It’s all about the people. Behind every LLC, Corporation, or non-profit is at least one real person. We hear over and over again that what draws and keeps people in Greater New Orleans and all of Louisiana are the brilliant, warmhearted, passionate, and hard working people.
Here at Silicon Bayou News we are fortunate to know a lot of good people. For a few months now we’ve been sharing stories with you about their companies, products and events. It’s important for those stories to be shared with the world, but it’s also important that the world knows who those people really are and what they’re all about. So we slipped in a new link at the top of SBN: All About You. If you live, work, have lived or worked, or plan to live or work in Louisiana, there is a form with a few serious and a few fun questions that we want you to answer. Seriously, fill out the form.
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We’re starting out this series with a fresh spirited lady who doesn’t miss a beat: Lauren McCabe.
Mermaid extraordinaire, Lauren McCabe, is making waves on the Silicon Bayou
Lauren lives in the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans and is a Louisiana native. Don’t let that fool you though- she’s traveled extensively and is a big advocate of going abroad. She previously worked for a start-up called KODA and currently does client acquisition for a social media firm, Zydeco Media, among other endeavors. On the twitters, Lauren is known as MermaidTales and she writes a blog called The Mermaid Chronicles.
What is the most exciting thing you are working on right now?
I’m excited to be partnering with Conversations LLC to offer social media workshops for businesses, non-profits, and entrepreneurs in New Orleans. Social Media is such a powerful tool to form relationships with customers, generate new clients, and increase the reach of an organization’s business or message, yet many organizations are just now figuring out how to use it effectively. I’m passionate about showing businesses how they can use the social web to create a measurable impact on their business!
What are you most excited about happening on the Silicon Bayou that you aren’t directly involved in?
I’ve always had a serious case of wanderlust, and I’ve spent a good amount of time traveling both in the US and abroad. I’m excited to see a new travel meet-up “Meet, Plan Go!” form community around the act of traveling. It’s so easy be a homebody in New Orleans– that’s what makes our city so amazing– but it’s important that you go, too. Always return, but always go.
Lauren the Mermaid Queen in front of the Himalayas, most notably Mt. Katchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world.
Tell us about your biggest failure.
I think failure is important– essential, in fact, to achieve great things. If you never fail, then you’re not pushing the limits, not trying to disrupt something. The moments when I didn’t push forward, speak up, forge forth because I was afraid to be wrong– those were my greatest failures.
IYO, which institution is most due for disruption?
Education
What is your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?
I write on Sundays. Short stories, poetry, mermaid novels, blog posts, things that are about the love of prose and the craft of story-telling. I grew up going to creative writing summer camps in New Orleans, and to this day, Sundays are my time to curl up under an oak tree and write.
If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Raw oysters
If you could live in any other time period, which would you choose?
The 1960’s. I’m a big funk & soul fan, and I would love to experience the golden age of groove!!
The standard superpower dichotomy: Fly or Be Invisible?
Fly
If you were stuck on an elevator for two hours, what one person (dead or alive) would you choose to be stuck with?
The Dalai Lama, because I can’t imagine anone more grounding during a frightful experience like that, and for his wisdom and life story.
If you wrote a regular column for Silicon Bayou News what would it be about and what would you name it?
I would love to write a column on tips for becoming (and being) an entrepreneur in New Orleans– from keeping tabs on networking events (essential for business development) to writing inspiring posts on how to take the leap and start a business in New Orleans. I would have to brainstorm a name– perhaps ask the Twittersphere what I should call it!
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If you want to be featured on All About You – fill out the form now.