

11. When you are faced with a setback or an enormous business challenge, what do you do to keep moving forward?

Pick another project and work on it. As a writer, no matter if you’re writing TV/film/web/cereal boxes, you always have to be creating SOMETHING.

12. Do you have any personal “wild web” role models? If so, what do you admire about this person?

Jessica Gottlieb. She’s totally real and no BS. LOVE her. I don’t always agree with her, but she respects my opinion (and I hers.)

13. What has been your biggest achievement recently that you are proud of?

The Valemont ARG (Alternate Reality Game) which starts at ValemontU.com and extends through Facebook, Twitter (7 accounts), and the fan site which is AMAZING (ValemontCommons.com.) People are really committed to the world and the game of it all.

14. How do you think social media will evolve in 2010?

We’re going to hook Twitter up to our brain. ::crosses fingers::

15. What do you think is the most challenging part about being a female entrepreneur? How do you overcome this challenge?

Honestly, I don’t think about it. Is that weird? I try to make my work stand for itself.

16. What is the ONE web marketing best practice that you would share with other Web Marketing Therapy readers?

Since I’m a writer, my perspective is to leave marketing to the marketers.

*For more information about the Wild Web Woman Nina Bargiel, visit The Slack Daily.

Nina’s background in writing for both traditional media and transmedia give her a unique perspective as the face of entertainment changes and adapts. Read on for your dose of inspiration!

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1. How did you get the name “The Slackmistress?”

Back in 1997 I was working at Earthlink Network. My boyfriend at the time also worked there, and he was busy creating his “personal web space” (remember those?) and he called it “The Slack.” One of the first things he wrote on there was a list of things he had in his briefcase. So it looked something like this:
A #2 pencil.
A notebook.
A pen.
& etc.

I told him unless he had a severed head in there, no one cared. (Tact, thy name is NOT slackmistress.) He said if I thought I could do better, I was welcome to. I wrote a short essay called Notes on Decaf and called myself “The Slackmistress.” Then I wrote a bunch more. Six months later we broke up and he gave me the site. I wrote weekly essays at The Slack starting in 1997 (I don’t think it was called blogging yet) and moved to The Slack Daily in 2006. I didn’t have a clue that I’d still be doing this in 2009.

2. Why did you choose your current career and how did you get started?

I didn’t really choose my career – it chose me. I moved out to LA to work in entertainment. I had just graduated from film school but wanted a job with a weekly paycheck. I liked to argue with people, so I thought I’d be an agent. Plus working at an agency was a great training ground. It was – a training ground that made me realize I had NO BUSINESS being an agent.

I had always written, and while reading client scripts I realized I could try my hand and TV writing. A few years later I got my first gig on “Lizzie McGuire” and then moved on to writing a few different live-action and animated shows (“The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy” “Romeo”) and then things slowed down. WAY down. Then one day I got a call from my former “Lizzie McGuire” Executive Producer Stan Rogow who had founded a company that was making Web TV called Electric Farm Entertainment. They were looking for someone with TV series experience who also innately knew and understood the online environment – from blogging to forums to Twitter to Facebook. I started working with them, writing episodes of Crackle’s “Woke Up Dead” as well as penning the characterblogs, as well as creating and writing the ARG as well as additional online content for MTV’s “Valemont.”

3. If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Funny, creative, busty.

4. What are some new, emerging online social media platforms/tools that you absolutely love?

It’s not emerging but I LOVE TWITTER. OMG I LOVE TWITTER. It’s funny because I’m all about the social side of social media. And I think Twitter is sheer perfection for that. I have met some of the most brilliant, funny, engaging people through Twitter.

5. You are always “ON!” You manage 8+ Twitter accounts, have a weekly online show, and are engaging with millions of people from all over the world 24/7. How do you manage your time?

I don’t sleep? Honestly, I’ve spent my years in social media having fun and being social. I used to joke that I live in social media – I met my husband through blogging – he even proposed in his blog comments. When we got married we almost crashed the Mandalay Bay’s server that was webcasting the nuptials because people had seen our relationship evolve online. It’s such a natural extension of who I am and what I do, that I don’t really think about it.

