Thanks for the nomination for SMC Niagara's 1st Annual Awards event this evening!

Back in 2008, my website designer suggested I start a blog in order to generate interest in my online music business at www.finemusic.ca.  I didn't know much about blogging at the time, but I read several and learned quickly what worked and didn't work for me.

In a way, my blog has become a personality-driven vehicle more than originally envisioned; it's become an extension of myself, really.  While originally it was designed to promote and discuss the arts in Niagara and beyond - and I still do that quite frequently in this space - I have in recent years expanded the parameters of the blog to reflect many of my other personal interests.

Being a downtown person, I write frequently about downtown issues, both here in St. Catharines and elsewhere, especially when I see great ideas that can translate here in order to make downtowns in Niagara a better place to live, work and play.  Everything from the return of two-way traffic to the coming rebirth of St. Paul Street as an entertainment mecca in Niagara have been discussed in this space.

Just this year, in fact, I began a monthly series entitled "Some of my favourite downtown things" in which I write about other businesses and enterprises in the downtown core that are making a difference in our community.  The latest instalment in that series was posted just last week after I paid a visit to Lessard-Coutu Jewellers on Lake Street in St. Catharines.

There have also been frequent visits to what I ruefully refer to as the "high rant district" when something ticks me off, like indiscriminate cell-phone use in public or why people feel compelled to take pictures of concerts they are attending or food they are eating.  I can feel myself fulminating already...

Being a former broadcaster by trade, writing is something I care very deeply about.  It must be clean, clear and concise, and beyond all else, fair and credible.  My desire to look at all sides of a situation or argument before drawing my conclusions hopefully results in a blog that is fair-minded and insightful rather than simply a vehicle for someone with a particular ax to grind.

The fact people from many walks of life read my blog regularly and frequently comment on it suggests to me some of my interests are their interests, too, so I appear to be touching a chord here in the community.

Imagine my pleasure and surprise, then, when I found out my blog had been nominated in the Personal Branding category for the 1st Annual Social Media Awards in Niagara.  The awards are a result of the ongoing growth and influence of the Social Media Club Niagara, which began six years ago this spring at Dom's in downtown St. Catharines.

I have attended the meetings off and on over the years since the very beginning, and have always had more than a passing interest in a medium some dismissed as just a fad not that many years ago.  I might have done that myself in the beginning, too, but have come to appreciate what can be done to change society for the better through the use of social media.

The awards ceremony was held this evening as part of their regular monthly meeting at Fresco's at Fourth Avenue and Martingale in St. Catharines, and I am happy to report the room was standing-room only and everyone was pumped as the evening got under way.

In all, there were 33 nominations in several categories, both individual and for community groups and businesses.  The judges explained the process was difficult due to the uniformly high quality of the submissions.

I was flattered to have been nominated, but didn't get my hopes up I would win, since I was up against some pretty high-powered local talent.  In the end, I lost out to a very worthy competitor, Tiffany Mayer, whose Eating Niagara website and blog have become benchmarks for good taste in Niagara and beyond.  Tiffany also published a book within the last year while on maternity leave from her main job, and it is well worth getting hold of and adding to your personal collection.

Everyone nominated in the Personal Branding category brought their own perspective to their work, and each and every one could win in this category, I feel.  So I am truly honoured to have been considered as a nominee myself.  The talent here in Niagara is simply astounding.

Sure, it would have been nice to win.  But we all share this honour simply by being nominated in a very hotly-contested category.  And those who didn't win this year have a year to step up their game and get ready for next year, and you can bet I will be!

Thanks again to SMC Niagara for the nomination and for a great evening at the awards ceremony.  It was great fun and we are all looking forward to next year's competition.

Have a great night!

February 24th, 2015.