Growth at Merlot Marketing, Bit by Byte

It has been a bustling and exciting few months here at Merlot Marketing. In addition to the celebration of new and returning clients, the Merlot staff has been expanding by leaps and bounds, with the most recent growth in our digital department. The newest member of the team is Vanessa Labi, who joins Merlot Marketing as a Social Media Specialist.  In her new role, Vanessa is responsible for assisting with the day-to-day activities of content development and online community management for Merlot’s clients. With a background in creative writing and a passion for all things fashion, Vanessa makes an ideal addition to our ranks as she works to enhance client programs. Welcome aboard Vanessa.

Personally, I am always interested in what is NOT already on someone’s LinkedIn profile–the personal details that make the person. To that end, I asked Vanessa to help us do just that. So here are 10 interesting factoids about Vanessa that you won’t find anywhere else:

– She loves sweet potato fries.
– Banana splits might be her favorite “food.” Her first job ever was as an ice cream scooper at Leatherby’s Family Creamery here in Sacramento.
– That being said, she misses the health food/ juice bars/ vegan restaurants of Los Angeles where she attended college.
– Manhattans and Old Fashioneds are her favorite cocktails. (Any whiskey cocktails, really.)
– She is a Zumba/Ujam fanatic. She reports that she loves how the party atmosphere lifts her spirits while she gets a great workout. “You will see all kinds of women dancing at these classes. If you want to see someone who could be your mother-in-law getting down to Lil Jon’s ‘Shots,’ this is your class.”
– Although a tomboy throughout most of her childhood, she was suddenly struck by a love of fashion in high school. Since then, she loves being tapped into what people are wearing and how they’re wearing it. She documents what she wears on her style blog, babe-sicle.com. “For an amazing documentary on someone who dedicated his life to said interests, watch Bill Cunningham New York.”
– She is a lover of music and is currently studying to become a DJ under tutelage of Sacramento based DJ Shaun Slaughter.
– After graduating college from UCLA, Vanessa moved back to Sacramento last year, a decision she is happy she made. “I’ve come to love the bump-into-someone-you-know-everywhere-you-go charm.”
– Her roommate’s pug, named Banksy, has become the unlikely, and slightly gross, light of her life. “I’ve even created an Instagram account for him: @Banksythepug.”
– While living in LA, she saw a lot of celebrities. Her favorite celebrity “sighting” was a performance reading by her favorite non-fiction author David Sedaris at UCLA while an undergraduate.

Vanessa can also be found on Twitter and LinkedIn.