I’m a big sucker for companies who go above and beyond for their customers and 1-800-PetMeds put a giant smile of my face when I opened up my shipped package. Inside were the two boxes of medication I ordered and two dog treats with a note that read “The big treat is for Leidi B and the small one is for Nikki.” (I had two dogs, a 70-pound Lab and a 20-pound Jack Russel).

When companies send you a little extra with your purchase, it means a lot, but when companies say “Hey, we paid attention and know you have two dogs, a big one and a small one, so we took the liberty to send you appropriate treats,” I’m hooked and even more so, I’ve become an advocate.

My vet even tried to convince me once to buy meds from her instead of 1-800-PetMeds, but I stood strong next to the company that not only cares about my pets’ needs, but also provides excellent products and customer service.

My latest purchase was a doggie bed that made me envy my dog; it’s really comfy: Ortho Small Dog Sleeper.

Oh and I love that no matter how big the company gets, they’ll always interact with you on Twitter.

P.S. Did you know that they’re based in South Florida? Just in case you needed another reason to like them

Naturally, I faced obstacles and several humorous instances while learning the ins and outs of developing and filming a show. I’m still an amateur and believe I always will be, but every time an obstacle arises, I feel the need to share it with someone.

It was suggested to me to share my lessons so here goes.

I’ve been learning about about iMovie, microphones, directing and even trying to express my amateur vision to a very patient and professional video editor. I’m also feeling like a journalist again! Before becoming a publicist, I was journalist, but picking my stories was easy, I chose anything I liked and covered it. I never felt like I needed to be pitched. Now, however, I feel that with Meet South Florida, I need to be a little more selective so I’m expected to be sold on a certain interview. I feel that if nothing else comes out of this show, I’ll come out a better publicist  after being on the receiving side of these pitches.

I’ll be sharing any and everything I learn. So please be patient with me and know that advice is always welcome.

Chef Irie is a Caribbean fusion chef meaning his food is layered with touches of Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern and African flavors; all in true Jamaican style.

Chef Irie left Jamaica when he was 19 years old in pursuit of becoming an architect. However, it was while he was in college that he decided to quit his full-time job and dedicate himself to a career in food. In essence, he wanted to become a culinary architect.

He studied at Johnson and Wales University in North Miami and worked his way up to owning his own catering business.

His advice for young chefs is to pay their dues: You’ll have to wash dishes and peel potatoes – there’s no easy road. Working in every part of the kitchen will help give you a better feel for what it takes to be a chef.

Whether you’re looking for a personal chef, a dinner for two or catering for a reception, Chef Irie can add a unique spice to your cuisine that will make it a memorable event.

Interview: Chef Irie Spice 5.22.11 from Agustina Prigoshin on Vimeo.

Connect with Chef Irie via:

Twitter: @ChefIrie

Facebook: Chef Irie (personal) and Chef Irie Spice (professional)

Website: www.IrieSpice.com

Blog: www.ChefIrie.blogspot.com (he writes about food and it’s representation throughout his childhood)

Anais graduated with a degree in Film and Photography, but minored in Child Developmental Psychology. Put a woman with that education, plus a brother who’s 13 years younger than her, behind a camera and you’ve got the perfect formula to get a great photograph of your child.

The more Anais photographed kids, through trial and error, the more she realized that child photography was her strong suite. She learned that newborns between three and seven days are the most artistic subjects to shoot. She says that they’re very flexible and can better maintain a folded or curled position.

What she enjoys most about being a child photographer is that photography is a very personal part of someone’s life and she wants to be the one that helps capture certain moments that families will treasure for years.

Even though Anais specializes in child photography, she also does events and boudoir sessions. She has a portable studio that allows her to work on location and shoot wherever her client is most comfortable. However, she highly recommends that newborns stay at home for their first close-ups.

Since a photo session is very personal, Anais makes it a point to make everyone as comfortable as possible before, during and after the photo shoots. She encourages a consultation before each session in order to get to know each other better. If an in-person consultation is difficult, she’ll meet over the phone. She takes this opportunity to show samples of her work, schedule a location for the shoot and discuss outfits.

