When Jim and I spoke at WordCamp Chicago, the only canned part of our presentation was a short history of how She Said, He Said was born. We shared this story with our live audience that day and thought later that it might be fun to share it with our readers too. We’ll do this one in true She Said, He Said style chronologically.
March 2010
Jim and Shelby meet on Twitter and enjoy several months of conversation in the social media space.
Shelby Says: I knew I was moving out of downtown Milwaukee to the suburbs soon and asked my Twitter followers if they could share some insight on my new neighborhood. Jim, who lives near the area, was one of the first people who popped up and started rattling off restaurants, bars and events in the area. I didn’t know anything about him, but we quickly became social media friends. I also met his wife through Twitter during this same time.
Jim Says: Imagine that: me recommending restaurants, bars and events. It’s possible I am frequently referred to as a social butterfly and this might be just why. It was also around this same time that my wife and I began to connect with a growing group of Twitter folks from what is called Lake Country. So when I noticed someone on Twitter was moving our way, I figured why not be neighborly.
July 2010
Shelby invites Jim and his wife out to meet up for some live music. This is the first time they meet in real life.
Shelby Says: I already knew I’d like Jim and his wife after our interactions on Twitter. They are both just engaging, genuine people. I had no doubt they’d be the same way in real life and I wasn’t disappointed.
Jim Says: She was easy to find, she was wearing “the hat.” When I found Shelby, she was busy talking with other people but asked where our group was sitting. I pointed our group out and she found us in no time. We also got to meet her boyfriend, who was a member of the band playing that evening.
August 2010-November 2010
The friendship grows. They continue to meet up at networking events and have dinner at each other’s homes occasionally. During this time, Jim and Shelby trade perspectives on their respective careers.
Shelby Says: This was when I first really began to understand what Jim did for a living. We discussed his business and about being an entrepreneur. We talked about his speaking career. I shared my print media and production background with him. I told him about my writing. These were the discussions that sparked the next step. Professionally, we had a lot in common.
Jim Says: As I read Shelby’s response above, I guess I did not realize how much she was sizing me up and learning about me. What I found most interesting were our discussions about the coming demise of the newspaper industry. We’ve observed and worked in the industry from two different perspectives but share some very similar beliefs as to why the industry is all but done for.
December 2010
Jim asks Shelby for help editing his blog and she agrees.
Shelby Says: I don’t really want to be mean, but I had been reading Jim’s blog for awhile and I could see that he could benefit from an editor. Seriously though, I enjoyed adding this into my weekly routine.
Jim Says: Shelby doesn’t need to be mean. Just read anything on this site from before about December of 2010. This blog needed an editor other than my wife or daughter who have other priorities that made it difficult for them to edit on a daily basis. I often think of English as my first and second language and find both of them quite challenging.
February 2011
Shelby quits her corporate job and becomes the marketing consultant for Jim’s company, ColorMetrix.
Shelby Says: Jim and I had many conversations about me going out on my own and, when he offered me a contract, that sealed the deal for me. I have not regretted this decision one step along the way.
Jim Says: I’m not quite sure how I did everything I was doing before February when Shelby joined me. I know having the marketing help has been good for ColorMetrix. Our sales have been much smoother than in the previous year. I guess what happened in the past was marketing campaigns did not happen until I was not busy – you know when sales had dropped to almost nothing. Now, we market all the time.
March 2, 2011
While editing one of Jim’s posts, Shelby calls him and says that, while she likes the post, she has a different opinion. Jim offers to let her write a counterpoint guest blog to accompany his. What was to become the She Said, He Said blog series is born.
Shelby Says: When I brought up my difference of opinion to Jim, I really wasn’t expecting him to offer me a guest post. However, I love to write so when I was given the opportunity, I jumped at it.
Jim Says: What Shelby fails to mention is that almost every daily blogger prays for offers to guest post. As much as I love to write, a day off here and there is fine with me.
May 19, 2011
The positive feedback on the She Said, He Said blog series inspires Jim and Shelby to start a weekly Twitter chat (#shehechat) at 8 p.m. CST on Thursdays.
Shelby Says: I was happily surprised at the participation we received through the Twitter chat. What I think was really brought out through the chat were our different personalities. Suddenly, there were more pokes and jokes between Jim and me. It was pretty easy because that’s how we relate to each other in person. While great content was being shared, I think we both realized that there was an entertainment component that was starting to develop with She Said, He Said.
Jim Says: From the very first time we did a #shehechat on Twitter I’ve been amazed at the reception and interaction with those following the hashtag. I do know that chats go better when Shelby and I are in the same room and can make sure we respond to almost everyone who is chiming in. We also do a better job keeping our eye on the clock and getting all the topics in while leaving time for questions at the end. I suspect about half the audience tunes in for the entertainment value of us exchanging verbal quips and jabs.
July 30, 2011
Jim and Shelby take She Said, He Said to the next level by speaking at WordCamp Chicago.
Shelby Says: This was never the plan in the beginning when we started the blog post series. It was several weeks into the Twitter chat before Jim brought up the possibility of taking She Said, He Said on stage. I had never spoken before and I was a bit nervous about the idea. Still, Jim had some really valid points such as how unique our format was and how we can make it both educational and entertaining. I never dreamed our first application would get accepted. We started Ustreaming our weekly Twitter chats as preparation. This next level still makes me nervous. However, now that we’ve done it once, I’m excited to see where this goes.
Jim Says: Once we sat face-to-face during the first #shehechat chat on Twitter, I could see the stage chemistry we had. I didn’t mention it to Shelby for awhile because I knew she thought of herself as a behind-the-scenes person. She’s a natural with witty comebacks. I never know what’s coming and it keeps me on my toes. Our audience at WordCamp in Chicago picked up on that and I saw them siding with Shelby each and every time I tried to attack her Marcia Brady stage persona.