I mean, for work, it IS work. But I love what I do. Both “Woke Up Dead” and “Valemont” are forging new paths in entertainment. With “Valemont” I created the entire online world and immersive experience, and the fans have been AMAZING – not only in responding to the material, but participating and creating and making it their own. So every day I wake up wanting to give them more to play with.

Right now I’m paid to wake up and do something creative every single day (until the end of November, when my current gig ends.) That’s pretty awesome, so if I lose a little sleep, that’s okay.

6. Please share a professional phobia or obsession….confession session!

Clowns. Clowns scare the CRAP out of me. Oh, professional? I’m always convinced that I’m never going to work again. Being a writer is scary sometimes.

7. What do you believe successful “Wild Web Woman” traits are?

Not being afraid of your voice and knowing how and where to use it.

8. Do you have a personal mantra that you would like to share with other Web Marketing Therapy readers?

If the other kids don’t like you, it’s because they’re jealous. Wait, sorry, that was my mantra in third grade.  Don’t take it personally is my mantra for almost everything. As a writer, people are always commenting on your work and giving notes and trying to pay you less, etc. Don’t take it personally. (This also works for living in public – blogging, livestreaming, Twittering, etc.)

*For more Web Inspiration, Check Out Part Two of the Slackmistress’ Interview.

Wild Web Woman Amy Swift is Founder of SMARTY, a Resource for Entrepreneurial Women

As promised, we are continuing with the second part of our Wild Web Woman Wednesday Interview with Amy Swift (@SMARTYAmy), founder of SMARTY. Not only is Amy a super savvy Wild Web Woman, but her passion lies in giving women a creative, supportive and “smart” community to launch and sustain their businesses.

Missed the first part? Read it here!

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10. What are the top three most vital marketing ingredients that have helped you become the professional you are today?
My top three are 1. Good copy. I know how to write and communicate with people pretty well I think, and my background obviously helps. 2. Visual identity. I am semi-obsessive about looking good online, and I think our logo proves that ( thank you http://www.airconditionedla.com/). 3.Consistent messaging. I think being known for something so people come back to for more and more is a great boost. So I am for that, and I think achieve it most of the time.

11. Where do you find inspiration to continue growing your business?
My inspiration comes from my community. I see lives changing and businesses growing all the time, all day long. It’s incredibly inspiring and motivating. I am lucky I don’t have to look very far – my inspiration are my SMARTIES!

12. When you are faced with a setback or an enormous business challenge, what do you do to keep moving forward?
Setbacks create content. I always learn so much from glitches in my own systems and usually they are instrumental in creating something new or really digging deeper into my “why” – so they don’t get to me like they used to. Or, it could also be that I’m getting very used to set backs!

13. Do you have any personal “wild web” role models? If so, what do you admire about this person?
My friend Mariel Hemingway is a major Tweeter and I love that although her generation wasn’t the first to adopt it, she herself was a leader. Even her daughter is learning from her! I also like @SheBrandLiz who is a cautious but strategic WWW. She moves like I do – not ahead of the pack but not behind it either – but
what she does do is really smart, really true and really useful.

14. What has been your biggest achievement recently that you are proud of?
WWW Lorrie Thomas called me a Weblebrity which was a pretty big achievement! But seriously, I’m really proud that I have a business that’s under a year old that is already profitable and that has so much potential. We have over 300 members in Los Angeles and are launching in Orange County and Pasadena, with other cities interested in replicating what we’ve accomplished. That is a great place to be, and very exciting for a new company. It’s a good feeling to know that I can help other leaders in other cities offer their communities something that will both make them a living and also be incredibly rewarding.

15. What is your ideal work outfit? (We work in our PHs whenever we can, what about you?)
My ideal work outfit is old Levis, a wife beater tank, my Mephistos (the real giveaway that I’m a mom) and lip gloss!

16. How do you think social media will evolve in 2010?
2010 evolution of social media, in my mind, will be really about content (less selling.) People are getting numb to all of the messages they get so we’ll have to be much more innovative, and to the same end, discerning about who we “follow” – wether that’s on FB or Twitter or any other platform. It might be about following fewer but making it strategic, or having fewer friends but making them really people you want to engage.

