Laurie Stark
Description (140 Characters)
Sassy, smart and self-aware Floridian moves to the Midwest. Speaks her mind and heart. Seems to "get" how best to use social media for good!
Recent tweets:
I hate when petty politics get in the way of doing the right thing. Not cool, peeps. Live your life with a soaring instrumental soundtrack.
I'm alone in the office, nearly 8pm, and I would lose whatever shred of indie cred I had left if you heard what I'm listening to right now.
On my walk to get lunch, man passes me on a bike: "You're a pretty lady!" Sir, you are adorable. Also you are 73.
At the laundromat. Empty bottle of vodka on the counter. Keep it classy, Madison.
So much to do, but all kitty and I can do is nap. Oh, and throw up on my bed. That's her, not me.
According to Laurie Stark, Twitter is composed of "little micro-thoughts." She says, "I'll tweet little things that I see that are interesting, or little musings throughout the day. It's a great way to update people."
Originally from Tampa, Florida, Laurie moved to Madison in 2005 to work for Epic Systems. Her Twitter feed is refreshing and a little sassy. She tweets about how to use social media effectively, blog posts she's written, recipes and observations on life. She started using Twitter about a year and a half ago, and at first, she didn't like it.
"That's a lot of people's experience at first, I think," she says. "What changed it for me was when I started finding people who were interesting to follow. Now I have a good mix of people to follow, including real-life friends, interesting people, celebrities, and companies. Now it has value for me."
Initially, Laurie didn't want her real name associated with her blog, and she put a lot of effort into staying anonymous. "In general, the things you put on the Internet are really public," she says. "But then again, are you being fake if you censor yourself? I struggle with that a lot. For the most part, I am who I am. I am someone who is opinionated, but I also have to find that balance with professionalism."
Because she didn't want to reveal her identity to her blog readership, Laurie was initially shy to actively look for readers locally. It wasn't until very recently that she started finding people from Madison to follow on Twitter.
Laurie thinks Twitter hits a chord with many people. "There's something in human nature that makes it addictive to tell people what you're thinking," she says. "Every time I'm drinking coffee I feel the impulse to tell Twitter."
Why should Madisonians follow @your_overcoat on Twitter? Laurie says, "What I strive to do is find things that will be interesting to someone who is like me in some ways. It's almost like curating a museum exhibit. I'm pretty authentic."
Follow Laurie Stark on Twitter at twitter.com/your_overcoat.
