5 Questions...with Casie Stewart

Welcome to one of our most anticipated features, "5 Questions"!  I know many of you will enjoy this weekly feature of Toronto's hottest tech and social media personalities this year.  And to start things off, I want to (re)introduce all of you to Casie Stewart.  

If you don’t know her from from the internet or a stream of involvement in a number of charity events over the last year, you should.  Casie has played an active role in both TwestivalTO and Daily Challenge's Pay It Backward events.  She is Toronto's self-proclaimed social media queen with a passion for life, having fun and all things internet.  Casie Stewart writes a daily blog called This Is My Life and she’s got a really cool job too, Digital Marketing Coordinator for Much Music & MTV.

What motivates you to do what you do on a daily basis?

When I first got into social media years ago I was really motivated by the ability to share my creativity so freely. It also became apparent to me that I could now document and publish my life. My first venture at 16 was a publishing company and publishing was always a big interest, now I could do it so easily. This, along with the fact that I had a shit memory and could now keep a record, really did it for me.

I became addicted to blogging first on myspace (2006) which transitioned into my blog casiestewart.com. I like reminding myself what I’ve done. I find it inspiring that people read it, makes me wanna do it better and never miss a day. I used to get anxiety when I didn’t update it but I took a vacation and I feel more relaxed now!

Startup tips for anyone wanting be to successful in your Industry?

Be your real self, the internet is transparent. . If you are starting up in social media and are a big brand, start-up or yourself, don’t filter yourself too much, just be who you are, that’s what makes people like you. If you follow me on Twitter, you will get a good sense of who I am. I have good days and bad days, sometimes I swear and drink, other times I’m artsy or smart.  I like when I meet someone for the first time and they say “I feel like I already know you”  or “you’re just like I imaged”. It’s funny and cute.

Why is Toronto a hotbed for cool tech start-ups?

Toronto is a city full of smart young people who want to make a difference in the world. The internet has given us a voice and we’re making sure you all hear what we’re saying. I really saw this in the tech community this year through the events I was involved in (Twestival Local/Global, World Partnership Walk, GenyTO, SpinTO, Pay It Backward) . In January we started the GenyTO Meetups. This became a monthly gathering of Toronto’s finest smart young people from the PR, tech and startup communities. It’s amazing the things we can do when we put our pretty little nerdy heads together.

Favourite tech toy & social media site and why? 

Tumblr has really grown on me. Mine is http:casiestewart.tumblr. I like how it integrates with my twitter, is easy to post on and the design. This year we set up torontobloggirls.com a feed of a few different bloggers from TO.

I'm currently using the white Blackberry 9000 with 3G and wi-fi. I love it except the battery dies if it's not charged daily.  I’ve got three email accounts and post  to FB, Twitterberry, Tumblr, Posterous and 12secondsTV from it.  I considered switching from BB to iPhone but there two things I can’t live without: camera with flash & keyboard I can type on with one hand while walking. I do that a lot.

Who would you say is one of Toronto’s social media/tech stars and why?

I have two…

TECH: Renee Warren.  Renee is a really smart girl with a great attitude, not to mention beautiful.  I met her last year through events such as GenYTO.  She’s tech savvy and beautiful and she blogs too.  This year is gonna be a good one for her and I hope you come see us out at GenYTO this year!

MEDIA: Carol Zara.  She a hot Brazilian import and she blogs about all kinda of tech stuff. She has over 8,000 Twitter followers and I’ve watched her grow over the last year. We’re planning on doing some stuff this year so look out.