My name is Taylor Ellwood. I am a business and social media consultant. Of course, I wasn't always doing what I do now. If you'd like to know a bit more about me, let me tell you my story.
I first started writing as a teenager, and in college, at Penn State University, I decided to major in English. When I graduated college I worked as a baker for several years, because I wasn't sure what I could do with an English degree. Eventually I went back to school for a Master's degree in English at Clarion University. While there...[more]
My name is Taylor Ellwood. I am a business and social media consultant. Of course, I wasn't always doing what I do now. If you'd like to know a bit more about me, let me tell you my story.
I first started writing as a teenager, and in college, at Penn State University, I decided to major in English. When I graduated college I worked as a baker for several years, because I wasn't sure what I could do with an English degree. Eventually I went back to school for a Master's degree in English at Clarion University. While there, I became interested in how students used the internet to do research for writing they needed to do. After the Master's at Clarion I attempted a Ph.d degree program at Kent State University in Literacy, Rhetoric, and Social Practice, where I continued doing research about how students used the the available internet technologies to research and learn. I eventually left the Ph.d program when I realized I was doing it for the wrong reason: Namely to get some job security. I didn't like what I was doing, because academic work is mostly focused theory, as opposed to practical applications. I'm a very practical person and I realized I needed to do hands-on work.
I moved out to Seattle, where I started doing Technical Writing for Boeing. What I enjoyed the most wasn't the writing, but rather testing the technology and learning how it worked. I left Seattle after a year, because I found it had too much traffic, and it just didn't feel like home. In fact, everytime I visited Portland I felt like I was home, so I ended up moving here, and doing some more Technical Writing for Nike, Intel, and United Information Technology. But I wasn't just doing technical writing...
Shortly after I moved to Portland, I met someone who was a coach and as I watched him teach a class, I realized I could do that to. I started researching coaching schools and picked the Baraka Institute. In six months I was certified as a coach, and in April 2008, I started my coaching business, which initially was focused vaguely on creativity and wealth.
Since then, I've worked with small businesses to help them understand integrate social media marketing and customer service into their existing marketing and customer service. I've also been writing a book on social media, developing instructional videos, and offering professional speaking and instruction on social media for business. On average I am doing 3 to 5 speeches a month on social media.
My passion for helping others succeed in developing their business extends to the Imagine Your Reality Radio show, which I use to interview other business owners about what they do and love. I also do the social media coach radio show, where I offer free tips and suggestions and information about social media trends and technology. [less]