A Tale of Two Aimee/Amy(s)

It’s no secret that Leader of the Flock Aimee Woodall is a Twitter fanatic, and it should surprise no one that she made a friend (Amy Taylor) hundreds of miles away who may very well be her Midwestern doppelganger. Last weekend, Amy came to Houston, and we couldn’t resist picking her brain about social media, Houston and what it’s like to meet people IRL. Social media cynics, this one’s for you. We know you have your doubts about the importance of Twitter and social media for networking and establishing meaningful connections, and we wanted to share a story that just might change your mind.

First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself. Who are you and what do you do? Where are you from?
Hello, I am Amy Taylor. By day I do PR/marketing for municipal government in Columbus, Ohio. By night I freelance from the comfort of pajama pants.

How did you and Aimee come to be friends?
Aimee and I connected around this time last year. I was very new to Twitter at the time and kept seeing her name pop up. After reading a few tweets I felt an instant kindred connection and reached out to her in a DM. We became fast friends … and eventually self-proclaimed “TBFF” (Twitter BFF.)

What was your impression of Aimee on Twitter? How did it compare to her in real life?
Aimee is the kind of person who lights up the room - and the Twittersphere – with her sincerity and charm. She is true to herself, and in doing so draws other people to her. Such a magnetic personality. That was my perception of Aimee prior to arriving in Houston and upon my departure.

What made you decide to make the trip to Houston?
Months and months of 140-character coercion courtesy of several persuasive Houstonians! Because Aimee and I had established such a strong friendship over Twitter, it hadn’t really crossed my mind that things could be potentially awkward when we met. My “non-social media” friends thought I was insane to not only travel across the country but stay with a “stranger.” From the moment I arrived at her doorstep, however, there was no feeling of being “strangers” – it was like reconnecting with a long lost friend.

Our last blog post was about the perception of Houston as a creative city. What did you think about Houston before you came here? What influenced those opinions?
I hadn’t been in Houston since the late 1980s, so I didn’t have much to go on. I was really excited about the opportunity to experience Houston with a very involved and plugged-in group of locals - rather than as a tourist.

How did your opinion of Houston differ after you spent some time here?
During this trip, I was blown away by what a flourishing city Houston appears to be. I was so privileged to get a sampling of many different nuggets of the local fare including Divergence Vocal Theater, the Primer Grey + colab block party and a spectacular private dinner at the home of Al, Barbara, and Matt Marcus.

One of my favorite things Aimee said (and a sentiment several other people expressed as well) was that in Houston there is never a day you struggle to find something to do. There seem to be so many awesome things going on at any given time, the struggle is choosing what to say “no” to. The Houstonians I met all had a very strong love for their community and desire to support whatever they can. They are proud community advocates. Their enthusiasm paints Houston as a place people are proud to be from. As a visitor, that made me want to be a part of it, too.

Did you meet a lot of other people on Twitter? Did they contribute to your perception of Houston? Any surprises there? 
I met a TON of people. Many of the Houston crew I was already connected to (in varying degrees) thanks to Twitter. There were also lots and lots of new faces. I think I was hugged more over the course of the weekend than in the past year combined.

How do you think Houston compares to other major cities? 
Having said that, what amazes me is that even in a major city such as Houston you find the same hospitality and welcoming friendliness that my family loved so much in our hometown. I tend to think local culture and flavor sometimes gets watered down by the melting pot of a metropolis, but Houston proved that theory wrong. It’s a big city with small-town soul.

In general, what do you think about the differences that exist between people’s personalities on Twitter and in real life? 
Has it affected your relationship with social media? I think it’s fair to say social media offers a curtain of anonymity to those who chose to hide behind it, but ultimately I feel like the point of the whole social media experience is to make real-life connections. Whether we’re using it to connect with customers, fans, donors, colleagues or friends, we’re not just beeping at other robots, we’re interacting with human beings. Social media can be a great catalyst to inspire offline action and interaction, but it’s a supplement to - not replacement for - the real-life experience.

Many thanks to each person who was part of this happy, amazing adventure!

To us, Amy and Aimee’s experience is a testament to the power of social media – an example of two people who would have never otherwise met that made a genuine connection. There is a lot of skepticism about the legitimacy of Twitter as an effective tool for communication, but we can’t imagine any other platform that brings together so many different people, communities, industries, and points of view. And in terms of business, the opportunities to reach new customers in a meaningful way and to become more knowledgeable as a result of your exposure to new information are infinite.

So there.