17. What do you think is the most challenging part about being a female entrepreneur? How do you overcome this challenge?
The most challenging part of being a female entrepreneur is having it all. I have a child, another on the way, a husband who is also an entrepreneur and then…..dare I say it…a life. It’s hard to keep the pieces straight sometimes—business is demanding, family is demanding…and they all matter. Family really does come first for me though because if the quality of that starts to fade, then I just don’t feel good about myself or anything else. My business prospers when I feel happy personally – so it’s a priority.

18. What is the ONE web marketing best practice that you would share with other Web Marketing Therapy readers?
One of the best practices that I’m trying to drive home is about list-building. People constantly
take my business card and add me to their lists and I know this happens to many others as well. I want people to know that a business card exchange does not a future newsletter recipient make! You should ask first – create a relationship, reach out to people. Ask before you add. Period.

*For more information about Amy Swift visit the SMARTY website. 

Wild Web Woman Amy Swift is the Founder of SMARTY, a Resource for Entrepreneurial Women

At Web Marketing Therapy we cannot get enough of successful and inspirational women who rock the social web and are committed to doing great work!

The Wild Web Women absolutely adore Amy Swift (@SMARTYAmy)–founder of SMARTY. Not only is Amy a super savvy Wild Web Woman, but her passion lies in giving women a creative, supportive and “smart” community to launch and sustain their businesses.

Amy offers great advice for small businesses, entrepreneurs and marketing professionals. Read on for your dose of inspiration!

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1. Why did you choose your current career and how did you get started?
I started as a copy writer. So I’m sort of a “creative” who had to transition into being an “entrepreneur” and business owner. There’s a really big difference. I never had a network of other creatives that were that generous with helping me in terms of contracts and figuring out the ins and outs of doing business. It wasn’t a bad thing, but there was no network. I worked with a company called Ladies Who Launch for many years as
their founding editor in chief and we co-authored a book together, and I’ve also just been at the beginning of many great businesses so it all came together to start a women’s network for people like me – non-joiners who don’t want to network, in the typical sense, as much as learn, connect and keep growing.

2. If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Diplomatic. Creative. Curious.

3. What online social media platform are you most addicted to? (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Linkedin…etc).
I’m not addicted – but at the beginning of any of them I’m an addict. First it was FB and now I’m more of a Twitter person, but only because it benefits my business so much and there’s a conversation there that I like to hear (read?!?).

4. What are some of the valuable mistakes you have made in the past regarding online marketing/social media marketing and what have you learned from these past setbacks?
I’ve made a lot of mistakes—silly things like having the wrong links or being a real freshman and not knowing how to shorten URLs properly–things like that. But mostly what I do when I don’t know how to do something is watch someone who does so that I don’t fall on my face with it. I’m an observer and then an executor.

5. Please share a professional phobia or obsession….confession session!
Phobia or obsession….I’m truly obsessed with Smartiquette – IE, business etiquette. I see so many small businesses or service providers miss the boat on this. Whether it’s being disorganized, being continually late, not having appropriate contracts, not having a good relationship with money and value – I could go on. This is why I’m launching Smartiquette, a business advice and etiquette blog/vlog/podcast about modern entrepreneurial blunders and how to avoid them.

6. What is your favorite word or phrase? Why?
My favorite word right now is shizzle. IE, “I’m the shizzle.” I like it because it’s an old reference and it’s silly. Got to keep it light.

7. What do you believe successful “Wild Web Woman” traits are?
Successful WW traits are consistency – having a message with a through-line that makes sense to your constituents, and relevance – saying things that apply to current news or conversation. People need to be told the same things in many different forms and WWW do this over and over, but keep it fresh and engaging. Another is that just because you’re smart at something doesn’t mean you’re good at explaining it. WWW are great articulators!

8. Do you have a personal mantra that you would like to share with other Web Marketing Therapy readers?
My personal mantra is you really are your brand all the time. I loathe the word brand, but I’ll use it for the purpose of just being simple. What you say, how you look, what your company looks like — it all sends a message, so make it what you want.

