Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Schmidt
Hi Dana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I think this interview came to be because of my involvement in Social Media Day – so it makes sense to start by explaining a little bit about the history of the organization itself! ‘Social Media Day’ was originally created by Mashable in 2009, but Cass Bailey, CEO of Slice Communications, launched Philadelphia’s own iteration of the annual event in 2014. After several conferences, it grew beyond an annual event to become the ultimate social media conference in the Greater Philadelphia region. In 2020, it became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, providing year-round professional development and networking experiences to members of the community. While social media is in the name, it is also inclusive of digital marketing, public relations, email marketing, and other communications practices.
I’m currently the Vice Chair of the organization, but I first joined in 2016 as a speaker, then as a sponsor. I loved it so much, I actually joined the Slice Team in 2019 and then began working on the event itself, from start to finish, before joining the board in 2020.
As the Chief Strategy Officer at Slice, I oversee our business operations. But I have always been driven by my passion for digital marketing. My work has taken me from my hometown in Bucks County to New York City, to Denver, and back to Philadelphia–and even earned me an Emmy award along the way for my work on the “Women and Girls Lead” series at Rocky Mountain PBS. I have shared my expertise with digital marketers through outlets like Adweek, NBC10, 6ABC’s Inside Story, and as a speaker at several national conferences. Prior to joining the Slice team, I worked in digital marketing at Philadelphia’s premier public broadcasting station, WHYY, as well as the city’s tourism agency, Visit Philly. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Communications from New York University and returned to NYU for my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Converting Social Media Day from a one-day event to a non-profit organization with yearlong programming was necessary, but hard! There was a need for community and we heard that at the event each year. How do we leverage these relationships? Digital communications is a fast-paced landscape, and we could keep each other sharper (and saner!) by collaborating and connecting. SMDayPHL’s founder and Slice Communications CEO, Cass Bailey, developed a board of directors to help us steer this process over the course of a year, and she remained at its helm for several years to ensure we had a strong foundation. We’re always learning how to better serve our community!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Slice Communications?
At our core, Slice Communications exists to get people to pay attention.
As a marketing and communications agency, it is who we are as people, what gets us up in the morning, and what keeps us going. Since our founding in 2008, we have been working in the attention business and have helped our clients strategically grow and achieve their business goals. And it’s why it made so much sense for us to develop Social Media Day PHL for our community. We understand how much there is to learn in this space, and how important it is to learn from others.
I had the great pleasure of working alongside Slice’s CEO, Cass Bailey, to grow Social Media Day PHL into the thriving community that it is today. And that deep understanding of people-at-the-heart-of-it-all is what drives Slice’s vision. Cass and I even co-wrote a book about it titled “Social Media is About People!”
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Social Media Day offers a Co-Mentor Connect program, which provides professional development and networking beyond the organization’s annual event. Our program matches marketing strategists with practitioners for a year-long commitment, allowing you both to learn from each other, grow professionally together, and stay up to date with the latest social media changes.
Beyond that, I’ve had luck meeting fantastic folks at in-person conferences recently. My trick is grabbing a seat at one of the back tables. I know myself, and I’m going to want to react in real time to the content – but I don’t want to be disruptive and chatty at the front of the room. I’ve been finding likeminded individuals at the back tables who want to keep the discussions going. Those are my people. The Back Table crowd.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://smdayphl.com/
- Other: https://slicecommunications.com
