Alex Marie Manriquez, from the awesome West Coast social media powerhouse known as My Social Calling, has agreed to guest blog for me this month. Each month GCG! will be scheduling a guest blog with an interview. As the first, Alex Marie has put up with my slow shuffle to get the ball rolling. But, since she’s the February candidate, I can’t dilly dally any longer. Here’s her interview!

Before you took on your Social Media dream gig, what did you do for green?

I went to college for restaurant management and was a restaurant manager for seven years. I started my business because I saw the need for the restaurants I was working in to reach out online, so I started an online initiative and before I knew it I had a business of my own and was leaving the restaurant industry behind.

What makes you stand out from the social media crowd?

I like to think that the thing that makes me stand out is my personality. I honestly care about every client I have. I want their businesses to succeed, so when they have questions (should I have a profile or a business page, tell me about Pinterest, can you come talk to my professional group?) or are stuck with something (I can’t post a video, where did that picture go, how come I can’t find my page?) I often help them out free of charge. I am also very patient and understand that each person learns at a different pace, and with different tools, so I customize training sessions to what ever is best for the client.

Name one of your favorite clients and why they deserve some extra love/like from us? Share the love, we’ll link to their web site, blog or Facebook page.

I’m not about to pick favorites, but I want to send some love to one of my newest clients ‘A Book Whisperer’, Anne James. She is jumping back into the writing industry and doing it with a brand new blog and an exciting new social presence. She helps writers get their books written in a weekend, loves running and is looking forward to releasing her own book later this year.

If you could do ANYTHING else for a living, would you? If yes, what?

I would say teach, but that is what I do kind of. I love seeing people learn something new, the excitement on their face is so amazing. I love owning my own business, it is no the path I ever saw myself taking, but it is be an exciting adventure every single day!

What part of your own social media campaign do you let lag the most?

I would have to say, unfortunately, I lag the most on LinkedIn. I really want to like it, it’s just a hard network for me to get excited about.

What one social media platform do you see making better use of in 2012 and why?

Pinterest. I see so much potential, I love it ! I am a very visual person & I find it to be so pretty and fun. I use it every single day for my personal profile and look forward to using it in my clients marketing plans.

Tell our fans (and yours) something unique about you that you haven’t shared before.

I love Facebook, but not only because I love using it to network and help businesses grow. The reason that I love this network is because in 2009 it helped me reconnect with my best friend. We had been best friends in high school, but had not been in contact for ten years. She saw my name pop up in the “people you may know”, we met up and have been inseparable ever since. I will always love Facebook for bringing her back into my life.