9. How do you indulge yourself (every once in a while!) to stay healthy and balanced?
Indulge myself? Hilarious! Taking bath’s are my biggest indulgence. Baby sleeping. Book in hand. Quiet.

*For More Insight on Social Media and the Wild Web Check Out Part Two of Amy Swift’s Interview!

Wild Web Woman Shelly Kramer is the Co-Founder of V3 Integrated Marketing

As promised, we are continuing with the second part with our Wild Web Woman Wednesday Interview with Shelly Kramer (@ShellyKramer), Twitter Queen and Co-founder of V3 Integrated Marketing. Enjoy!

Missed the first part? Read it here!

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11. How do you indulge yourself (every once in a while!) to stay healthy and balanced?
I love making time to get an adjustment by my favorite chiropractor (am totally a wellness freak that way).  I also love diving into a good book, which, with 3 1/2 year old twins, doesn’t happen as often as I would like.

12. What are the top three most vital marketing ingredients that have helped you become the professional you are today?
The ability to understand how important strategic thinking is to delivering great results for clients, the confidence to stand up for good ideas, even if it means debating with a client, who is the ultimate decision maker, and always being your real self – fake never works.

13. Where do you find inspiration to continue growing your business?
I love what I do. Every minute of every day. I am truly living a dream life and I never forget how fortunate I am. I’ve owned my own full service agency now for 15 years, I work from home because I choose to, collaborate with amazing people from all over the world. Add to that the fact that I have a terrific husband, fabulous kids and a business partner that I respect and adore.  And don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s all been easy – there have been lots of lean times and times when it seemed like every day was a struggle.  But, I never lost sight of the fact that if I had confidence in myself that was really all that it would take. And that confidence,ultimately, paid off.

14. When you are faced with a setback or an enormous business challenge, what do you do to keep moving forward?
Push up my sleeves and power through it.  I also have a number of people whom I consider mentors and talking with them and listening to their thoughts and opinions often helps me make sure I’m on the right track – or helps me to get there.

15. Who is your personal role model? What about this person do you truly admire and aspire to?
My mother.  She taught all 4 of her children to be survivors and always feels as if that’s her greatest accomplishment and gift to us.  As a result, I’m a survivor.  I never give up.  I never say no. I always know that if I think on it long enough and work hard enough, I can make it happen.  And that’s all because of my amazing mother.

16. What has been your biggest achievement recently that you are proud of?
Launching a new site for our business two months ago that is already showing up #1 in search. Woo*flipping*hoo. Love it.

17. What is your ideal work outfit?  (We work in our PJs whenever we can, what about you?)
Jeans and the shirt I slept in the night before.

18. What are your goals for this upcoming year?
To double my business income.  Already looks as if we’re going to be there.  Another Woo*flippin*hoo to that

19. How do you think social media will evolve in 2010?
Wow. So much is going on – and that’s not going to change any time soon. Google Wave and Sidewiki are already changing things up in an amazing manner.  I think that people will only continue to get more and more involved in and dependent on social mediums and that the businesses and brands who are paying attention to that and participating will, as a result, reap some tremendous benefits.  The one true thing about social mediums is that you can always count on change. What is “big” today probably won’t be “big” tomorrow. So, having a personality and a business that is adaptable and well-suited for and genuinely 
excited about change is key to success in the businesses that we are in.  I love change – and can’t wait to see what will change in this glorious world in which we live in the coming year.

20. What do you think is the most challenging part about being a female entrepreneur? How do you overcome this challenge?
Juggling. Juggling kids, husband, home, dogs, clients, new biz development and all the rest that we juggle on a day to day business. I also think that women really need to step up and say “hey dudes, we know just as much as you do about this stuff, so get on out of the way.” Sometimes that doesn’t happen as often as it should.

21. What is the ONE web marketing best practice that you would share with other Web Marketing Therapy readers.
Make sure your website is designed to work for you.  There are a lot of components to that, but doing that, in my opinion (there it is again) is the number one thing you can do to grow your business and to do good things for your clients and their businesses.

*For more information about the Wild Web Woman Shelly Kramer, visit her blog!