Clients can see their proofs on her password-protected online gallery within 24 hours of their shoot.

On a budget? Not a problem. You can find her on deal sites like CoupTessa or sign up for her email list where she provides you with various specials.

If you’re still undecided about hiring a photographer, watch the following video to get to know her a little better and then find her online to personally interact with her and see if she’s the best person to capture you’re most precious moments.

Interview: Anais Ganouna Photography 5.15.11 from Agustina Prigoshin on Vimeo.

Find Anais Ganouna Photography online:

Website

Twitter: @AnaisG

Facebook: Anais Ganouna Photography

Kaufman, Rossin & Co.‘s tagline is “See beyond the numbers” and that’s exactly what their mission is with Social Media. KRCO is very much involved in the community and they want you to see their human side, that they’re more than just accountants and bookeepers. Afterall, there’s got to be a reason they’ve been named “Best Place to Work” by the South Florida Business Journal for five years and received Florida Trends’ “Florida’s Best Companies to Work For 2010″ award. And while we’re mentioning awards, let’s not forget their Accounting Todays’ “Best Accounting Firm to Work For 2010″ award. They deserve a round of applause! *clap* *clap* *clap*

Aubrey studied Accounting as well as International Finance and Marketing at the University of Miami and earned her position at KRCO by proving herself as an intern first. Aubrey is as social in real life as she is online and if you’ve ever had the opportunity to meet her, you’d know that she’s very eager to learn and expand her expertise across several platforms.

Aubrey has used different Social Media channels to establish the KRCO brand into the community and build/strengthen relationships with their followers. Her latest campaign was a Facebook photo contest in which she asked KRCO fans to submit a photo of themselves being involved in the community. The winner, Lesley Lyons, received a $500 donation prize to the charity of her choice: the Humane Society of Greater Miami.

Another one of Aubrey’s campaigns includes Social Media outreach for the Trial Pad, an app that allows attorneys to present evidence electronically in court rooms. KRCO has teamed up with a litigation firm to provide attorneys with this cost-effective courtroom tool.

KRCO is more than an accounting firm, they’re community leaders and innovators – they’re a company worth following. Learn more from Aubrey herself in the following video.

Interview: Kaufman, Rossin & Co. 5.8.11 from Agustina Prigoshin on Vimeo.

Want to follow Kaufman, Rossin & Co.? You can find them on almost every major Social Media network:

Twitter: @KaufmanRossin

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Flickr

Dr. Patty soon became an avid networker, attending events like the National Association for Women Business Owners. She met a woman who invited her to a Femfessionals lunch. Dr. Patty found so much value in attending her very first Femfessionals Miami lunch that she immediately started brainstorming how to bring a Femfessionals group to Fort Lauderdale.

Femfessionals is a ladies-only group that meets once a month for what Dr. Patty calls a “connection luncheon.”

Dr. Patty became the president the Fort Lauderdale Femfessionals group and named it FemCityFtLaudy. She describes the group as a way to connect professional women with other professional women. It’s not your typical professional networking group; women are encouraged to get to know their fellow Femfessionals on a more personal level rather than starting a conversation with a sales pitch.

Other FemCityFtLaudy board members include Carolina Schwartz (PR) and Vanessa Montes (Social Media outreach).

Interview: FemCityFtLaudy 5.1.11 from Agustina Prigoshin on Vimeo.

Check out what FemCityFtLaudy is all about and keep up to date with future events on their site.

Follow FemCityFtLaudy on Twitter and Like them on Facebook.

If you’d like to host, sponsor or speak at the next FemCityFtLaudy connection luncheon, you can contact Dr. Patty via email: DrPatty@femfessionals.com.

Inspired by Austin Kleon‘s Newspaper Blackout project, Andres and Kevin started God Loves Poetry with the intention of flipping the negative messages that the Westboro Baptist Church puts out about military funerals and homosexuality into messages of love and inspiration. They collected the church’s press releases and blacked out certain words; the words that were left untouched would read as positive messages. Their mission was to disarm the church with positivity and obliterate their messages of hate.

