Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Stacey Hedman. I’m an experience marketing strategist for George P. Johnson (GPJ) in Boston, and a photographer of life’s most cold-nosed companions.

What services/products do you offer?

GPJ has led the evolution of event marketing to experience marketing. Companies and brands have moved beyond the formal event and are now creating 360-degree experiences for their audience no matter what the venue – live, online or just on the street. Personally, I work on the program strategy side of the biz, aligning those experiences to the essence of the brand.

The photography side of my life falls under the name Cold Nose Photo. I can’t imagine anything more meaningful to photograph than the quirks, honesty and love in an animal’s eyes.

Who/where is your audience?

My work at GPJ focuses on several Fortune 100 clients, and their audiences range from consumer to B2B. I live and breathe my clients’ products in my own life, so it’s easy to give my energy to it.

Cold Nose Photo is aimed at pet photography across all of New England. I live on Cape Cod, hold strong ties to Vermont, and have family and friends everywhere else. It doesn’t hurt that New Englanders love their dogs!

I also offer photography services, completely free-of-charge, to local shelters and rescue organizations.

What is the website?

http://www.gpj.com

http://coldnosephoto.com

Well-Funded or Bootstrapped?

GPJ is well-funded and employee-owned, with a 100-year leading presence in the industry. We’re excited to be moving into our new digs on Atlantic Avenue in Boston this month, nestled among some of the most creative agencies in the world.

Cold Nose Photo, on the other hand, could always use “just one more camera lens”.

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

My goal has always been to experience the many cultures and languages of the world. I love what I do in marketing strategy, and I would ultimately like to see my work help people of a developing nation to do the things that they love (à la mobile-phones-to-farmers-in-Bangladesh model).

In five years, I hope to take a six-month exchange to one of GPJ’s global offices – or, better yet, be helping to open our Latin American offices. In ten years, I hope to be leading the charge on cross-cultural marketing strategy for our clients and partners around the world.

I can’t even imagine what our camera capabilities will be in ten years time…

Where were you born – where do you live now?

I am an eighth-generation Cape Codder, and I grew up in the West Barnstable home my mother grew up in. I’ve lived in other cities and countries, but returned to Cape Cod when I got married.

PC or Mac?

That’s an interesting question. PC by day, PC by night, and Mac when presenting to a client. I haven’t yet been compelled to invest in my own personal computer, but when I do it will be a Mac for the photography.

Where did you go to school?

St. Michael’s College in Vermont for undergrad and Bentley College in Waltham, MA for an MBA. Both with a focus on international business.

What Social Networks are you on?

Facebook, Twitter and Flickr are my staples. I also have accounts on MySpace, FriendFeed, CapeCodsters.com, HollywoodEastTV.com… probably more. I counsel clients on social media strategy, so I try to know my way around.

Greatest invention ever?

The BlackBerry, hands down. Some people might suggest it adds stress to your life, always being connected. For me it is calming, knowing that there is hardly anything going on that I won’t know about (or can’t take a photo of, Google the correct spelling for, post to Flickr, write about for input on Twitter, and then send to a friend when I’m alerted that it’s her birthday).

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

Having read other Tech Star answers in the past, I suspect people must pick a technology and then use Google to find the name of the inventor. So do I say Google itself? Or do I go with my gut and give credit to each person or group that moved cameras to the next stage of invention over a dozen centuries? Cookies n’ Cream isn’t a “technology”, right?

Where have you traveled in your life?

I studied abroad at age 15, leaving for a year in Austria where I was able to explore Italy, Hungary and the Czech Republic. During college, I spent a semester in New Zealand. I’ve spent time in France, the UK, Costa Rica, Fiji and more. My work brings me to Canada almost once a month. As mentioned, I truly hope to live abroad again, and my career interests draw me to Latin America for that task. Outside of New England, my favorite U.S. destination is Arizona/Utah.

Why set up shop on Cape Cod?

I’ve had the pleasure of commuting into downtown Boston for about five years. 85% of people can’t imagine such a burden, but on any given weekday morning hundreds of commuters share an insider camaraderie as they pack into the frequent trains and buses departing from this area. What many people don’t realize is that it takes almost the same amount of time to commute just ten miles from one town to another in Boston. Trust me, I’ve done it.

While I wish I could find a slightly more convenient work-out schedule, the commute is also about having some time to yourself to transition from home to work, work to home. I read until I sleep in the morning, and I read every evening. I work from home when I need to.

When I’m home, I’m really home. I’m on Cape Cod. Nothing solidifies this joy more than on the Sunday afternoon after 4th of July when we bid our guests farewell and good luck.

5 Websites you go to every day?

Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo! Mail, my Google Reader and WordPress.org for my blogs (http://saltyhedman.com and http://coldnosephoto.com!)

What’s on your iPod right now?

Merry Mixmas of course! A Fine Frenzy, Citizen Cope, an instant click to Jack Johnson tunes, and I’ve been listening to a lot of electronica at the office. Honestly, my iPod is just a storage device. It’s Pandora.com I can’t live without.

What is on your desktop/screensaver right now?

A photo that I took of the dunes at sunset on the beach in Wellfleet, MA. It’s the same photo that’s on my BlackBerry, blog header and my Twitter background.

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

I would want a book. With blank pages. And a pencil.

Phone call or text message?

I wish I could say I’m a good phone friend, but I’m better by e-mail. There are a few people I speak to on the phone each week, but many more opportunities where a text message saves time. Again, I’m going to have to give props here to BlackBerry Messenger for the instant and free communication.

Feel free to tell us anything else….?

I’ve been putting a lot of thought into my personal blog approach lately, http://saltyhedman.com. We all know there’s a huge market for mommy-bloggers out there, but I feel I represent the 30-something woman who doesn’t really plan to have children at all. Will one woman blogging about a dual-income-no-kids lifestyle garner as much traffic as 20,000 women all blogging about pacifiers? We’ll see, but it’s becoming more common and the draw is the same – people who seek someone they can identify with.

Thank you for your time, Stacey!