As TWEETEA is all about community, it seems only right to highlight the wonderful people we have within our community. Every week, we are going to feature many of the regular TWEETEA attendees. As we expect to grow, we will see how long we can keep this series going before it is just too hard.
Our first person will be none other than Nikki “aka Kiki” Stephan. She is the main host currently at Goldfish Tea. Nikki works at Identity Marketing & Public Relations as a Social Media Strategist and is also a member of Social Media Club Detroit. has been a great pleasure to have such a devoted and passionate person on board. Many may not believe this, but there was a time when the future of TWEETEA was quite uncertain. If not for the 2009 season of American Idol ending when it did, ending Nikki’s five-month run as an Idol blogger for The Detroit News, we may not have this site today. I know, funny, but true.
Okay, we asked Nikki a couple questions about TWEETEA in regards to what she gets out of the event and what she envisions for the future of it, so without further ado.
Full Name: Nicolena Stephan
Twitter Handle: @EstrellaBella10
Zodiac Sign: Libra
City, State: Pleasant Ridge, MI
Website: nikkistephan.com www.identitypr.com, www.identitypr.com/blog
Where was the last place you went on vacation? Glen Arbor, Michigan…and it’s where I got engaged. 
What does TWEETEA mean to you?
To me, Tweetea is synonymous with community. One main goal of Tweetea is to get people who use online tools like Twitter to talk about the ever-changing world of social media in person once a week. In doing this, Tweetea strengthens our community by contributing to new knowledge, friendships/relationships and ideas.
What do you get out of TWEETEA?
I can’t count the new pieces of wisdom and new relationships I’ve formed thanks to Tweetea. I look forward to this event every week. Tweetea has become a comfort haven to me, and I’ve learned from others that they feel Tweetea is a friendly and welcoming environment. All you have to do is show up one time to know you’ve got a trusted group of people who you can share ideas with and who will provide thoughtful feedback about any topic/question discussed. That’s not something you’ll find in every community.
Who would get value from TWEETEA?
Anyone who is an enthusiast of the social Web, anyone who wants to learn more about the social Web, anyone who is looking to meet new people in the community, anyone who wants the benefit of learning from people from diverse backgrounds and industries, anyone who has ideas floating in their head about the social Web and who wants to vocalize those ideas to people who will genuinely listen and provide feedback, anyone who wants to experience networking minus the exchange of business cards.
If you had a vision for the future of TWEETEA, what would it be?
Tweetea isn’t Social Media Club Detroit, nor should it ever be. Tweetea works best in a small group setting. My vision is to have a healthy group (15-30) attend at least three existing Tweetea locations in metro Detroit every week. Ideally, I’d love to see Tweetea expand into other sectors of Michigan, as well as across the country. I would love if every week people were contacting the location leaders with suggested discussion topics (or submitting topic ideas via the website). It would be great if we could come armed with 4-5 topics a night and see how many we get through. Topics can always be tabled for a different week. Some people find it helpful to prepare their discussion ideas prior to the weekly event, so deciding on a few topics prior to Tuesday would be great so those who like to prep can do so. I would also like to see more people who don’t spend a ton of time online attend Tweetea. Another thing I would love is if I could walk into any store or business in Michigan and have at least one person know what Tweetea is all about.
Above all, when people are asked to describe what Tweetea means to them, I would like every person to give their own response of course, but to always have it come back to Tweetea being an event where people can grow online relationships offline, always expect a great conversation and leave with one new nugget of wisdom that they didn’t have when they first arrived.
