Who are you and what do you do?

Is this thing on…? Test, 1, 2, 3, 4…. Sound check alright? OK, good. Hi, everybody, my name is Sean Polay, and I am coming to you live from the @Bar, ready to tip a few back and tell a few tales.

I split my time equally between my vocation as director of Internet audience development for Ottaway Newspapers (a.k.a. Dow Jones Local Media Group) and my avocation as husband and partner with my wife, Brandy, in parenthood to our three boys, ages 10, 7 and 3.

In my spare time, I am also president of the New England New Media Association, and enjoy cycling, golfing, and cooking.

Once upon a time, I was singer and guitarist in a couple of bands, the most recent being the Cape-based Mahogany Ridge, but the music career has been on hold since I became a father and got more serious about my career. I still pick up the guitar once in a while. Apologies to our neighbors….

What services/products do you offer?

Ottaway is the corporate parent to seven media groups around the country, operating eight daily newspapers, a dozen weeklies, several magazines, and all associated Web sites. I specifically guide our media groups on building audiences for our digital products, comprised of Web sites, e-mail newsletters and mobile alerts. Our goal is to extend our reach as a media company beyond our traditional customers, and to better serve digital audiences and the advertisers trying to reach them.

Who/where is your audience?

Southeastern Massachusetts is served by our flagship Web sites: capecodonline.com, southcoasttoday.com, barnstablepatriot.com, and ack.net. We also operate in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire and southern Maine (seacoastonline.com); Hudson Valley, NY (hudsonvalley.com and recordonline.com); Poconos, PA (thepoconos.com and poconorecord.com); San Joaquin Valley, CA (esanjoaquin.com and recordnet.com); and southern Oregon (esouthernoregon.com, mailtribune.com and dailytidings.com).

What is the website?

Oh, guess I jumped the gun there. The good news is I was pretty thorough. So I’ll just plug some more Cape Cod sites that we operate: capecodrealestate.com, capecodworks.com, mycape.com and oncape.com.

Well-Funded or Bootstrapped?

Have to say well-funded. With the relatively recent acquisition of Dow Jones by News Corp., that’s about as big as it gets in the media hemisphere.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?  10 years?

If anyone wants to be a financial backer for my under-the-radar plan to open Tidy Whities, an undergarment store in Sandwich, I’m considering all offers. Seriously, Sandwich residents who need to buy a new set of underwear and/or socks as you’re trying to fully potty train a 3-year-old, where do you go? You either have to order online, or drive at least 10 miles in any direction. Same goes for sweaty fathers who need new undershirts for their next business trip. And so on. I think in a town like Sandwich, with its numerous families and business travelers, there’s a pretty good business opportunity in undergarments.

If that doesn’t come to fruition, I’ll just keep doing the audience, revenue and business development voodoo that I do.

Where were you born - where do you live now?

Born in Winchester, MA, raised in Chelmsford, MA, and now living in Sandwich, MA.

PC or Mac?

We’re ambidextrous in our house. My wife has used an iMac for years, and recently handed that down to the boys when she bought her new MacBook Pro. I happen to use a work-issued IBM ThinkPad. I’m comfortable on either platform.

Where did you go to school?

University of Southern California. Fight on, Trojans!

What Social Networks are you on?

What ones am I not on? I’m most active on Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Delicious, Yelp, and LastFM. I also have two personal blogs – spolay.com and commuterdaddy.com — and an Ottaway blog, where I share media-focused audience development advice (the latter’s been dormant for a while but will be making a comeback soon). Aside from that, I have a bunch of other profiles (Digg, Technorati, YouTube, FriendFeed, Pownce, Pandora, Stumbleupon, Reddit), but my activity there is less frequent.

Greatest invention ever?

I’m a big fan of the microchip, a.k.a the integrated circuit, and jellybeans.

Person you believe has contributed most to the world of technology?

Well, if I was true to my invention answer, I’d have to say Jack Kilby (microchip) and William Schrafft (jellybeans). In today’s mobile-centric world, though, you have to give a nod to Guglielmo Marconi. Everything we do today via mobile phone, PDA and wifi has its origins in Marconi’s work, and as someone who works remotely half of the time, I am forever grateful. I am more productive — and a more active participant in family life — as a result.

Where have you traveled in your life?

I’ve been throughout the United States, resting my head in 26 states plus Puerto Rico. I also tallied two trips to Spain as a young buck.

Why set up shop on Cape Cod?

I started my career as a reporter at the Cape Cod Times, so that’s how I got here in the first place. Brandy, who grew up in Sandwich, and I got married in Harwich, and stayed put on the Cape even while she was commuting to Cambridge and I to Providence for 6 years. We’ve lived in Sandwich since 2000. We love raising our family here.

5 Websites you go to every day?

Besides the ones I manage, right? Gmail, Google Reader, Twitter, Facebook, and during football season, you have to throw CBS Sportsline in there, too, as I participate in two different fantasy football leagues. After hours, of course….

What’s on your iPod right now?

A ton of podcasts, but the ones getting the most frequent airing lately are Marketing Over Coffee; ESPN’s Fantasy Focus Football and The B.S. Report; and WEEI’s Whiner Line. For music, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals is in heavy rotation, in part because Brandy and I went their show in Boston last week. Recent favorites also include Ben Sollee, Danielia Cotton, Ford Turrell, Old School Freight Train, Andy Mac (help him finish his album, would you? Just $10 gets you an mp3 copy. Match my donation!), Chris Ayer, and Madi Diaz.

What is on your desktop/screensaver right now?

The Picasa screensaver is rotating 2008 family photos. The desktop picture is a recent favorite of our boys, taken in Deer Isle, ME, this summer.

You are on a deserted island - do you bring a laptop or book?

Book, but I’d gladly discard both book and laptop in favor of my guitar.

Phone call or text message?

I believe the most effective business communication is done by phone, if not in person. That said, I am a frequent texter, either to myself as a note-taking option while on the go, or to fire off quick notes to friends while watching sporting events after the kids have gone to bed.

Feel free to tell us anything else….?

I’ll plug my wife’s graphic design business. I’m not the only digitally savvy person in the family! Brandy and her business partner’s combined efforts are showcased at gomodus.net.

Thank you for your time, Sean!