#whyaustin for Social Business
Like many in Austin, I migrated here from California, but by way of El Paso...Alpine....UT Austin and then Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. I tell many I was a Californian by birth, and Austinite by choice. Unlike the rest of Texas, Austin is a more liberal, creative oasis even though it is smack dab in the middle of the state and the State Capital sits here. Austin has had many slogans over the years including "City of Ideas","The Live Music Capital of the World" and one of the local favorites, "Keep Austin Weird." Locals know that the Weird is a good thing, it means free to be creative, unique, sometimes a bit eccentric but also it means supporting local businesses. Austin is not a city of strip malls and chain restaurants and that is part of what gives it it's own unique charm.
I was fortunate enough to have called myself a Longhorn, but back then if you wanted a decent paying job upon graduation, you did not stay in Austin, So I hired on to an ad agency in Las Colinas near Dallas and worked there and then JCPenney headquarters in various marketing roles and when the internet took off leading jcpenney.com. Many years later, we had the opportunity to move back here or to Boulder for my husbands job and decided to come back here since we both loved and still came back to visit often. A lot had changed in the 9 years we were gone...the internet had taken off and Austin was no longer a college and political town, it was an epicenter for high tech and Austin had grown and progressed by leaps and bounds. With the expansion, they had turned Hwy 183 as a real Hwy instead of a four lane street and had begun discussing a light rail which finally came to fruition last year to make it easier to get around. We fell in love with Austin all over again.There is so much to do here. Amazing parks and lakes, live music everywhere including the airport, all forms of art and theater, terrific restaurants...particularly Tex-Mex and Barbeque. While you are here If you have never tried one, be sure to try a Mexican Martini...The Cedar Door is a great place to try one near the Austin Convention Center and it is a historic legend in Austin. Another real benefit of living in Austin is the cost of living is very reasonable for a city of it's size and no state income taxes. If you hate the cold, like I do then you will appreciate we rarely have snow or ice and if we have even an inch it is a major deal. Most of the year you can wear shorts and flip-flops if you like. It gets a bit toasty in August, but then that's a good excuse for a Day on Lake Travis and just hop in the water for a swim to cool off.
My roots are now firmly planted in Austin, I have had had job offers in NY, Silicon Valley, Seattle and San Diego over the last decade and have turned them all down both because I love this place and because they would have had to give me a huge increase for me to enjoy the quality of life I have here. Luckily, I work for a global company with a strong presence in Austin. There are over 4,000 IBMers here. But regardless of where visitors or newcomers, come from, there is always a big welcome mat on Austin's doorstep. The people of Austin are amazingly open, friendly and welcoming regardless of economic stature or age.Over the last several years a strong community has sprung up here around Social Media and that is now my extended family. In fact, the Austin chapter of Social Media Club, which I serve on the board as Vice President, is the second largest chapter only behind the founding chapter in San Francisco. Social Media Breakfasts, Twestivals, and Tweetups galore happen on a regular basis too. There is never a shortage of things to do or people to do them with. Many of us have started using the hashtag #whyaustin on twitter to explain why we are so in love with this place we now call home. It's hard to explain until you have experienced it first hand. It's not like the stereotype of Texas that many imagine of Cowboy Hats, Boots and tumbleweeds. It's more like tie-dye t-shirts, flip-flops or Toms for winter shoes and the bluebonnets here in the spring are simply amazing as is Lady Bird Lake. Austin has survived the recession better than almost any city in the nation and is predicted to continue to grow and thrive. I am optimistic about Austin's future and see Austin maturing into an epicenter for Social Business in the coming years.
Enough about me....now here's what others in our Social Business Community love about Austin.
Virginia Miracle, Ogilvy Digital
