Mike has been a marketer for, well, a real long time! Starting in radio, he created media-driven marketing solutions for a bunch of well-known brands, and some little guys too. Seeing the end of the "fun era" of radio, he started his own company "back in the day." For a decade, he worked as a consultant with top media companies creating successful promotional opportunities for some of America's biggest marketers. An early convert to everything Internet, he refocused Ventura & Co. as a digital resource in 2002 and worked with some of the country's largest resort community developers. An early adopter of social media applications as marketing tools, he's become a go-to-guy in the social media world. And, he also knows a lot about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Mike's energy and passion are evident in your first conversation with him. When he is not evangelizing for his brands, you can probably find him on a sailboat in the Caribbean or on a horse riding a trail in the North Georgia Mountains.
Something cool: Mike holds a U.S. Coast Guard ship captain's license. He and four of his sailing buddies once sailed his 35-foot sailboat to Cuba and spent three adventurous weeks in Havana and sailing along Cuba's northwest coast.
Fun facts about Mike:
5 songs that are on my high rotation…
The Road Goes on Forever – Robert Earl Keen; Crazy – Gnarls Barkley; Pirate Looks at Forty – Jimmy Buffett; Redemption Song – Bob Marley; Use Somebody – Kings of Leon;
On weekends, you'll find me...
At the barn with my horse, Midnight, and my Golden Retriever, Sadie.
My pirate name is...
El Diabolitio (The Little Devil), actually, a real Cuban pirate, 17?? - 1823
My favorite mobiles apps are…
Pandora Radio, Facebook, Scout Mob. Angry Birds, Tweetdeck, Weatherbug
Guilty pleasures....
Oatmeal raisin cookies from Alon's Bakery, Cheeseburger from Highland Tap, Wade tree slick-fork saddle, Klipsch computer speakers, salt air in my face on a broad reach, a great horse, the world's best dog.
Can't live without....
iPhone, Keurig, Atlanta Braves, Pandora Radio, days at the barn, nights on the ocean.
Best thing I ever ate...
Key Lime Pie from Indigo Restaurant in Atlanta (RIP).