Interview with Shama Kabani - Marketingzen.com

i ” width=”200″ height=”300″ />YGG readers! Before we get back to the much awaited business blogging we have an interview that you WILL NOT want to miss. Â Intro to Shama Kabani, President of the Marketing Zen Group and suitably named one of the 10 Most Influential and Powerful Women in Social Media. Â The Marketing Zen Group is a full-service online Marketing firm who specializes in turning clicks into clients. Â Check out Shama’s own Web TV show “Shama TV” as she gives you tips and tricks to come out on top of the Social Media game. Â Here is our YGG interview with Shama Kabani and check back for our review of her newly released book, The Zen of Social Media Marketing.
We know you’re a “Young Go Getter”, but so our readers know, how old are you?

25 in 2 WEEKS! I’m celebrating in Las Vegas. Okay…okay – I am speaking in Las Vegas around my birthday so I figured we might as well mix business with pleasure!

Can you tell us the quick history about yourself, and what drives you to succeed?

Well, I run The Marketing Zen Group – a full service digital marketing firm based in Dallas with a staff of 20. My background is in academia – as I studied social networking in graduate school at UT Austin. I am driven by a sense of wanting to give back to the world – whether it is teaching social media marketing to business owners or hiring talented folks to grow our company. Right now, it gives me great pleasure that our business sustains 20 families and supports a global clientele.

We know you are a younggogetter, but I am sure there is more to you than that. What are some other jobs you have done prior to you current one or new projects you are currently working on?

Today I am an author and run a digital marketing firm, but before that I ran a coaching practice. Prior to that, I was in graduate school getting a degree in Organizational Communication.

Adversely, what has been your biggest vice?

I have 2 big vices. Chocolate and books! This is what I spend most of my money on. = )

What can we expect next from the talented Shama Kabani in the near future?

TV? I do love shooting my web TV show – Shama.Tv. Right now I am enjoying doing both – building my company and my personal brand. I am definitely going to continue to speak, and I am hoping to write more books. Writing The Zen of Social Media Marketing has been SUCH a surreal and rewarding feeling.

Everyone starts to feel burnt out on a project every now and then. What do you do to keep yourself motivated and focused?

That is an excellent question! Believe it or not – I read! I love reading historical fiction to recharge. I also love hanging out with my family and playing with my dog Snoopy (the office mascot!).

Can you give us three tools that you use every single day to make your life as a younggogetter more efficient, productive, and fun?

My three favorite tools are: The Kindle, Skype, and Outlook. The Kindle allows me to tote around multiple books – especially when my speaking engagements have me traveling cross country. Skype allows me to keep in touch with all our employees across the globe. I can’t imagine a better tool for communication! Outlook keeps me organized! I know it is a bit more old school than Gmail – but I still think it is a very valuable tool.

What is your favourite quote?

When you get to the end of all the light you know, and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.” - Edward Teller

And last but not least, if you could give one piece of advice to fellow Young Go Getters, what would it be?

Be OPEN! So many times I see Young Go Getters who keep trying their hand at one thing because someone told them that is how you make money or because that is what they “studied” for. You have to be open to where life takes you and then make the best of it.

Tagged: interview, social media, success