God Loves Poetry encourages you to spread love by creating your own poems; just visit their site and submit your blackout poem. You can see a few examples on their Flickr page.

Check out the project:

www.GodLovesPoetry.com

Facebook

Twitter: @GodLovesPoetry

Interview: God Loves Poetry 4.24.11 from Agustina Prigoshin on Vimeo.

Isadora explains the art of burlesque, which dates back to the 1920s when women weren’t allowed to voice their political opinions, so they took to the stage to perform their points of view. They teased the audience’s attention by showing a little skin, a little elbow here, a little elbow there. Of course burlesque has evolved over the years, but the art of performance has stayed true to its origins. As Isadora explains, burlesque is not like striptease; there’s no pole and every act tells a story.

Now that Ms. Bull is a free agent, venues or even other troupes can invite her to be a guest performer and choose from her various acts, or just go with her most popular one: The Magician’s Secret. Ms. Bull is also available to for burlesque classes at her studio in north Palm Beach or at your home.

Isadora Bull can be reached via email: IsadoraBull@gmail.com or on Facebook.

You can see Isadora at her next performance on May 12 at 8 p.m. at Cinema Paradiso in Fort Lauderdale for an 80s Prom Night themed fundraiser. For just $5, you’ll get to see her and six other performers, including three drag queens, put on a show to benefit Stand Up To Cancer.

Interview: Isadora Bull 4.17.11 from Agustina Prigoshin on Vimeo.

Chef Jorge started his own business in late 2008, a catering company called Chef George Catering. Aside from catering weddings and corporate events, Chef Jorge takes time to give back to the community and cater for local charities such as the March of Dimes and the United Way.

He also uses his culinary skills to interact with the community with a side business called Homemade Chefs. Homemade Chefs is an interactive cooking class that’s held between two to three times a week; he even hosts private classes.

Chef Jorge’s mission with Homemade Chefs is to make cooking approachable, to make it an experience. All his classes are themed, incorporating global cuisines. Each class ranges from $35 to $45 and registration is simple: just visit their Meetup.com page, select the class you’d like to attend and pay through PayPal.

In the interview below, Chef Jorge walks us through his businesses and even teaches us how to tend to an accidental burn (I wonder how many people know about his household remedy).

Interview: Chef George Catering 4.10.11 from Agustina Prigoshin on Vimeo.

Chef Jorge shows us how to make a quick and easy Heirloom Tomato and Apple Salad with Pistachio Vinaigrette.

Take a peek into an Indian Vegetarian cooking class:

Facebook:

Chef Goerge Catering

Homemade Chefs

Chef Jorge

Twitter:

@ChefSazon

@cookingflorida

For wine tastings, cooking classes and demos, visit the Homemade Chefs Meetup.com page.

If you’d like to get in touch with Chef Jorge for your catering needs, you can speak with him or his sister, Vanessa, to schedule a tasting: 954-200-2895. You can also visit his website: www.ChefGeorgeCatering.com for more information.

Chaz invited me to his studio in Miami to show me how he works and to teach me about the music industry, specifically what a music producer does. We talk about how The Fliptones was born, what makes Miami such a hotspot for the music industry and how technology plays an integral role in bridging the gap between living on the east coast and working with artists on the west coast.

The Fliptones’ spectrum of talent ranges from hip hop to pop and we’ll be able to hear exactly what they’re capable of as soon as Jason Derulo‘s new album comes out. In the meantime, make sure to follow them on Twitter to keep up with their exciting work.

Their website is under construction, but in case you’d like to check back and see what they’re up to, go tohttp://www.thefliptones.com/

Oh, and thanks to Ulises Orozco and Olive Preston, we have a lighthearted ending to the interview that I decided to not edit out

Interview: The Fliptones 2.20.11 from Agustina Prigoshin on Vimeo.