5 Questions...with Marie Nicola
Before the Globe & Mail named Karmacake as one of Toronto's hottest new blogs in November 2009, Marie "Mings" Nicola was just the accidental hero from Summerside, Prince Edward Island. And, unlike her friends, Mings is not Canada's best songwriter, an Olympic Gold Medalist or Miss Universe, she's just a girl with a beat up old laptop, a big smile and the capacity to surf the net & call it like she sees it. Not to say she's not glam! She was Miss Toronto and a finalist for the Miss Canada crown; one of Canada's top young philanthropists and sat on the committee for the Canadian Opera Company's Operanation; appeared on numerous television shows and she even made her way into Maxim Online as (literally) one of Toronto's hottest (UFC loving) bloggers.
Currently, she's an active food opinionist preparing for her upcoming series on Tdot.tv as well as launching a revolutionary new web-based talk show with her friends Anastasia Tubanos & Geraldine Anderson. But, regardless of all that, Mings will always be known as the accidentally-outspoken girl-next-door behind Karmacake & @karmacakedotca.
What motivates you to do what you do on a daily basis?
Ummm... to get paid? I've gone from opera singer to beauty queen and everything in between. When you have as many Gucci dreams as I do, it's hard to fulfill it on an H&M budget. I'm always encouraged by the positive people I meet and their encouragement for what I'm trying to do with Karmacake & my other projects. It's really nice to know that the dream I've had since I was 9 (I kept a diary of my first transatlantic trip which later turned into bedroom magazine publishing with an old typewriter & cello-tape) , means something to people besides me. I'm so grateful. Plus, I won't lie.... Like Beyonce, I want to be the proud owner of a Popeye's Fried Chicken VIP card. No joke. That's free chicken FOR LIFE!... I'm slightly obsessed with soul food.
Do you have any success tips for people wanting to create a name for themselves in your industry?
Sure!
- Don't be afraid to fail because if you are, you are never going to get anywhere.
- Learn about technologies available to help you make your job easier.
- Don't think you can do everything - you can't. There are people who will help you, from interns to peers looking for experience.
- Use your experience as currency to help build your dream.
- Network.
- Build a playlist that makes you feel awesome - music is a great motivator.
- Competition is healthy.
- Believe in yourself.
- Don't give up.
- Don't forget eat, sleep and take breaks.
In your opinion why is Toronto a hotbed for cool tech start-ups?
Because there's a wicked amount of funding in the city for entrepreneurs. Truth is, the city is losing big business at an alarming rate, it's a fact. At the end of the day it's artists and small business that keep this city running. Unfortunately, artists have gotten shafted pretty hard core, so it's left to the imaginations of us creative tech-start ups. We aren't limited by anything online... it is a creative and magical space.
Plus, it's damn cold outside for most of the year, so I think that has something to do with why Torontonians are wired. We can communicate and work on our computers while it gets freezing outside. Our understanding of the internet is unmatched so it's the perfect place to start a new business. Smart people + bored at home = breeds online ingenuity.
What's your favourite tech toy and social media site and why?
My fiance Matt (@reado) and I are crafty. So while I love my BlackBerry, I couldn't live without our home network that connects our computers to our home server and to our television. We don't have cable anymore because we can download, stream and do whatever we want with a modified version of an old Xbox, a homemade HDTV antenna that we made for $8 and our various gaming devices. The set up is compact and has eliminated the need for DVDs, worrying about recording tv and everything. So yeah, I think anyone who thinks they are nerds don't know %&!@ until they rock out with us... then they usually admit that Matt & I are pretty nerdy!
Social Media Site - Twitter!! It's done so much for Karmacake.ca that I can't even describe! I've begun experimenting with the ins and outs of other services but, Twitter is the grand-daddy as far as I'm concerned.
Who would you say is one of Toronto's social media/tech stars and why?
SUCH a tough question. How do I answer this without sound like I'm trying to kiss ass? I think my fiance, Matt Read (@reado), is a total all-star who is WAY too modest. Matt can build it, programme it, hack it, find it or do anything to it. He's behind so many sites, including Karmacake.ca and he was instrumental in helping several websites (including some well known blogs) get up and running back in the day. I think the coolest thing about Matt is, all roads lead to @reado and I can't wait to see where he's going to be in the next year. I love him, clearly, but I'm also REALLY impressed with what he can do. He's totally a tech sleeper hit.
Umm... second one? Probably Anastasia Tubanos (@atubanos), she's got several web series, including the travel series Matt & Nat go to India which was entirely shot on a Flip Mino and aired on Karmacake. She has over 3000 followers on twitter, pops up on Webnation with Amber Mac, is an iPhone diva and is just an all around great person. She's just naturally good at things and while she's not trying to be a SocMed superstar (SMS), she makes it seem effortless for those of us who study it on the daily.
Honorable mention should go to my mother, who is a wiz at computers AND an all-star at text messaging. No joke, she is. Mum, you're tops and I love you! (Don't worry Dr. A.K. Nicola, I love you too! You're the one who taught me how to wire a lightbulb, program TVs and carve a little duck - the nerdiness is in the genes!)
